Between the Lines
by riverofmemories
Summary: In a world that knows nothing of magic, there's a hidden society of people with incredible abilities. After joining the Fairy Tail guild and partnering with a crazy pyromaniac by the name of Natsu Dragneel as well as his flying blue cat, Lucy Heartfilia begins to learn that everyone has secrets - some of which even lie within her own family - and that nothing is ever as it seems.
1. Chapter 1

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

 _" - fire started in downtown Hargeon early this morning. The current witness reports all seem to claim they saw someone fleeing the scene, and the police are on high alert. No one has been able to come up with a matching description, and - "_

 _Click._

A sigh left her lips as she dropped the remote control, a thoughtful expression on her face, and Lucy Heartfilia found herself annoyed. "What are people thinking?" she grumbled, removing herself from her swaddle of blankets. She shivered at the coolness of the air outside her warm little den. "There's no way that was arson...and why does it matter, anyways? The building was old and nobody was using it...ooh, not a bad setting idea…"

She grinned.

Nineteen years old and already a fairly well-known author through a pen name she didn't care to share, Lucy was doing well for a girl who'd run away from home two years before. She had no reason to have a job - writing was earning enough money for her - and fact was: she didn't really want one. She was enjoying her peaceful life, even if it was somewhat lonely. She had no friends - she didn't leave the apartment enough to even have friends - and she didn't want to even begin considering what would happen if her family found her.

She'd already changed countries once.

She didn't want to go around changing countries again.

Thank _goodness_ the people under her father's influence weren't smart enough to look for her outside of her home country.

Lucy wandered through the apartment she'd been renting for the past two years now,pausing only to get dressed as quickly as she could before going to track down her keys. She found them exactly where she usually left them, in a bowl near the apartment door, placed there specifically so she couldn't lose them. She plucked up her phone, too, as she headed outside.

Lucy grimaced at the state of her old car. She'd purchased it as cheaply as she could - not even her female charms had been able to lower the price - and she was pretty sure that it would soon fall apart.

The young blonde sighed, brown eyes lowering to the ground in disappointment. Even if she _was_ doing decently well with writing, and even if it _was_ getting the money she needed, she didn't have enough to get an entirely new car. Maybe she'd bring it by one of those places that fixed cars up…

"Come on, Lucy," she scolded herself, climbing into the vehicle. "Get going."

Boredom was common when Lucy didn't have a decently good book to keep her occupied, so she often found herself driving around the city of Crocus. The capital of Fiore was an expensive place to live, but it wasn't too bad. She liked the business of it, enjoyed the fact that the rulers of the country lived within their castle at the center of it.

And the amount of people kept her hidden from the possibility of an ally of her father's seeing her.

Ugh, being a runaway was such a depressing mess of trying to stay hidden and unfound.

Grumbling, lip sticking out, Lucy nearly ran into the person that suddenly darted across the street in front of her. She slammed on the brakes, nearly too late to avoid hitting them. They yelped, leaping back, and Lucy stared in surprise at the strange attire they wore as they slammed their open palms on the hood of her already partially destroyed car with a furious look.

An open vest that showed off fairly toned muscles, and a strange set of bottoms to accompany the equally strange top wasn't _nearly_ as weird as the scarf that was wrapped around his neck. It was scaled, gleaming in the sun, and Lucy frowned at the strange color of the man's hair. Who had _pink_ hair? Certainly nobody else that she'd seen before...especially on guys… And then she realized his onyx eyes were glaring furiously into hers, and her own dark eyes narrowed as she rolled down her window, stuck her head out, and spat, "Watch where you're going!"

His response was instant and enraged. "Maybe you should watch where you're driving!"

Lucy felt the distant throb of a headache coming on. Today was just _not_ going to be her day, apparently… Rubbing her temples, she called, "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to nearly run you over, even if one of us doesn't know how to _look both ways before crossing the street_."

He looked ready to explode at that and she had a brief moment of triumph that she'd made him speechless, especially when he clenched his jaw.

And then her eyes narrowed, zoning on his clenched fists. Was that...was that _smoke_ rising from his fists? She opened her mouth to say something but an equally strangely dressed woman with long scarlet-colored hair suddenly came sprinting out of nowhere, snarling, "Natsu, _go_!" Her metallic armor gleamed in the sun, and Lucy frowned at them, noting how weird they looked in the normal looking city.

...cosplayers maybe?

Who knew, but she found herself curious. And wishing for the pencils he'd forgotten to bring with her. _Again._ Damn it. Her gaze locked onto the strange red symbol branded upon the guy's, Natsu's, shoulder and the red one stamped on the scarlet-haired woman's armor.

Natsu shot Lucy a final dirty look, then darted forward, the woman rushing after him. Only seconds later, a half-naked man with dark hair and that strange symbol in a dark blue color on his chest was racing after them, too, swearing loudly enough that Lucy raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly, she was alone, sitting at an empty intersection with a confused look on her face.

Shaking her head to clear it of the weirdness of what had just happened, Lucy moved to shift the gear of her car. _Okay, that wasn't weird at all…_ Lucy flicked the blinker of her car on.

And then there was a _huge_ explosion from only a buildings over. Lucy screamed in surprise, her dark eyes snapping up to stare at the sudden column of smoke that was billowing in the air, engulfing the area in its darkness. Her hands shook violently on the steering wheel and her head proceeded to turn in the direction the three cosplayers had gone.

...so maybe. Just _maybe_ , they had done it?

Her hands itched to write now. _Really_ itched.

She turned her car around and headed straight home.

* * *

The second she was at her laptop, she was researching. Her fingers tapped furiously at the keyboard, hunting for the symbol she'd seen on all three of them. And the only keyword she had was the one name: Natsu.

She scowled at the memory of him. He'd been such a _jerk_.

Yet here she was, typing in his name.

Nothing.

She scowled, resting her chin on her open palm and tapping her finger lightly on her desk in thought. Her stomach growled, reminding her that lunch was a distant memory from yesterday, but she pretended not to notice.

She sat like this for a while, typing various searches in, including things to do with the scarlet-haired woman, the strange scaled scarf, and even the half-naked guy she'd seen racing after them. But she still came up with nothing, and Lucy moaned in frustration, wishing for the first time in a while that she had the sources her father did.

She went through again, careful as she checked each link.

It took her a while, but finally she noticed something. One website kept popping up. Lucy clicked on it, paying careful attention to what the home page of the website said as she scanned through the words. When she got to the end of the introduction, she arched an eyebrow. _Magic, huh?_ she thought, curious.

Ooh, how her mind was racing, coming up with a damn good idea that she wanted to turn into a novel that would hopefully outsell even her last book. So she did the first thing she could think of: she signed up for an account, carefully choosing to use her pen name rather than her real name to put into the boxes.

 _ **First Name:**_ _Layla_

Her mother's name. She'd used it, knowing her mother wouldn't approve of her father's desperation to keep her under his controlling hand.

 _ **Last Name:**_ _Cor_

 _That_ she had gotten from a translator, putting the "heart" bit of her last name in and coming out with a favored Latin word.

 _ **Gender:**_ _Female_

Wasn't that obvious? The questions got weirder as she went along, but she was as truthful as possible in all of the boxes that were required. And _only_ those that were required. If they weren't required, she didn't answer. It was a weird website, and she didn't want to give out _too_ much information.

She waited until her account had been activated before looking deeper through the offered pages. Her head was spinning after just one of them and she reached to pull a notebook over, pencil dancing across the page...until she noticed her inbox for the site jumping up and down, showing that she had a message.

She clicked on it.

 _ **To:**_ _laylacor . magesoffiore . com  
_

 _ **From:**_ _mirajanestrauss . fairytail . magesoffiore . com_

 _Dear Layla Cor,_

 _Hello!_

 _It isn't often we get new members on the site - most of the others are too lazy to do such a thing, especially the loners. So I thought I'd greet you in case nobody else did._

 _I will first and foremost point you in the direction of the survey located in a link at the very bottom of the website. It is required you take this survey. If you do not, your account will be deleted within the next twenty four hours. I apologize if this is an inconvenience for you._

 _On that note, if you have any questions, feel free to message me. And,if you are so willing, I'd be very curious to know the results of your survey._

 _~Mira_

Huh.

Lucy cocked her head, skimming through the message a second time before hesitantly doing as instructed and clicking on the survey. She had nothing better to do...right?

She went to work on filling out the survey, her eyebrows furrowing with confusion at each question. "What _is_ this? What kind of _magic_ do I use? Are you serious? Do I intend to join one of the _guilds_? Oh my _gosh_ this is ridiculous." Scoffing, she backed out of it, instead returning to Mirajane Strauss' message and not bothering to hesitate before typing back.

 _ **To:**_ _mirajanestrauss . fairytail . magesoffiore . com_

 _ **From:**_ _laylacor_ _. magesoffiore . com_

 _Dear Mirajane Strauss,_

 _Uh...hi?_

 _You'll have to forgive me, Miss Strauss, I'm honestly confused. None of the questions in the survey made any sense to me. I'm merely an author and the information on this site caught my attention. Is there any way you can grant me access for more than twenty four hours without completing the survey? I noticed that most of the information is only available to those with an account._

 _Thanks!_

 _Layla Cor_

Lucy sent it, then went back to work on scribbling down as much information she could get as quickly as she could get it. One magic in particular listed on the website caught her attention, and she tilted her head curiously before writing it down...just in time for her inbox to jump up and down again. She rushed to click on it.

 _ **To:**_ _laylacor_ _. magesoffiore . com_

 _ **From:**_ _mirajanestrauss . fairytail . magesoffiore . com_

 _Dear Miss Cor,_

 _I thought I'd heard of you somewhere! You're that really popular author, right? My sister is fond of your books, as are a few others of the Fairy Tail group._

 _As for the survey...I will take it that you aren't the usual crowd that joins this site. I don't think I can get you that kind of access… Sorry!_

 _~Mira_

Lucy grinned. Ha, she liked being known by people that she needed to speak with. Maybe, just _maybe_ , it would help her out here...

 _ **To:**_ _mirajanestrauss . fairytail . magesoffiore . com_

 _ **From:**_ _laylacor_ _. magesoffiore . com_

 _Dear Miss Strauss,_

 _I am the author you're thinking of, and I'm glad you've heard of me. It makes me happy to know that people are enjoying the books I work so hard on._

 _If you are unable to get me the access I need, would you be so willing to perhaps meet in person, or send someone who might be able to answer any questions I may have? I'm going to go through as much information as I can before my twenty four hours are up, but I won't be able to contact with questions after that, I'm sure._

 _Thank you!_

 _Layla_

Lucy bit her thumbnail, sitting back to read through another page on the site while she waited for Mirajane's answer. It was risky, asking someone you didn't know to meet with you so you could have questions answered, but so was the life of an interviewer who needed information. When she didn't get a response immediately, Lucy climbed to her feet and wandered off to get a cup of tea.

She'd received a response by the time she came back, tea in hand, and she flicked it with a yawn, glancing at the clock. Time was racing by, but she couldn't sleep. Not with limited time on the web site that was giving her so much inspiration.

 _ **To:**_ _laylacor_ _. magesoffiore . com_

 _ **From:**_ _mirajanestrauss . fairytail . magesoffiore . com_

 _Layla,_

 _Why don't we do this in an easier way?_

A moment later, there was a ding. Lucy glanced around the screen in search of it and discovered a little tab opened up in the corner. A chat, Lucy realized with a relieved look. Much better than all of this formality of inboxing…

 _ **mira:**_ _Hello, Layla!_

Lucy laughed to herself. She liked Mira, and she'd been talking to her for less than an hour. It had been quite some time since she'd had so much fun talking to another human being…

 _ **layla:**_ _Hello, Mira. :)_

 _ **mira:**_ _In answer to your question...who you are able to meet with in regards to questions depends on where you are currently stationed, live, or how far you are willing to travel. I am willing to meet you in Magnolia, where I, and quite a few more people who are able to answer any questions you have, live._

 _ **layla:**_ _Magnolia is quite a ways away from Crocus...but I'm willing to make the journey there._

 _ **mira:**_ _Oh, my! Crocus? I don't know why it surprises me… Of course an author as well-known as you lives there...anyhow! I am free at any time. There is a popular building near the train station that you may enjoy._

 _ **layla:**_ _So long as it has tea, I'm up for it. Is there perhaps an e-mail I can contact you through to let you know when I will be arriving?_

 _ **mira:**_ _Of course! Just use the address you have been inboxing me with. :)_

Lucy thanked her and bid her farewell, sipping at her tea as she sat back with a small sigh. At least if she was kidnapped, nobody would be there to care if she was missing other than herself, so…

Lucy rubbed the back of her head before setting her tea aside and picking up her pencil after cracking her knuckles. She had work to do before her twenty four hours ran out.

She began to write.

* * *

 _I'm so excited to start this! I've been working on this for months now! This is THE biggest project I've ever worked on - and that includes an eighty-six chapter fanfiction I wrote for my other account! I'm already on chapter forty-four at this point, and I don't think I'm even a quarter of the way done! ANYHOW. On to more important matters. Due to its massive size, BTL will be updating three times a week (hopefully). Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Some chapters may be a day or so late every now and then due to busy lives between myself and my lovely editor (who helps me create just about everything). Thanks for reading and I hope you look forward to the next chapter of BTL!_


	2. Chapter 2

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

 _Ding!_

Lucy moaned in exhaustion as she tried to drag herself out of her bed and over to her laptop. "Just let me _sleep_ ," she whined, dropping into her desk's chair. She blinked blearily at the suddenly awakened screen, pretending she didn't see the dozens of abandoned papers that littered her desk, full of the notes she'd taken. She'd managed to go through everything on the site the night before, and she was proud of herself. She even had a page full of questions for Mirajane when they met up.

 _Hm...I need to make arrangements to travel to Magnolia…_

It turned out that her publisher wanted at least some sort of idea by the end of the week, and Lucy smirked to herself before replying that she might have an outline to her by then and that she was heading out of Crocus to do some researching. Then Lucy yawned, grabbing her laptop and making her way into the next room, where she clicked on the news, a morning thing she did out of habit. Mostly because it had kept her from being spotted in the country she was originally from.

She went to retrieve some coffee, listening as she did so. But there was nothing good so far as she could hear, and disappointment made her sigh as she added just a dab of sugar before returning to her laptop, sitting on the couch and setting her mug on the coffee table. She opened her laptop, situated herself comfortably, and then went to work on seeing when flights to Magnolia happened.

Within the next hour, Lucy had purchased a plane ticket that meant she'd be leaving for the town tomorrow, not even bothered by how soon she was going. She'd looked into Magnolia briefly the night before, and was glad to see that it was a relatively decent location for her book as well. She'd even managed to rent herself a car for the five days she'd be staying there!

Next on her list was to alert Mirajane. So she did just that.

 _ **To:**_ _mirajanestrauss . fairytail . magesoffiore . com_

 _ **From:**_ _laylacor . magesoffiore . com_

 _Mirajane!_

 _Letting you know I've recently purchased a plane ticket and should be arriving in Magnolia tomorrow afternoon...don't worry if you're unable to meet with me then, though. I'll be in Magnolia for five days not including tomorrow or the day I return home. Let me know when you're available and we can get together!_

 _~Layla_

Lucy reached for her mug of coffee after sending the message, sipping happily at it and enjoying the way it seemed to wake her up. She adored both tea and coffee - tea more than coffee, though the second drink was the only one to wake her up in the mornings. _Thank the heavens for caffeine_ , she mused to herself - just as her laptop alerted her that she had a new message.

The chat she'd used with Mirajane the night before had popped up.

 _ **mira:**_ _Hello, Lucy! I actually have tomorrow off, so I'd be more than willing to meet with you tomorrow. I certainly didn't expect you to come so quickly, though._

 _ **layla:**_ _Yeah...sorry about that. I didn't mean to get such an early flight, but I'm excited. I haven't been to Magnolia, and I heard it's a nice town. And I'm rather eager to get started on my book._

 _ **mira:**_ _Don't worry, I understand. My friends are constantly getting overly excited, so you rushing here is actually a hell of a lot nicer than what I usually deal with. What time do you arrive?_

 _ **layla:**_ _Around noon or so, I believe._

 _ **mira:**_ _How about lunch at one, then?_

 _ **layla:**_ _Works for me! ;) Just tell me where and I'll find my way there._

 _ **mira:**_ _The Rozlyn Cafe. It's a place that's only a five minute walk from the airport. I'll go ahead and reserve just a table, so just ask for a table reserved under the name Strauss._

 _ **layla:**_ _I will. Thanks!_

 _ **mira:**_ _No problem. :)_

Lucy laughed softly as she closed her laptop, downing the rest of her tea. She had a feeling that she and Mirajane were going to be good friends. Unless she was murdered for this, then she supposed they'd be the opposite.

Lucy glanced in the direction of her room and made a face. She had to organize her notes, make sure she had no more questions, and pack. Then she'd be able to leave at the proper time rather than missing her plane, like she'd done during previous times when she'd been scheduled for signings in other towns and cities.

But first...she had to make a run to the store. Not that she wanted to, especially after nearly running over that Natsu person the day before. Something about him made her anxious, especially the way she'd been _sure_ she'd seen smoke curling around his fingertips.

But, that couldn't stop her from going out and doing stuff.

Lucy stretched as she headed into the kitchen, abandoning her coffee mug in favor of going for her car keys and purse. She'd make a quick run to the store, grab a few things she'd need for her trip, and hope she didn't run into those strange people from the day before.

 _Hm...maybe Mirajane will know something about them…? Or at least about that weird mark they all had…_

* * *

The trip to the store was - thankfully -relatively uneventful. Nothing strange came around her and she was grateful for that. She didn't want to deal with anything strange today. Not before her trip.

She was able to get home fairly quickly, and upon getting inside, she dropped her grocery bag onto the table. "Ah, nice and easy," she sighed happily, then glanced back at the door with a thoughtful look. Fall was out and about, giving the perfect weather for people to go out and enjoy. In the past, before Lucy had come to the country of Fiore, she hadn't been able to go out and enjoy such things. She'd either been forced to remain in a place she hated or too frightened about being recognized.

So, Lucy tucked her keys into her pocket, grabbed her phone, and made her way back outside. She smiled to herself at the breeze that whisked her blonde hair out of her face, enjoying the coolness of it. Maybe, she thought, just _maybe_ , she could become friends with MIrajane. It'd be nice to have someone to chat with, even if it was only over the computer or phone. She'd tried to be friendly with her neighbors, who lived in the same building she did, but they weren't very eager to be friendly back.

So, for the time she'd spent in Fiore, she'd been a hermit, only talking with her editors and publisher.

Oh, and shouting at that weirdo.

Damn, for someone who was trying to pretend she hadn't been too bothered by their presence, she was thinking about them a lot...she really needed to correct her mind.

Or figure out just why they were bothering her so much.

Lucy huffed. _Yeah, really need to figure that out._

The young woman crossed her arms, biting her lip unhappily as she walked along the sidewalk. Sometimes she hated the lonely life she'd created for herself. But it was a hell of a lot better than the one she would have had to remain in if she hadn't run away. And she _did_ enjoy writing…

Lucy continued to walk, enjoying the outside breeze and letting it clear her head. "I need to do this more often," she mused aloud, feeling a lot better about a ton of things. A smile lit across her face.

And then she smelled smoke. Right before a rather large gust blew something around, smacking it right into her face.

Lucy yelped in surprise, stumbling. She pried it away, annoyed, expecting it to be a grocery bag or something disgusting that often accompanied the winds that occasionally blew through Crocus.

Instead, she was confronted by a scarf...one she recognized instantly as the one that had been wrapped around that Natsu guy's neck. Lucy stared at it, her fingers running over the weird scale-like texture and grudgingly admitted to herself that it was soft, and still warm.

How it had ended up in her hands, however, confused the hell out of her. Hesitant, Lucy scanned the area around her for that strange pink-haired man, but found nobody. She carefully folded the scarf, pressing her lips into a hard line. So those three strange people were still hanging around?

She searched for the source of smoke but found none and gave a shrug before turning to head home, the scarf still clasped in her hands. She'd keep it for now, and if she saw the weird person again, she'd return it, simple as that.

It took her minutes to get home, and when she did, she gently placed the scarf on her coffee table and went to haul her suitcase out of its hiding hole. As she was dragging it to her living room - there was more room there, and she could carry chosen clothes out of her room to sort through there - her laptop gave off a soft sound, alerting her that she'd gotten a message.

Swiping her hands, Lucy abandoned the suitcase in favor of going to check the message.

 _ **To:**_ _laylacor . magesoffiore . com_

 _ **From:**_ _levymcgarden . fairytail .magesoffiore . com  
_

 _Hello!_

 _Sorry to disturb you, but my name's Levy. I recognized your name and wanted to say hello, along with alerting you that I'm eagerly awaiting your next book! :)_

 _~Levy_

Lucy couldn't help but smile and laugh at the message. So this was one of the many adoring fans she had, hm? She liked her already. Too bad her time was almost up on the site...she wouldn't have minded chatting with Levy. Still, Lucy hurried to reply. She still had a _few_ hours. She could surely message Levy while packing...right?

 _ **To:**_ _levymcgarden . fairytail . magesoffiore . com_

 _ **From:**_ _laylacor . magesoffiore . com_

 _Hello, Levy._

 _I'm glad that you're excited for my next novel! I'm currently working at the next book as quickly as I can despite my last being released only a few weeks ago. I'm eager to get to work on it. I'm thinking of producing my first series out of it, actually. What do you think?_

 _Layla_

Lucy paused, wrinkling her nose. Maybe she should have her publisher see if she could set up a surprise signing on a day she was in Magnolia…? It'd be fun, and it wouldn't be as crazed as a scheduled signing…

She was half-way through sending the suggestion to her publisher when Levy responded.

 _ **To:**_ _laylacor . magesoffiore . com._

 _ **From:**_ _levymcgarden . fairytail . magesoffiore . com_

 _That would be amazing! You'd definitely get a lot of fans excited if you did such a thing, me included! May I ask what they might be about? Sorry if that's too much, I'm excited. :)_

 _~Levy_

 _ **To:**_ _levymcgarden . fairytail . magesoffiore . com_

 _ **From:**_ _laylacor . magesoffiore . com_

 _Not at all, Levy! I'm considering the idea of magic for this next book (quite possibly series). Perhaps in another universe of my own creation._

 _Layla_

Lucy expected a response almost immediately, but when it didn't come, she was surprised. So she gave it a few minutes, then shrugged and went back to packing, carefully tucking away a few articles of clothing, toiletries, and even books into the suitcase. She refused to go _anywhere_ without at least a few books. One would go into her carry on, too. Flights were boring, after all. She moved to zip the suitcase shut, then paused, glancing over her shoulder at the scarf. It sat there on her coffee table, gleaming innocently in the light. So, with a sigh, she packed it, too. Who knows, maybe she'd see that weirdo there and be able to return it to him…

Damn, she was obsessed. How embarrassing.

 _Ding!_

Ah, there was the message she'd been expecting! Lucy hurried back over to her computer, surveying the screen.

 _ **To:**_ _laylacor . magesoffiore . com_

 _ **From:**_ _levymcgarden . fairytail . magesoffiore . com_

 _That's an interesting idea. Magic is always fun to read about...may I ask where you got the idea from? And what kind of world do you plan on creating?_

 _~Levy_

 _ **To:**_ _levymcgarden . fairtail . magesoffiore . com_

 _ **From:**_ _laylacor . magesoffiore . com_

 _I'm not sure...I'd been playing around with the idea for a while, and it just clicked yesterday. So I found this website and decided I liked the different types of magic. As for the kind of world, you'll just have to wait and see. ;)_

 _Layla_

Lucy popped her neck, swiping her blonde hair out of her face. So it was sort of a lie. She'd seen the three strangers and had been trying to find them, but nobody else needed to know that. She did a final checkover of her suitcase, then reached for the book she was currently reading. She might as well try and enjoy herself for the rest of the evening…

A pause.

It was lonely like this.

 _Maybe I should consider getting a dog…?_

The idea made her snort. As if a _dog_ would keep her company. She'd always wanted pets as a child, but it wasn't exactly animal companionship she was craving. She wanted human company.

Lucy set her book down, longing filling her. How long had it been since she'd had a friend? Before her mother's death, that was for sure. She could remember the happy people that used to come visit her mother, even when Layla Heartfilia had fallen ill.

They'd stopped coming after her death and soon after, her life became a living hell.

Lucy tapped her fingers on the cover of her book, resting her head back with a sigh. Why did stuff like this have to be so troublesome? It was part of the reason she enjoyed writing and reading so much...it gave her the chance to sort of experience what she was missing out on in life.

But hey. Even if a dog wasn't the company she was craving, it was better than nothing.

 _...maybe I really should get a dog..._

* * *

 _You guys are freaking awesome! :D Happy early Halloween to everyone as well. Keep an eye out, I'm creating a gift as of currently for tomorrow. ;) Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows and I can't wait to see you on Monday!_

* * *

 _ **Reviews:**_

 _ **KaUiA:** I'm glad you think so! And yes, three times a week. XD Glad to see you again as usual!  
_

 ** _Kitty Mcgarden-_ _Redfox:_** _Exclamation points are good though. :D_

 ** _NaLu x Buckets:_** _This plot is going to be_ huge _, no lie. I'm glad you like it enough to see it that way though! Thank you so much!_

 ** _SafireRansomePoseidonsDaughter:_** _I was somewhat surprised to notice that not many people have used such an idea. I thought it would have been everywhere, but I'm happy it's not! More craziness from me is what it means! XD_ _  
_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _It's an interesting task mixing them sometimes, let me tell you. The phones are fun to keep track of. XD_

 ** _NaLuLuva23:_** _Nope! My other account is for several other fandoms. Doctor Who, Supernatural, and Inuyasha are what's on my other account. *insert awkward cough* I've kinda wandered away from the Inuyasha and Doctor Who fanfictions there. Need to finish a few fanfics there. One of them is half a chapter away from being completed. I work on my Supernatural one, but...yeah. This is my FT account you're seeing. XD  
_

 ** _the-clumsy-one:_** _Of course! :D_


	3. Chapter 3

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy moved her sunglasses, setting them on top of her head rather than on the bridge of her nose as she stepped out of the airport, rental car keys in one hand. Her gaze surveyed what she could see of Magnolia from where she stood, and a huge smile spread across her face. She liked it. It was busy, but not too busy, and even from where she stood, she could see a beautiful church towering above most of the buildings.

 _Most_.

There did seem to be a hint of a huge building further back in the town. Lucy would go investigate later. For now, she had twenty minutes to find where the Rozlyn Cafe was. Mirajane had been nice and sent her some instructions, and Lucy checked the notes she'd put into her phone as she went to hunt down her rental car. She soon found it, and grunted as she hauled her suitcase into the trunk.

Dropping her sunglasses back onto her nose, Lucy swept her jeans off, adjusted the T-shirt she'd chosen to wear, and climbed into the driver's seat.

She made it to the cafe with plenty of time to spare. It really wasn't that far, just as Mirajane had promised. She locked the rental car, then shouldered her purse and headed inside. A waiter came to escort her to a table, asking if she had a reservation, and she answered, "I'm supposed to meet someone under the name Strauss?"

"Oh! You're here to meet Miss Mirajane," the waiter said with a huge smile on his face. "This way!"

Lucy followed him easily through the cafe, curiously taking in her surroundings. The building was small, with beautifully intricately made glass tables and matching chairs. Each table had a tablecloth thrown over it, and a vase had been placed in the center of each one. The large windows showed off Magnolia's beauty and cast a lot of light throughout the place.

"Miss Mirajane?"

The waiter's voice had her focusing on the situation at hand. He'd directed her to where a young woman with long silvery hair and sparkling blue eyes was seated, dressed in a pretty sundress despite the nip of cool autumn weather. She smiled warmly as she stood. "Thank you," she told the waiter sweetly. After he'd left, she beamed, offering Lucy a hand to shake. "Hello, Layla, I'm Mirajane. You can call me Mira."

Damn was Lucy relieved this wasn't going to be the death of her.

"Call me Lucy," Lucy corrected her, shaking her hand with a faint smile. "Layla Cor is just a pen name." She had reasons for not using her real name online, and those reasons had everything to do with the father that was undoubtedly trying to hunt her down.

"Well then, Lucy," Mirajane laughed. "Shall we get something to eat before getting to work on those questions of yours?"

"Definitely."

Mirajane waved for the waiter that had escorted Lucy over to her to come back, and both women ordered drinks before chatting with each other. "I invited a friend of mine that's fond of your books, but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to show up," the silver-haired woman told Lucy, blushing prettily in embarassment. "I hope that's alright? You already chatted with her, she told me. Levy?"

"Ooh, Levy," Lucy mused, nodding in agreement. "I did talk to her for a bit last night. I wouldn't mind if she stopped by."

"She loves to read," Mirajane told her, beaming at the waiter when he stopped by with their drinks. They ordered food from him, and then went back to talking. "She's particularly fond of your books...I haven't read them, myself," she admitted. "I work a lot."

Lucy waved her apologetic look off and sipped at the tea she'd ordered. Tea was a favored drink of hers, if one hadn't been able to tell just yet. "No worries, I don't blame you. Will Levy be making an appearance then?"

"She should, but she'll be a bit late...give her maybe fifteen more minutes or so. Last time I heard, she was on her way back from a, err, job." Mirajane answered, looking hesitant to say so. When Lucy said nothing, though, she brightened back up and said eagerly, "So how did you find our site, Lucy?"

Lucy came up with a lie as quickly as she could. "Just scanned through sites under the keyword "magic" and came up with it. I liked the types of magic used and figured it would be delightful for my next book." Not a bad lie, if she did say so herself. And she was sticking to it.

"Hm," Mirajane murmured, eyes studying the blonde with surprising seriousness. Lucy blinked. Had she done something wrong? But then Mirajane was smiling again, tilting her head as she explained, "It isn't often we have random people come across our site. Usually they're given a link and told to make an account. I'm one of the moderators that keeps track of new users such as yourself...though I suppose your account would have been deleted by now."

"Sadly," Lucy grumbled. She liked the information provided...it had been interesting.

"I'm sorry I couldn't arrange for your account to last longer," Mirajane apologized.

"No worries," Lucy mused, waving her off. "I managed to record all of the information I needed. And moving on to that...here's my questions. You don't have to answer them here...if you'd be willing to get all answers written down before I leave Magnolia, though, that'd be amazing."

"I'll have them answered for you by the day after tomorrow," Mirajane promised.

"Miss Mirajane?"

The waiter was back, balancing two plates of food and escorting a short woman with blue hair pulled out of her face by a headband. Dressed in a pair of white shorts, and a vest pulled over a strange top, Lucy decided then and there that Levy McGarden was going to get a special place in her book. Mirajane, too, because both of them were unlike any person she'd written about.

"Hi, Levy," Mirajane greeted, smiling brilliantly at the waiter - again. "Thanks, you can leave those here...I'll just share my food, and Lucy can, too, if she wants."

"Of course." The waiter left.

"Levy McGarden," Levy introduced herself, giving Lucy a warm smile.

Yep. They were going to be good friends. "You know me as Layla Cor, but please, call me Lucy." To hell with it, these people deserved her real name. Even if there was a chance that it got out to her father. Or one of the people he had working in this country.

Levy seated herself, Mirajane tucked her list of questions away, and the three began to chatter, Lucy and Mirajane more than willing to share the food they had. In no time, Lucy had relaxed, laughing and enjoying herself with them - though she was somewhat suspicious of the fact that Levy had been invited to assure Mirajane wasn't going to get killed by some creeper.

Lucy didn't blame her. She would have probably done the same if she'd had someone to go with her.

"You'll be around for a few more days, right, Lucy?" Levy suddenly asked, twirling a lock of blue hair around her finger. She looked curious, her hazel eyes hopeful.

"Yeah," Lucy responded. "I'm taking a little mini vacation. I'm going to explore Magnolia, get to know a bit more about it...seems like an interesting place. If I like it enough, I might stick around longer. It's been a while since I've wanted to write as much as I do right now."

"Well if you don't mind some company, I'd be willing to give you a tour of some of the best spots here," Levy offered. "Mira has to work, but I'm free for a while since I just earned enough for this months rent."

"Sure," Lucy agreed eagerly, smiling brilliantly at the short woman. "I'd love to have a tour...it would definitely be great to not get lost while I'm trying to enjoy myself. I'll pay for anything we need to pay for."

Levy winked. "If you're sure...I'll be bringing along some company if you don't mind. I believe Gajeel just got back from his own job...didn't he, Mira?" She exchanged a secretive look with Mirajane, and Lucy tilted her head curiously when the older of the two nodded to her. What was that about?

"Yep," Mirajane answered, pressing her lips together thoughtfully. She rested her chin on her laced fingers, smiling warmly at Levy. "He got back about two, maybe three hours ago. First thing he did was ask if you were back." At Lucy's curious expression, the pretty silver-haired woman laughed. "Gajeel Redfox," she explained to her, "Is Levy's boyfriend. They don't see each other often enough in my eyes though. They're both out of town a lot for work."

Lucy cast Levy a grin. "Oh? You're welcome to bring him if you don't get to see him very often, then. I don't have a problem with it." Levy looked absolutely ecstatic at this.

"Have any ideas of where you want to go first?" Levy asked, leaning closer, sipping at a drink. Her hazel eyes sparkled with curiosity, her gaze locked on Lucy with an eager look. "And what time and where do you want to meet up?"

"I'll get back to you on what time and meeting up," Lucy responded, then nodded towards a window. Even from here she could see that beautiful and large church that had caught her attention upon first leaving the airport. "I want to go there...and some kind of bookstore if you don't mind."

Levy's eyes were practically glowing with excitement now. "You like to read?" A pause, and then she was smacking her forehead, muttering, "Of course you do, you're an author…"

Mirajane laughed at that, then glanced at a silver watch that decorated one slim wrist. "I hate to leave so soon, but I have to get back home...Lisanna and Elfman will be wondering where I am." She sighed softly, smiling at the two names. "Someone's got to make them supper. Anyways, can I have your number? So I can get back to you on those questions?"

"Sure...I'll give you my number, too, Levy," Lucy added thoughtfully. "That way we can figure out where we're going to meet up and whatnot later."

"I'm fine with that." Levy dug her phone out of her pocket, readying it, and Mirajane did the same, looking at Lucy expectantly.

Lucy carefully spoke each number, waiting until Mirajane had stood to stand herself. "Thank you for agreeing to meet me," she told the older woman, smiling faintly. "I know it's not always the best idea to meet a complete stranger, but I'm glad we did meet."

"Me, too," Mirajane said with a sweet smile, her eyes warm. "I'll call you later, let you know when we can meet up again over the questions...maybe I'll even join you and Levy."

"That'd be fun," Levy agreed eagerly. "I'm sure Lisanna would like to meet her."

"Ooh, that's right, before I forget," Mirajane said with wide eyes, shooting Levy a grateful look. She turned a pleading gaze on Lucy. "Lisanna wanted me to ask you if you'd sign something for her?"

"Bring me a book next time we meet up," Lucy answered, wiggling her fingers with a large grin. "I'll gladly sign a book for her."

Mirajane laughed and bid them farewell, leaving just Levy and Lucy alone. They chatted about different books for a while - it turned out that Levy read just as much, maybe even more than she did herself - and by the time they had to say goodbye for the time being, Lucy realized she was sad over going home in a few days. It had been a long time since she'd been able to chat so easily with people. She'd missed it.

Levy had turned to leave after saying goodbye when the blonde saw it.

"Levy," she said urgently, curiosity springing to her gaze when she saw the white emblem on her left shoulder blade. "What is that?"

She glanced back at Lucy. "Hm? Oh, this?" She reached back to touch it with a nearly loving touch, smiling warmly. "I'm part of this, err, group of people that go around trying to help others. This symbol marks which group we're a part of, because there are several other groups as well. Mira and Gajeel have one, too."

Lucy tilted her head. So the three weird people she'd seen...they were all part of _this_ group then? Good thing she'd brought the scarf. If she didn't see that pink-haired jerk by the time she needed to go home, she'd give it to Levy or Mirajane to give to him and tell them how she'd come across it and knew who it belonged to.

"Hm...I might use that idea, if you guys don't mind," Lucy told her, winking. "It'd be interesting for my book, I think."

Levy tensed only briefly enough that Lucy was barely able to notice. But then she flashed Lucy a large smile. "Not a bad idea," was all she said before waving and leaving the young woman alone in the Rozlyn Cafe.

Lucy tapped her lower lip thoughtfully as she gathered up her possessions, her brown eyes narrowed as she headed for the door. "Hm," she murmured to herself. Something was up, she decided as she walked down the street, mentally noting where the place was so she could come back to it at a later time. With the way Levy had reacted to her idea, something was _definitely_ up.

But Lucy knew better than to pry. She wasn't a pushy person, so she wouldn't demand answers about the matter. She'd wait for Levy to come to her about it, or one of the others she'd seen. She didn't want them to back off and decide she was invading their privacy or anything.

So she'd wait.

And with that, Lucy kicked a rock away from her toe and headed for the hotel she would be staying in.

* * *

 _Yay! We've met Mira and Levy! Next chapter, we'll be adding Gajeel as well into the group of people Lucy knows. :D_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Shanejane:_** _I'm glad you're interested! There will be quite a lot more to read. :D_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _I'm happy you think so! You'll have to wait and see when it comes to Lucy, however. ;)_

 ** _KaUiA:_** _How do you know she won't keep it hidden to him until way later? ...nah, just kidding, you'll be finding out about how he responds soon. Lol. XD_ _  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _I'm sure (actually, I'm hoping) people like how Natsu is reintroduced. XD It's an interesting process with some crazy mood changes that don't seem to stop for a long time afterwards. XD_

 ** _Meahhh:_** _I'm seriously happy you say so! :D_

 ** _Blood-priced726:_** _I'm glad you think so!_

 ** _NaLu x Buckets:_** _Damn! How did you know? Lol. Yep, this will be similar to that kind of idea with several twists and turns along the way.  
_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _I'm happy you think so, because it's difficult. x.x And I think this will be one of the most complex things I've ever written because there are so many things intertwined. XD  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Hand delving into the depths of her purse, Lucy let her fingers brush against the strange texture of the scarf she'd somehow managed to stuff in there, searching the people walking by for Levy. After a long texting conversation, they had agreed to meet outside of the Rozlyn Cafe. Lucy knew where it was and there were no risks of her getting lost while trying to find them. Levy had told her they - she and her boyfriend - would meet her there at noon.

Noon was here, and now Lucy found herself alone, waiting hopefully for the people that had yet to show up. This was only the second time since coming to Fiore that she'd agreed to meet with someone other than her editor. And she was admittedly excited.

She'd brought the scarf for one reason and one reason only - she was silently hoping she'd see that pink-haired jerk so that she could return it and be done with him. So far, however, she hadn't had any luck, and she was disappointed about that. She really was ready to be done with her strange obsession over him…

"Lu!"

The strange nickname had her head snapping around, recognizing both it and Levy's voice instantly. The small blue-haired woman had begun to call her it last night over texting. Lucy's lips spread into a huge smile. "Levy!" she called when she saw her. She waved, then paused at the sight of a tall dark-haired man beside her.

To put it simply, Gajeel Redfox was not who she'd imagine her new friend to be dating. Piercings galore with long wild black hair and red eyes that gave her the chills. Each hand wore a glove that was cuffed to his wrist by some piece of metal, and the dark clothes he wore were ripped and torn at the edges - particularly the long jacket he wore. He wore a headband of some sorts, and Lucy had the distinct feeling he wore it to make the small woman beside him happy.

Levy danced over to greet Lucy easily, Gajeel approaching with a wary look. He gazed at Lucy for a few moments, as if judging whether or not he was going to like her, and then suddenly smirked. Lucy blinked. Was it just her, or were those canine teeth of his sharper than the average person's…?

"Lucy, this is Gajeel," Levy introduced, waving towards him. "Gajeel, this is Lucy...be nice," she warned, voice suddenly dark and threatening. But then she was cheerful again, clasping her hands together with a happy hum. "Ready? We're going to go see the church, and then I'm going to show you another popular place we can eat at...and then we're going to the bookstore. Oh! And Gajeel promised to pay for everything but the books."

Lucy eyed Gajeel nervously. His eyes narrowed in response, and Lucy's widened when she realized that his pupils weren't exactly like a normal person's. In this light, they looked more like black slits…

Shaking her head to clear it, she turned her attention back on Levy. "Uh, okay. That works for me. I won't be able to buy too many books, though...they'll have to fit in my suitcase."

Levy waved the blonde's concerns off. "Don't worry, Lu, if you can't fit some, I'm more than happy to send them to you. Come on, let's get going." She smiled brilliantly, gently grabbing Gajeel's arm and tugging him forward.

Gajeel snorted, draping an arm so that his elbow was on her head and he leaned on her. "Hold on just a second, Shrimp," he muttered, red eyes glowing with amusement. They locked on Lucy, who blinked in confusion. "I got what you wanted. Why do I need to go with now?"

She puffed up in anger. "Please?" she pleaded, though she glared at him while doing so. "Come on, you were gone for a hell of a long time this time!"

"Not my fault you didn't come," he growled in response. _Literally_ growled. Lucy stared at him. Yep, there was definitely something off about this man. "You could have come with me. Ya chose not to."

"Because Jet and Droy needed me for another job," Levy retorted, crossing her arms. Gajeel scowled furiously at the names, and Lucy had the feeling that they were the names of men. "Anyways." She glanced at Lucy, her cheeks flushing as she realized they were arguing in front of her. "You promised."

He heaved out a heavy sigh. " _Fine_ , Shorty. But when you hit the bookstore, I'm _out_."

"Yay!" Levy squealed. Lucy giggled at the interaction, and Levy spared her a wink before grabbing Gajeel's hand and tugging him forward again. "Come on, Lu, places to go, people to see...sorta. We might run into a few people I know where we're going today…"

Lucy laughed and waved them forward. "Lead the way, Levy."

Levy beamed and started forward.

* * *

Lucy learned a lot of things about Levy and Gajeel while they were out exploring Magnolia. For one, they were the complete opposites of each other. The short Levy was cheerful, constantly speaking, and pointing out every little thing. Gajeel was silent, often times glaring at Lucy out of the corner of his eye in a suspicious way, and when _he_ pointed something out, it was usually something that nobody would have ever thought to mention.

In other words, Lucy had a good time at the same time that she just wanted to go hide in the room she'd rented for her trip. She'd offered to drive them all around since Gajeel was paying for everything - but the books, as she'd been reminded - and neither of them had disagreed.

Every now and then her hand would dip into her purse and skim that scarf, and her dark eyes would skim the area around them for a certain pink-haired man. But every single time, she came up blank. By the end of the day, Lucy was ready to shout her frustrations to the sky. She was annoyed beyond belief that she still had this _damn_ scarf, just hanging out in her already stuffed purse.

"Hey, Lucy!" The young blonde woman glanced up, amused by what she found. Levy stood there, her arms completely empty, but behind her, his eyes glaring accusingly at Lucy, was Gajeel with his arms completely full of books. Looks like Levy had found quite a few books she liked… "We're going to check out and head home…" So they lived together? "Are you okay to head back alone?"

"Yeah," Lucy agreed firmly, shooting Levy a reassuring smile. "I've got getting back handled. Go ahead. I'm going to skim through these bookshelves for a few more minutes, see if there's anything else I want to take home. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely," she agreed. "I think Mira will be joining us, by the way. Gajeel mentioned she had been talking to our Ma-" A pause. "Our boss about getting some time off."

Lucy pretended not to hear Levy's mistake, but locked that curious bit of information away for later use. _Definitely_ something going on with these people, all of which supported the mark that showed them to be a part of the group Levy had mentioned. "Great! You're welcome to come again, too, Gajeel," she added.

He smirked. "Nah. I got some faces to pound in."

"...lovely." Lucy tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

After they'd left, Lucy went back to skimming through the books before her. Not too long later, she was walking out of the bookstore, two books tucked under her arm, her purse slung over her shoulder, and her dark eyes full of curiosity for the town around her. She _loved_ it here.

She was just beginning to contemplate whether or not moving here would be good for her writing and her publisher, digging in her pockets for the keys to the rental car, when a hand suddenly slammed over her mouth. She gave a muffled cry of surprise as she was hauled backwards, a voice hissing delightedly in her ear, "Found you!"

She fought furiously to free herself, even going so far as to bite the hand over her mouth. When _that_ happened, there was a curse, and she was released. Lucy whirled around immediately, her brown eyes glittering with rage and fear. She opened her mouth to snarl at the one who'd attacked her - only for the words to die in her mouth.

Standing before her was someone who could barely pass as human. Their form was humanoid, but their features were twisted, their skin blackened by something that Lucy couldn't even begin to figure out. Ragged clothes had been placed on their body carelessly - the shirt wasn't even all the way on - and eyes gleamed maliciously from a scrunched up face.

And, to top it all off, there was sparks coming from his fingers, as if his hands were tasers rather than hands.

Lucy contemplated her chances of running from the terrifying person before her. _Zero percent of escape,_ she admitted silently, shoving her books as best as she could into her purse, contemplating how effective it would be as a weapon.

"Found you," he crooned again, his voice disgustingly sweet and happy. Spittle dripped down his chin and Lucy made a face. His gaze suddenly hardened, serious, his lips spreading into a massive grin. "Time to go home, Miss Heartfilia."

She balked. _Wait...what?!_

 _Wham!_

The attacker was suddenly down, clutching his face with a groan. Lucy blinked, astonished.

Suddenly standing between her and the one that had attacked her was none other than the pink-haired guy she'd seen days before in Crocus, Natsu. He was shaking a fist, as if punching the guy had pained him, and he was muttering under his breath. He shot Lucy a look over his shoulder - and then stared right back at her. "What the…you're the weirdo who nearly ran me over!"

"Who cares!" Lucy squealed as the strange man with taser hands climbed to his feet, a snarl on his face. "Help me, already!"

"Fine, but you owe me," he muttered in response, giving her a withering look. He reached up as if to tug at something that wasn't there and for a brief moment, she thought she saw despair on his face. But then it was gone, a twisted expression appearing as he glanced at her again. "Fairy Tail?"

"...excuse me?"

"... _ugh_ , you freaking _suck_ , weirdo." He made a face, looking disappointed about something Lucy didn't dare begin to try and understand as he grinned broadly at the man. She realized then that rather than dressed in the weird clothes he'd been wearing last time, he was clothed in a simple T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

Lucy let her lips slip into a pout. Excuse her for not understanding gibberish!

When the attacker came at him, hands sparking, Natsu only flinched, not stopping before slamming a fist under the guy's jaw. He ducked to avoid a returning blow, and then swept his feet out from under him. Natsu scowled, eyes flashing with annoyance. "You owe me big time, weirdo."

"My name isn't "weirdo", it's Lucy," Lucy gritted out, biting her lip. He didn't seem to think fighting and getting rid of this guy was a big deal...just how often did he go around beating people up?

"Whatever."

 _Wham!_

The attacker was knocked out with a single blow.

Lucy stared at the two for a moment, then said faintly, "Thank you for helping me, I think...uh, what are you doing?"

Natsu had grabbed the attacker by the hair - Lucy tried not to flinch - and was proceeding to drag him down the alley. "Taking him to some official people so I don't have to worry 'bout him anymore."

"Hold on a second," Lucy protested, scurrying to shove her hand into her purse. Ignoring the books that hit the ground, she withdrew the scarf she'd shoved into it before her time out with Levy and Gajeel. "This is yours, right?"

He froze, onyx eyes snapping wide at the sight of it. He dropped his hold on the attacker, seeming to completely forget about him for the time being as he approached her, hands reaching out. He gently took the scarf, astonished. "How the hell…"

"The wind blew it at me," Lucy admitted. "You lost it in Crocus, right? I saw you wearing it, and figured I might as well keep it in case I saw you again. Such a weird material...what's it made of?"

He didn't answer her question, only quickly wrapped it around his neck. A _huge_ grin spread across his face, eyes dancing happily as he beamed at her. "Thanks, weirdo!"

"Lucy," Lucy corrected, rolling her eyes. She cast a wary look at the man he'd knocked out. He'd known her name...her real name, not her pen name...that was more than just a little concerning. It meant changing countries again, and she really didn't want to do that. "My name's Lucy…thank you," she said honestly. "I don't know what that was about, but thanks."

He grinned. "My name's Natsu." Not that she didn't already know, but he didn't need to know that. He seemed like a completely different person than the one with the attitude she'd seen before. That _might_ have been because she'd decided to return his scarf, she supposed...and if it was that, fine with her! "And don't worry about this guy," he added, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the unconscious man. "I got him. S'what I do." He paused, wrinkling his nose. "You been hanging with Metal Breath and Levy?" He leaned closer, and Lucy blinked when she realized he was _smelling_ her. "...huh. Okay."

"Um…?" Lucy stared at him in bewilderment.

Acting as if he had no idea she was confused, Natsu retreated back to the attacker and gave Lucy a final wave. "See you around, weirdo! Thanks for finding my scarf! And don't hang around, some other bastard might attack ya."

And then he was gone, and Lucy was alone in an alleyway with confusion evident on her face as she moved to pick up what she'd dropped.

Something was _definitely_ weird...she had some research to do. Again. Not surprising, she always seemed to have research to do nowadays.

But now she had a new keyword, and one she recognized.

 _Fairy Tail,_ _huh?_ she thought as she hurried back to her car.

Thank the heavens she'd remembered her laptop.

* * *

 _Reintroducing Natsu again, this time with a bit more being involved on his part. Thank you so much for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows, you make my day! :D_

* * *

 _ **Reviews:**_

 _ **Kitty Mcgarden- Redfox:** I'd hope that she likes him. XD Not a good thing when you're not fond of someone you're in a relationship with. Lol.  
_

 ** _ghostbones:_** _I'm glad you think so! Finally an official meeting between the two, eh?_

 ** _Haus of_ _Lexy:_** _Here you go! :D_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Natsu lost his scarf, but now he's found it again! ...huh. Should probably explain how he lost it at one point. Lol. XD_

 ** _silver light of dawn:_** _You'll have to wait and see about those questions! I promise you the answers are coming VERY soon. ;)_

 ** _Compucles:_** _I like your choice in words there. "Muggle" is the perfect way to describe any non-magic folk, yes?_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Ah, the Rozlyn Cafe. Named after a favorite child of mine that's practically family. Fun little meetings are fun...for now. ;)  
_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _This. This right here. This made me laugh so hard I was near tears in the middle of lunch with people around me. I don't know why, but I thank you a lot for this review. XD_

 ** _NaLu x Buckets:_** _Just wait. Things are gonna get more interesting soon enough. Lol._ _  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The next morning found Lucy exhaustedly hauling herself out of the shower with a tired look on her face. Bags had formed beneath her eyes from the little sleep she'd gotten, and she barely had the energy to dress herself before going to find herself some coffee.

Eternally grateful that the hotel she'd picked to stay in had a coffee machine in each of its rooms, she downed nearly an entire pot before she was capable of thinking straight. She paused to look at the mess of notes and sketches she'd made the night before - most of which had nothing of use on them. The most she knew was that anyone that had anything to do with this "Fairy Tail" stuff had that emblem on them somewhere.

Lucy sighed into her third cup of coffee. This was turning out to be a bit more frustrating than originally planned…she'd ask Levy for more information on this Fairy Tail group later, when they met up with Mirajane at the Rozlyn Cafe…

She reached out to pluck up a book that she'd been reading during her breaks the night before, and then stopped as her phone went off. Giving a sigh, Lucy set her book aside in favor of glancing at her phone. "...huh," she murmured, answering the phone call immediately.

"Hello?" she mused before taking a sip of coffee.

It was Mirajane. "Hello, Lucy, _"_ she greeted in a hurried voice, seeming distracted. "Levy asked me to call you about something...she had to go with some friends on a job. It was last minute and there's no phone reception where she's going, so she asked me to let you know, and it turns out I have to work today, too."

Lucy's lips slid into a disappointed pout. "No worries," she said despite her disappointment. "I'll just find some different places to go to, work on my ideas for some novels...are you able to go out tomorrow?" she said hopefully, then cringed. She didn't want to sound desperate to hang out with people who didn't know her very well…

"No," Mirajane said mournfully, sounding apologetic. "I can't until the day after tomorrow...sorry, Lucy! But…" Her voice became hopeful. "I answered those questions of yours. Levy said she told you a bit about our...err, group, right?"

"Right," Lucy agreed quickly, curiosity striking her.

"If you'd like, I can send one or two of our other members to speak with you. I'll send the questions with them for you to look through, and if you have any more questions, you can call me."

"That'd be great," Lucy said, though her voice admittedly faltered briefly. She was nervous about the idea, she wouldn't lie. She would have less than a few hours to deal with the anxiety that came with new people. She'd had at least twenty-four hours last time.

As if sensing Lucy's discomfort, Mirajane reassured, "Don't worry. I think I know who I'm sending…" She seemed thoughtful. "Hm...I'll send Lisanna with him, though. He can be a bit, err, not so bright a lot of the time, but he's friendly enough. Certainly more friendly then Gajeel, and he can at least keep his clothes on." That last bit was muttered, as if under her breath.

Lucy couldn't help but giggle at that. "Okay," she agreed. "So I'll be looking for Lisanna Strauss and…?"

"Natsu Dragneel."

Lucy sputtered, choking on the sip of coffee she'd taken. She coughed for a moment, ignoring Mirajane's worried words before saying hoarsely, "You're sending _that_ pink-haired idiot?"

Mirajane sounded startled. "You've met Natsu? Well, that's a surprise…oh, dear," she said anxiously. "Did he do something bad? I can send someone else if you want...he's just been a bit bothersome to the others, and I thought giving him something to do would be good for him…"

"No," Lucy wheezed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "He didn't...he didn't do anything bad. He actually, err, helped me out last night." She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully after a moment, remembering the event. She hesitated, then admitted, "After Levy and Gajeel left, I think I stayed out a bit too late...some guy decided to come after me." She kept quiet about her suspicions behind it. Nobody else needed to know she was a Heartfilia. "Natsu showed up and helped me out."

"Are you alright? Were you hurt?" Mirajane fretted. "Do you need someone to stay with you? I'll forcefully take time off until you go home if you want…"

"No, it's fine," Lucy reassured. She gave a tight smile. "It probably would have happened back home anyways." She tucked some hair behind her ear after setting her coffee down. "I'll just have to be more careful. At least I was here and someone was there to help me out." _Could have ended with me being forced out of the country and back home…_

"If you're sure…" She seemed upset by this, but Lucy pretended not to notice. "I'll tell Natsu and Lisanna to meet you outside of the Rozlyn Cafe, just like Gajeel and Levy did yesterday… You make sure to let one of us know if you need something, okay, Lucy? We'll help you out if something like that happens again."Mirajane's voice was fierce, almost protective.

Touched, Lucy found herself blinking back tears. "Thank you," she said softly, "I will."

Mirajane gave a soft sound, then reported, "I'll let them know to be there in an hour… Natsu's been in a better mood today than he was yesterday, so he'll be a little wild. Just a warning. If you have to, smack him around. It keeps him in check. I'll talk to you later, Lucy!"

"Bye, Mira." Lucy hung up, swiped at her eyes, and took a shaky breath. How long had it been since someone had thought to make sure she was okay? _Without_ worrying that their future plans would be ruined?

Climbing to her feet to go get dressed, Lucy set her phone aside, stretching.

Yep.

She definitely wanted to move to Magnolia now. Screw whatever her publisher thought on the matter. Lucy eyed her laptop, then the clock before going to change.

She'd start looking for apartments after she was done for the day…

* * *

The look on Natsu's face when he realized just who Mirajane had sent him to meet was _priceless_. He looked horrified, excited, annoyed, and even a little bit eager, and Lucy could do nothing but giggle at the several expressions that flashed across his face. Lisanna, warned beforehand, had joined her in laughing before smiling brightly at her, greeting, "Hello, Lucy. I'm Lisanna." She extended a hand out to shake and Lucy did so happily. "This is - as I've been told you know - Natsu."

Lucy gave a small nod before smiling slightly at Natsu. "Hi."

"...yo," he greeted, voice hoarse with his surprise.

Lisanna shook her head, giving another laugh. "Do you want to grab something to eat while you go over the questions? Mira sent them with me.."

"...food?" Natsu said hopefully, a glint in his eyes - which kept darting back to Lucy. She pretended not to notice.

"Not for you," Lisanna retorted. "He eats _everything_ ," she explained to Lucy, blue eyes flashing with amusement. "If he was to eat, there wouldn't be anything left for other customers for a week."

Lucy shook her head. "I can see it," she replied, hugging herself. Her gaze sparkled with laughter, and her cheeks were sore from smiling so much. She loved hanging out with these people. And she was sure it was obvious to just about anyone who looked their way. "I'll pay," she offered. "You came out when you really didn't have to, so it's the least I can do. And if he wants something, too, I'll pay for it. Just…" She turned a pleading gaze on him. "Don't order too much. I need money that'll last the rest of my trip." _And some for moving…_

His eyes widened fractionally at the look in her eyes, but then he gave a huge grin that showed off most of his teeth - including those that were slightly sharper than the rest. Lucy blinked. His canines were apparently like Gajeel's...how strange. Suspicious now, she only returned the smile slightly.

The three wandered into the cafe, Lucy silent in her thoughts, Natsu watching her out of the corner of his eye, and Lisanna carefully watching them both, a smug little smile playing along her lips. After settling in and ordering food - Lucy looked like she wanted to cry when Natsu had finished ordering, and Lisanna, having pity for her, ordered Natsu to pay for at least half of it - Lucy was ready to deal with the questions.

"Here you are," Lisanna offered, handing her the paper that listed the answers Mirajane had carefully typed up to go with her questions. Lucy lightly took them, curiously scanning the answers.

"Sweet," Lucy said happily. "Thank you, Lisanna...tell Mira thanks for me later, would you? I'll look them over some more tonight and get back to her on any other questions I might have."

"Sure thing," the younger woman promised, then suddenly added in a tight voice, "Natsu. Table."

"Shit," he swore, yanking his fingers away, placing them safely in his lap.

Lucy stared at the ashy marks left on the table, opened her mouth to question it, and then noticed the wide-eyed panic on Natsu's face. Lisanna hadn't noticed that she'd noticed, but Natsu certainly had. His onyx eyes were round with horror, locking with Lucy's, as if he was anxious she'd say something.

So, Lucy said nothing, only smiled slightly before turning her gaze down to her food. She nibbled at a roll that had come with the soup she'd purchased, lost in thought until Lisanna said, "So...you were out with Levy and Gajeel yesterday, right Lucy? What did you guys do?"

Lucy hummed in thought, tilting her head. "Not much...we went a few places, like that big church. We went to some place for lunch, and then Levy took me to a bookstore. It was the most fun I've had since I saw the amount of positive responses my first book was receiving," she admitted. "I don't really, err, have many friends back home." She didn't have _any_ friends back home. "So it was fun to be able to enjoy my time with someone else."

"That's good," Lisanna said with a soft laugh. "Mira was worried you wouldn't enjoy yourself with Gajeel there...he can be a bit...well, he's Gajeel."

Natsu snorted, muttering, "Metal Breath _sucks_. Won't even fight me half the time. He's too busy being a boring bastard."

" _Natsu_ ," Lisanna moaned in frustration. "Levy worked hard to make sure he was on good behavior yesterday, don't make all of that for nothing!"

Lucy giggled, amused. "Don't worry," she reassured. "I don't mind. He wasn't _too_ bad, though. Kept giving me these weird looks, but…" She shrugged, taking a sip of her tea, thoughtful as she tilted her head.

"Did he try and sing?"

Natsu's question had Lucy choking on her tea, staring at them with surprise as she coughed for a moment. _Damn_ , apparently she was good at that today! "He _sings_?"

"He thinks he can," Natsu said with a shrug, smirking suddenly. He shoved some food into his mouth, mumbling with his mouth full, "He sucks at it." Lisanna buried her face in her hands, looking horrified by the lack of manners Natsu had. But Lucy only grinned, finding it hilarious. It was nice to see such things...for her, anyways. Lisanna didn't seem to appreciate it.

It wasn't long before all of the food was gone, and Lucy was content to listen in silence as Natsu tried to convince Lisanna that he _needed_ more food when he'd already eaten as much as she could in three days. Every now and then, a hand would reach up to tug the scarf away from his chin so that he could talk without it tickling him, as if it was habit. A pout appeared on his face when Lisanna told him he couldn't get anything else to eat, and he glared at her before blowing out a sharp huff.

A flame wisped out from between his lips, temperature spiking around them only momentarily.

Lucy narrowed her eyes. She wasn't imagining it. That was three times now she'd seen Natsu Dragneel do something that indicated he could do...well, _something_ with fire. Hm... _might not be a bad idea for my book…_

Lisanna glared right back, not intimidated at all by the angry look Natsu now wore.

Lucy couldn't help but giggle. She was enjoying herself, even if the meeting was a bit more awkward than the one she'd had with Levy and Mirajane. Lisanna was willing to chat - Lucy reminded herself that she needed to get her a book signed - and Natsu was...well, he was something else, that was for sure.

So when it came time to leave the cafe and Lisanna announced she needed to head back, but Natsu was going to take her somewhere fun...she knew without a doubt that Lisanna was leaving her in charge of some pyromaniac-like idiot. Lisanna pulled her closer, whispering softly, "Sorry, Mira's request...we need to get some work done, but he's kind of been...you know, making a mess out of everything. Another of our group, Erza, usually is able to keep him in check, but she's away for work right now. You don't mind?"

Lucy sighed softly. "No," she replied, feeling bad for the obviously eavesdropping Natsu. It didn't seem like he _meant_ to be as destructive as he appeared to be...for the most part. He _had_ been talking about fighting Gajeel earlier. She smiled brightly. "I'm sure it'll be fun."

Lisanna bid them farewell, waving as she left. Left alone with the suddenly sullen Natsu, Lucy glanced up at him. He was a good bit taller than her, yet he looked like a child as he met her gaze and proceeded to grin hugely, showing off those strangely sharpened canines again. "Ready, Luce?" he said cheerfully, one hand shoved into the pockets of the jeans he wore, the other reaching up to tug his scarf away from his face.

Lucy shouldered her purse, ignoring the happy shiver that accompanied the nickname he'd given her. "Yep," she answered, returning the smile.

He gently nudged her forward. "This way," he told her, folding his hands behind his head. "I'm gonna show you some badass trees we have here…"

She snorted, and somehow knew that only _he_ would think such a thing and want to show them to her. "Okay," she agreed.

She gave a happy laugh, unaware of the curious look Natsu shot her out of the corner of his eye...

...and definitely unaware of the gaze that watched them eagerly from the shadows.

* * *

 _Yay for a new chapter, yes? Natsu and Lucy are_ finally _chilling together! Things will start getting serious next chapter. ;) I hope you enjoyed!_

* * *

 _ **Reviews:**_

 _ **NaLu x Buckets:** Gajeel is a pain in my ass at some points, not gonna lie. I love him (and everyone else) to death though. XD Here you are!  
_

 ** _LavenderMoonRose:_** _Thank you!_ _  
_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Another official meeting because you know. They keep needing that apparently. Lol! XD Fun is definitely a good word to describe this._

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _Again, you've made me laugh so hard I nearly cried. XD Thank you so much. XD_ _  
_

 ** _Guest:_** _You'll be finding out VERY soon, I promise it. ;)_

 ** _Haus of Lexy:_** _Maybe, maybe not. :D_

 ** _NaluLuva23:_** _I'm glad! Thank you for thinking so! :)_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _I wonder what he did smell on her! ;) Just kidding, I know what he did, but ya know. Things happen. Bet you he forgets about it. Maybe._

 ** _Blood-priced726:_** _There WILL be romance, I promise you. It's just too early for it at this point. Can't have that happening too soon in long fanfictions. And he wouldn't have necessarily smelled the scarf. It's been with Lucy (on her person and in her purse) for a day or two at this point, and more than likely has more of her scent on it then his own. :)_

 _ **Anonymous1:** Thank you so much! Canon shall always be better, though various meetings are fun to write. Lol.  
_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _Oh, this is nothing compared to what'll happen. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. ;)  
_


	6. Chapter 6

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy enjoyed her time with Natsu immensely despite any concerns she might have had beforehand.

He was excited about a ton of things, including - for some reason - the fact that she was willing to walk everywhere rather than drive. She'd questioned it, but she hadn't pushed when he'd refused to answer. Every now and then, he'd fidget with his scarf, and Lucy finally asked what had been nagging at her mind as they wandered among the trees in a park in the middle of Magnolia.

"Where'd you get your scarf?" she questioned. His gaze snapped to her face. "I haven't seen one like it before."

"Uh…" He blinked, screwing up his face as he thought about whether or not he wanted to answer her question. Finally, he shrugged and said, "My dad. Gave it to me a while ago." His hand reached up to tightly grasp it. "He's gone now...dunno where he went. Disappeared into thin air about...what, seven years ago? Was twelve, maybe thirteen when he left."

Lucy's gaze softened. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I didn't mean to pry-"

"Nah," he interrupted, crossing his arms. "S'fine."

They walked in silence for a few moments before Lucy said softly, "I know how you feel." He glanced sharply at her, confused, and she gave a tight smile as she continued. "My mother died. Years ago. I'm not saying your father's dead," she said hurriedly, as if worried he'd thought she was suggesting such an idea, "But I know how you feel when it comes to missing your parent." She didn't bother to mention her father. He wasn't much of a father to begin with anyways.

Natsu snorted softly. He opened his mouth to say something, then stopped dead in his tracks, inhaling sharply. Lucy watched, confused as he tilted his head back, breathing in deeply, as if he was scenting the air. And then his head snapped over his right shoulder. "...the hell?"

"Natsu?" she said uncertainly.

Onyx eyes darted to meet hers for a moment before he quite literally _growled_. "C'mon. This way. Stick close." She didn't bother to question it. He _had_ saved her once before. She quickly stepped to his side, arm nearly brushing his as she let him guide her through the trees of the park they'd stopped in.

"Natsu?" Lucy repeated, nervous now. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," he muttered, "Now shut up."

She puffed up in anger - until she noticed the dark look on his face. He glanced around, his body tensed, as if he was ready for a fight. He'd sniff the air every now and then - she decided not to question it, trusting him for whatever reason - and even change directions at some point.

Until they reached the streets.

Quite suddenly, Natsu relaxed. He flashed her a huge toothy grin, pretending he hadn't just scared the hell out of her. She jumped when he dropped his arm around her shoulders in a friendly way, giving a final suspicious look around them before muttering. "Sorry, someone was following us."

Lucy stiffened, shrugging his arm off to glare at him. "What do you mean?"

"Like I said," he answered with a shrug. "We were being followed. Happens sometimes… Some people don't like our, uh, group. Might have been that someone thought you were part of our group after hanging out with Levy yesterday...it would explain why you were attacked."

" _Now_ you tell me," Lucy gritted out. "You could have said something about that earlier. Jerk. Or even last night, after I was attacked."

He shrugged, rubbing the back of his head, mussing his pink hair even more. "I didn't think about it," he said honestly. He suddenly gave her a fairly suspicious look and Lucy fought back the urge to roll her eyes. What reason did he have to be suspicious of _her_ when he was the one spitting fire in front of her? "...you do something that might get you killed?"

"Uh, not that I can think of." She'd done something that might explain why the one from last night would have been after her though. Not that he - or any of her new friends - needed to know that. Lucy sank her teeth into her lower lip. "Anyways, have any other cool place to show me? We can't just wander through the trees for six hours...it gets boring. Trust me, I've done it."

Natsu wrinkled his nose, and Lucy tried not to giggle at the expression on his face. "I don't usually go out into town," he admitted. "I'm usually working, at my house, or hanging out with the gui- uh, group."

"Fairy Tail, you called it...right?"

His gaze snapped to hers, wide with shock. Lucy shrugged. "Last night. You mentioned it. And when I was first messaging Mira and Levy, their little addresses had it in them. Sorry if I'm wrong."

"Nah," Natsu said hesitantly. "It's what we call ourselves. There's a bunch of others, too. Sabertooth...Blue Pegasus...Lamia Scale… Those are the other main ones, anyways. There's a bunch of other smaller ones, but…" He shrugged. "Can't really remember what they're called."

Lucy cocked her head. "And how do you get to be a part of these groups? Not that I'm interested," she hastily added, flushing when he shot her a surprised look. "I'm just curious...I've never heard of them until recently."

"You wouldn't. We try to keep ourselves out of the papers."

"Yeah," Lucy mused, remembering just how much had been in the papers about the explosion that she was certain Natsu and those other two were behind. "I bet. But how do you get in?"

"Difficult to explain." Natsu shifted, uneasy now as he shoved his hands into his pockets. He puffed out a little breath of air, smoke drifting out of his mouth along with it, but he didn't seem to notice. "Mira would be better at it. Or Levy. I suck at it."

Lucy furrowed her brow, slightly disappointed. "Oh, well." She cleared her throat. "Anyways. Where do you want to go?"

Natsu gave a _huge_ grin, one that seemed like it was going to split his face in two, and Lucy couldn't help but smile back at him. "I'll show ya one of the other parks in Magnolia…"

* * *

Lucy locked the door behind her upon entering the hotel room she was staying in, sighing softly in exhaustion. Natsu had dragged her to every park he could think of, nearly cost her a fortune when it was time for some dinner, and had been eager to try and do strange things she never would have thought of doing on a regular basis.

But she'd grown fond of the strange pink-haired guy. Whenever he _did_ do something stupid, he'd always made sure she wasn't going anywhere before doing it.

Like when he'd decided to jump out of the top of a tree.

 _"Hey, Luce!"_ he'd shouted, grinning down at her, somehow managing to balance on the thinner branches. Lucy had been standing at the base, head cranked back to watch him with wide eyes. _"Watch this!"_

And then the idiot had stepped right of the branches. She'd had to stifle a cry, clasping her hand over her mouth in shock as he seemed to tumble through the air, laughing as he flipped before landing lightly on the balls of his feet in front of her, breath washing over her face as he laughed, teasing, _"Did I scare you?"_

She'd smacked the back of his head as hard as she could, earning a yelped protest until he saw her glaring at him furiously as she'd hissed, _"Scare me? I thought you were going to kill yourself, you moron!"_

In other words, she'd enjoyed herself. Long gone was the annoyance with the idiot she'd nearly hit with her car.

...speaking of which, she still needed to learn his excitement over the lack of using one…

He'd even gone as far as to walk her back to her car, telling her he didn't feel like chasing off anymore attackers.

She'd been fine with that.

Lucy dumped her purse on the couch, humming to herself as she went to fix herself a cup of tea. The day had been fun, even with the reluctance she'd first shown towards agreeing to hang out with Natsu.

She was in the middle of putting sugar in her tea when her phone first went off. She answered without bothering to look at the caller ID, placing it between her cheek and shoulder so she could stir the sugar into her drink. "Hello?"

"Lucy!" Mirajane said happily into the phone, her voice full of eagerness. "Natsu just stopped by…" He did, did he? Lucy blinked. That was certainly fast...maybe Mirajane lived near the hotel she was staying in? "He said you were probably back by now?"

"Yep," Lucy answered, dumping the spoon into the kitchenette's sink. She took a sip of her tea. "Just got in a few minutes ago, safe and sound."

"Good," Mirajane said pleasantly. "I'm glad...did you have any more issues today? When you were out?"

Lucy thought back to the one Natsu had supposedly thought was following them, deciding against telling the silver-haired woman about it. It was no big deal...the person was gone now, anyways. "No, no issues. I think Natsu's company would have kept anyone away. Lisanna certainly seemed eager to get back."

Mirajane giggled. "Yeah, sorry about that. It's really hard to get this place clean when he keeps trying to fight everyone. And when he starts fighting, the place usually ends up...ah, how do I put this...destroyed. It's usually pretty destroyed by the time he's done."

"I can imagine it." Lucy wandered back into the other room, tea in one hand and phone in the other. She set her tea down on the sidetable beside the couch, seating herself down and rummaging in her purse for the list of questions that Mirajane had answered for her. "I think I spent all of my spending money on that guy's meals…"

"Oh, dear...I'll pay you back for that,"she promised. "He does eat a lot...I'll have a talk with him about that tomorrow, or send Lisanna and Elfman out to do it. If it makes you feel any better, he seemed to like you well enough." Mirajane laughed softly, sounding amused. "I swear, he's like a child in the body of a twenty year old… He said he was very excited to see you again tomorrow."

Lucy heard the sly, hinting tone in her voice and knew immediately what she was thinking of. Damn, you knew a person for less than a week, and they were already planning to set her up with someone...what was it about her that screamed at people to do that? Not that Mirajane would force her into marriage like certain other people that could be mentioned… "I'm glad. We didn't really have the best meeting ever...I nearly hit him with my car a few days ago, back in Crocus. That's how we first met." Lucy cringed at the memory. "Was pretty sure he wanted to throttle me."

"So you're the one who almost ran him over…"Mirajane gave a laugh, amused. "He mentioned that when he got back. He was anything but happy about it. He seems to have forgotten about it, though… He does have a really short memory of some things…"

Lucy grinned. _I'd say._ "So he's the one hanging out with me tomorrow, then?"

"Yes," Mirajane confirmed. "Him, and maybe one or two others. Erza, the one who can usually keep his wild tendencies under control, came back, and she usually likes to be able to keep an eye on him and another one of our members at the same time."

"Alright. Just let Natsu know that I'll be at the same place at the same time."

"Sure thing, Lucy. Bye!"

Lucy hung up, let out a soft sigh, and then shook her head. She was glad Natsu had decided she was a friend, but...damn. She _really_ didn't need to be set up with him. She glanced at the clock, then groaned. She'd look over Mirajane's answers tomorrow morning, when she had some coffee in hand.

Tonight, she was going to sleep. Spending the day out with Natsu was _exhausting_ , and she needed sleep to be able to handle another day out with him, even if there was someone else there to help keep an eye on the wild guy.

Lucy changed quickly into some comfortable sweatpants and a large T-shirt after finishing her tea, set the mug in the sink, made sure everything was suitable for the upcoming day.

And before long, she was curled up in bed, her eyelids fluttering shut as she fell into the world of sleep.

* * *

The next morning found the sun shining brightly. People bustled busily throughout the town of Magnolia, just as they had done every day. Occasionally, something small would happen, such as a bicycle zooming past, or a dog stopping to sniff at shrubbery as their owner tried to haul them forwards.

Normalcy was evident in the Rozlyn Cafe, as well. People came in, eagerly ordering drinks and food. They sat, sometimes alone, a book or newspaper in hand, and sometimes with others, chatting excitedly about their plans for the upcoming weekend or for the upcoming Fantasia Parade that was thrown every year.

Yet nobody took notice of the small things that were different.

Nobody seemed to realize that a purse with belongings spilled across the floor had been left abandoned at an empty table. What looked like a scrap of torn cloth lay on the floor next to it. A wallet was lying open on the floor, abandoned. A few chapsticks had rolled away, a pair of discarded earrings tangled in the material of a rug beneath the table nobody seemed to notice.

A phone, open, with a cracked screen and what looked like half-dried blood spotting its surface, buzzing furiously as a text came.

 _Yo! Luce! Got your number from Mira...something big has come up. Can't tell ya what, sorry. Fairy Tail business. Go ahead and explore without us (Erza and the Ice Princess were gonna come, too). Dunno if any of us will be able to hang out again before you head back to Crocus. Lisanna says to tell you that we're all sorry._

 _Natsu_

* * *

 _The fun begins! :D Just some Natsu and Lucy chill time before things really start moving. There's barely a peaceful moment after this! Hope you're all ready! Discovered Noragami recently...in love with the series. It's a good one. Thanks to all those that reviewed, favorited, and followed!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _Oblivion is good for you...on some occasions. Not quite a good thing for Lucy, I'd say. Lol. XD  
_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Explanations will be coming soon on behalf of a certain beloved character. Have no fears, my friend, the wait for them is almost over. ;)_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _The Nalu is certainly strong. It only gets stronger. I can promise you that. :D Natsu really should be more careful though. Our lovely dragon slayer is quite careless when he doesn't watch what he's doing.  
_


	7. Chapter 7

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

There was nothing but fear in her wide dark eyes as she clutched her head, tears rolling down her pale cheeks. Her usually cared-for blonde hair was a tangled mess, her T-shirt and jeans ripped and dirty from her fight, and there were several scrapes, cuts, and bruises all over her body. The space around her was cold - enough so that her breaths escaped her in small clouds - and looked like some medieval version of a jail, complete with bars and everything. Strange symbols littered the stone floor, and Lucy had the distinct feeling that _they_ were what sapped her of what little strength she might have had left.

She wasn't all too sure of how long she'd been there, but she _thought_ it was a day, maybe a day and a half. It was kind of hard to tell when you'd woken up two seconds before.

She _did_ know for certain how she'd gotten there. Sort of.

Lucy remembered it well. One moment, she'd been in the Rozlyn Cafe, waiting for the day's companions to show up, and then everyone around her had literally passed out. A waitress had collapsed, glass shattering on the floor. She'd stood quickly, shocked, and then had felt something hard slam into her from behind, sending her to the floor. She'd simply remained there in shock, pain racing through her as a voice whispered in her ear, _"Nighty-night!"_

And then she'd woken up here.

She'd have rather woken up back at the Heartfilia Estate in her home country, Bosco.

Swallowing thickly, Lucy hugged her knees to her chest, searching the prison around her. The cell she was in was more like a cage, with bars on three sides. The back wall was made of hard stone, as was the ceiling and floor, and she couldn't see a door - which concerned her even more than the chilliness of the place.

What the _hell_ was going on?!

She cranked her head back, and then groaned softly when pain darted up and down her spine. Lucy had no doubt that she was going to be sore for a while. Whatever had hit her had hit her _hard_. She rested her chin on her knees, shivering slightly in both fear and cold.

Why _her_?!

A sound to her left caught her attention, and she shrank back in fear, pressing her back against the cold stone wall despite the pain. There was a change of light that blinded her - it was somewhat dark in her little prison - and she blinked hurriedly for a few moments.

"You are awake?"

Lucy clenched her jaw, letting her eyes darken with anger, hiding the fear. A young woman with blue hair and sharp blue eyes stood there, head tilted as she surveyed the young blonde woman through the bars. And then she beamed. "Fairy Tail."

Lucy _immediately_ understood what Natsu had been doing when he had helped her, when he'd demanded the same words. He was questioning her...alliance, or something like that. "Um…"

"Don't worry," the blue-haired woman told her. "Juvia's Gray will come and help. Fairy Tail does not hesitate when its members have been harmed." She frowned. "But Juvia cannot disobey now. It would not end well. Juvia will make sure you are safe until they come, though."

She reached out, brushing her fingers against the barred wall before her, and Lucy watched in astonishment as it dissolved away. Juvia gave a kind smile. "Follow Juvia, please. Juvia apologizes beforehand about the guildmaster's cruelty."

Lucy was at a loss, but forced herself to her feet. So she had a friend in all of this...that was good. Right? Even if she was kind of strange…

Seeing Lucy's reluctance, Juvia smiled gently and shifted, sweeping aside the long dress she wore so that the slit on the side flashed a mark that Lucy recognized immediately on her leg. "Juvia apologizes...are you not aware of Fairy Tail?"

"N-no," Lucy stammered. "I'm...I just haven't known about th-them for long...I don't know what th-they are exactly, b-but..."

Juvia blinked. " _Oh_ ," she breathed. "You aren't aware...oh, this isn't good. Juvia will explain more later. But Juvia asks that you _please_ be careful in what you say to Master Jose."

" _Master_?" Lucy said faintly, hugging her arms as she followed Juvia out of the room and into a corridor. Juvia tucked some blue hair behind her ear, eyes darting this way and that. She quickly pressed a finger to her lips to motion for silence. Her gaze hardened, and Lucy bit her lip nervously as Juvia's entire demeanor seemed to change. She became emotionless, nearly cold, as she stepped through a set of doors and into a larger room.

Lucy quivered beside her. There were several people inside the room, and she wanted to cry at the sight of all of them. Juvia shifted just slightly so that she was closer, a silent comfort despite her icy tone as she said softly, "Master Jose, Juvia brought Miss Heartfilia."

"Good."

Lucy set to work on remembering who was who. Juvia, the one beside her, and then Jose, the terrifying man with the weird mustache.

Jose gave a wide grin that made her shiver in fear, her hands tightening around her arms. "Hello, Miss Heartfilia...or should we call you Miss Cor?"

 _Damn it all, people knew her alias!_ Lucy swallowed thickly, and then spoke, voice cold. "I don't understand why I am here, nor why you have decided to treat me the way you are, but I suggest you release me. Immediately."

So coming from where she did had a good influence on her in situations like this. Of course, that didn't mean it would help her. But it made her feel as if she had a better hold on the situation.

Jose's smile tightened fractionally and Juvia gave a low sound of disapproval that only she could hear. "I apologize...was Sol too rough when he retrieved you?"

The one with the monocle scowled, as if annoyed by this suggestion.

Juvia, the one beside her, Jose, the terrifying man with the weird mustache, and Sol, the one with the monocle.

A large man with a blindfold over his eyes sniffled, and Lucy had to fight the urge to burst into hysterical laughter when he gave a sob. Another man, with black and white hair, gave him a look of annoyance as he growled, "Toughen up, Aria. It's not that big a deal."

Juvia, the one beside her, Jose, the terrifying man with the weird mustache, Sol, the one with the monocle, and Aria, the guy with the blindfold.

One more to go, and Lucy would feel a bit better. At least she would know who she was dealing with. Sort of.

"Oh, shut up, Totomaru," a gruff voice interrupted, rough with annoyance. Lucy's eyes snapped wide, immediately recognizing it, and her head snapped around, face paling. None other than Gajeel emerged, red eyes cast downward at a form he dragged behind him. He tossed the person forward, letting them groan at his feet.

Lucy's expression changed to one of horror. " _Levy_ ," she breathed.

The small woman looked even tinier than normal. Blood slicked her from head to toe, and Lucy knew immediately that it was hers. Her blue hair was matted with it, and her hazel eyes stared up at Lucy with equal amounts of surprise that was mixed with pain. Ignoring Juvia's warning look, Lucy threw herself down beside Levy, horrified. "Lucy?" Levy wheezed, then coughed, blood spattering the floor.

Gajeel planted his booted foot on Levy, not looking the least bit bothered that it was his supposed girlfriend he was doing this to. Lucy glared up at him - and was shocked to see a look of frustration in his piercing gaze. He glared back at her, a flash of surprise crossing his face, and it took Lucy a moment to realize that he wasn't putting any pressure at all on her, merely resting his foot lightly there, as if he was trying to avoid hurting Levy even more.

Lucy's gaze darted back to Juvia, who mouthed, _Fairy Tail._

 _Oh._

Jose sneered at the sight of the petite woman at Gajeel's feet. "Pathetic little fairy...put her back in her cage."

"Gihi!" Gajeel grinned a feral grin that made Lucy tense up in fear. "Sure thing, Master." His gaze lazily drifted to Lucy, who flinched. "Want me to do somethin' 'bout her?"

"No," Jose replied firmly. "Rid yourself of the fairy and then return. Juvia is capable of handling Miss Heartfilia."

Lucy couldn't help but stare in utter bewilderment when Gajeel plucked Levy up by the back of what tattered clothing remained from several wounds that littered her body. Within moments, they were gone. Juvia shifted uneasily, her gaze troubled, as if unhappy about what had happened.

"Gajeel does his work well," Jose muttered, narrowing his eyes. "I'm sure he succeeded in prying the information we needed from her...she'll be useless by tomorrow. I'll have him take care of her before Fairy Tail arrives, as I know they will. I'm tired of the games we play."

Lucy felt sick. "What do you _want_ with me? And Levy?"

"The fairy is none of your concern," Josei mused thoughtfully. A flick of his hand, and the other three in the room left. "As for _you_ , your father hired us to find you. There are things magic can do that technology cannot, and having a dragon slayer among us is useful. To think you made it easier by going to Magnolia…"

Lucy froze. Her _father_? No way. He wouldn't do something as dangerous as this was. He would never put her in a situation that would get her as beaten as Levy was - she cringed at the thought. He would _never_ consider putting her in a situation that could put her in danger. He needed her usefulness way too much.

Jose laughed at the look on her face. " _However_ ," he continued. "He failed to mention what...capabilities come with your bloodline." He smirked at the confusion that flashed across her battered face. "Oh? You don't know? I'm surprised, Miss Heartfilia." Lucy shrank back when shadows seemed to rise up along the walls, threatening to close in. "I'm talking about _magic_ , my dear. The world is absolutely _full_ of it...but the kind _you_ possess? It hasn't been mentioned but once in the oldest of books.

"But then," he grinned. "I looked into your family's history and discovered the reason _why_. Celestial magic, which gives you the ability to form contracts with those of another realm and so much more, has been kept hidden by your mother's family for centuries."

Lucy tensed, gritting her teeth. Was this guy _mental_?

"I'll have to apologize to Jude Heartfilia," Jose muttered, "Lie, tell him his daughter was accidentally killed in a tragic accident…" He smirked. "He won't have to know that we'll be putting your magic to use, Miss Heartfilia."

A loud alarm-like sound caught his attention. "Oh, dear...they're here much earlier than planned… Juvia. Take her to her cage."

"Of course," Juvia murmured. She waved for Lucy to follow her, and Lucy gave Jose a dark look.

"You'll regret this," Lucy said bitingly, her brown eyes hard with anger. And then she followed Juvia out of the room.

They passed Gajeel on their way back to the prison-like room. Juvia paused, her blue eyes flashing with worry as she said in a low tone, "Juvia is nervous...is Levy alright?"

"She'll be fine," he muttered gruffly in response, shooting Lucy a look. "The fuck you doing here, woman?"

"Apparently I'm a tool for people to use," Lucy retorted, crossing her arms. She was shaking, she realized distantly. There was no doubt in her mind that she'd be in tears before the day was over. "What's...what's going on with those alarms?"

Juvia bit her lip. "Juvia thinks that the first team has arrived," she replied carefully. "Fairy Tail mages are quick to act."

Well that explained the fire Natsu had been spewing. Rubbing her arm anxiously, Lucy said softly, "You guys are going to get Levy and I out, right? I'm assuming you two are some kind of...in disguise people. You're working to get information or something."

"Yeah," Gajeel muttered, scowling. "Doubt Salamander's gonna listen before he attacks though. Water Woman's gonna make sure you two are safe. They'll be breaking through Jose's defenses by midnight at least. Be ready to run if ya get the chance. Levy can't run. Make sure she's safe before you are, or I'm comin' after you, blondie." Gajeel gave her a final glare, then headed off, nearly stomping his annoyance.

"Juvia," Lucy said softly as Juvia guided her through the corridors. "Did Gajeel...was he the one to hurt…?"

"Yes," Juvia murmured, shaking her head. "Gajeel had to hurt Levy. Levy understands though. Juvia explained, and he explained, too...Juvia is sure Levy's wounds were exaggerated, even if he did have to hurt her a little."

"Poor Levy," Lucy murmured.

"Levy will be okay," Juvia promised. She gently herded Lucy into the prison-like room with her, scanning the cells in there. "Juvia will put you with Levy. Levy will likely explain since Juvia is needed elsewhere." She touched one of the cells, watching as it vanished. Lucy stepped inside willingly, immediately rushing to the injured Levy's side. Juvia studied them, then said, "Juvia will direct Fairy Tail's mages here, Miss Heartfilia."

"Got it," Lucy said firmly, swiping some hair behind her ear. She knelt beside Levy, who stirred as she did so. "Levy?"

"Lucy," Levy rasped, blinking her eyes open slowly.

Lucy quickly checked her over, noting that she looked worse than she really was. Gajeel had been careful, she noted. He hadn't hurt her more than necessary, only giving her one or two cuts, using just enough force to give her a few bruises. When Levy realized what Lucy was doing, she explained, "I told him it was okay to do it after he explained. Most of the blood is his...he cut himself and smeared it."

"Gross," Lucy commented, wrinkling her nose, but admitted that it had worked fairly well. "At least he's just tricking them."

"He and Juvia are Fairy Tail mages," Levy replied, giving a faint smile. "As if they'd betray us. Besides. Master would have known before he'd been able to do anything." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Lucy, I'm sorry, if we'd been more careful, you wouldn't-"

"Stop right there," Lucy cut her off. She wanted to be sick. This would have happened anyways, she was sure. "Just...I would like an explanation. Juvia said you might be willing to offer one."

"Definitely." Levy gave her a warm smile.

The two women leaned back against the stone wall, shoulder to shoulder, seeking comfort in one another and leaning against each other as darkness slowly filled the room, alerting them of the upcoming night.

And then Levy began to explain.

* * *

 _Finally! Lucy's aware of magic! And she (and you, my lovelies) will be getting the best explanation I could write out about how guilds and what not work next chapter! ;) See you Friday, and thank you SO much for the reviews (we hit 50 already, holy cow!) and the favorites and follows!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _KaUiA:_** _Definitely not Bora, eh? You were pretty spot on with that last theory, though. Congrats! I'm amused that you thought it was unlikely, though. XD  
_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _As soon as I'm caught up in reading, we shall speak. Because the tears don't seem to stop coming with Noragami, do they? Lol. :D_

 ** _LavanderMoonRose:_** _For certain, it's magic. :)_ _  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _I'm glad! I work hard to entertain!_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _You people are really good at figuring out what I intend to do, aren't you? Lol. Your explanations will be next chapter and throughout BTL for certain!_

 ** _NaluLuva23:_** _I'd hope you're scared. I intend to scare the hell out of you some more! :D_

 _ **fanficlove2014:** ...ah, your review made me happy. I believe you've found out what kind of Fairy Tail business came up, yes? They are DEFINITELY related! Seriously though. Your review made me cackle like an evil witch, not going to lie. Because I can promise you, you have seen nowhere near the extent of my cruelty in regards to our lovelies just yet. ;)_

 ** _ckc14:_** _Yep! Lucy does have magic, she just wasn't aware, as you can see. :D No worries about long waits, though. This updates quite often!_

 ** _of the deep sea:_** _MY WORK HERE IS DONE! Just kidding. You're in for a hell of a lot more surprises, my friend._

 ** _Kitty Mcgarden- Redfox:_** _Cliffhangers are a specialty of mine, ask my editor. There so much fun to write. :D_ _  
_


	8. Chapter 8

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"First and foremost," Levy said firmly, her voice slightly hoarse, " Magic is real. Get that into your head now, or you're not going to last very long in this situation we're in. You already know almost everything you can about it. Thank the heavens you read what was on the website… I, myself, specialize in solid-script magic." Levy extended a hand, and with a flick of her wrist, the word "breeze" had appeared in front of them. A soft gust of wind buffeted their faces. "Gajeel's the iron dragon slayer...he eats iron," Levy added, laughing at the look on Lucy's face.

"Dragon slayer, huh?" Lucy said faintly, remembering what she had read about that particular magic. It was a form rarely seen, known for its rather destructive properties. The mages that used it were capable of not only controlling it, but also eating the element they specialized in...which definitely explained Gajeel's longing for the silverware when they'd been eating. Levy had been watching him every time he picked up a fork.

"Yep. We've got three of them in Fairy Tail...Sabertooth has two, too." Levy flashed her a smile, then continued. "Onto guilds. Our "group" is actually a guild of mages. There's a guild in each city - I think it's usually Sabertooth or the king's mages who takes care of issues in Crocus. We usually get requests along the railroad that crosses from Hargeon to Clover Town." Levy tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Natsu mentioned meeting you in Crocus after he helped you out the night you were attacked. I think he, Erza, and Gray were on that S-Class job Mira told Erza about...there was a dark guild - dark guilds have mages that specialize in black magic, seriously dangerous stuff - they had to take down."

Lucy snorted softly. "I nearly hit him with my car on accident," she muttered. A pause. "He really _did_ leave a handprint on my car's hood!"

Levy giggled softly, then winced, rubbing her sore cheek, which was beginning to have a nasty bruise. "Anyways. Phantom Lord - Jose is the guildmaster, the one in charge - is an enemy of ours. They've been messing with us for as long as I can remember. Jose hates us. I don't really know why." She leaned her head back, gaze darkening. "Our guildhall is a really nice building - I'll take you there after we get out. You'd love it. But we have this huge board in there. Mira - she's in charge of the jobs the Magic Council gives the guild, she logs them in, makes sure we're capable of handling it, etc. - hangs flyers up on.

"A select few non-magic people - usually the leaders of the towns, mayors and what not - are aware of us. When they hear of something, they'll submit a request to the Magic Council, who's in charge of almost everything in regards to magic. The Magic Council will then hand the jobs out to whoever is in charge of that area. The jobs for the area we are in charge of are kind of split up between Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale."

Lucy nodded to herself. She remembered all of the guilds Levy mentioned; Natsu had told her about them, mentioning them as other groups. A question flashed through her mind. "Juvia and Natsu both said "Fairy Tail" when we met...and Juvia showed me the, uh, symbol thing."

"Oh!" Levy smacked herself in the head, then hissed in pain. "Yeah. That's our signal. It lets us know if you're aware of magic or not, and our emblems-" She paused, waving at her shoulder blade. "Let's everyone know what guild we're a member of. Juvia wears long dresses to hide hers, or jeans or something. Gajeel said he hide his with some of my makeup and painted over it with my eyeliner." Levy giggled at that, and Lucy smirked slightly. "If it works, I'm fine with it. Ugh," she muttered. "He's going to be pissy for the next few months...remind me to tell you how he and I met. If you think he did a good job of making me look beat up now, you should have seen me then. Anyways…

"I was on my way to Onibus to take care of a small job with Jet and Droy - some guilds have teams, I'm a member of Team Shadow Gear. It was an easy one, get rid of this creature just outside of town before the people noticed. We were ambushed by Juvia - she feels horrible about it, but she had to - and Aria. Grabbed me and let the other two go to alert Fairy Tail of what happened. Master's going to be _furious_...hence the alarms. Fairy Tail's on the way to rescue us. Or me, I guess. They don't know you're here and won't unless the other two tell them." Levy sighed softly.

Lucy blew her bangs out of her face. "Hopefully I'll be here with you when they arrive then." Her voice quivered, and she swore softly when something fell from her face.

Yep.

Here were the tears.

Levy didn't look the least bit surprised, only sympathetic. "It's a lot to take in," she said gently, patting Lucy's arm as she hurried to swipe the tears away. "I'm sorry we couldn't tell you sooner. It's against the laws of the Magic Council to tell those that are unaware unless necessary."

"It's okay," Lucy managed to get out, her voice choked. "I get it. Just…" She sniffed. "I…"

They fell into a companionable silence, uninterrupted for what felt like hours. And then Levy said softly, "Gajeel...he wouldn't have gone with me. When we met up? He was going to just hang out at the guildhall until I came back. But he was suspicious after that first meeting, at the cafe. Dragon slayers have a keen nose, and usually he can get a lot out of a scent. Not as much as one of our other dragon slayer - goodness, his nose is insane - but it's good. He could smell you on us-" She giggled. "Such a weird thing to say. Anyways, but he said your scent held traces of magic. So he came with me, and he confirmed it."

"Jose mentioned it," Lucy admitted, her voice rough from crying. "I think...I think he called it celestial magic?"

Levy tensed beside her. "Oh," she breathed, eyes widening. " _Oh_." Lucy stared at her, confused, and Levy said hurriedly, "Celestial magic...it's rare, even rarer than dragon slaying magic, Lucy. The fact that you were born able to use it... It's...oh, this is bad." Her face was troubled. "Yukino...I need to take you to see her. She's of Sabertooth, but- _damn it_ ," she hissed. The curse startled the blonde woman beside her. "Where is Gajeel when I need him!?"

"Um...Levy?" Lucy mumbled anxiously. "Are you alright?"

Levy scrubbed her hand down her face, ignoring the pain that came with it. "Yes. This is really, _really_ bad. Celestial magic...to think that you didn't even _know_ … Okay," she murmured, her eyes serious. "It's an ancient form of magic. As old as dragon slaying magic, maybe even older. It gives you the ability to summon beings from the Celestial Realm...and that's it, that's all I know. There's so little recorded about it, it's practically a myth. I thought it was until I met Yukino." Levy tugged on a lock of blue hair. "She learned how to use it...learning magic and being born with it is completely different. She has contracts with a few spirits, even two of the Zodiac…but I don't think her strength could even compare to someone born with it..."

"Uh, Levy?" Lucy interrupted her rant. "I hate to remind you, but I don't even know where to begin when it comes to using magic."

"We'll teach you, if you want to learn," Levy offered. "And you're going to want to. Lucy, if Jose knows you're capable of celestial magic, then others might find out, and it won't be a pretty ending for you if you can't defend yourself. And we can't help you when you're all the way in Crocus...not even Sabertooth could help you. They're pretty far away."

"Good thing I'm planning on moving to Magnolia then," Lucy said weakly. She flushed, explaining, "I, uh, don't have any friends back in Crocus. The only one I talk to on a regular basis is my publisher, and even then, it's strictly business. I was having so much fun, I figured I might as well move to where people actually like me, you know?"

Levy's eyes warmed. "You'd be welcome to join Fairy Tail."

"I hope so," was Lucy's only reply. "But first...we need to get out of here."

* * *

Hours went by and Lucy found herself wide-awake as Levy dozed beside her. There was a fierce affection for the solid-script mage in her heart, and Lucy smiled slightly when Levy mumbled something in her sleep and pressed closer for warmth. But there was also doubt and fear in her mind. Lucy desperately hoped that _someone_ would realize she was missing. She _had_ been meeting with Natsu. He'd realize...right?

A piercing sound filled the air and Levy jumped awake. "What…?" she mumbled sleepily.

Lucy tensed. "I don't know," she said honestly. "There's...damn it." Her voice broke in fear, trembling when light filled the darkened area. Gajeel stepped inside - and only Gajeel. Levy sighed in relief when no one came after him, hauling herself to her feet, and Lucy reluctantly relaxed.

Noticing, Gajeel growled, "Don't get too happy, Bunny Girl." His jaw clenched. "Jose's decided to see what he can do about coaxing that magic out of you. He's put me in charge of it, and he's gonna be watching. It's not gonna be fun."

"Gajeel-" Levy tried to protest as he angrily swept an arm through the bars, dissolving them into nothing.

"Shut it, shorty," he gritted out, spitting the words like they were poison. "I'm not happy 'bout it either ya know! Fairy Tail sent the first team. Do you know who was on it? The fuckin' _Thunder Legion_. Makarov is serious this time, Levy." He glanced her way, baring his fangs angrily. "And it's put Jose in a rush."

Lucy pressed back against the wall as he stalked her way. Levy scrambled to stand in front of the blonde woman, her form trembling. "Gajeel," she pleaded, " _Please_ , she doesn't know how to even begin using it-"

Gajeel was surprisingly gentle as he shoved Levy aside, using one hand to keep her there despite her prying hands. The other was used to grab Lucy's harm and haul her to her feet. "Ya think Jose cares? Bastards need to get a move on, or you two are _toast_."

"Let go," Lucy demanded, giving a terrified whimper. Levy furiously kicked at her boyfriend, pleading with him, and Gajeel retorted that he wasn't exactly looking forward to " _beating the shit out of someone who can't fend off my attacks_ ". As soon as he'd hauled her out of the prison, he muttered a gruff word of apology before shoving Levy harshly, sending her sprawling so he could force the bars to reappear.

Lucy forced a faint smile to her face as Gajeel slammed the door shut behind him. "Move," he muttered, shoving her forward. Lucy cringed in pain when it raced through her back. She stumbled, then caught her balance. "You better pray that someone shows up in the next five minutes," he growled darkly, "Because otherwise, you're fucked."

She felt the blood drain out of her face. "What-"

"Jose's idea," he snarled harshly, "Of getting you to use magic is for me to beat the hell out of you. With solid iron. You better get moving, or there ain't gonna be much left of you, 'cause I can't do what I did to Levy in front of him and keep up my act. Ya hear me?"

Lucy gave a hysterical laugh. "You think I even know where to _begin_ summoning magical spirits?! I can't! I can't do _anything_ , rare magic or not! I write books! I don't fight!"

No, she definitely didn't fight.

She was _very_ good at escape, though.

"That siren," she said suddenly when the loud noise pierced the air again. "What is it?"

"Thunder Legion," Gajeel grunted. "They're being a pain in the _ass_. Laxus ain't listening to anything me or Water Woman were tryin' to tell him and the others. Freed was - is - the only one listening. Makarov needs to get here."

"So Fairy Tail was here earlier than Jose planned," Lucy realized softly, then yelped when she tripped as she was shoved through a doorway. She hit the ground inside it hard and hissed when blood began to dribble down her scraped chin.

The room was massive, and made entirely of the same stone that had been in the prison. There was no windows, but blaring lights made the room impossibly bright. Standing in the middle of it was a cruelly smiling Jose. She shuddered, ignoring the agonizing pain of Gajeel kicking her forward. "Brought her like ya wanted," he growled, back to the cold and careless dragon slayer who'd do as he was told - even if he didn't want to.

Jose beamed. "Brilliant. We've done this before...you know what to do. I shall simply sit back and watch."

Lucy thought she heard Gajeel mutter something about laziness before a club made of iron slammed down on the stone only a few breaths away from her face. She cried out, ripping away. The club had replaced Gajeel's right hand, and as she watched, his left shifted into another.

Jose only laughed at Lucy's obvious terror when she stumbled to her feet. "Come now, Miss Heartfilia, surely you understand. Even a _spark_ and we'll stop."

Lucy scrambled to avoid another blow, failing miserably when Gajeel gave a malicious grin and slammed the iron club into her at full force. There was a sharp crack and she choked, shrieking when she hit the ground. She clutched at her chest, groaning and then giving a scream when her leg was snapped beneath an iron-studded boot. Gajeel smirked down at her, but his red eyes were filled with self-loathing as he demanded, "Ready to show us what you can do yet, Bunny Girl?"

Lucy glared back up at him as Jose gave another laugh. In response, one of the clubs became a sword. She cried out when he slammed it through her shoulder, pinning her against the stone below. He growled, gritting his teeth in frustration as he did it. Lucy screeched as he yanked the sword out, rolling away to curl up and sob.

"Gajeel," Jose sang, "You're prolonging...I don't have patience today."

He sent her a look that Jose couldn't see, a look of frustration and apologies.

And then he let the blows come one after another, raining down upon the helpless woman until she couldn't even utter a cry.

Jose made a face as he swept out of the room, Gajeel close behind him, looking furious. "Pity...guess we won't have to lie to your father then. You really did die in a tragic accident…"

The second they were gone, Lucy sucked in a painful breath, no longer pretending she wasn't breathing. Agonizing pain shot through her at even just that, and she found herself unable to move. She was able to give a few desperate sobs, each one racking her form with pain and causing the blood that flowed from her wounds to flow faster. It had managed to form great big puddles of the sticky red liquid around her before she succumbed to the darkness that closed in.

* * *

 _So...Lucy got the hell beat out of her. But yay for at least some explanations! A heck of a lot more will hopefully happen throughout the fanfic. If you guys have any questions, feel free to let me know, and I'll do my best to answer them! :D_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Natsu wasn't a part of the first team, as you can see, but he'll be here momentarily, I promise. Your guess was definitely correct, and as for my evil laughter...you'll just have to wait and see! ;)  
_

 ** _Kitty Mcgarden- Redfox:_** _Of course! :D_

 ** _of the deep sea:_** _Phantom Lord can be a pain in the ass, sneaking in when you least expect it. Yes?_

 ** _Annabelle Flynn:_** _No Nalu for you in this chapter, sorry! But don't worry, I will promise you that it WILL come some day. ;)_

 ** _KaUiA:_** _It's always weird when you guess something and it turns out to be correct, isn't it? I do that sometimes and I freak myself out when I do. Lol._

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _You'll have to wait and see in regards to Lucy's magic. Bet Natsu's reaction will be a hell of a lot different then you (and others) originally thought! :D I will agree with that last statement though. It's a good one._

 ** _LavenderMoonRose:_** _I, personally, do think there's magic in the world. It's just incredibly hard to see. Funny enough, I had to write a journal about this thought not too long ago. It was one of the few I enjoyed writing. Lol.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _I would hope you're okay! :) I'm glad you think so!_


	9. Chapter 9

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

She awoke to a roar.

The sound flooded the building, shaking the walls, filling the rooms and corridors with such intense heat, that she wanted to flinch away, yet found herself unable to. She was only able to lay there, sprawled out painfully on her stomach, to try and push past the pain that filled her muddled mind in favor of trying to figure out what was happening. Lucy wet her lips, grimacing to herself at the coppery taste.

The sound of an explosion rocked the air, and she moaned when the floor shook beneath her, jostling her. A shout followed the explosion, just barely heard, and she blinked, gaze hazy when she realized smoke was beginning to leak under the shut door and into the room.

 _...the hell?_ she wondered silently, gaze slowly shifting to the blood that had pooled around her now chilled body. _...not good._ No wonder she felt numb for the most part…

She panted softly for breath, trying not to move too much. But it was getting hard with the smoke filling the room. She needed to move, try and get out, but she just... _couldn't._

Lucy gave a soft groan of desperation, wondering if there was any part of her that wasn't bruised, bleeding, or broken. Her blonde hair had long since been completely soaked in her own blood, and she was sure she had no clothing left to cover her. So the heat that threatened to cook her alive wasn't _so_ bad…

A scream. Another roar. Silence. A second shout. A surprising blast of cold to contrast with the heat that threatened to melt the floor. Frost creeping along the floor before being immediately melted by another wave of heat.

Suddenly, a blast of wind blew the door open, and smoke billowed in worse than ever. The noises, no longer muffled, shadows dancing as people darted this way and that. Flames flickered dangerously, steam erupting when water met it. The ground shuddered, and then twisted, rising, and lightning cackled along the ceilings, tracing the iron shards left. Gunshots filled the air, followed by another shriek.

Lucy followed the movement with her eyes distantly, able to come up with a simple explanation.

Fairy Tail had arrived.

Suddenly, a shadow filled the doorway. Weakly, she let her eyes flutter shut, trembling just slightly in fear. Was Jose back? She forced herself to stop panting desperately for air that was slowly but surely going away, taken over by smoke. She needed to be "dead". She'd rather truly die than be hauled off, fixed up, and then forced to suffer as she had again.

The person approached and she fought the urge to whimper. Warm calloused fingers brushed her face gently, heat trailing behind them as the hair was pushed out of her face, and it took her a moment to realize that this wasn't someone who was going to hurt her. This was someone there to _help_. She let her eyes flutter open - and then lock on soot-covered pink hair. " _Natsu_ ," she croaked, her voice barely audible to even her ears.

Onyx eyes snapped wide. " _Lucy_?" Immediately, he was jerking his head around, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Happy! Get Wendy here! _Now_!"

"Aye, sir!" a voice she didn't recognize shouted back.

Natsu turned his attention back on her. "The hell are you doing here, Luce?" he growled, gritting his teeth as he tried to figure out how to move her without making things worse or hurting her more. He let his fingers gingerly trail a gash that was deep enough to show the white of bone. "What _happened_?"

Lucy closed her eyes, slurring out, "Magic." It seemed like a simple enough answer to explain it all. It was both the reason why she was here _and_ what had happened.

"Damn it," he groaned, then reassured, "Hold on, Happy's bringing Wendy. She, uh, uses sky dragon slayer magic. She'll heal you. Or try," he muttered, pressing his lips into a hard line. "She might not be able to heal all of it. She'll have to do the worst of the injuries so we can move you. My nakama should be able to handle them now… Managed to take care of that weird crying dude. They should be able to handle the other two stronger ones and the rest of the weaklings and Gramps will get Jose."

Lucy whimpered at the name, shuddering - and then groaning in pain. "Kay," she mumbled, closing her eyes again. The smoke wasn't as thick now, and she weakly gulped down oxygen. "Levy…?"

"Safe," Natsu told her. "Alzack and Bisca - uh, two of my nakama got her out with Iron Breath's help. She'll be fine."

"Good," Lucy mumbled, then fell silent. Her breaths came in weak little pants that had Natsu leaning closer, ignoring the blood that already stained his hands and knees from kneeling beside her in the sticky liquid that surrounded her. Onyx eyes danced with anxiety and concern for the young blonde, and the second the sound of wings filled his ears, he was calling, "Wendy!"

"I'm here," a girl with long dark blue hair and serious brown eyes reassured as she darted into the room. Lucy couldn't find herself to be startled by the fact that she was followed by two flying cats, one white and the other blue. She threw herself down beside him without question, her small face determined - and then anxious when she saw the amount of blood. "U-um, I don't know if...if I c-can heal her, Natsu. This...there's so _much_ -" One sharp look, however, had her holding her hands quickly over Lucy, a soft glow appearing. "But I'll try!"

"Don't push yourself, child," the white flying cat warned.

"Happy," Natsu gritted out, glancing up at the blue one. Lucy listened, the voices strangely muffled, black beginning to line her vision again. "How are we doing?"

The blue cat - Happy - gave a little salute, as if reporting to some powerful war general - and then immediately broke character in his little act. "Erza and Gray are working on the weird one. Juvia and Gajeel are dealing with the fire one."

"Good," he muttered under his breath. "Wendy?"

Wendy glanced at him, her gaze troubled. "She's in bad shape, Natsu... _really_ bad shape. Jose must have forced G-Gajeel to do this...please don't go after him," she pleaded when Natsu's gaze darkened with rage. "You...you know that Master asked him to do this, and he couldn't spare her as much when Jose was watching."

"Doesn't matter," he growled darkly, "I'm going to kill him for this."

Happy snickered, muttering something under his breath, and Natsu gave him a mortified look. Lucy was too out of it to hear the rest of what they said, instead giving into the darkness that welcomed her with open arms.

* * *

When her eyes opened again, Lucy found herself sick to her stomach. She retched, and there was a sound of surprise from the one carefully carrying her as she successfully tumbled out of their arms to vomit blood on the ground, pain racing up and down her body in a violent flash. She coughed and choked and vomited again before she was able to weakly lift her gaze.

She recognized him immediately - though it was more because he was half-naked with his Fairy Tail emblem on display for everyone and anyone to see. He was one of the two that had been with Natsu when she'd nearly run him over. He looked shocked by her sudden movement and swore softly. "Uh...you okay?"

"No," she moaned, resting her face on the ground. She ignored the grass that tickled her face. _Where am I…?_

He rubbed the back of his head, looking nervous now. "I need to, err, get you back to our guildhall...s'not too far, you were out for most of the trip back. Gramps gave me permission to steal - I mean, borrow a car to get you back quickly. Ditched it behind the guild, about half a mile back. Ashes for Brains and Wendy are already waitin' on us...Charle and Happy got 'em back. Wendy was resting so she could help ya out some more."

She opened her mouth to respond, then retched again, grimacing when more blood came up. His dark eyes filled with even more concern. "Hey, the guildhall isn't that much farther away...do you think you can make it? Or do you want me to go get Natsu and Wendy?"

Lucy carefully sucked in a breath. "I...not sure." She weakly swiped at her lips, brow slowly furrowing.

"Here," he offered, carefully picking the blonde up again. He shifted her gently, frowning when she mumbled a soft sound of pain. "Sorry. Trying not to make it worse."

"S'okay," she answered dully, swallowing painfully. "Thanks…"

"Gray." He flashed her a small smile, offering his name.

"Gray," Lucy repeated.

"Don't mention it." Gray started forward carefully, the chain with the cross he wore around his neck bouncing lightly against his chest with each step. "Gramps didn't trust the idiot to bring you back and make sure you weren't hurting in the process. Gets too excited or stupid to think things through."

Lucy let a slight smile flash across her face as she closed her eyes again, picturing it. "I can...I can see it," she admitted, opening her eyes again.

It didn't take long for Gray to arrive at a building - she knew immediately it was the one they were heading to by the look of relief that passed over his face - and within moments of entering it, none other than Natsu was aggressively shoving his way into Gray's personal bubble to peer anxiously down at her. Upon seeing that her eyes were open and that she was awake, he gave a huge grin. "Hey, Luce!"

"Natsu," she greeted faintly.

"Move, moron," Gray snapped, balancing easily on one leg and using his foot to shove Natsu back a few feet. "Need to get her to Wendy...she was puking up blood on our way here."

"What?" Natsu's gaze snapped to Gray's face and then he was swearing loudly into the large empty room as he waved them after him. "She's in the infirmary," he muttered before furiously kicking at a table in his path. It promptly burst into flames and he made a face, hurrying to put it out, muttering about how Mira was going to kill him when the others got back.

Gray made his way past a bar, headed down a small hallway, and then turned into what turned out to be a large hospital-like room with surprisingly modern technology. _A mini-hospital_ , Lucy mused silently. Wendy was already there, the white cat - Charle, she guessed - and Happy nowhere to be found. Wendy smiled brightly at her in greeting. "Hello, Lucy!"

"Hi," she croaked.

Gray reported what had happened to the small girl, then told Lucy, "I'm gonna make sure Flame Brain doesn't burn the place down...Erza needs to hurry up and get here so she can keep him in line. Let me know if you two need help, got it?"

"I might need help getting home later," Wendy admitted. "Her wounds are still bad enough that I'm going to use up most of my magic healing them, and even then they're still going to be bad…"

Gray gave a low whistle. "Gajeel really did a number on her...just give me a shout. I'll hear ya, and if I don't, Natsu will." And then he was slipping back out of the infirmary.

Lucy gave it a moment, then came to a realization. "He...he lost his pants?"

Wendy blinked, then burst into a series of giggles as her hands came to rest gently on Lucy's stomach, a soft blue glow emanating from them. "The one who taught Gray his magic - or at least I've been told - somehow accidentally gave him a habit of stripping. Both he and the other man he trained alongside have the issue…"

Lucy let a smile cross her face. "I don't think anything's going to surprise me ever again."

They fell into a comfortable silence, Wendy chatting softly about nothing in particular or humming softly under her breath as she worked, not seeming the least bit bothered that she had to heal someone who was a complete and total stranger. When Lucy asked why she was so willing, the young dragon slayer answered, "Fairy Tail helps other people, even if they _are_ strangers. Besides." She beamed. "Natsu likes you. And so do Mira and Levy and I'm _pretty_ sure Gray likes you, too."

Lucy wanted to cry at that. Out of happiness, of course. How long had it been since someone had thought to make sure she was alright? Even those of lower ranking had rarely questioned if she was okay when her clumsy self had toppled over somehow…

So as soon as she had the physical capabilities, she reached over and somehow managed to give now exhausted Wendy a tight hug. " _Thank you_ ," she whispered into her ear, the tears threatening to fall.

Wendy looked bewildered as she yawned, "You're welcome, Lucy. I'm going to, um, take a nap in that bed over there..." She swayed on her feet as she stood, stumbling over to it. "Don't...don't get up and walk around just yet. You should take a nap, too." She gave a final smile.

And then Wendy was passed out, curled up happily on the bed right beside Lucy's. Lucy gave her a small smile, amused, carefully shifting so that she could lay beneath the blankets on the neat hospital bed. Sore - though not in pain that threatened to knock her unconscious - she tiredly closed her eyes...and then opened them again with a heavy sigh as the door opened.

Naturally, there was a broadly grinning Natsu there. He tugged the scarf wrapped around his neck away from his face, and silently offered a steaming cup of tea. "Mira just got back," he admitted quietly as he made his way over, noting the sleeping Wendy. "The others are going to take a while, and she said you would want it."

Lucy carefully sat up, her brown eyes flooding with tears again. She _really_ needed to learn how to get those in check! "Thanks," she mumbled, taking the tea and sipping at it. She grinned at the taste, ignoring the twinge of pain from the bruise that had begun to decorate most of her face. It was _amazing_! She set the teacup aside on a table stood beside the bed, noting the restless fidgeting of the mage beside her. His gaze darted this way and that, pausing to linger on her before turning elsewhere, and Lucy tucked some - disgusting - hair behind her ear. "Thank you," she murmured suddenly. "For finding me. I guessed you guys had shown up - Gajeel and Levy and Juvia said you would - but after what had happened, I didn't think anyone would find me."

Natsu blinked, looking bewildered. "What makes you think nobody wouldn't find you?" He wrinkled his nose. "You absolutely _reeked_ of blood...still do," he mused, ignoring the gaping look of horror she gave him. "Even if I had found ya then, would have found ya later...just wouldn't have been, uh, ya know…"

"Alive," she said bluntly. "I would have been dead." A surprising amount of rage filled her, rage towards both Jose and Gajeel, and she scowled. "What happened after…?"

Natsu shrugged. "Not much. Kicked Phantom Lord's ass, got you out of there, and now everyone else is gonna deal with clean up and the Magic Council." He sighed. "They're gonna be _pissed_ with us...even more so than usual…"

Lucy gave him a curious look but didn't say anything else. She reached for her tea, sipping at it. "...you're the third dragon slayer of Fairy Tail, right?"

"Yeah." His eyes flashed happily, as if he was excited she knew. He shoved his hand near her face, not seeming to notice her jolt of fear when flames leaped to life on his hand, licking at his flesh yet never burning. "My dad taught me."

Lucy's gaze darted to his scarf. Realization struck her as her mind went over the information she'd read on dragon slaying magic. "Wait a second. That means you were raised-"

"By a dragon," Natsu interrupted happily. "Yep! Igneel's a dragon." He wrinkled his nose in thought, a habit of his, Lucy realized. She opened her mouth to question how a _dragon_ had managed to hide from the attention of those unaware of magic, but was interrupted when there was a soft knock, followed by Mirajane stepping inside. Her gaze was nervous despite the warm smile on her face as she spoke.

"Hi, Natsu, Lucy...sorry to bother you, but Master just got back. And he'd like to speak with Lucy…"

* * *

 _And we officially got to see Gray and Wendy! :D I know most people were probably expecting a huge thing with Phantom Lord, but it was kind of a stepping stone. Phantom Lord isn't that important. Trust me, that kind of stuff is sure to come. Natsu's officially here! No more reintroductions now! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!_

 _ **NOTE!:** I kept forgetting to mention this! Silly me. Everyone in BTL is two years older than when they were first introduced in the actual series. Natsu is nineteen, Lucy's nineteen, etc._

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Whatstoknow:_** _Thanks! There will be plenty more for you to read.  
_

 ** _silver light of dawn:_** _I'm glad! I like when people say things like that, makes me feel like I'm doing what I need to. ;)_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Yeah...Gajeel's definitely not happy about what he had to do. Natsu finally showed up to help, so that's a plus, yes?_

 ** _Drooblesisafunnyword:_** _I apologize, my computer refused to accept your true username...but...I agree with your user. Droobles is a funny word. ANYWAYS. XD Thank you so much!_

 ** _dreaming-about-dragons:_** _Ah, they did so long ago. Can't promise when Juvia shows back up, but Gajeel's a bit more common than she is for the time being. Thanks!_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _I hope Natsu's reaction was to everyone's liking. I will agree with you though. Poor Gajeel._

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Thank you! I hope you enjoy those future chapters!_ _  
_

 ** _ArisuPandora:_** _I hope you got your fluff moment! Not quite as fluffy as I'm sure you were hoping for, but...the two barely know each other at the moment, so you know. Can't have it too fluffy just yet. Believe me, that fluff is to come eventually. :D_

 ** _LavenderMoonRose:_** _Ooh, I like that. I may have Lucy say that somewhere if that's alright with you?  
_

 ** _Annabelle Flynn:_** _They certainly did come quick and I can promise you that (though I didn't write out the ten chapters required) they did beat the hell out of Jose and the others. ;)_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Our poor Gajeel. His suffering has ended for the time being, I promise. On the bright side...Natsu will (for the most part) be in every chapter from here on. :D_ _  
_

 ** _Anon6:_** _Thank you! I will!_


	10. Chapter 10

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

It had been a long time - not, she'd felt like this before coming to Magnolia - since Lucy had felt this nervous about meeting with someone face-to-face. It was one thing to chat with Mirajane or Levy, or to hang out with Natsu for a day, or even curiously question Wendy about a few things.

It was a completely different thing to have to speak to the leader of the guild of mages who'd just saved your sorry ass.

Mirajane had sighed, tucking the sheets around Wendy as she explained to Natsu _why_ he needed to leave the room when he'd been having a fun conversation with his newfound friend when Makarov Dreyar had finally shown up. Lucy was cradling her teacup in her hands to hide their trembling when he appeared, but her fears drifted away in an instant at the sight of the warm smile on his face.

She felt a flash of embarrassment for feeling so nervous about meeting Makarov, especially when the small older man sighed heavily and told Mirajane, "Leave him be, Mira, he's being stubborn again."

She looked confused. "But...oh, okay." She giggled to herself in a way that had Lucy blinking curiously at her. Mirajane sent her a wink. "I'll bring you something to eat in a bit, Lucy," she promised as she left the room.

Natsu eyed Makarov suspiciously, and Lucy let her gaze dart back and forth between them, relieved that she wasn't getting dizzy from doing such a thing.

And then, quite suddenly, a massive hand - and she was serious, the hand nearly took over half of the room, maybe more - slammed down on top of the dragon slayer. Natsu yelped in surprise before he was quite literally thrown from the room. Lucy couldn't help but stare as Makarov closed the door, then returned his attention on Lucy.

Wendy didn't even falter in her sleep.

Clearing his throat, Makarov greeted her. "Lucy Heartfilia, I presume?"

Lucy flinched at her last name being said aloud in such a casual manner. "Yes...though I'd prefer we keep the Heartfilia bit out...wait!" She flushed a brilliant red, slightly angered, slightly fearful. "How do you know my last name?" _Sure_ , Juvia and Gajeel were bound to know it - not that she thought they would care much - and it might have been mentioned around Natsu, Levy, or Mirajane, but she didn't think they would notice it either.

Makarov gave a low chuckle. "Jose was rather proud of the fact that he had not only a celestial mage under his control, but also that she was the missing princess of a neighboring country." Lucy's gaze flashed with horror. "Have no fears, my dear, I'm sure you have your reasons for running away as you did, and it most certainly won't be me who gives away your location."

"He already knows," Lucy said softly. "My father knows where I am. If he didn't, he wouldn't have sent…" She shook her head. "I'll have to either go back or leave Fiore and go to another country." She swallowed thickly, upset by the idea. "I don't want to though… I like it here. I was planning on moving to Magnolia," she admitted. "I was going to see if I could make more friends, like I've done with Natsu, Mira, and Levy…"

Makarov searched her expression, then gave a heavy sigh. "It is a troublesome occurrence," he admitted. "But it isn't necessary that you leave, my dear. You are a mage, even if you haven't the slightest idea how to use your magic." Makarov gave her a bright smile. "Join Fairy Tail. You already have friends here, and we're a family. We protect our own. Even if something was to happen, and your father were to attempt such a thing again, we wouldn't allow it to happen."

Lucy blinked, then let a large smile cross her bruised face. The tears came now, unbidden, and she didn't bother to swipe them away. "Thank you."

He waved her gratitude off. "Undoubtedly that brat is attempting to listen in," he warned. "Natsu is a pest at times...if he can keep his mouth shut, however, I don't believe you need to be worried about him. You will have to worry about him often times, I believe." The guildmaster looked beyond bewildered. "I don't understand why he has formed such a strong liking towards you in such a short amount of time."

Lucy bit her lip. "I, err, found and returned his scarf," she suggested.

"Ah, that explains it. I remember his unpleasant attitude when he lost it," Makarov muttered. "It wasn't fun explaining to the Magic Council why there were a few buildings that had been destroyed unnecessarily… Onto other business!" Makarov suddenly beamed. "Mira will fetch the required paperwork. You'll need to register yourself as a mage with the Magic Council, and I'll need to assign someone to work with you until you're capable of wielding your magic. You don't _have_ to take work that is offered here at the guild, but it is recommended. There are often times prize money that will help you pay for any expenses, and a certain amount of income will need to be donated to the guild every month." Makarov scowled. "It wouldn't be necessary if Natsu, Erza, and Gray refrained from destroying so much…"

Lucy laughed softly, remembering the explosion from the first time she'd seen Natsu, Gray, and the woman she had yet to meet. "I'm an author," she explained. "And the income gets slow after a while...I'll probably _have_ to take jobs."

"I'll make sure to assign someone who can help you complete them," Makarov promised. "But first...take your time to heal. If you need anything, let any of us know. Mira will give your your emblem when she brings you paperwork, and I'll have picked out someone to work with you by the time you're ready to walk around."

"Thank you," Lucy said softly, trying to put as much sincerity into her words as she could.

"You're one of my children now, and I aim to allow my children their happiness," was his only response before leaving the room. Lucy sipped at her slowly cooling tea, happy tears rolling down her cheeks. They still were by the time Mirajane returned, a loud crash heard just before she closed the door.

"Fairy Tail is having a party," she admitted. "Phantom Lord has been completely taken down. The Magic Council took Jose and the other members of his guild into custody after learning what they did, and after so long of dealing with the annoyances they caused, everyone's celebrating. I think Levy wants to drag Gajeel up here to speak with you in a bit if you're up for it."

Lucy shivered, but forced herself to give a small nod. "I'll speak with them...could you tell them when you go back down?"

"Sure," Mirajane answered. She sat on the edge of the bed, giving a soft "tsk" as she studied a few wounds left. "I would bandage them, but Wendy will be up in a few hours to heal them…"

"It's fine," the blonde reassured. "Let's get started on this paperwork I have to do...I'm excited."

"Me, too." Mirajane set to work on spreading the papers she'd brought with her, her gaze filling with sorrow. "I'm so sorry about all of the secrecy...you understand though, right? We didn't have a choice, we can't just go talking about magic like it's real to everyone. Lisanna was so upset with herself when she thought Natsu had revealed it to you unintentionally...he rarely gets away with talking with someone unaware and not alerting them of the possibility that magic is real…"

"To be honest, I'd been suspicious from the moment I started looking into magic," Lucy mumbled, flushing. "He left some, uh, handprints on my car's hood when he hit it."

"That Natsu," Mirajane said fondly as she picked up a strange-looking device. "He can be a handful...but his heart is in the right place." She held the device up to show Lucy. "Where do you want your emblem? And what color?"

Lucy told her, and then watched with wide-eyed curiosity as she took Lucy's right hand in her own and gently placed it down. There wasn't even a single bit of pain as she pressed down, and Lucy's eyes grew huge when she pulled it back, revealing a pink Fairy Tail emblem on the back of her hand. "Wow," she murmured, and then gave a happy laugh. "Thanks, Mira."

"No problem. Here's a pen…" Mirajane handed her the writing utensil, and then stood, swiping the dress she now wore off. It brushed the ground, a beautiful red in color. "I'll have a few of the other girls in our guild take you out to Magnolia's magic shop to get some clothes purchased." At Lucy's confused look, she laughed, explaining, "Mages have casual clothes, like what you're wearing - oh, dear." She frowned, realizing that Lucy's clothing was in tatters, barely concealing anything and leaving nothing to the imagination. "I'll run to your hotel room and get you something to wear if you want. But we wear different clothing when fighting or when we're on jobs. It helps us amplify our magic on occasion - or if you're like Natsu, it keeps you from destroying your closet. I swear, he destroys _everything_ …"

Lucy couldn't help but giggle, feeling a flash of affection for the dragon slayer. He was, after all, the one who'd kept her company for a day and then proceeded to find her in the middle of a battle. That's what it was, right? She frowned. A battle. A thought suddenly struck her. "Well I'm definitely missing my plane back to Crocus," she sighed. "I'll have to buy another plane ticket…" _Damn_ , there went her plans to move to Magnolia as quickly as possible. She needed to pray that the last published novel's income was still at a high rate…

"Don't worry about that," Mirajane told her, smiling reassuringly. "As it's kind of _our_ fault you missed the plane - it is, if we'd mentioned we thought you had the capability to use magic, you would have been able to avoid what happened," she cut Lucy's protests off, firm in her words. "The guild will pay for it."

Lucy shook her head in astonishment. "I can't ask you to do that," she murmured, then smiled. "Don't worry about it, I can afford it." Not. It'd just take a few months to come back now. And maybe - just _maybe_ \- if she was lucky, she'd have a new novel out soon and be able to afford it sooner rather than later.

"If you're sure," Mirajane said unhappily. "I better get back downstairs…" A _huge_ crash made her wince. "I believe Erza just showed up. Just have Wendy come down with the paperwork after she's done healing you again, okay? And I know Levy wants to talk to you and Gajeel, but I'll make her wait until after you're a bit more healed up. Gajeel isn't showing it, but I _know_ he's not happy about what happened..."

"Okay," Lucy agreed.

Mirajane bid her farewell and then left the infirmary, humming to herself as she did so. When she was gone, Lucy sighed softly, picked up the pen and reached for the first piece of paper out of hundreds.

This was going to take a while.

* * *

Lucy shook her hand out, grimacing as she set the papers and pen on the table beside the bed, resting them beside her empty teacup. Wendy, still scrubbing at her eyes as she stood beside the bed, caught sight of the pink emblem on her hand - and then beamed, looking incredibly happy. "You joined Fairy Tail!"

The blonde's lips curved up into a smile. "Of course," she said simply. "Like I was going to get saved by one guild and join another." Suddenly, she gave a harsh cough, grimacing when her hands came away from her mouth, stained red.

Wendy gave a sympathetic grimace, offering her a small hand towel from seemingly out of nowhere. "Here...you pushed yourself too hard. I healed you so it wasn't _as_ fatal, but you need to rest, Lucy."

"I wanted to get my paperwork done," she mumbled in response, flushing slightly. "Thank you, Wendy."

Wendy waved her off as she went to work healing her again. "You're a Fairy Tail mage now, one of our nakama. I'm glad to be able to help." She paused in her words, then sighed. "Charle's going to be upset with me again...she always thinks I use my magic for useless things." She pouted.

"I don't think it's useless." Lucy giggled, picturing the harsh white cat she'd seen for all of maybe a minute. "It means I can start looking into my own magic sooner." She bit her lip at the thought. Where did she even begin? If celestial magic was as rare as everyone was saying, then how would she even go around looking into it?

"Levy said she was contacting Yukino," Wendy mused. "Yukino knows celestial magic. She doesn't know a lot of it, but she knows a decent amount and can summon spirits...it's cool to watch," she admitted.

Lucy laughed softly. "Do you think I can get up after this round?" she asked, waving at Wendy's glowing hands.

Wendy squinted, as if trying to figure out just how bad the wounds would be. "As long as you're careful and have someone helping you," she finally decided. She glanced up when Lucy coughed again. This time, no blood came up. "And you're going to need a lot of rest for the next two or three days...you lost so much blood…"

"I'll get that rest," she promised, "I just want to get a bath in and clean clothes on first." She made a face as she lifted a blood-caked piece of blonde hair. "This is disgusting."

The sky dragon slayer only laughed and smiled at her again before focusing on the work before her.

* * *

 _A little bit of a boring chapter, but...important things happened, yes? Lucy's officially a part of Fairy Tail now! Yay! :D_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Guest:_** _Of course!  
_

 ** _GoingDownWithTheseShips:_** _Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it!_ _  
_

 ** _KaUiA:_** _Yeah, Phantom Lord wasn't too big a deal for me. Lol. I kinda just used them to get Lucy aware of magic and moved on. There aren't very many other things that end up that way, so...no need to worry too much about things like that. As for how Igneel hid from humans (which I'm sure everyone else is questioning, too)...Lucy will get her answer eventually. ;)_

 ** _beginswithkay:_** _I don't think it's_ perfect _, but then again, I'm the writer so very rarely do I think things are pefect...so thank you for thinking so! :D_ _  
_

 ** _LavenderMoonRose:_** _Yay! Thank you! I wouldn't expect to see it for quite some time though!_

 ** _Whatstoknow:_** _Don't we all? Lol. More chapters you shall receive!  
_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _Our poor babies indeed. And I'm nowhere done damaging our lovelies...I'm gonna have to give them fluff soon in apology.  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Yeah...not gonna keep it hidden or anything. Taser fingers doesn't come back. XD He was a convenient person that will never reappear._

 ** _Drooblesisafunnyword:_** _Harry Potter for the win, my friend! Thank you so much for your kind words, though, they make me happy! :)_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Ah, the beginning of the mortified looks. Happy will be the cause of many of them. As for Makarov's words...here you are. Lol._

 ** _Shidake:_** _Have no fear, our favorite celestial mage will be getting her keys soon enough. Not in the next chapter or anything, but soon. Lucy's magic is a very questionable thing though._

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Poor Gajeel. But believe me, he'll be a lovely little apologizing fellow. :D Natsu's reactions are fun to write. I enjoy having someone who's quick to overreact._ _  
_


	11. Chapter 11

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The next two days flew by in a blur, and Lucy could only barely wrap her head around what had happened in such a short amount of time as she slowly packed her bags, careful not to overexert herself on Wendy's - and Charle's - orders.

Damn, that little white cat could be scary if she wanted to be, especially when it concerned Wendy Marvell.

Wendy had healed her to nearly perfection, forced to leave a few bumps and bruises under Makarov's orders. She'd apologized, but the blonde had been quick to tell her that it was fine, she didn't mind.

Lucy had spoken with Levy and Gajeel, just as Levy had wanted. Levy had looked horrified upon realizing just how badly Lucy's wounds had been, apologizing what must have been billions of times. And while the sight of the iron dragon slayer had made her shiver, Lucy had only smiled and told them it was fine, she understood that it was Jose's fault and not Gajeel's. Gajeel had muttered an apology under Levy's stern look, and Lucy had been admittedly touched when Levy handed her a ring made of iron.

 _"One of our other mages, Freed, carved a rune spell into it,"_ Levy had explained as Gajeel took it from the celestial mage and set to work on resizing it with his own fingers so that it would fit hers. _"It'll heat up when a mage that isn't a member of Fairy Tail is approaching."_

She'd thanked them heartily for the ring - which decorated her finger even now, and then had curiously demanded why Gajeel had permanently labeled her "Bunny Girl".

His answer of _"You look like a rabbit."_ hadn't been what she'd wanted to hear, but she doubted there was much she could do about it.

After a day of rest, Lucy had been able to get her bath in a private room in the guildhall. Mirajane had helped her under Wendy's demands, the blue-haired girl watching with sharp brown eyes as she did so. They'd dressed her in some clothes that Mirajane had fetched for her, just as she'd promised, and then had let Lucy get some more rest, relaxing in the hospital bed as she eagerly scribbled ideas for her next novel into a journal Levy had brought her.

Natsu had come up every few hours, sometimes with food (he usually brought enough food to feed several people for weeks) or Happy (she'd grown fond of the blue cat, who, for some reason, hadn't surprised her at all when he'd began to chat and fly around, teasing them) or just himself. Constantly smiling, constantly laughing, Lucy had been quick to learn that there was never a dull moment around him.

 _Particularly_ when he'd accidentally lit the sheets resting over her lap on fire.

Lucy had met a few more members of Fairy Tail in her time in the infirmary. She'd finally met Erza, who turned out to be the scarlet-haired woman, completing her knowledge of who exactly had blown up a building in Crocus. Cana had been an interesting woman to meet, and Lucy had been startled when she'd learned that the brunette could drink gallons of alcohol without feeling their effects. She'd met Levy's two teammates, Jet and Droy, and Mirajane's and Lisanna's brother, Elfman. Bisca and Alzack and their daughter, Asuka, had been fun to speak with. And, at one point, Gray had brought Juvia up so the three of them could chat again.

Juvia had taken one look at the friendliness between her and Gray and had changed from a friendly, chatty woman to a seething, enraged one, hissing, "Love rival," under her breath.

All in all, Lucy decided she loved being a member of the Fairy Tail guild.

But all good things must come to an end, so here she was, packing up her belongings. She'd be back, of course, but she didn't plan on it being anytime soon.

Sadly.

She'd already bid farewell to a few of her new friends (Mirajane, Lisanna, and Levy, she didn't want Natsu to know, honestly), reassuring them that she'd come back. She'd told the guildmaster of her plans, and he'd tried to reinforce Mirajane's offer of paying for her plane ticket when she'd explained why it might take a bit longer to move, but she'd refused. She wanted to do this for herself. She didn't think she'd proven herself enough to earn such a kind gesture.

On the bright side, however, despite the gloomy fact that she'd be going back to Crocus, Levy had managed to set up a meeting between she and the other celestial mage, Yukino. She'd told Lucy that Yukino might or might not be accompanied by another mage or two, and to not be too concerned if she was. Sabertooth was an ally, and a good one at that.

"There," Lucy sighed, patting her pockets. When she'd been in the infirmary, Natsu had taken it upon himself to go hunt down her lost phone and other belongings. He'd found them in the Rozlyn Cafe, where she'd left them - or had been forced to leave them, she supposed. He'd looked upset about something, and she'd realized why when she'd taken a look at her phone.

The surface was cracked, yes, and her blood dotted the phone, but the last sent text was easy to read. She'd reassured him that it was alright, then had tossed the phone, sighing to herself about the prices of getting a new one. _Damn_ , she was broke for someone who was well-known globally!  
So when a brand new phone had shown up on the table beside her bed, naturally she'd demanded answers from Natsu, who pretended as if he didn't know how it had gotten there, instead offering to put his number in it.

She found her phone, checked it, and then made a face. The plane she was supposed to be on left in only two hours. She needed to get going. She sent a quick text to Levy, letting her know she was heading out and to tell her she'd see her soon, and then hauled herself to her feet, grabbing her purse and suitcase.

Hauling them both to the door, tucking some hair behind her ear and ignoring sore muscles, Lucy felt a flash of guilt and stopped. Natsu had mentioned something about him showing her a spot he trained in today, and she hadn't had the heart to tell him that she wouldn't be there. So, she paused in her heading out to send him a text, making a face when she realized how blunt and harsh it was.

 _Hey, change of plans. Heading back to Crocus. See you when I get back._

 _~Luce_

She didn't _mean_ to refer to herself as "Luce", the nickname Natsu and Natsu alone had been using regularly. It just happened. Stupid one letter differences… She went to send it as she opened the door, hitting the button hesitantly. Guilt flooded her. "Sorry, Natsu," she said softly. She'd make it up to him when she came back.

Lucy spared a glance over her shoulder, taking one more look around the hotel room before closing the door behind her and beginning the long trek to the airport.

Her lips slid into a pout.

But _damn_ did it hurt her to leave.

* * *

So many things had happened in the last few days, and so many of them were _good_. It had been quite some time since he'd hung around Fairy Tail's guild hall this much - usually he was working nonstop, determined to find the one who'd been missing from his life for seven years. He was friendly with his nakama, his family, and he was fairly close with almost all of them, but he'd been a little distant. He was concerned that if he grew to love them too much...they'd all disappear, too.

And then he was nearly hit by a car.

He'd been on a job with Erza and Gray - Happy had chosen to stay behind, leaving him alone with the two other mages - and they'd been told to take care of something he didn't care to remember now. They'd succeeded, and he'd used his flames to blow the building up under Erza's command because disobeying her meant your death, and then had run.

He hadn't meant to get ahead of them.

But then again, Natsu Dragneel didn't mean to do anything most of the time.

Luckily, she'd hit the breaks in time, and he'd slammed his hands on the hood on instinct, smoke rising from his hands as he struggled to keep his flames under control. He'd glared at the driver through the windshield, baring his teeth in frustration, and the insult match that had resulted still made him grin.

Lucy was interesting, and that was putting it lightly. What kind of weirdo just randomly picked up a scarf, recognized it from someone they'd seen for maybe a minute, and then returned it the second they saw them again? He'd had an attitude with her, but that went up in smoke the second she placed his scarf in his hands.

She was one of very few people to not push too hard for details about his missing father - not that he was able to answer any questions - and she didn't make any stupid comments about the fact that he had strangely colored hair. Lucy didn't mention that he was wearing a scarf every second of every day, and she'd willingly fed him as much as he'd wanted. She had her moments, of course. Natsu didn't _dare_ question her about if her chest was soft after that first time, which had resulted in a bruise that still decorated his back from where she'd kicked him.

But he enjoyed her presence. She was fun, even if they hadn't done anything fun in the last few days. She was willing to put up with him in ways even Happy couldn't handle, and for that, he was happy.

The fact that she'd joined Fairy Tail a few days before?

He'd earned Mirajane's _look_ for the happy and accidental destruction of a table.

So the question that had just been presented to him by Makarov after being dragged to a private corner of the building had a huge grin spreading across his face, onyx eyes dancing with excitement at the prospect of just what might happen should he agree.

 _"I promised Lucy a...partner of sorts to help her take jobs for financial purposes and figure out how to use her magic. I spoke with Erza and Mirajane, and they both agree that it would be a decent experience for you to have. Would you be interested in taking this on?"_

"Hell freakin' yeah I'll do it," Natsu said cheerfully, pumping his fist in excitement. Flames leaped to life along his arms. "I'm all fired up!"

"Please don't burn anyone or anything," Makarov sighed, waving at the dragon slayer's fire when it threatened to lick at his clothes. "And I don't want you bothering Lucy constantly. I'm sure the poor girl's had a tough time as of recently. Give her a few days at least before you pester her to feed you again, please."

Natsu blinked, looking confused, flames dying down. "I don't pester her to feed me. She offers and I accept."

Makarov rolled his eyes. "Not the point, Natsu. I want you to be careful when you're on jobs, too. You tend to be far too reckless when it comes to the work you take, and Lucy needs you to help her through the first few jobs at least, not throw her into them headfirst with no way of knowing how to do anything. And before you take _any_ work, I want you to see if the two of you - and Happy, I suppose. I doubt he'll be letting you leave him behind. But before you take any work whatsoever, I want Lucy to know how to use at least a portion of her magic. Is that clear?"

Natsu listened carefully, knowing fully well that he would probably fail to complete even half of what the guildmaster wanted. "Got it, Gramps," he said cheerfully.

As if suspicious that Natsu hadn't listened, Makarov demanded, "Repeat what you're not to do, Natsu."

Natsu rolled his eyes. _I'm not a kid, Gramps!_ "Don't blow things up and help Lucy." A pause. "I'm not gonna refuse free food though. Tellin' ya now."

The small man groaned. "I should have gone with Levy," he muttered, shaking his head. Too bad she was a member of Shadow Gear, and he wasn't fond of separating teammates… Natsu frowned unhappily at the thought that Makarov had even considered partnering Lucy up with anyone but him.

His phone suddenly beeped from its place in his pocket and Natsu dug his hand into it, trying to yank it out so he could check and see whatever he'd received. Before he could look at it, though, Makarov spoke up again, surprising him.

"Levy informed me that Lucy has headed back to Crocus," Makarov informed him. "She's currently on a flight back. I'd like you to join her there-" Natsu lit up like a Christmas tree, and he held up a hand to stop any words the eager mage might spit out. "And you will remain with her until she can either control her magic completely or she returns to Magnolia. It's possible that she'll be moving into Fairy Hills, and I doubt Erza would approve of your presence there."

Natsu fight the urge to shudder at the thought. "Alright. I'll keep an eye on her." He gave a toothy grin that showed off those sharpened canines happily.

Makarov gave a small smile. "And how do you plan on getting there? There's no train, and you won't get a flight this late in the day, I can guarantee it. And I've forbidden you and Happy from flying," he added as a reminder when Natsu opened his mouth to answer.

Natsu furrowed his brow in thought, using the moment to glance down at his phone. He knew immediately that the message was from an hour or so before - magic tended to slow down such things, particularly when you were in a guild hall. The wards around it made it hard to get even short phone calls accomplished, hence the use of lacrima.

 _Hey, change of plans. Heading back to Crocus. See you when I get back._

 _~Luce_

He had to fight back a grin.

"I know how I'm getting there."

 _What he doesn't know won't kill him...right?_

* * *

 ** _Oh, my goodness! It's finally snowing! Thank goodness, I was worried! Mind you, it's freezing cold out, but... Back to important matters. Off to Crocus, where a meeting with Sabertooth awaits! :D_**

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _:_** _Thank you! And no. Lucy won't be going back to confront her father for quite some time, but you'll have to wait and see to find out if he's the main protagonist! ;)_

 ** _Kitty Mcgarden- Redfox:_** _I'm glad you enjoy it! :D_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Yes, I do. I update every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. XD I'll tell you now, however, Magnolia has NO clue that there's a guild of mages there. Society has no idea about mages and magic period. Though I do agree. Some of the shops must make a lot of money off of Natsu alone._

 ** _Shanejane:_** _I'm happy you think so. :)_ _  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Happy's teasing is always great. I just wrote some hilarious teasing of his the other day that made me laugh at when writing. XD_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Fairy Tail is certainly something else, isn't it? Lol. Thanks!  
_

 ** _Whatstoknow:_** _We all have those mornings, no worries! Thank you! ;)  
_

 ** _:_** _I was wondering where you'd gone off to. Usually, you're one of the first lovelies to review on my writings. XD Glad to see you're back!_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Natsu needs to be thrown around a hell of a lot more in the current arc, in my opinion. Idiot needs to have his head cleared. Should send Luce in there to deal with him. Anyhow! Thank you! :D_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _Who else but Natsu would fit the job description when it comes to being Lucy's partner? Lol. I don't think anyone else would be able to handle him and him handle them like he and Lucy do._ _  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Yep! Princess Lucy! I wasn't originally going to make her one, but meh. Ideas came together and this was a hell of an important thing for some reason. It's really not. In my mind it is. XD Thanks!  
_


	12. Chapter 12

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

She knew the moment she stepped into the place she'd called home since running away that she would miss it when she left. It was a stupid thought, and Lucy scolded herself for it as she dropped her luggage on the ground and pushed the hair out of her face. She was going to a much better place. Magnolia had more to offer than Crocus, that was for sure, and nothing had happened in the city to create any happy memories.

But it _had_ been her refuge, where she'd hidden from the prying eyes of the king of Bosco. And she supposed that did count for something.

Lucy stretched, folding her hands behind her head. "First things first," she said aloud, voice soft and pleasant in the silence of her apartment. A frown appeared on her face as she headed to the kitchen to make herself some tea.

Where the apartment was once peaceful, she'd grown used to the constant noise that came endlessly from Fairy Tail. It seemed as if those that were members of the guild didn't have a single clue as to how to keep quiet…but she'd loved it, loved hearing the sounds of friendly banter and chatter coming from the area nearby.

Now...the silence was uncomfortable.

Lucy set to work on making her tea, sipping at it when she'd finished. She relished in the taste for a few moments, enjoying it, and then stopped, biting her lip. It wasn't fun, she realized. It wasn't fun without someone beside her, chatting eagerly about what had happened only moments ago.

... _damn, how did I survive for so long without friends?_ She'd only had them for a matter of days, and now...she couldn't seem to figure out how she'd live without them.

She sighed heavily. At least, if she could make up the money quickly, it wouldn't be more than a few months before she joined them. If she wasn't killed or worse first. She contemplated that idea, silently relieved that she'd be meeting with the other celestial mage in the morning. Levy had promised her that Yukino would be more than willing to teach her how to use a little magic at least, so there was that. Maybe she'd be able to pay Yukino a small sum to stay in Crocus for a while…

She made a face. She really needed to get a move on with that rough draft. She wanted to move as soon as possible and that just wasn't possible without making money. And making money just wasn't possible without her writing, so that needed to be done.

She'd already missed her deadline…

... _ugh,_ she should have done something while she was talking for hours with Levy over books or speaking with Mirajane about her plans for the near future!  
Lucy made her way out of the kitchen, tea in hand, a thoughtful expression on her face. At least she knew everything she needed to know, and if she had questions...well, she now had phone numbers to contact. She smiled at the thought. Plenty of her new friends would be willing to even do a simple chat over nothing.

A worried thought entered her mind, though. _What if they don't really like me? What if they're just pretending and actually find me annoying as hell? If that's the case, I might as well go home…_

But where was home? She supposed it was the grand building she'd once enjoyed living in. Technically. But now home felt like Magnolia… Crocus just seemed like something temporary, even if she did admit that she'd miss her little apartment. But how could home be in Magnolia when she didn't even have a place to stay yet? She really needed to start looking...prices were concerning, but if she didn't start now, she'd be living on the streets.

Lucy wanted to cry. So many things to do, and so little money despite her successful work!

Humming to herself to try and make herself feel better, Lucy took a step in the direction of her room - and then stopped dead in her tracks when someone pounded on her door. Immediately, Lucy began scanning ideas through her mind for who it might be. Neighbors, questioning where she was. Maybe her publisher, furious with her for not getting back to her. Maybe even Jose of Phantom Lord, back for revenge. She shivered at the thought, swearing as she shoved back images of the nightmare that had begun to plague her nights before.

Another knock, this one a bit more hesitant than the first and Lucy scoffed at herself for coming up with such stupid ideas. What was _wrong_ with her? The Magic Council had Jose and the others of Phantom Lord imprisoned somewhere according to Levy. She was perfectly safe. For now. So long as her father didn't send anyone else after her.

Lucy sighed as she started for the door.

She was seriously a downer today…

She opened the door, and she was met by the widest of grins, cheerful onyx eyes, and a head of pink hair that she would have known anywhere. "Hi, Luce," Natsu said happily, shifting the blue cat he was trying to keep somewhat hidden under his arm.

"...what are you doing here?" Lucy grimaced, realizing her questions was rude just a moment before he gave a small frown. "Sorry," she hurried to mumble, "You surprised me. C'mon in." She stepped aside, letting the dragon slayer enter. The second the door was shut, Happy was throwing himself at her, ignoring the fact that she had a cup of tea as he said cheerfully, "Lucy!"

"Get off of me, cat," Lucy snapped as some of her tea splashed onto the carpet. She gave him a glare for that as she sipped at it. "Seriously though. Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be creating some kind of havoc in Magnolia?"

Natsu rolled his eyes. "We don't _always_ make a mess," he retorted. He dropped the backpack he'd been shouldering, letting it slam onto the ground without hesitation. Lucy flinched at the loud sound. "Hold on," he added, digging in his pocket. He extracted a folded piece of paper and held it out. "Here. From Gramps."

Lucy accepted it carefully, unfolding the paper with care after handing her cup of tea to Natsu. He didn't hesitate to down the rest of it; she scowled angrily at him for that. She scanned over the paper, her eyes reading the words quickly and with ease until she was done. Her gaze snapped up to the more than happy Natsu. " _You_ are the one he's decided is going to help me out?"

"He asked, I accepted," he corrected, blowing out a wisp of flame to tease her. She rolled her eyes at his childish behavior. And then he folded his hands behind his head, giving her another huge grin. "I'm your partner. So what are we having for dinner?"

* * *

In the end, Lucy reluctantly allowed them to stay in her little home. Or, what used to be home. But it felt more like home now that someone was in there with her. She gifted Natsu and Happy the couch, feeling a little guilty that she didn't have any guest beds, but they didn't seem to mind, happily accepting her invitation.

Naturally, she gave them - particularly Natsu - one rule: they were not allowed to eat more than a normal person for the next however long it took her to make up the money needed to move, and if they wanted to eat more, than they would either pay for the extra food themselves, or go live elsewhere for the time being.

Both had agreed, surprisingly serious.

Now, after everyone had settled down, Lucy found herself curled up on one side of the couch while Natsu sprawled out on most of it. Happy had made himself at home above them, on the top of the couch, his eyes locked on the television as Lucy worked intently, typing wildly on her laptop as she quickly worked out a rough draft for her next book.

Damn, magic had been a _great_ idea... why hadn't she done this sooner?!

Suddenly, Natsu shifted. As if knowing what he was going to do, she snapped the laptop shut, turning to glare into his curious onyx eyes. "No," was all she said, patting the laptop affectionately. "Nobody but my editors and publisher get to read the rough drafts, sorry to disappoint you, Natsu. Now please back off before I decide the floor is a much nicer place for you to be."

Natsu gave a pout that sent a flash of guilt through her. "C'mon, Lucy," he whined, "We're partners now, why can't I see? People are always talkin' about your books, especially Levy and Lisanna…"

"Since when can you read?" Happy asked in bewilderment. "Thought you said you had issues, even with Erza's help."

"Shut up," Natsu grumbled, even as the celestial mage gave a laugh. She set her laptop aside, smacking his hand sharply when he tried to snatch it. He jerked his hand away, startled, and she hurried over to a bookshelf, rummaging through books before throwing one his direction. He caught it with ease. "What-"

"It's my most popular published novel," Lucy explained, cutting him off. "If you want to read something I've written, there you go."

"...thanks, I think?" The dragon slayer opened the book to the first page, Happy getting comfortable on his shoulder to read with him. Lucy shook her head at the two before settling back down to write some more on her laptop. She curled up on her side of the couch, lips pulling into a thoughtful pout as she scanned her mind for more ideas.

It went on like this for another few hours before Natsu suddenly snorted. Lucy glanced his way, arching an eyebrow and noting that he was a quarter of the way through the book already. She watched as he glanced up at Happy, waiting for the blue cat to finish reading the page, too, and then flipped it before turning his gaze on her. "The hell kind of twisted mind do you have?"

Lucy flushed. "Just shut up and read, you idiot," she muttered. "Seems like you two are enjoying it to a certain point…"

Happy beamed happily at her. "I like it, Lucy," he said honestly, his little white-tipped tail twitching. "It's funny!"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "It's not supposed to be funny," she scolded. "It's supposed to be serious and depressing at certain points. What part are you at, Natsu?"

The fire mage glanced up, blinking. "Uh...the lady just escaped whatever bastard was trapping her in some prison," he reported after quickly scanning the page they'd just read.

Lucy shook her head. "How is that funny, Happy?"

He shrugged. "Thought it was funny 'cause you were in the same situation. Except you weren't smart enough to get yourself out like she was." He snickered when Lucy's cheeks puffed up in anger.

To her surprise, Natsu said rather sharply, "Happy, that wasn't her fault. Leave Luce alone."

Lucy blinked in surprise. Then she smiled slightly and kicked at them both as she made herself comfortable, stretching her legs out on the couch. She set the laptop in her lap again, typing in something. Natsu grunted, smacking at her feet when they nailed him rather harshly in his side, upsetting Happy's careful balance. "Stop that," he whined.

"...nah," Lucy mused back, sticking her tongue out at him. The trio fell back into silence.

She was perfectly at ease with the pair of weirdos before her, she noted as she typed and they read. At one point, she managed to see Natsu shooting her the dirtiest of looks before snapping something about her needing to lighten up on that darkness in her mind; Lucy only grinned and lightly mused about how much her other readers enjoyed it.

Finally, she set her laptop aside, pausing to hit "send" on an e-mail.

Her first rough draft done in a mere five and a half ours. It was only a overview of what she planned to do, but it was still a personal record. She stretched, purposely hitting Natsu with her feet again. He flicked her toes and Happy draped his tail to tickle them, making her rip her feet away with a huff.

She paused.

"...Happy," she said, astonished. "Are you _crying_?"

Natsu's gaze darted up to his little companion, who wailed, "Shut up! It's not my fault you're such a mean writer!"

Lucy got up, stretching again as she went around the couch to peer over Natsu's free shoulder, wrinkling up her nose and then smirking. "Ooh, forgot I did that. Yeah, sorry. Was necessary. You'll see why later." She patted the cat on the head. Mentally telling herself she needed to ask what Happy was later, Lucy headed for her kitchen. "I _think_ I have enough to make dinner for all of us. I'll have to go grocery shopping after we meet up with those Sabertooth mages tomorrow though."

Natsu marked their place in the book and twisted to look after her. "...you're going to make us dinner? Are you sure you won't burn it?"

"Shut up," Lucy snapped. "I can cook, thank you very much!" Considering she'd been raised to not even contemplate such an activity, she was _very_ proud of her skills.

... _do I need to tell them about that?_ she mused to herself as she got to work, aware of the two sets of eyes watching her from over the back of the couch. _I mean, I probably should explain_ why _Jose had me to begin with…_

...nah. She wouldn't.

Not unless it happened again.

Lucy flashed her new partner a smug look. "Let's see what you think of my cooking when I keep all of it for myself since you don't think I can cook well." His expression filled with horror.

No. Natsu definitely did _not need_ to know that she was a runaway princess. For all she knew, he'd be the one to blab it out to the rest of the Fairy Tail guild. Maybe someday she'd tell him and Happy, but for now...she'd just continue worrying about their endless appetites.

* * *

 _Hello, my lovelies! Hope you enjoyed the chapter...I believe it is next chapter that we meet with Sabertooth, maybe the one after that. Not completely sure. I hope you enjoyed!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Shidake:_** _That would be a hell of a lot of money with how much destruction Fairy Tail causes, particularly in the guildhall! But yes! Lucy's magic will be coming into play soon, and slowly but surely we'll learn more about the keys! :D_

 ** _Drooblesisafunnyword:_** _Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked!_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _As I realize I wasn't too clear in the chapter...Happy. He's the way that Natsu got to Crocus and in such a short amount of time, too. XD_

 ** _:_** _Of course! Thank you for the lovely review!_

 ** _dreaming-about-dragons:_** _Yeah...most of this section of the fanfic was written back in July, and looking back, I regret not going into a bit more depth with Phantom Lord. But, as stated, it's not that big a part like things are later, so. I'm not too mournful about it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)_

 ** _GajeelIsABadass:_** _Oh my gosh, thank you. XD In answer to your questions (without any spoilers): A) Yes. I have the GMG WELL planned out, and have been recently outlining my thoughts in my lovely notebook for that. I'm sure everyone will love it. And B) I may or may not have forgotten about that, but now that you've reminded me, I like it. It will be fixed so that it's inputted. I wouldn't expect it for a while though. Lol._

 ** _Julchen:_** _Planning plots is hard work, and this one was kinda just scrapped together at one point. XD It started out tiny and somehow resulted in this massive project, honestly. Thank you!_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Sadly, as with where I live, the snow is gone. Lol. There aren't nearly as many points where I switch points of view for a while, but eventually you'll begin to see some more. Thanks! :D  
_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _I would remember that little questioning/wonder thing because that will be a very important thing later on. Just kidding, but seriously. You've given me an idea. ;)_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Definitely appears so, doesn't it? Lol._

 ** _dyingthestairsyellow:_** _Thank you so much, I hope you enjoyed!_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _I love Sting and Rogue. I honestly think they're all fairly good buddies, especially after Tartaros. Just finished writing a portion that includes them and let's just say Natsu's reactions are what most people probably would think they would be. Look forward to chapter 58 is all I'm going to say about that._ _;)_


	13. Chapter 13

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy swept her blonde hair over her shoulder and studied her reflection in the mirror, her brown eyes shining with anxiety. _Sure_ , it was just a meeting to discuss important things with people that were friends (Natsu's words, not hers). But that didn't mean she couldn't look decent. Hair loose, jeans, and a nice shirt was what she'd decided to do, along with a pair of heels that gave her an extra few inches in height.

What?

She didn't like being shorter. And while the heels didn't make her any taller than Natsu, they definitely helped her feel better.

Lucy gave herself a final once-over, then hummed to herself as she made her way out of the bathroom. Her gaze searched out Natsu and Happy, and she rolled her eyes when she found them with their noses buried in the book they'd been reading. She plucked it out of Natsu's hands, tucking it into her purse and earning a rather nasty glare for doing so. "Time to go, or we'll be late."

Happy pouted. "I wanna come…"

Natsu patted his friend's head soothingly. "Sorry, little buddy. Not like Lector or Frosch is gonna be there either. If they brought them, I bet Luce will be nice and let them all come over."

Lucy glared. "If they eat half as much as you do, then _hell_ no. You better be paying for your own food today."

"I am," he replied, shoving his hands into his pockets. He was dressed in simple yet decent clothes. A pair of jeans, sandals, and a simple T-shirt. And, of course, his scarf was wrapped around his neck. She eyed it, but said nothing but, "At least you won't look _completely_ ridiculous...it _is_ rather chilly."

He tugged it away from his face. "It goes where I go. Better get used to the idea now."

She shrugged, then gave Happy a look. "You can read any of the books on that shelf," she told him, pointing to her bookshelf. "And you can watch TV. Don't bother trying to read my work on the laptop though; there's a password. Promise not to destroy the place and I'll be nice and bring you a fish or something."

"Aye, sir!" Happy cried cheerfully.

Lucy checked her phone, quickly shoved it into her purse, and then pulled her keys out, dangling them in front of Natsu's face. "We're taking my car."

Natsu moaned, face tinged with green at the thought. "C'mon," he pleaded, a pout sliding onto his face. "Anything but transportation... _ugh_ …" He shuddered at the word, looking ready to be sick all over her carpet.

"Puke," she hissed, eyes flashing, "I dare you."

"Natsu gets bad motion sickness; all of the dragon slayers do," Happy informed her with a smug little grin. "Don't worry, it's normal. Sting and Rogue might be a bit under the weather when you weirdos show up."

"I want Wendy," Natsu whined.

"What on earth can Wendy do?" Lucy asked, bewildered.

" _Troia_ ," was all he whimpered, dropping to the ground to hide his face in the carpet. Lucy lightly prodded him in the ribs with her shoe-clad foot, arching an eyebrow as she told him to stop being so dramatic. She knew exactly what he was talking about. She remembered reading about the Troia spell on the website and knew _immediately_ why he wanted it.

 _...I need to make another account on there...using my pen name of course, if I use my real name, people will be all over me in an instant…_

Lucy grabbed Natsu by his scarf and proceeded to haul him out the door. "We'll be back, Happy! Remember what I told you!"

"Aye, sir!"

* * *

"Honestly," Lucy scolded as she dragged Natsu outside and towards where her car waited. He moaned and groaned and whined pitifully the entire time. "You'd think I was murdering you…"

Natsu slid out of the car and practically melted onto the cement beside it, lying face down. Lucy flushed at the strange looks he received and locked the car before going to crouch in front of him, her lips puffed up in annoyance. "Come on, Natsu, it wasn't _that_ bad. I'm a good driver."

He shot a look at her from piercing onyx eyes. "...not my fault I - _gah!_ \- get sick!"

She rolled her eyes. "Not my fault you're an idiot," she retorted with a sigh. Feeling pity for the poor dragon slayer, she gently patted his back. She remembered getting motion sickness a few times in her childhood, when her mother had still been alive. It wasn't fun, and she expected getting it to this extent was even worse.

A few minutes later, Natsu was finally able to haul himself up off the asphalt. Almost immediately, a cheerful grin spread across his face, and the dragon slayer's energy returned. He yanked Lucy to her feet - she winced at the strength behind his eagerness - and then demanded, "Where we going?"

"This way," she instructed, making her way towards a building only a moment's walk away. They entered and Lucy asked for their reservation, smiling charmingly at the waiter as she did so. Natsu glared at him over her head as he told her shakily that their company was already there.

Nerves struck her, and Lucy had to pause to take a deep breath. Natsu remained a silent comforting presence, watching her carefully as she focused on calming down while they walked. There was no sign of the flames that sometimes flickered to life - something she was relieved about.

Finally, they arrived at a spacious booth, where three people already sat on one side.

Closest to the wall was a dark-haired man. His hair fell in front of one of his eyes so that it was hidden, but the other was a piercing red that distantly reminded her of Gajeel. A scar crossed over his nose, and he was dressed simply, as far as she could see, in a hoodie.

The one on the outside seat was a blond man, his hair only a shade lighter than her own, his blue eyes gleaming as they swept over her form. A scar decorated his face, too, over his right eye. Unlike his dark-haired companion, however, he was clothed in a strange way that Lucy didn't dare even try to figure out, complete with a fur-lined vest and gloves that tied off at his upper arms.

Sandwiched between them was a woman with silvery hair that was a little darker than that of the Strauss siblings'. Dressed similarly to Lucy in a nicer outfit than the two guys, her brown eyes sparkled happily as she waved at them both, standing carefully. "Hello, Natsu," she greeted warmly. "And you must be Lucy?"

"Yes," Lucy agreed, extending a hand to shake. Yukino shook it happily as she introduced herself.

"This is Sting, the white dragon slayer," she introduced, waving at the blond. "He's the Sabertooth guild master. And this is his partner, Rogue. He's the shadow dragon slayer."

Lucy smiled at both in greeting. Sting gave a huge grin of his own while Rogue only nodded slightly. Yukino waved for them to sit, and Lucy slid into the Fairy Tail side of the booth with a soft sound of relief. Natsu slipped in beside her, a smirk playing along his lips - until Lucy sighed and said, "Sorry we're a bit late, someone can't handle vehicles, apparently…"

Yukino laughed softly, resting her chin on her folded hands, elbows placed carefully upon the table. "Oh, I understand. They weren't much better this morning after sitting in a car for hours on end yesterday."

Sting scowled, as if annoyed by this. "It's not our fault you didn't let us fly here on our own," he muttered, earning a nod of agreement from both Rogue and Natsu. Then he shot a grin at Natsu. "So, Natsu," he said cheerfully. "We heard you guys finally got to take down Phantom Lord."

Natsu's eyes glowed happily. "Damn right we did. They decided to take Levy, and since they broke the laws of the Magic Council, we had permission to get her back forcefully." He grinned, showing off those sharper-than-average canines, smoke rising from his fingers in his excitement. Lucy cleared her throat, tapping one of his hands with a pointed look. He blinked, then waved his hands so that the flickers of fire died down. "Shit," he mumbled. "Forgot about that."

"Well make sure you remember, because I don't think I can be Lisanna today and watch everything you do," Lucy muttered, then yelped when he threw an arm around her shoulders and leaned most of his weight on her. She nearly toppled over, silently wondering just how much he weighed.

"They grabbed Lucy, too," he informed Sabertooth. "And 'cause they involved someone who didn't know anything about magic, they helped out. _And_ we get to keep her."

"I can see that," Yukino murmured, smiling brilliantly at the Fairy Tail emblem on Lucy's hand. "Moving on… Why don't we get business out of the way before we eat? Lucy. You don't know anything about your magic, so I'll explain what I know. As you're probably aware," she said, sitting back, her eyes thoughtful. "I was not born able to use magic, like you are. I learned of it by accident only a few years ago when _someone_ broke into my home and decided to dig through my things for a cursed object."

"That was an accident," Sting grumbled. "I thought no one was home. Rogue lied to me."

"I did not," Rogue replied, finally speaking up. His revealed red eye gleamed with amusement and Lucy mused to herself that maybe something was wrong with the other, or maybe it was just the way his hair was. "I told you to be quiet because someone might hear you."

Lucy giggled. "Better than the way I learned," she told them with a grimace.

Natsu huffed.

"Anyways," Yukino continued. "Because I wasn't born with it, not only is my knowledge limited, but so are my abilities." She gave a sad smile, pulling something out of a bag that she'd set on the floor by her feet. She placed what she'd pulled out on the table, and when she drew her hand back, there were a few keys. _Five_ , Lucy counted. Two gold, two silver, and a strange looking one she couldn't even begin to describe.

"What are these?" Lucy asked, curious. She glanced at the other woman for permission before picking up one of the gold ones, peering curiously at it. As she did so, it warmed beneath her touch, shuddering, and she nearly dropped it in shock.

"Keys," Yukino laughed. "They open the gates of the Celestial Spirits they belong to. These two gold ones are two of the Zodiac. Pisces and Libra. This silver one here is Deneb, and that one's Polaris. And this key right here," she finished, holding up the strange one, "Is Ophiuchus. I have contracts with each and every one of them."

"Wow," Lucy breathed, studying them. Curiosity flashed across her face. "Where'd you get them?"

She shook her head, looking thoughtful. "Various places. Magic shops. Rewards on jobs I've taken. Not really sure where I got Ophiuchus, though. His key just showed up one day." She laughed to herself, completely unbothered. "One part of being a celestial mage is forming contracts with the residents of the Celestial Realm. It hasn't happened to me, but if you're lucky, a Spirit will approach you on its own accord and will request that you create a contract with them." She touched the keys affectionately. "Libra told me it hasn't happened in a very long time, though."

Natsu suddenly interrupted their conversation with a snort. "None of 'em usually like us dragon slayers, either," he muttered with a pout. "Don't like dragons period."

"And they won't tell us why," Sting agreed, studying Lucy with curiosity. Natsu shot him a look that nobody else saw, and Sting rolled his eyes before glancing at Lucy again, tilting his head. "You look familiar...have I seen you somewhere before?"

The way the young blonde tensed didn't go unnoticed by Natsu, who gave her a suspicious look. "No," she said firmly. "You shouldn't have. My books - I'm an author - don't have my picture in them." For damn good reasons, too. Hurrying to change the subject, she smiled faintly at Yukino. "Is that true? They don't like dragons?"

Yukino nodded, giving a small frown. "It's strange...every time I summon them, they avoid Sting and Rogue like the plague. You'll have to see if it's the same for you." Suddenly, she gave a huge smile. She pulled out a sixth key, a silver one that she slid to Lucy. Lucy took it with wide eyes. "That's a key for the Canis Minor Spirit, Nikora. It's one I picked up a few weeks ago and haven't made a contract with, so I figured I might as well give it to you."

Lucy stared at her with a stunned look on her face. "Are you...are you _serious_?"

"Of course," Yukino laughed. "From what I've been told, Nikora isn't a Celestial Spirit you can use in combat, it's more like a pet, but you'll be able to practice using your magic with it. Once you can summon it, you'll be able to keep it out of the Celestial Realm and work on your store of magic power."

"Thank you," Lucy said, her voice full of gratitude. She cradled the key in her hands, studying it, and then reached for the purse she'd placed beside her, safely tucking it away into her wallet. "But _how_ do I summon it?"

"Yukino usually just...swishes the key," Sting offered.

Rogue promptly smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Ignore him, please," he pleaded.

Lucy only giggled.

"I open the gates that allow the Celestial Spirit through," Yukino informed her with a sigh of exasperation. She used her hand and sliced downward. "Like that. With the key in hand, though. When I first began using my magic, though, it helped me to call them with words, as well. Usually the Spirit will hear you calling and come forward." She smiled. "Just be careful...having too many out at once or using them one after the other can drain your magic, even kill you if you're not careful."

"Got it."

Natsu spoke up now, his eyes serious. "Levy mentioned there were other bits she could use, too. That you can't."

Yukino pressed her lips into a thoughtful line. "Yes," she admitted. "There _are_ rumors of her being capable of many things I am not in regards to the celestial magic. I was told by Ophiuchus - he doesn't really care much for the rules of the Celestial Realm, and he really shouldn't have told me - that there are certain spells that only those born with celestial magic are capable of." She rested her chin on her hand. "For example, Star Dress. It allows you to share powers with whatever Spirit you have summoned, but there isn't much more I know. The last one to be able to use these kinds of spells...well, they were alive thousands of years ago."

"Huh," Lucy murmured. "Guess I'll have to ask my own Spirits about stuff like that when I get them…"

"Definitely," Yukino agreed, then waved for a waiter, tucking her keys away. "Now. Shall we eat?"

* * *

 _At last! Sabertooth! There's a bit of information on the keys. As you can see, Lucy doesn't have any but Plue at the moment, so...unlike many of you thought, Lucy does NOT have any of the Zodiacs just yet! That will be explained soon enough, though. ;)_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Whatstoknow:_** _Thank you!_ _  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _The future kidnappings...que evil laughter right there, 'cause I have great plans for those. :D_

 ** _OgaxHilda:_** _Nah, not yet. She'll tell them eventually though. Lol._

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _I was actually going to make her just a regular heiress until I saw one of those "the princess fell in love with the dragon" kinda things. Then it hit me that there were countries nearby, and I went: "Yes. This is a thing that will happen." Hence the reason she's a princess now. XD_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _We'll have to see if that happens. XD I'm gonna say here and now, it doesn't take long for them to get super close. Natsu's Natsu and Lucy is Lucy, so. The relationship won't stay away for long. Lol._

 ** _GoingDownWithTheseShips:_** _Did I compliment your user last time? I don't think I did. I like it. Thank you so much! And there will be several more Natsu/Lucy interactions from here on! :D_ _  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Poor Happy. He recovered quickly though. As for those magic lessons...Lucy didn't receive very many instructions, did she? Lol._

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Sweetness in regards to NaLu is lovely, is it not? ;)_

 ** _Drooblesisafunnyword:_** _Believe me when I say the protectiveness Natsu has over Lucy is far from over. Happy, that little furball, is fairly easy to handle though. XD  
_

 ** _Rhianna Park:_** _Thank you so much! I'm exceptionally glad that people are liking BTL! :)_

 ** _LavenderMoonRose:_** _Thank you. :D As for Lucy's books...you'll only really hear about one of them, later on in the fanfic. Lol.  
_

 ** _Kitty Mcgarden- Redfox:_** _Who knows?! We shall never know what delicacies Lucy has created. ;)_ _  
_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _You'll get to see precisely what he does here soon! :D  
_

 ** _OrangeFanatic:_** _One of my favorite things to write is the calm bits, where people are just cuddling/enjoying each other's company in peace. Not that that happens very often. As for Lucy's editor...this isn't really a spoiler, so no worries there, but yes. You will get to meet Lucy's editor later on in the fanfic. WAY later on. But you will get to meet them nevertheless. ;)_ _  
_


	14. Chapter 14

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lunch went by quickly, and before long, Lucy soon had a few more friends to add to her contact list. She promised to call Yukino with regular updates on her process, and rolled her eyes when Sting teasingly asked her to call him if she got tired of Natsu - her dragon slaying partner looked anything but happy at that suggestion. Rogue bid them a quiet farewell as they left, his red gaze searching the area around them as he told her to be careful.

Having pity on Natsu, Lucy decided to wait a while before heading back. "Come on, why don't we look around this area," she told him. "I bet you haven't had time to just look around Crocus, have you?"

Natsu rubbed the back of his head, shaking it. "No. Usually I'm working." Suddenly he grinned. "I forgot. I took a bunch of jobs for me and you and Happy to do while we're here! Gramps said not to take you on too many, but what does he know? Bet it'll help with your magic."

"We'll have to try one then," Lucy agreed. "But I want to look at them first, so I know we're not diving into something too dangerous."

"Okay," he said happily. They walked down the sidewalk, and Lucy dug in her purse for a moment before retracting the key she'd been given from her wallet. She studied it curiously, watching as the silver gleamed in the sunlight. Natsu peered at it curiously. "You gonna try it when we get back?"

"Yep," Lucy answered. She smiled to herself as the key warmed, hoping it was a good thing. "Definitely. So after we're done looking around, we'll have to head back."

Natsu grinned in response and hauled her towards a fountain nearby. "Then let's hurry up so we can go back. I wanna see what the key thing does."

The rest of their morning was an enjoyable one. They spent most of it playing in the fountain, which was probably meant for children to enjoy, but as Natsu seemed to be an overgrown kid, she didn't say anything. Lucy didn't hesitate to set to work on completely soaking the fire mage when he tried to cheat while nobody was looking and scare her with his fire. He retaliated by returning the favor, and she giggled as she tried to escape.

"I don't have any towels," Lucy told him as she wrung her hair out...and then proceeded to gape at him when he only grinned and shrugged.

"No big deal," Natsu said. His perfectly dried hair hung in his face, no longer in its usual spiked style, and he set to work on fixing it. She pouted, and he shrugged. "What?" he said tauntingly, "I'm a _fire_ mage, Luce. You really think I can't get rid of water like that?"

"Not fair," she sighed. He only winked and started towards her car with a sigh escaping him. He was _not_ looking forward to the car ride ahead of them. Curiosity struck her. "...Natsu?" He raised an eyebrow in response. "Can you drive?"

He shook his head. "When would I learn?" he said pointedly. "I get sick everytime I think - _ugh_ …"

"We aren't even in the car yet, you idiot!"

* * *

The drive back took them no time at all - stopping only once to pick up a fish for Happy. Lucy playfully complained about being wet and ruining her small car more than it already was while Natsu partially hung out the window the entire drive. When Lucy pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building, he practically threw himself out of the vehicle. "Safety!"

"You," she muttered, shaking her head. "Are an idiot." Lucy climbed out after him, waiting for him to get himself back together before waving him after her. "Come on, I need to get this fish out of my car… What are you looking at?"

Natsu was peering curiously at the hood of her car. Pointing at the clearly marked handprints, he tilted his head. "What happened there?"

"You did," Lucy answered, shouldering her shopping bag and her purse. "You hit my car when I almost ran you over. Remember?"

He stared at her, looked down at the seared handprints, then gave a smug little grin. "Your car deserved it and so did you. Freaking crazy driver," he added, pointing at her.

Lucy stuck her tongue out and headed inside. She led the way to her apartment, unlocking it with ease after shoving the shopping bag into her pink-haired companion's arms. She waited until Natsu was inside to close and lock the door behind them, and then was greeted by a blue cat slamming into her for a hug. "You're back!"

"Hi, Happy," Natsu greeted. The small creature immediately dove at his friend, eyes eager when Natsu revealed the fish they'd brought back for him. "Did we miss anything?"

Happy shook his head. "Since Lucy was mean and took our book, I started a different one," he informed Natsu with a huge grin on his little face. "We should read _all_ her books, Natsu!"

"Good then, hm?" Lucy mused, picking it off of her couch to check which one. It was the last one she'd published, one of her most popular by far. "You can have this one if you want, Happy. I have a few more in a box somewhere."

Happy looked more than just a little happy. "Thank you, Lucy!" he cried, tackling her with another hug.

"No problem," the celestial mage said warmly, patting his head.

Suddenly, Natsu was rummaging through her purse. She protested, trying to smack his hands away, but he gave a small warning with a flicker of flames before shoving the key Yukino had gifted her into her hands. "C'mon," he said eagerly. "I wanna see what happens. Never seen a Spirit summoned before."

Lucy rolled her eyes, suddenly nervous as she dropped her purse. "I don't know if I want to just yet, Natsu," she said honestly. "I don't...I don't even know how to go around using magic. What do you do when you want to light something on fire?"

Natsu pressed his lips together and held his hand out. "Done it for so long I just...do it," he said honestly, watching as the flames flickered to life in his palm. "It's not that hard, Luce. Just do what Yukino told ya to do."

Lucy waved him out of her space, took a few steps forward so that she was in the middle of the room, and then studied the key. Natsu explained to Happy under his breath about what she was doing, and Lucy made herself ignore them, smiling faintly as the key warmed beneath her touch, as if comforting her. "Here goes nothing," she murmured, extending her arm. She took a deep breath, and then slashed the key downwards, calling softly, "Open! Gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!"

There was a flash of light that made her jump in surprise, and then, standing before her, was a small snowman-like creature. It shivered violently as it blinked up at her past its carrot-like nose. Lucy stared at it in surprise, not seeming to notice Natsu and Happy's cheering. And then the little Spirit gave a happy sound, and Lucy eagerly knelt, beaming at it. "Hello," she greeted, silently squealing over how adorable the small Nikora was.

"That's freaking awesome!" Natsu cheered, pumping a fist into the air, grinning childishly.

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

Lucy hesitantly picked up the Spirit, and it didn't seem to mind at all, instead making a happy sound. "Hm...Nikora's such a formal name...can I call you Plue?" The Spirit nodded. "Alright, from now on, you're Plue then." Plue shivered happily. _Yukino mentioned something about a contract…_ "Um...are there certain days I can summon you on then?" Another nod, and Lucy mentally remembered to ask any Spirit she made a contract with that question. "Would you be willing to write them down for me?"

As Lucy went to work on creating her contract with Plue, Natsu retrieved the book he and Happy had been reading from her purse and flopped down onto the couch. He and Happy quickly agreed that Happy would finish the book he'd started while Natsu and Lucy were out and Natsu would finish the book he'd been reading with his buddy, and then they'd switch.

Never before had the dragon slayer been so entranced and eager to read. Even his father, with his interesting stories and maps and more had never been able to get Natsu to such a point. Yet here he was, carefully reading each word, silently struggling to figure out one when he didn't recognize what it meant. Maybe it was the fact that it was his new partner's work, or maybe because it was something he knew other members of his guild enjoyed.

Either way, he was enjoying himself.

Happy curled up into his lap with his own book in one hand and his fish in the other. He munched on it as he read, looking perfectly content.

After a while, Lucy came to stand across from them, the coffee table between she and the two other Fairy Tail members. Plue was held lightly in her arms, and when Natsu spared a look up at her, he frowned at the sleepy look already plaguing her face. She'd barely been using any magic, but he guessed that's what happened when you were learning. He remembered sleeping for days at a time when he was little. Especially after breathing his first Fire Dragon's Roar.

At his curious look, she explained with a look of amusement, "I want to sit. You guys have managed to take up my entire couch. Mind you, I've given it to you as a bed, so I guess I can't complain…" Her phone went off and she glanced at it. A look of terrified panic crossed her face momentarily, but it vanished quickly.

Not quickly enough that he didn't notice.

So the second the phone was on the coffee table, he lunged for it, successfully managing to avoid crushing the coffee table beneath his heavy body and accidentally dislodging Happy, who gave an unhappy yelp. He landed heavily on his stomach on the floor, but didn't seem to care as Lucy gave a protesting sound, setting Plue aside to try and snatch it back before he looked.

Too late.

"The hell is this?" he demanded, bewildered.

 _I know where the lost princess of Bosco is. I'm sure you do, too, Miss Heartfilia._

Natsu looked beyond confused. "What's this supposed to mean?" he asked, glancing up at her. Lucy's face had gone pale - paler than before, as if the worry in her gaze was making her even more exhausted. "Lucy," he said firmly, "Send Plue back to the Celestial Realm, or you'll knock yourself out."

Stubbornly shaking her head, Lucy snatched her phone back, her eyes filling with angry tears. "What business," she said angrily, "Do you have looking at my phone, Natsu?"

He shrugged, sitting up and rubbing his head where he'd nearly knocked it on the ground. Happy scrambled over to join the conversation, sitting himself on the coffee table beside a shaking Plue. The two small creatures exchanged looks. "You looked scared."

Lucy glared furiously at him, clenching her jaw. She contemplated for a moment, then suddenly swore and hurled her phone, not caring when it struck the ground hard. Natsu scrambled to fetch it, making sure it wasn't broken. "The hell, Luce!?"  
She met his gaze, and he was startled by the lost and defeated look she wore. "Are you aware," she said stiffly, "That the princess of Bosco, the country next to Fiore, went missing two years ago?"

"It was all over the news," Happy remembered with a frown as the confused fire mage nodded curtly. "Even Erza was concerned."

"People thought she'd been murdered," Natsu agreed.

Lucy gave a tight smile. She pulled Plue into her lap, hugging the Spirit for comfort. "She wasn't," she said slowly. "She wasn't murdered. Kidnapped. Hurt. She ran away. She ran away because there wasn't a single person there who liked or loved her, and she was lonely." The tears returned, this time mournful. Her gaze raised to Natsu's. He looked stunned. "The king...he hated her because she looked just like her dead mother," she said bitterly. "The servants and workers believed she thought herself above them all. She wasn't allowed to leave the hateful place, so she did the only thing she could. She ran away.

"So," Lucy continued with a harsh laugh, throwing her arms out to indicate herself. "Here I am. Lucy Heartfilia, heir to the throne of Bosco." She wrapped an arm around herself as if to hold herself together, this time hiding her face in her free hand, a sob ripping from her. "I don't want to go back," she managed to choke out. "I _can't_ go back. It would kill me to go back. And...my father, he knows where I am." Her voice cracked. "He's probably paying these people to drag me back. Master Makarov, he told me that I didn't have to go back, but what if something like Phantom Lord happens? I can't let all of you fight like that just because I don't want to go home."

Silence fell, and Natsu exchanged a dark look with Happy. The blue cat was surprisingly serious for once, looking troubled by this. Then he surprised Natsu and Lucy both by saying softly, "But Lucy, isn't Fairy Tail your home now? You don't have to go back."

"Yeah," Natsu agreed with a huge grin, showing off his teeth cheerfully. "Why wouldn't we fight for ya, Luce? You're our family. 'Course we'd fight to keep you here. Who cares if you're some princess from wherever? You're a Fairy Tail mage now. And we protect our own."

Lucy lifted her eyes miserably, but there was a sparkle of relief and gratitude in them. "Thank you," she said honestly, smiling faintly. She swiped her tears away.

And then Plue vanished in a flash of light, giving a surprised sound as he did so.

Lucy stared at the empty place beside Plue, utterly lost as to what had happened.

And then she toppled over, unconscious, unable to hear her friends' startled cries.

* * *

 _Lucy's made her contract with Plue! Yay! :D And now we've got threats coming in...oh, dear. On the bright side, they know who Lucy is. Lol._

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _Lucy's progress is a kind of weird thing. She has slow moments, and then she'll suddenly zip through training. It's strange. Lol.  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Sting is great. I love him and his "helpful" comments. You'll have to wait and see when it comes to Layla, though. ;)_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Oh, have no worries. Star Dress, Urano Metria, and more will happen. But nope! Tower of Heaven hasn't happened just yet. That won't happen for a while, actually. I finished writing it not too long ago. XD  
_

 ** _GoingDownWithTheseShips:_** _Sadly, those three won't show up again for a while. They'll be more important later on, for now...they're just existing. XD_ _  
_

 ** _Kitty Mcgarden- Redfox:_** _I love Plue. Plue is great._

 ** _Drooblesisafunnyword:_** _Protective Natsu is the best, isn't he? :D I might do a one-shot on the moment Yukino finds out about magic...it'd be fun. What do you think?  
_

 ** _GajeelIsABadass:_** _Thank you so much! I'll tell you now. The Zodiac is completely out of order, along with I may or may not have skipped over a certain arc. Frosch is precious, is he not? There will be an Edolas arc, by the way. I'm hoping you all find it interesting. ;)  
_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Ha! You noticed! Lol. Thank you so much! :D_


	15. Chapter 15

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu hadn't ever been the one put in charge of a situation like the one he now found himself in. Usually, he was pushed aside and Wendy was there, or someone else. _Never_ him. He just wasn't a healer. He had been taught magic that was used for destruction, not for making someone feel better.

Yet here he was, exchanging anxious looks with Happy as he struggled to try and make Lucy as comfortable as possible. Her face was white from stress and exhaustion, though it was slowly regaining its color. He carefully swiped the dried tear tracks from her cheeks, placed her phone and Plue's key beside her on the coffee table after gently moving the celestial mage to the couch. He draped the blanket he and Happy had shared the previous night over her with the blue cat's help, then sat down on the ground beside the couch, book in hand.

"Think she'll be okay?" Happy said from his place near her head.

"Yeah," Natsu said firmly. "She'll be fine. Wendy does this all the time. She just needs some sleep. We'll keep an eye on her until she wakes up."

Happy nodded, thoughtful. Then he asked softly, "Natsu, does she really think we'd make her go back? She really sounded like she hated it there…"

The dragon slayer shrugged, gaze hardening. "We'd never send her back. She's part of Fairy Tail now." He glanced at the phone, which still showed the message that had been texted to her. He scowled. "Like hell we'll let the bastard get away with that...I'm gonna let Gramps know about the threat stuff."

"I think we need to look to get her more keys," Happy told him. "At least one that can fight, like Yukino's. That way she can have a way to protect herself."

"Good idea," Natsu agreed. He narrowed his eyes in thought. "There any magic shops in the nearby area? Maybe we can go look for one for when she wakes up…"

"Yeah!" Happy said eagerly. "And we can get her a present for letting us stay with her!"

"Even better."

The two friends exchanged a huge grin. Natsu reached for his phone. "I'm gonna call Mira, see if maybe she can let Gramps know. Anything you want me to tell them?"

"...I guess," Happy sighed. "I thought we'd be going back sooner. Can you tell Mira that I stashed my fish underneath the second to last barrel of beer? Unless Cana found it…"

"Really need to stop doing that," Natsu told him, rolling his eyes. "You know that gets us in trouble."

"What? I can't help it. I need somewhere to store my fish."

"You _could_ just store them in our house."

"...eh. Not as funny as watching someone's face when they open something and see my fish. Remember that time Gray found 'em in his pockets?"

"...okay, that _was_ pretty funny…"

* * *

When Lucy opened her eyes, a soft groan left her lips. She ached all over, as if she'd run a marathon though she knew better than to think she had. Her throat was pretty sore, too, but she'd blame her crying for that. Slowly sitting up, Lucy rubbed her pounding head and glanced around. Her gaze landed upon the two sprawled out asleep on the floor, and a smile flickered across her face at the sight.

Natsu was on his back, snoring happily away. His mouth was wide open, drool escaping to form a tiny puddle beside his head. His pink hair stuck up everywhere, his clothes rumpled, and Happy was curled up happily on his chest.

She only shook her head before glancing towards the clock that hung at her wall. It was nearly one in the morning, meaning she'd been out for hours. Grimacing at the thought and feeling bad for more than likely scaring the hell out of her friends, Lucy slowly climbed off the couch.

Lucy sighed heavily as she grabbed Plue's key and her cellphone, heading out of the living room to make herself a cup of tea. She paused; she made and drank a _lot_ of tea...maybe she needed to cut back on that? Lucy smirked at the idea. She'd make some for Natsu and Happy, too, even if it was cold when they woke up.

She shoved the key into her pocket, pulling the message she'd received up as she boiled the water, doing her best to stay quiet. She pursed her lips as she read it again, remembering what had happened. _I'll have to ask them to keep quiet...why is it that I'm less concerned about Natsu then I am about Happy?_

Happy _did_ seem to be someone who might spill the news to everyone and anyone.

Lucy scrubbed a hand down her face. Why couldn't she just be a normal person with a normal family and background? Why did she have to be the runaway royalty that everyone would recognize? It came with so many problems…

Lucy finished making the tea with ease, practiced movements making it quick and easy. She poured the tea into three separate mugs, put a little sugar in each of them, and then somehow managed to hold them and her phone at the same time as she went to make her way back to the other room.

She'd just stepped through doorway and back into the livingroom when a blast of heat practically smacked her in the face. She nearly dropped everything she held in shock, staring at the now wide-awake Natsu as he glared dangerously out one of the windows, the curtains pushed aside and already smoking. Setting the tea down, Lucy pocketed her phone and questioned faintly, "What's wrong?"

Happy, who'd been flying anxiously around the room, came to hover near her head. "Natsu smells someone, and he doesn't think they're friendly."

Lucy glanced to the dragon slayer for confirmation, and Natsu gave a curt nod, tugging the scarf away from his face and keeping his voice low as he said, "What he said. Smells funny, like someone lit something on fire with chemicals."

The celestial mage bit her lip. "Great," she murmured, sighing heavily. "Just what we need...tea, Happy?"

"Thanks," he said cheerfully, making himself at home and setting to work on drinking the tea Lucy had made. Lucy smiled slightly as she noticed that once again, the blue cat had one of her books out.

"There's some for you, too, Natsu," Lucy told the fire mage. She waved at the untouched mug as she sipped at her own. His onyx eyes flashed in their direction, and he gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes, full of gratitude though he quietly refused, instead turning to look back outside.

"He's quiet," Lucy noted in a mutter, well aware that Natsu could more than likely hear them.

"It's weird," Happy agreed.

"I can hear you," Natsu whined from his place at the window.

Lucy only blinked innocently. "Can you? How strange, I didn't know dragon slayers had such good hearing."

Happy laughed, draining the rest of the tea despite how hot the liquid was. As he whined about burning his throat, Lucy scowling and scolding the cat for doing so, Natsu suddenly squinted, something catching his attention. His eyes widened at the flare that lit up below, and he darted to his friends, ignoring Lucy's protest when their tea went flying. "Get down!" he snarled, dragging Lucy off of the couch and slamming her face-first into the carpet. He protectively covered her head, ripping Happy out of the way and under his arm just as the wall exploded inwards, flames licking at the walls. There were screams in other parts of the building, and Lucy grimaced, mentally apologizing as Natsu pulled away, shaking the debris from his hair. Lucy's eyes widened as she sat up, taking Happy from him.

Natsu quickly hopped to his feet, fists ablaze. A growl left his lips and his gaze darted this way and that, searching the darkness outside for any sign of that strange glow. _Fire magic_ , he thought, suddenly slurping up the flames that had begun to rage around, making the room shiver with heat, smoke beginning to fill it. Lucy grasped Happy nervously as she stood and Natsu swiped at his mouth with a look of disgust. "Ugh. Disgusting."

"...you _ate_ the fire," Lucy breathed, looking stunned. She'd read that it was possible, but to actually _see_ it...

"Well, yeah," he muttered. "What else am I going to do with it? It tasted disgusting though." He huffed, rolling his eyes. "Comes in handy sometimes. I can use it against the bastard that's messing with us now."

"Do you know who it is?" Happy asked, his eyes wide.

"No." Natsu shrugged, shaking his head. "I have a guess though," he added, mind flashing back to the text Lucy had received. He cracked his knuckles, as if eager for the fight that would soon be happening. Another flare lit up in the darkness outside, and Natsu took a few steps back, readying himself when it launched into the sky. It swirled around and then darted into the room. A man seemed to step off of the strange looking flames, his gaze dark with malicious intent yet amused.

"Ah, the famous Salamander is here to greet me then?" he mused, gaze darting to Lucy for a brief moment. She tightened her grip around Happy, fearful. "The quick money won't be so easily earned then…"

"Salamander?" Lucy murmured.

"S'what other mages call Natsu sometimes," Happy reported. "Dunno how he got the name. He's not slimy."

The flames that flickered along Natsu's arms only made the room, which was lit by the light that hung above them all, glow brighter as they singed at his shirt. "I've heard of you...you're Bora. You're wanted pretty badly by the Magic Council. What do ya want?"

"Plenty of people across the sea would pay me well to have the lost princess as a slave," he answered, grinning broadly. Natsu's gaze darkened furiously, his teeth bared. "And imagine how much the king of Bosco would pay me if I "rescued" her…"

Lucy's grip tightened around Happy and the cat wheezed for breath. "Lovely," she said faintly. Damn, she seemed to be prone to this kind of stuff! Sirens filled her ears, and her eyes widened. "Natsu-"

Bora struck. That strange flame darted out, and Natsu, caught by surprise, yelped as he was sent flying. Happy stiffened from where he was in Lucy's arms, but Natsu was back on his feet in an instant, diving at Bora with a furious look, flames ablaze.

"The police and whoever else will come," Lucy said anxiously. "Happy, what-"

"Natsu's got this," he told her firmly, cutting her off.

Bora swore as he let the fire bend this way and that, his eyes darting between his goal and Natsu. Suddenly, he grinned, the fire splitting in half. Natsu gritted his teeth and inhaled sharply, strangely slit pupils becoming even more so as he prepared his attack. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" Bora gave a furious snarl as a blast of searing hot fire slammed into him.

Lucy squealed as she tried to bat the flames out of her shirt before she was burned, and Happy hurried to help her. The celestial mage grimaced when they finally put it out, realizing that most of her shirt had burned away without harming her. A snicker filled her ears, and her jaw parted when Natsu shot a teasing grin her way.

... _that_ bastard _! He did that on purpose!_

Flames roared around the room now, Natsu carelessly attacking in his attempt to get Bora. But Bora was sneaky, and before long, Natsu was in a rage as he shouted, "STOP AVOIDING MY ATTACKS, DAMMIT! YOU'RE BEING A WIMP!" He bellowed out another Fire Dragon's Roar, not seeming to care that the sirens were practically screaming.

Bora only smirked. "I wonder what happens when the public discovers a mage...shall we throw you out to the crowd outside and see what happens, Salamander?" A bit of fire suddenly swept Natsu's feet out from under him. Another wrapped around Lucy's ankle, and the blonde shrieked as she found herself on her back, being dragged towards the hole that was now in her wall. She ignored the singing flames blazing around them, instead gritting her teeth as she struggled to grab for Happy's desperately scrambling paws.

And then she was hanging in nothing, the dark of night hanging around her. She stifled a cry when she realized Bora's flames had turned a dark color to avoid being seen by the anxious residents awaiting for news on what had happened below.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted, the flames exploding into a massive inferno that had the people outside crying out, backing away rapidly under the orders of a few police that had arrived. Bora only laughed, stepping backwards, his own flames supporting him with ease. Lucy fought furiously to see if she could pry at the tight grip he had on her, feeling sick as the blood rushed to her head. _Damn_ , she hated being upside down!

Natsu gave another Fire Dragon's Roar, letting it billow out into the air from where he stood near the edge of the hole in the building, and Lucy shrieked, covering her face as the searing heat washed over her. Bora hissed in pain, and the flames faltered.

And then she was falling. An unintentional cry left her lips, but it was unheard by the people below, who were all watching the roaring fire with horror.

"Happy!"

"Aye, sir!" The blue cat dove out of the building and Lucy gasped as he caught her by the back of what was left of her shirt, his little wings fluttering as he kept them in the air. "Got you!"

"Thanks," she rasped, hugging her arms against the chill that suddenly washed over her. "What about-" She cut off, eyes wide with horror as she watched Natsu throw himself out of the building at the furious mage that glared at him. Natsu didn't seem the least bit concerned as both he and Bora fell, his face full of fury as he slammed his head forcefully against their attacker's.

They hit the ground rolling, and Natsu yelped when an elbow was driven into his gut. But then he was crouching over Bora, landing blow after blow until he'd finally managed to _finally_ knock him unconscious. Happy flew over, gently dropping Lucy, and the celestial mage scrambled over to where the panting pink-haired dragon slayer was climbing to his feet, shaking his fist out with a wince. He caught sight of her and gave a huge grin. "You okay, Luce?"

"Fine," she said firmly, then glanced back at her destroyed home with a grimace. There went anything she'd ever owned outside of her phone and Plue's key. Her eyes darted to where the people had gathered, watching the officials do their job. "How didn't they notice?" she said, exasperated.

"They weren't paying attention; they never do." Natsu scowled down at the unconscious Bora. "Damn, our nullification stuff was in my bag." He impatiently yanked his scarf away from his mouth, then suddenly smirked. "Hey, Lucy?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want my shirt?"

"Why would I want your-" Lucy cut off with a groan, immediately crossing her arms over her chest with a brilliantly red face. " _Damn it_ , Natsu!" He only snickered, and Happy joined in with the smug little laughter as the dragon slayer shrugged his shirt off and yanked it over her head for her.

"Not my fault you can't keep yourself from lighting on fire," he muttered.

"Not my fault you can't control your own fire," Lucy retorted.

Happy's addition to the conversation had Lucy pinching the bridge of her nose tiredly, wanting to hit the cat.

"Aw...Natsu, you _like_ her!"

It was just _not_ her night.

* * *

 _Some of you wondered if Bora would make an appearance, and he certainly did! Some of you are also probably wondering about the surprise chapter...you can thank a very lovely guest for this bonus chapter! And here's my message to this guest..._

 ** _Fuck. Off._**

 ** _I don't give a damn about what you think. I'm not here to entertain you. If you don't like it, then go elsewhere. I won't put up with your bullshit._**

 _Yep! BTL got a flame! :D Just wanted to notify you all about that. The review was left on chapter twelve if anyone's interested. Laugh with me, my lovelies. Laugh with me at this person's cowardice. They couldn't even log in and use an actual account to leave it. Fuckers. I know you aren't respond to reviews like that, but this will be the only time I do it._

 _On that note...my answer to you lovely reviewers!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Drooblesisafunnyword:_** _I actually want to write that now. It won't be for a bit, but I'm going to write it, I think. While Yukino isn't my all time favorite, I do like her, and it'd be interesting to write from her point of view. Thank you so much for your beautiful review! :D  
_

 ** _NaLu x Buckets:_** _Probably could have drawn it out. I have a bit of issues when it comes to rushing things. But you got the answer to your question, yes? XD  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _No problem! :)_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _My goodness you make me happy. XD  
_

 ** _OgaxHilda:_** _Yep! Lol.  
_

 ** _LavenderMoonRose:_** _I didn't mention it more than once I don't think. No worries! :D  
_

 ** _anon6:_** _Not necessarily. She's met with a few of them. She did stay in the guildhall while healing after Phantom Lord, remember. I thank you for criticism, though it's important to receive such things. :) Thank you!_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Natsu does seem to have weird reactions to things, even in the canon universe. Have no worries, my friend, that stuff you're waiting on will happen. I'm currently writing it as we speak. :D_ _  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Yes! (I don't feel like this is much of a spoiler if any, so...) She does indeed know Hisui. You'll see a meeting between the two in a few chapters. Well...a sort of meeting. Lol. ;)  
_


	16. Chapter 16

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"No."

"Please? Please think again!"

"Let me rephrase that... _hell_ no."

A pout slid across Natsu's face. "But _Luce_ …" he whined, and Lucy flushed in both annoyance and embarrassment at the scene he was causing in the middle of a busy street in Crocus. "Come on, we're not _that_ bad…" His eyes were wide with panic, his face full of terrified horror.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You burned my apartment building down," she scolded, "And what if someone like Bora comes along again? I'd like to be able to move to Magnolia sometime in the next few years, thank you very much. Besides. Those requests you took offer a lot of money, Natsu, but they seem incredibly dangerous, particularly for someone who is almost useless in regards to their magic using."

"You're not useless," he protested. "You just don't have any Spirits that can kick ass yet!"

"And there's a ton of other things I should be able to do and can't," Lucy pointed out.

"That's not your fault," he muttered, "I blame Yukino for not being able to teach you."

"You're an idiot," Lucy retorted. Sighing heavily, the celestial mage ran her fingers through her messy blonde hair, grateful she'd had just enough money to buy a few necessities like clothes, a new brush, the likes. Tugging the jacket she'd purchased shut so she could zip it, she told him, "Look. I don't want to get any of us killed, so I honestly think we need to ask Erza to come help. She told me if I wanted her to do so, all I needed to do was ask, and she'd be here."

"Why can't you ask Levy?" he whined, "Or Juvia or Cana? Why _Erza_?"

"Because Erza offered." Lucy rolled her eyes, annoyed with his reluctance. "Please?"

"Fine," Natsu agreed with a scowl. "But she's not staying with us, right? Hotel room's too small."

"What, we're going to kick her to the curb? She can stay." Lucy beamed. "I haven't ever had a female friend in the same room, it'll be kind of like those sleep overs I used to read about."

"...you sounded like a kid just then," Natsu commented with a snicker.

She only shrugged. "Says the person who can't grow out of his adolescent stage."

It had been a few days since the incident with the sort-of fire mage Bora, and Lucy was beyond relieved that Happy and Natsu had agreed to pay for the room they now stayed in. Fairy Tail - particularly Makarov - had been clued in on what had happened, though Makarov wasn't all that happy about it. He'd scolded Natsu fiercely over the phone and the dragon slayer had supported a rather guilty countenance for the rest of the day. Natsu had reassured him that it wouldn't happen again before handing the phone to Lucy, who had explained that it might take a little longer than planned for them to get where they wanted.

She _really_ wished that it didn't make her feel guilty to refuse Makarov's offer of the guild paying for rent and such until she was able to herself.

"Come on," Lucy told her partner, shoving her hands into her pockets. The weather had grown chilly recently, warning them of the upcoming winter season. Lucy's lips twitched up into a huge smile at the thought. She loved winter. The snow mixed with a good cup of hot tea and the warm indoors were enjoyable, and would hopefully be even more so this year since she'd have company.

They made their way down the street, heading for their hotel, and Natsu tugged at his scarf as they walked, looking exceptionally annoyed that he'd agreed to her plan. "You're going to be the death of me," he told her, "Erza's going to beat me to hell and back for burning down your apartment."

"That wasn't _completely_ your fault," Lucy reminded him.

"Still partly mine." He scowled. "She's gonna kill me. Told me not to ruin anything."

Lucy tapped her lower lip thoughtfully, head tilted to the side. "Don't worry, I'll stop her." She pulled her phone out of her pocket, affectionately brushing the key that was stuffed into it, too. It warmed happily beneath her touch. She'd been working every day with Plue, and was careful not to overdo it under Natsu and Happy's supervision. She paused in calling Erza to glance over her shoulder. "Hey, did you grab Happy's fish?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to forget my best buddy's dinner, Lucy."

"Okay, okay, just making sure." Lucy held the phone up to her ear, grateful it hadn't been destroyed in the fire. It rang for a moment, and then was picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Erza," Lucy greeted hesitantly. "It's Lucy."

"Lucy!" Erza sounded pleasantly surprised, almost eager about the fact that she'd called. "Are things going well with Natsu and Happy assisting you?" Her tone took on a threatening undertone, and Lucy smiled faintly.

"Yes," Lucy promised. "They've helped me a lot. I have a Spirit I've been working on summoning, and we've been keeping an eye out for anything strange and the likes in the process. Someone came after us the other day, but Natsu handled it." She shot the fire mage a beaming smile and he huffed, looking away. "Anyways, I had a question...you said I could tell you if I needed something, right?"

"Of course."

"Could you do me a favor? Natsu brought some jobs with him, and I don't think we should be taking them without extra help."

"... _did_ he," Erza mused, sounding entertained. "I wasn't aware...did he log them in with Mira, by chance?"

"Uh…" Lucy glanced at him. "Did you log in the jobs with Mira? No," she repeated when his eyes grew wide. "He didn't. Is that bad?"

Erza's voice was tight with barely concealed annoyance. "Not quite...may I speak with him for a moment, Lucy?"

"Sure." Lucy offered the phone to Natsu, who pouted and took it. Holding it up to his ear, he greeted Erza meekly, and then cringed, holding the phone away as Erza began to shout at him. After a moment, he brought it back to his ears and said hurriedly, "S'not my fault Mira doesn't watch the board! I just wanted to pick out some high-paying stuff so Lucy could hurry up and move to Magnolia." More shouting. "I don't think any of them are S-Class...no, they're not on me…" Natsu cringed, making a face. "I'll call you back later and let you know. Are you gonna help us or not? Lucy needs to move soon."

Lucy rolled her eyes as he continued to chat with Erza, sure she'd figure it out at a later time. She didn't understand what he meant by S-Class, and made sure to make a note of it in her mind so she could ask about it later. They'd just reached the hotel when Natsu finally hung up. When she held her hand out for the phone, he slammed it into her open palm hard enough to make her wince. "Great," he huffed, cheeks puffing up in irritation, a wisp of a flame leaving his lips. Lucy hurriedly made sure no one had seen. "Now I'm gonna get in trouble. You just _had_ to call Erza. Damn it, Lucy, I'm blaming you for this!"

"It's not my fault you did something you weren't supposed to," Lucy pointed out with a sigh, looking slightly hurt by his words. Face falling into an expression of displeasure - a look she hadn't worn since her last day in the palace she used to call home - Lucy hugged herself as they made their way to their room, ignoring the greeting a receptionist called. Natsu muttered his irritation about her and her "annoying decision to include Erza" the entire way to their temporary housing.

When they reached the room, Lucy left Natsu to give Happy his fish, her face hardened into a stony look she'd mastered years before. It was a look she wore when trying to fight back angry tears. She grabbed her small bag of belongings and slipped into the bathroom, deciding to take a bath and see if that helped her feel better. It usually did, and gave her time to think as a bonus. Lucy locked the door behind her, pulled Plue's key out, and proceeded to summon him, deciding she didn't mind company so long as it wasn't Natsu's.

Plue was more than happy to keep her company as she shed her clothes, put her phone on silent, and slipped into the hot water she'd prepared, her lips pressed into a hard line. He walked along the tiles of the linoleum as if balancing on a balance beam, and Lucy watched on in amusement, a soft giggle escaping her lips. It was as if the small Celestial Spirit sensed her distress and was eager to make her feel better.

She was proud of herself. The length she could keep Plue out was quickly growing, and she was no longer tired out within the first few hours. As suggested by Yukino after a small conversation, she'd kept an eye out for any keys, but had yet to find one.

"I hope we come across one soon," Lucy murmured to herself, brushing her fingers through her wet hair. "Then I'll be able to help with the jobs…" A thought suddenly struck her. "Hey, Plue? Do you know if any of the other Celestial Spirits might want to form a contract with me?"

Plue paused to glance back at her and give a nod.

"Can you tell me which ones?"

Plue shook his head.

Disappointed, Lucy sighed. Oh, well. Someday, maybe.

When Lucy was _finally_ done with her bath, she climbed out of the tub and wrung her hair out, wrapping a towel around herself. She checked her phone, then arched an eyebrow at the message that awaited her.

 _The hell are you doing in there? Come out already. Talked with Erza. She said to tell ya about the job we decided to go with. Can't really do that if you're in the bathroom all night._

"Jerk," Lucy grumbled. Did he have mood swings or something? Maybe it was a dragon slayer thing… She responded that she'd come out when she was good and ready, then picked Plue up to set him on the counter. She propped her elbows on the counter placed her chin in her open palms, and then stared at herself in the mirror, pressing her lips into a hard line.

She looked different. Even from a few weeks before, when she hadn't had a single clue that magic really existed. Not necessarily in a bad way, but not in a completely good way, either. She had bags under her eyes despite the good sleep she'd gotten the night before, from the previous nights that Natsu and Happy had kept her up. Her face was set in a scowl from her irritation with Natsu's complaining and irritable words about her, there were healing scratches and burns, and the tips of her hair were still singed from their fight with Bora.

In other words, life with the fire dragon slayer and his blue companion was proving to be a bit difficult and tiring.

But, she admitted with a heavy sigh as she reached for her bag, pulling the needed undergarments and comfy clothes out. She wouldn't trade it for the world. Because having the world meant being alone and miserable again.

Lucy paused, a mournful feeling filling her. Something told her she'd end up back in the Heartfilia household whether she wanted to or not. And while she didn't exactly want to go back, she knew it would be necessary. She couldn't hide forever.

The celestial mage heaved a huge sigh.

Damn all the problems that came with her status as a run away.

A pound on the door made her jump and Lucy put her hands on her hips, glaring at it. "Come on, Luce!" Natsu shouted, making her cringe in sympathy for their neighbors. "The hell are you doing in there?"

"Contemplating how short I'm going to shave your hair," Lucy retorted, scowling. "Currently, I'm considering baldness. Might be a good look on you."

A pause. "...you wouldn't."

"I would." Lucy rolled her eyes and set to work on dressing herself, smiling to herself as Plue kicked his little legs, happy as can be. "Now go away. You're ruining my happy time."

"That's 'cause you're taking so long," he mumbled through the door before wandering off again. Lucy gave a sigh of relief as she tugged a T-shirt over her head. She patted Plue's head before sending him back to the Celestial Realm, then _finally_ scooped her possessions up and made her way out of the bathroom, humming to herself as she went.

She was met at the bathroom door by a pouting dragon slayer. His onyx eyes were serious, his brows drawn down into a look she hadn't seen him wear since finding her half-dead on the floor. "Hey," he demanded, not seeming to care much for personal space as he shoved his face near hers, searching her gaze. Lucy immediately leaned back with a squeak, her own eyes snapping wide. "Are you okay?"

Lucy blinked, as if startled by his question. Then she huffed, her breath rushing out sharply. "I'm fine," she muttered, pushing past him. "At least I am now that you're not being a jerk." So maybe she was overreacting a little bit. But it was seriously irritating that he'd been so annoyed over her inviting Erza to assist them in work that might get them killed without her!

Natsu blinked, grabbing her arm gently to stop her. "...the hell are you talking about?"

"You - oh, never mind," Lucy groaned, snatching her arm away. She pinched the bridge of her nose between her finger and thumb after dumping her bag on the bed. Silently grateful they'd taken up their original setup of her on the bed and Natsu and Happy on the couch, Lucy dropped to sit beside Happy on the floor in front of the TV, glancing at the television momentarily to check what he was watching. "...how did you find a documentary on _fish_?"

Happy beamed. "I dunno, but don't they look tasty, Lucy?" He pointed at a whale that suddenly crossed the screen. "Look! It looks like you!"

Lucy's jaw dropped. "You little-" She lunged for Happy and he leaped away, cackling happily as he taunted her. "Natsu!" she wailed, glaring over her shoulder at the laughing dragon slayer. "Stop laughing and make him stop!"

"Nah," Natsu answered with a snicker. "This is fun."

After finally managing to shut Happy up with a threat to not feed him anymore fish for the rest of the week, Lucy turned to Natsu, face flushed with annoyance. He was simply sitting on the couch, sprawled out, a huge grin on his face from watching them. Lucy rolled her eyes. "When is Erza getting here?"

Natsu's grin dropped into a scowl. "Tomorrow afternoon. I'll get to have one more good lunch before she shows up. She never lets me eat enough."

Lucy gave him an apologetic look. "Since you were kind enough to agree to let her come help, I'll buy you and Happy a huge lunch tomorrow, okay?"

His irritation was gone in an instant. "Yay!"

She sighed. _That's going to be the biggest mistake I've ever agreed to make..._

* * *

 _You people's reviews make me happy after a cranky day. Just letting you know that. Bit of an argument and looks like Erza's coming in for more than just two seconds now! Yay!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Shidake:_** _Development is important. Always. Lol. Happy's crazy, isn't he? As is Natsu, because he does seem to burn clothes off a lot. ;)  
_

 ** _iBook Keeper:_** _I agree. He is very sly. XD_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _How could she not? She must loose her clothes at least once. It is a necessity in regards to being around Natsu, who can't seem to help himself. Lol._

 ** _GajeelIsABadass:_** _Imagine having to deal with that and Juvia. Poor Gray-sama indeed. XD Have a good day as well!_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Sometimes it's nice to not be caught up. Then you get to enjoy a lot and not have to wait so much. XD_

 ** _Ikityan:_** _Thank you! I'm glad you like it!_ _  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Bora's a jerk. Not real fond of him, even if he does only show up for one episode/chapter really. As for your question...yes! That's more of me combining with her returning back to the Heartfilia Estate though, so. :)_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Ranting is good. Ranting makes me feel better when I'm pissed off, honestly, hence the little minor rant last chapter. I may have ranted on tumblr as well. Lol. Anyhow, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!_

 ** _Drooblesisafunnyword:_** _Thank you! I'm actually probably gonna start that minor spin off in the next month or so, actually. I finished SS, and I like having multiple things to write. XD_ _  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Classic Natsu is the best. ;)_


	17. Chapter 17

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Excited beyond belief, Lucy skipped around the room they were staying in, scooping up things and putting them away as she went. Natsu watched from where he was seated on the couch, Happy curled up on his chest to nap after a long night of dealing with Natsu's snoring. "Why are you so happy about this?" he demanded finally. "It's Erza who's coming."

"Because I like Erza," Lucy retorted, "And I want to make a good impression since we didn't chat for too long the last time we met."

"Erza's Erza," Natsu said with a shrug. "She's not gonna think more or less of you if you clean up. If ya really want to get on her good side, I hope there's some cake left over from last night."

"You could help me clean up, you know," Lucy said scoldingly, rolling her eyes. "Most of this is your mess anyways."

"Nah," he said in response, making himself more comfortable with a broad grin. "I'm comfy. 'Sides. Happy's happy."

"Jerk," Lucy replied. She bit her lip, silently wishing she had a Spirit that might be willing to help her out with the cleaning that was required when temporarily living with Natsu and Happy. But she doubted that was ever going to happen, so she quickly shut that idea away.

She'd just stuffed a few dirty clothes into her large duffel bag when Natsu's phone went off. He answered quickly after checking who it was. "Hey, Erza," he said, onyx eyes following Lucy as she hurried across the room and placed herself on the other side of the couch, looking hopeful. He rolled his eyes.

He chatted with the requip mage for a few moments, then finally hung up, informing his partner, "She should be here in the next ten minutes, or something like that."

"Great," Lucy said happily. She leaned back with a soft sigh. "I'm surprised she got here from Magnolia so fast…"

"She wasn't in Magnolia." Lucy glanced over at the dragon slayer as he spoke, surprised by his words. His bangs hung messily in his face, showing his laziness despite the lateness of the morning. Usually he was full of energy, ready to go out and do stuff, but today? He was exhausted, particularly after his large meal the night before. He patted Happy's head affectionately, throwing his feet across Lucy's lap as if they'd been friends for years rather than just a few weeks. She scowled, glaring at him. "She was in a town nearby… Four hours away, I think. By...that horror of a thing you call a car," he added, making a face. "She was working."

"Lovely," Lucy mused, giving up on removing his feet with a sigh. Suddenly, she smirked, lightly tickling the bottoms of them, and he jerked them away, moving faster than she'd ever seen him move before. He glared furiously at her, but she only laughed and gave the dragon slayer a smug little smile before getting up to fetch her notebook and pen. Only when she'd returned to her place beside him did he return his feet to her lap with a warning look. She didn't bother to move him this time, instead focusing on what she was writing, so he made himself comfortable.

He'd just begun to doze off, comfortable with Happy on his chest and his feet propped up alongside the familiar scents of his friends filling him when there was a loud knock. He made a sound of protest, groaning, and Lucy laughed softly, shoving his feet back off in order to stand. She stretched, popping her back as she went to open the door.

Happy scampered onto the back of the couch, eager to greet Erza now that he was awake, and Lucy smiled at him before opening the door.

As expected, Erza was there, her scarlet hair tied out of her face. Rather than the armor Lucy had grown used to seeing her in, she was in a pair of jeans and a pair of boots, a trench coat wrapped around her form. A bag was slung over her shoulder, and her dark eyes gleamed excitedly as she greeted, "Hello, Lucy. I hope it's okay, but I brought some company with me…" She waved over her shoulder, and Lucy blinked at the sight of none other than Gray. He was half-naked, just like every other time she'd seen him, and his dark eyes were friendly enough as he smiled faintly at Lucy, an almost apologetic look on his face.

"You brought the stripper?" Natsu's voice whining in her ear scared the daylights out of the celestial mage, and she jerked away in surprise. The dragon slayer had shown up to look over her shoulder, Happy resting on his own. "Why?"

Gray scowled. "You think I want to be here, stupid? Erza dragged me along."

Erza arched an eyebrow, saying icily, "Is there a problem with that, Gray?"

His gaze snapped to hers when she glanced over her shoulder at him. "No!"

"Good."

Lucy giggled to herself, stepping aside and elbowing Natsu so that he was forced to move back, too. "Come on in, guys," she told them. "You're welcome to stay here the night, but there's not that much space...someone will have to sleep on the floor. I can if you want."

"Nonsense," Erza scolded, gaze sweeping the room as she stepped inside, Gray close behind. Lucy stared at him with astonishment. How had he managed to lose his pants in the split second she'd looked away?! "Natsu will take the floor tonight."

"I never said-"

"You," Erza growled, shooting him a dangerous glare. "Will take the floor tonight, Natsu."

"Aye, sir!" the dragon slayer squeaked.

Lucy shoved her hand through her hair, her eyes wide. This was going to be an interesting night, and that was putting it simply. She closed and locked the hotel room door behind them, bustling past as she told them, "We'll have to go out for dinner, I think. I don't believe we have enough food to feed everyone…"

"Gray can pay," Erza offered cheerfully.

Gray looked at the requip mage with exasperation but only nodded, pursing his lips. Lucy giggled. Grateful Natsu had been kind enough to pay for a nice and large room rather than a cheaper small one, Luy paused to gather up her notebook and pen before heading towards the bed. "You can put your stuff wherever," she told them, smiling brilliantly.

Erza trailed after her, dropping her bag onto the bed beside Lucy's, and Gray, after dropping his bag at his feet, folded his hands behind his head and sneered, "Seriously, Natsu? Couldn't even keep from burning a building down when you were supposed to be living in it?"

Natsu bristled, flames lighting to life along his fingers, a small stream of it escaping the corner of his mouth as he snarled, "Shut up, you stupid stripper! I was protecting people. At least I can keep my clothes on!"

Gray glanced down. Lucy squeaked and ripped around, hands coming up to cover her bright red face as Natsu smirked hugely. Erza's expression became one of rage as she snapped, "If your clothes aren't back on in under a minute, Gray, then you will regret the day you joined Fairy Tail."

As Gray scrambled to find his clothes, Lucy gaped, trying to figure out why no one else was bothered by this. Happy flew himself over to sit on her shoulder, whispering in her ear, "This is normal. Gray's stripping habit is severe."

"I see," Lucy murmured back, frowning.

Erza shed her trenchcoat, dumping it atop of her belongings, then turned on her heel to stare at Lucy. Lucy blinked, slightly worried by the serious look the requip mage wore. And then Erza demanded, "I want to see how far your magic has progressed before we decide on any of the jobs Natsu picked out. According to our conversation over the phone, he grabbed every single job Fairy Tail had been asked to deal with in regards to Crocus, so we should have our pick. And I want to begin with a simple task. More than likely that escort mission he told me about."

Lucy's eyes were wide as she exchanged a look with Natsu. The fire mage only shrugged, waving at her to get on with it, and Happy didn't bother to move from her shoulder as she sighed and reached for the key in her pocket. With a quick motion, she'd summoned Plue, a proud look flashing across her face at the flash of light. Plue was standing there, not looking the least bit bothered that he'd been summoned.

"This is Plue," Lucy introduced, ducking down to scoop him into her arms. She smiled affectionately at the small Spirit. "Yukino gave me his key when we met...and he's the only Spirit I am able to summon. I can't do anything else, really, so there's really no point to even bringing me on those jobs. I won't be able to do any of them."

"Nonsense," Erza scolded. "I'm quite happy with the progress you've made. Natsu, bring out the papers, please. Gray and Lucy have yet to look through them, and I trust Gray will make sure Lucy can handle whichever one that is chosen. I'd like to have a conversation with you in private while they're doing this if you don't mind…"

Natsu looked horrified, and Happy snickered from his place on Lucy's shoulder as he whispered to her, "Natsu's in trouble."

Lucy, bewildered, simply took the papers when Natsu shoved them at her, his bad mood from the day before returning. She winced at the roughness of which they were shoved into her grasp, giving her a few paper cuts as Plue vanished with another flash of light before he was stalking towards the door, Erza close behind him. She closed the door behind them.

Wincing and shaking a hand to try and rid herself of the stinging pain, Lucy turned to Gray, who was once again fully dressed. She studied him, tilting her head slightly, and then asked, "Gray? What kind of magic do you use? I know Erza uses requip magic because she told me, but I never learned what you use."

He grinned, tugging at the collar of his shirt as if it was bothering him. "I use ice-make magic." He held his hand out, and Lucy watched curiously alongside Plue as a Fairy Tail emblem made of ice formed in his hand.

Lucy beamed. "That's beautiful," she told him, then waved him over to the couch, musing, "I got lucky that Natsu was willing to pay so much for such a big room...it's almost like my apartment, the one he burned down. I was all for paying for a much smaller place."

Gray snorted. "He's paying for this place? What a surprise. Bastard would rather sleep outside than pay so much. Stingy jerk." Lucy blinked in confusion and he smirked. "Dragon slayers inherit more than just their sense of smell from their dragons. I don't think I've ever seen someone as cheap as Natsu."

"He has a hoard," Happy piped up. "It's a huge one, too. But I don't even know where it is, and I live with him. It's as big as you, Lucy."

"You're about to lose that little tail of yours, cat," Lucy bit out. Happy only cackled and flew off to sit on the bed. "Anyways...here's the papers." She and Gray settled down onto the couch, side by side, heads bent over the papers. "I'll let you sort through them, I don't know anything about what I'm looking for."

Gray grinned, taking the papers. Lucy noted that he'd somehow lost his shirt, but sighed, not bothering to tell him about it. As long as the pants stayed on… "Okay, so you can usually tell how dangerous the jobs are by the money being offered," he explained. "There aren't as many from here that we get, so it'll be harder to show you the variety… Here we go." He set two papers side by side on his lap. "This one's for a good ten thousand jewels. It's an easy one - I think this is the escort mission Erza mentioned, so I'll let her know we'll be doing this one. All we have to do is escort this lady to another location in Crocus. Not difficult at all. But this other one is for five hundred thousand jewels."

"...are you...are you serious? Five hundred _thousand_?" Lucy's eyes were round with shock as she stared down at the paper. "That could pay for moving, replacing _everything_ that burned, a new place, and even feeding Natsu for the next week!"

Gray snickered before adding pointedly, "Yes, but it's nearly an S-Class mission that requires us to take down a couple dark mages who we don't even know the identities of, Lucy. It's far more dangerous, nearly life-threatening."

Lucy grimaced, nodding her agreement before asking, "S-Class?"

"Keep forgetting you don't know anything about how we work," Gray muttered, shaking his head. "Right. Being an S-Class mage means you're stronger than a bunch of other mages. There's a bunch of other ranks, but being S-Class is most of our guild's goal, so I don't really pay all that much attention to the other ranks. Pretty sure Gildarts is above S-Class, though…"

"Got it. So S-Class missions are a big no for us," Lucy said firmly.

"Damn right they are," he replied. Gray shoved his hand thoughtfully through his dark hair, messing it up even more than it already was. "You should have seen when Natsu ran off with one. I don't think I've ever seen Erza that pissed off."

"She was scary," Happy agreed, scrambling back to sit in Lucy's lap. The celestial mage, patted his head absentmindedly, her eyes thoughtful.

"Anyways, I guess we'll go with this one." Gray carefully handed her the escort job, and Lucy set it beside her, examining her cut up hand with a sigh. Gray noticed and scowled, "Needs to learn to be more careful."

"He's working on it," Lucy protested, "He's just cranky because I didn't ask Levy or Juvia even to come." Gray blinked, then smirked, muttering about how annoying Natsu was, and Lucy giggled as she stood, carefully cradling Happy in her arms. "Do you want anything to drink? Do you think Erza might?"

"Sure," Gray agreed, standing swiftly. "I'll help with whatever you're grabbing. Can't carry however many glasses on your own, and I doubt the cat will be any help."

Lucy smiled hugely.

And then she snapped her head the other way snarling, "You can help. But put on some freaking clothes first!"

* * *

 _Surprise! Gray's here, too! :D Bet you didn't see that coming! Or maybe you did...in that case, you're a ninja._

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Peaceful chapters will be rare later on. Enjoy them while you can. Lol.  
_

 ** _GoingDownWithTheseShips:_** _You lovelies and your puns are great. I love puns, even if they're horrible. Plue is adorable, isn't he? As is Erza when she's not terrifying._

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _The jobs will always be described in detail if they're one Lucy's going on. As Lucy is the mostly main character, it's rare such things are excluded. Besides. Some jobs are more important than others. Like this upcoming one. XD_

 ** _PuckSabrinaDaphne:_** _Thank you! Here's more for you to enjoy!_

 ** _LavenderMoonRose:_** _Natsu and his mood swings indeed.  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Natsu's pink hair is one of the best things about him. Alongside every other thing about Natsu. As for your questions about the keys...that answer will come soon. ;)_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _The pain and suffering that accompanies Erza is lovely, isn't it? I hope Natsu's body can hold up beneath her unintentional beatings._

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Funny thing is: that chapter was actually written in August. Funny how things turned out, eh? Thank you! :)_

 ** _Guest!:_** _Oh my goodness, thank you so much. XD NaLu forever though. I'm all for NaLu. And a couple other pairings, but NaLu is my OTP of OTPs._ _  
_


	18. Chapter 18

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"What happened to your face?"

Natsu scowled at the blonde's question, a pout appearing as he puffed out a small wisp of flame and looked the other way. The two had gone out for the morning after Lucy had realized there wasn't nearly enough food to feed them all, and Erza had offered Natsu's services on helping her out. Natsu's mood, already dark from the previous evening, had gone berserk, putting him in an angry way that had Lucy flinching at the furious look he wore.

"Erza," he grumbled. "She was mad that I burned your place down, even though I told her it was 'cause someone attacked us." Onyx eyes gleamed like hard obsidian as he growled, "She wouldn't listen."

Lucy shook her head with a look of sympathy. "Sorry. I should have mentioned it. Then you wouldn't have ended up with that bruise…" Guilt slashed through her. She'd learned throughout the night that Erza was anything but patient and hadn't been surprised when a black eye had appeared on his face in the morning.

He huffed. "Whatever."

Pressing her lips together in a hard line, Lucy decided to change the subject, smiling brightly. "I'm excited," she said cheerfully. "We're going to meet with the client after we drop the groceries off for Happy to put away. This'll be the first job I've ever gone on as a mage - not that I can do anything - but I think it'll be fun. What do you think, Natsu?"

"Meh," he answered, rubbing the back of his head, shoving his other hand into his pocket. "Not as fun as the the ones where I get to fight...guess it'll do though."

It was Lucy's turn to pout as she tucked her hair behind her ear with her free hand, the other ladden with more than a few bags of groceries. She huffed, shifting them to her other hand as she mumbled, "Well you don't have to come then, Mr. Grumpy. If it's such a boring job, I'm sure Erza, Gray, Happy, and I can handle it." _Jeez...what happened to his happy attitude from when he first showed up?_

His eyes snapped to her annoyed face, growing wide. "I didn't say I didn't want to come," he protested, his voice becoming a soft whine.

"Seems like you don't to me," she answered snippily. "I don't know why you're so irritable about Erza and Gray coming, but it's getting on my nerves, so cut it out."

Natsu blinked. "...I'm not irritable."

Lucy gave an exasperated groan, waving at him with a snapped, "Then what is this?!"

"What is what?"

"You - no, I give up. Take these groceries." Lucy shoved the bags into his hands with a scowl on her usually happy face. There was a frustrated look in her eyes as she said, "I just thought it'd be fun to have a few more people come help us out, even if it does mean splitting the money up more. I thought it'd be fun to get to know a few of the Fairy Tail members a bit better, but you know, guess not."

Natsu looked lost as he demanded, "What the hell are you talking about, Luce?"

"I'm talking about your bad attitude," Lucy retorted. "You got all bitter when I asked if I could invite Erza to help. You got annoyed when they showed up even though you knew that Erza was coming, and were being a jerk, and you're being a complete and total - screw it. Go home." Now in a bad temper, Lucy crossed her arms tightly, turning her face away, looking frustrated. "I'll go meet with Erza and Gray by myself."

"But Luce-" Natsu's protest was cut off when she shot him a glare that was rimmed with angry tears. He looked astonished for a moment, and then mumbled, "Fine...but be careful, kay? There's probably a bunch more people like Bora hanging around."

"Yeah, yeah," Lucy muttered, waving him off impatiently. She stormed off, her teeth grinding as she fought the urge to shed the lingering angry tears.

Damn, she loved this new life, where she actually had friends.

But she hadn't realized having friends could be such a pain in the ass, too.

* * *

Using her phone to check which address she was supposed to head for, Lucy made it there in record timing, but was relieved when she saw that Erza and Gray were already there. At Erza's questioning look, she said simply, "I told Natsu to head back since he was being cranky."

"I see," Erza murmured.

"Don't worry," Gray said with a smirk. "He's just upset that we think he can't handle helping you on his own without anyone else's help."

"...it might actually be that." Erza tapped her chin with a thoughtful expression. "I've noticed that he hasn't been as cheerful as I know him to be."

Lucy groaned in exasperation, following them as they started for the door of the decent looking building they'd arrived at. "Great. I just thought it'd be better to have you here because I didn't think _I_ would be able to help out as well as I should be able to."

"If it makes you feel any better," Erza offered, "You have done a surprisingly excellent job on keeping his habits in check."

Gray only snorted, halfway through yanking his shirt off - though he did stop when Erza glared at him and rapped her knuckles sharply on the door.

"You really need to stop that," Lucy commented.

"I can't help it," the ice-make mage huffed.

"You _will_ refrain from doing it while we're conversing with our client," Erza threatened.

"Y-yes, ma'am."

A man answered the door, dressed in a sharply pressed suit with a cautious smile on his face. "Hello," he greeted carefully, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes," Erza answered. She rolled up her sleeve, showing the blue emblem on her upper arm, and when Gray lifted his shirt to show his, Lucy decided to copy and raise her own hand, showing him the pink Fairy Tail emblem on the back of it. "We're mages of Fairy Tail, and we have been requested as an escort for the daughter of one of the generals of the king's army? We're here for the details of our work."

"Of course. Excuse my rudeness," the man said hastily. He waved them inside quickly, and Lucy stuck close to Gray and Erza as they slipped inside.

It had been a while since Lucy had been in such a grand building. Her eyes scanned the beautiful hall they stepped into, and she swallowed thickly, distantly reminded of the cold and lonely corridors of the Heartfilia Estate she'd left behind two years before. Just the thought had her head spinning, wanting the comfort she couldn't have.

"Lucy?" Gray said suddenly, frowning. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she forced herself to answer, her voice thick with emotion despite her words. He didn't look like he believed her, but he said nothing. They followed the strange man through the hall and down another until they reached a door. He knocked, calling quietly for a "Miss Swanson", and a light voice answered for them to enter.

She was sitting on an expensive looking and comfortable chair. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head, her form clad in a long dress that covered her from throat to toe and reminded Lucy of the ones she'd once had to wear. It wasn't as big, instead hugging her slim form, but it did the job to make her look professional, almost regal. Her large blue eyes were narrowed suspiciously as she studied them, the thick lashes that framed them brushing her cheeks when she blinked. Her voice was cold as she said, "Who are these people?"

"Fairy Tail mages, hired by your father," the man said firmly, bowing his head respectfully. Lucy instinctively felt a flash of dislike towards her when a look of annoyance flashed across her face. "Here to learn the details on where they will be escorting you to, Miss Swanson."

"I see. You may leave." When the man had left, she introduced herself. "I am Amelia Swanson. You are…?"

"I'm Gray Fullbuster," Gray offered, not seeming the least bit bothered by her attitude.

"And I am Erza Scarlet," Erza told her.

When Lucy didn't speak up soon enough, Amelia turned a cool look onto her. "No need to introduce yourself," she mused after surveying Lucy's flustered appearance. The blonde's gaze grew round with shock as she tilted her head and commented, "I am curious as to what you are doing here, pretending to be a mage, however, your /highness." Stiffly, Amelia drew herself down into a curtsy.

 _...are you kidding me?!_ Lucy silently wailed, her lips pressing into a hard line. Mentally wishing for Natsu's comforting presence as Gray and Erza gaped at her in utter bewilderment, she straightened and said firmly, "I apologize, but you must have mistaken me for someone else, Miss Swanson. I am Layla Cor, a mage of Fairy Tail." _Please, please,_ pretty please _, don't say anything, Gray and Erza!_

Amelia lifted her gaze. "No," she said slowly, brows pulling into a frown. "You are Lucy Heartfilia, the missing princess of Bosco. I was taught to know all of the royalty of the neighboring countries, Miss Heartfilia, and I know you all by face. I cannot possibly have been mistaken."

Panicking silently, Lucy reached for Plue's key in her pocket, wrapping her fingers tightly around it. As if to soothe her, the metal warmed. Lucy's dark eyes darted to Erza and Gray, who were both watching intently, Erza wearing a suspicious look and Gray a confused one. "No," Lucy protested again. Her voice was just as cold as Amelia's. She was using the skills she'd learned in the place she hated most. "You _are_ mistaken, Amelia Swanson. I am _not_ the woman you believe me to be. I am Layla Cor, a well-known author. And if you think otherwise, then I believe you should have your eyes looked at, because you are _blind_."

Amelia looked anything but happy about that comment. "Hm...I see." She turned her face away, gaze locking on Erza. "Keep your mages in check, Miss Titania. They are quite rude."

For once, the requip mage looked lost. "O-of course, Miss Swanson."

"Now," Amelia murmured, turning away. "I'd like to speak with you about the details of your job…"

The walk to the hotel they were currently staying in was surprisingly quiet. Lucy expected dozens of questions, demanding voices snapping at her. But they were quiet. Gray kept shooting her curious looks, and Erza looked thoughtful, her finger tapping her lip despite her lack of speech.

Lucy was about ready to explode with the anticipation she felt. _Why aren't they questioning me?!_

* * *

The second they were in the door, however, her thoughts were immediately distracted by a brilliantly bright grin. Natsu was there, looking completely different than he had earlier in the day. His onyx eyes were no longer full of anger, instead sparkling impatiently. His pink hair stuck up all over the place, and Happy was practically radiating energy as he zoomed this way and that around the room, crying, " _Finally_!"

"What happened?" Gray demanded, raising an eyebrow. "Finally learn how to grow up?"

Natsu paused to glare at Gray for a moment, then said eagerly, "Hey, Luce, guess what?" His face was close to hers, and Erza expressed her displeasure over it by glaring at him until he scurried back a few steps.

"What?" Lucy had to smile. She couldn't stop the faint smile that crossed her lips, amused by the way he was able to change her mood in an instant despite being such a jerk earlier. "I haven't seen you this excited since I let you show me that trick last week."

Natsu shoved his hand into his pocket, and then gently pushed what he pulled out into her hand, his calloused fingers warm as they closed her fingers around it. "Happy and I thought it would be a good present, since you're letting us stay with you and we burned your place down by accident. And since you said I was being mean earlier. We found it at this old antique store and bought it for ya...cost me nearly two hundred fifty thousand jewels..."

Lucy opened her fingers - and stared at the gift with a shocked look. "Natsu…" she murmured hoarsely, tears gathering in her eyes.

A silver key rested lightly in her palm. She recognized its form as some sort of clock before she lifted her gaze to give him a huge watery smile. "Thank you," she told him, voice cracking.

And then she snapped. The stress of the situation with Amelia Swanson along with her happiness over Natsu's gift mixed together and she burst into tears, throwing her arms around the dragon slayer's neck in a tight hug. He panicked, gaze darting desperately to the shocked pair of mages behind Lucy. _What do I do?!_ he pleaded silently with his eyes.

Erza's eyes narrowed. _Return it, Natsu._

Gray silently frowned, as if concerned for the celestial mage.

So, with hesitance, Natsu returned the hug, his arms wrapping lightly around her waist. She gave a small sob at the gesture, and he almost ripped away in fear that he'd screwed up, but her grip tightened, and she buried her face in his shoulder. "Lucy…?" he said softly in her ear, confused.

"Sorry," she mumbled, voice muffled. She didn't pull away, the tears coming in a new wave as she realized she hadn't been aware of just how much she needed a hug. It had been nearly seven years since she'd had any form of affectionate contact like this, since she'd been comforted.

She hadn't been _allowed_ to have such a thing since the month before her mother died.

Sure, she'd had Levy's comfort when they'd been imprisoned, and she'd had Happy in her arms quite a few times.

But Lucy hadn't realized just how much she'd missed human contact until this moment. It brought back memories of love and warmth and of Layla Heartfilia, the now deceased queen of Bosco.

Which brought her to another point.

Natsu was more than aware of her status as a runaway princess, as was Happy and Makarov. But Erza and Gray were not and after the encounter today...she doubted she'd get away without telling them.

So, with great reluctance, she pulled away, her cheeks flushing slightly as she rasped another apology. Natsu only looked away, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. She safely tucked the silver key into her pocket, and smiled at the warmth that radiated from Plue's, as if Plue was greeting it. "I, um, owe you two an explanation," she said softly to Gray and Erza.

"I'd say," Gray mumbled, voice muffled since he was half-way through removing his shirt. "The hell was that chick going on about with Bosco's lost princess?"

"I think," Erza said firmly, gaze never leaving the tired looking celestial mage, "We should go have a seat…"

* * *

 _They argued again, but Natsu made up for his bad attitude, yes? :D_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_  
**

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _The manga makes her the most frightening, honestly. o.o Thank you!  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _Foreshadowing is an important thing that has taken me a long time to figure out. I'm hoping I continue doing it right. Lol._

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Thank you! Yay for Team Natsu! Not much of a job for them, but... We can't have them going all out on Lucy's first job. XD_

 ** _Guest:_** _Oh my goodness. XD Thank you so much._

 ** _Drooblesisafunnyword:_** _PFt, no worries. Angsty Natsu is all over the place at the moment for some reason...no idea why. :P_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Just waiting on Wendy and Charle to show up again and it shall be complete! And stuff did indeed happen. Lucy's cover keeps getting blown. :D_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _He should. They could make some serious money that way. And it'd all be by accident._ _  
_

 ** _GajeelIsABadass:_** _Erza's madness is fun to write. I like making her pissed off. XD_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Natsu kinda managed to erase her guilt, didn't he. XD He made up for that with a key though. Lucy got lucky when the actual mission hasn't even started._


	19. Chapter 19

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

There was silence in the room that was usually lively and happy. Lucy stared at the hands that rested lightly in her lap, sitting between Happy and Natsu on the couch while Erza paced thoughtfully in front of them and Gray sat silently on the floor beside the couch, gaze dark. Natsu's face was blank, but his gaze followed Erza, and he had one arm draped behind the celestial mage on the back of the couch, his onyx eyes just _daring_ them to say the wrong thing. Happy glanced up at her every now and then, worried for the blonde.

"Wow," Gray finally murmured. He'd lost his shirt long ago, and he scratched his naked chest as he glanced over the armrest of the couch. "So you're the princess of Bosco, huh?"

"Yes," Lucy answered softly, hands clenching into fists. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you two sooner, but...I can't just tell everyone, as you probably know. I told Natsu and Happy because Natsu's my partner and he saw a threat Bora messaged me before he showed up. Master Makarov knew because of Jose, and I'm pretty sure Levy, Gajeel, and Juvia know from the same situation."

"We understand," Gray said hastily, especially when the temperature spiked. Even he knew when to annoy Natsu, and this wasn't the time. "I certainly won't tattle. I'm not all for blabbing like some people here."

"Gray," Natsu gritted out, glaring dangerously at the ice-make mage.

"Enough," Erza cut in, running her fingers impatiently through her scarlet-colored hair. She stopped pacing, turning to face Lucy, and Natsu tensed, a growl threatening to escape his lips at the hard look in her dark eyes. Erza noticed and smiled gently at the two, amused. "Don't worry, I don't intend to say anything either, Lucy. I, myself, come from a situation I don't care to talk about. I can understand why you'd choose to run away. Perhaps it is best for you to continue going by your pen name when we complete work?"

"Probably," Lucy agreed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Her gaze darted up to study the face of each person - and Happy - in the room before a hesitant smile crossed her face. "Thank you. For not rushing to try and drag me back to Bosco. It means a lot to me."

Gray flashed her a grin. "Like we'd purposely do something that horrible to our nakama."

"What he said," Natsu muttered, and Lucy shot him a grateful smile that had him looking the other way, his cheeks flushed a slight pink that had Erza shaking her head with a sigh.

"Thank you anyways," Lucy said firmly, giving them all a brilliant smile. She gently patted Happy on the head, then stood. "I think I want to try and summon this new Spirit, if that's okay. I'd like to have a contract completed before we escort Amelia Swanson to her destination."

"It would be good for you to do so," Erza agreed. She gently moved Happy into the middle of the couch and took his spot. "I'd like to witness this."

"Where did you say you found it?" Lucy asked, glancing at Natsu. "An antique shop?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "Was wandering around looking for a present since you let us stay with you and we kinda burned down your apartment, and I saw it through a window. Went in, asked about it, and they said it had been in there for years."

"I'll have to check every shop in the city," Lucy murmured as she pulled out the key. She ran her fingers across the silver, smiling warmly. "Thank you so much, Natsu. I'll treat you to a huge dinner after we complete the escort job."

"Nah, I don't need it." He surprised them all with his answer, instead folding his hands behind his head. Natsu flashed her a huge grin that she returned with a warm smile before turning away.

"You sure you're able to summon it?" Gray's question had her glancing at him. He was currently in the process of unbuttoning his jeans, and Erza, noticing immediately, glared viciously at him until he flinched and stopped. "This one might be harder than that other one."

"I didn't think of that," Lucy murmured, hesitating now.

"You've been doing really good with Plue, though," Happy piped up, beaming up at her.

"You can't get better unless you push yourself, Lucy," Erza agreed. She smiled reassuringly. "And if you're unable to, then it's fine. You can always try again later, when your magic has grown."

Lucy shot her a smile, then slashed the key through the air.

There was a flash of light, and before her appeared what appeared to be a grandfather clock. "Greetings," it greeted, bowing in a strange way. "I am Horologium, the clock. It is an honor that I was found by a companion of one of the Heartfilia line."

The celestial mage beamed her greeting, pretending the others weren't there. "Hello," she greeted in return, hugging her arms nervously. She could already feel the tug on her magic, warning her that she would tire quickly, but she ignored it. She had to make a contract with Horologium.

The entire process went smoothly. She made sure to mentally note the days and times that the clock before her was available to come to her aid, though he promised that he'd be there should an emergency require it and that she could . But by the time Horologium had vanished in a flash of light, Lucy was ready to take a nap. She staggered as she pushed the key back into her pocket, flashing her friends a reassuring smile when she saw concern on their faces. "I'm fine...just a bit tired."

"You look a little feverish, Lucy," Erza murmured, hurrying over to press her wrist over the blonde's forehead. Her dark eyes searched Lucy's. "Come, let's get you into bed...you need your rest if you're going to assist us on that escort job tomorrow…"

"I'm fine," Lucy tried to protest, but Erza was having none of it. "Natsu," the celestial mage whined desperately, glancing his way with a pleading look, and he froze, eyes wide. Erza glared furiously at him, daring him to go against her words.

"W-well, I mean...l-last time you, uh, were like this, y-you passed out, so…"

The dragon slayer was barely able to stammer out the words before Gray agreed with a faintly said, "What he said."

"Sorry, Lucy," Happy said anxiously, his own eyes full of terror.

"Traitors," Lucy accused with a pout on her face, and then let Erza rush her off to get changed and get into bed.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Gray's concerned question made Lucy smile to herself, her hand delving into the messenger bag that secretly hid Happy from the public eye. After waking up late, they hadn't had time to place a spell on the little blue cat to keep him from being noticed, and as Erza would be ready to fight at a moment's notice, Lucy had been put in charge of him. "I'll be fine, Gray," she told him, aware of the other two carefully listening in. "I feel better today."

"But are you sure?" Gray urged. "We need to know, Lucy, it's important. If you're not ready, we can delay a few more days-"

"I'm fine, we're here already, and we're going." Lucy's voice held no room for argument. She stared at the building they'd been heading for, her eyes determined. "I'll be okay, I promise."

"Let us know if you need a break from her," Natsu told the celestial mage with a huff, his lips twisting into a grimace. "I don't think I'm gonna like her."

"Probably not." Erza's agreement made Lucy sigh softly. "But you know the rules. If you can be polite to our client, then you'll stay silent. Lucy needs the money so that she can return to Magnolia permanently."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Natsu." Erza was exasperated, but said nothing more as she knocked sharply on the door of the building Amelia Swanson occupied. The man from the day before answered it, and Lucy forced herself to lock a smile on her face as she pulled Happy out of his hiding place, instead cradling him in her arms. She'd been told it was safe for the cat - they had no clue as to what he really was, she'd been told - to be out among those that knew of magic, and Lucy had been given permission to keep him with her when she'd requested it.

Happy happily rested in her grasp, not bothered. "Natsu won't do anything," he said to Erza, who glanced back when he spoke, as if curious. "He likes Lucy too much."

" _Happy_ ," Lucy groaned, exasperated. The cat had been absolutely _relentless_ in his teasing after the hug she'd received from Natsu the night before. While Gray had teased him as well, it was nothing in comparison to Happy. "Stop. Seriously. Or I'll string you up by your tail."

He squeaked and went quiet.

Natsu snickered, and she turned a pointed look on him before falling silent as they reached the room they'd been brought to the day before. Amelia Swanson was in there, dressed in a similar way to the way she had been when they'd first come. Her sharp gaze scanned each of them piercingly, taking in the armor Erza wore, the lack of shirt on Gray, and Natsu's scarf before resting warily on Happy. And then she looked into Lucy's eyes. Lucy felt her blood run cold at the sly look in those blue orbs.

"Hello," was all she said, however. She turned away, waving towards a suitcase on the floor. "I'll need someone to take this...we will be taking a vehicle of my father's. You will all ride with me, and will escort me into the building upon our arrival."

"Of course," Erza murmured. "Gray will grab your bags and take them to the vehicle while I introduce you to the last two members of our team...this is Natsu Dragneel, also known as Salamander. I'm sure you've heard of him in some way, more than likely because of his destructive tendencies, though he _will_ be able to control himself. And the blue cat Layla is holding is Happy. Natsu, Happy, this is Miss Amelia Swanson."

"Yo," Natsu greeted unenthusiastically.

"Hi," Happy added.

Amelia looked at Happy with disgust. "It _talks_?"

Lucy tightened her grip on Happy, shooting the woman a small glare when Happy gave a soft sound of hurt. "It's okay," she told him so that only Happy - and quite possibly Natsu, because she wasn't sure of just _how_ strong his hearing was - could hear. "Ignore her."

Happy looked quite a bit happier after her words.

"Yes, Happy talks," Erza said, then waved Natsu over. "Come, we'll take you to the vehicle so that you may arrive at your destination as soon as possible. We'll discuss what's left to discuss on the way there."

Within only ten minutes, all of them were seated comfortably in a limo that was obviously made for protection. Lucy tapped thoughtfully on the glass of a window, assuming it was nearly bullet proof. It was lined with seats that faced each other, and Erza had decided that it would be best for Amelia to sit between she and Gray, especially when Amelia had commented on the fact that she wanted to be as far from Happy as possible in case he had some sort of disease.

Happy had looked ready to cry. Lucy had been furious. And Natsu looked like he wanted to blow something up.

Hence the reason Lucy found herself seated beside the ill-looking dragon slayer with Happy cuddled in her lap, happily dozing as she stroked his head. Natsu was seething, slouching in his seat, watching as Lucy's hand moved gently over Happy's head as the limo started up.

It was silent for a few seconds before Amelia turned to Erza, pointed briskly at Lucy, and demanded, "How do you not recognize the princess of Bosco?" Confusion at the sudden question flashed across Erza's face, and Lucy gritted her teeth.

"This is not," Erza said after a brief moment of thought, "The princess of Bosco, Miss Swanson. This is our nakama and a mage of Fairy Tail, Layla Cor. She's been a member of our guild for many years now, but has only recently begun working the jobs that are offered to us."

"Nonsense," Amelia scoffed, flicking what appeared to be an imaginary fleck of dust from her shoulder. "As I said before, I know what each and every member of the royal families around us look like, as should you all. It's part of the education you're supposed to receive-"

"Uh, hate to break it to ya, lady," Natsu interrupted, ignoring the scorching look shot his way. "None of us went to school or anything. Erza and Layla, uh, couldn't, Gray didn't have time, and I was raised by a dragon."

Amelia's lips parted in surprise and she stared at him before scoffing. "Nonsense. You had to have been educated in some way." She continued over him when he moved to interrupt again. "And I am more than positive that this is the princess of Bosco."

"I'm _not_ Lucy Heartfilia," Lucy sighed heavily. Damn, there weren't many people she wanted to throttle, but she was definitely one of them! Happy made a soft sound of comfort, as if knowing how upset she was getting about the matter.

"Perhaps your memory has been erased of such things," Amelia suggested. "I brought the subject up with my father, and he's contacted the king of Fiore, who in return has agreed to speak with King Jude about this-"

"You _what_?" Panic shot through Lucy, resulting in her voice rising to a horrified shriek.

Gray swore loudly, his dark eyes angry, and Erza simply stared at her in shock. When the temperature in the cab of the limo spiked, however, Lucy hurried to shove Happy into Natsu's lap to keep him from shooting up and lighting the car on fire, one hand grabbing his wrist and giving him a pointed look. Onyx eyes met brown and he reluctantly forced himself to relax. Lucy kept her grip on his wrist, not trusting him to remain calm as Erza took a deep breath, then gritted out, "Miss Swanson, you're going too far with this matter. There was no need for such drastic measures."

"Yeah," Gray agreed, glaring at her. "Layla doesn't need this kinda trouble on her first job."

Lucy mentally commended them on their ability to use a fake name so easily and then shouted and screamed about the determination of the world to get her drug home. "It's fine, Erza, Gray," she murmured, then tightened her grip on Natsu's wrist when he dug his fingers into the seat, burning the leather. "Natsu, stop." She cleared her throat, addressing the problematic woman before her, "Like Erza said, that's going too far, Miss Swanson. Even if I was the princess, and I'm _not_ , what right do you have to do such a thing? You would have just offended a future ruler of a country, perhaps even created an enemy for your own."

"That's true," Erza told them. "Making such claims could create an enemy of Bosco."

"Not," Amelia said icily. "If it is true."

Natsu suddenly spoke up, his voice dark with rage. "Even if she was Lucy Heartfilia," he growled, "What makes you think we'd just let her leave and go back to Bosco?"

"Natsu," Lucy protested, trying to shush him, but he ignored her, even when she dug her nails into his wrst.

"What I think does not matter," Amelia answered, pressing her lips together angrily. "It matters that the princess of Bosco return home. The country is falling into ruins. The king is spending all of the country's money on searching for her, and it's ruining the lives of those that live there."

Lucy's jaw clenched. Such an accusation wasn't entirely impossible. It would be like her father to do such a thing. Sensing her unease, Natsu shook her grip off, instead letting her slip her hand into his after he'd shifted closer, as if ready to protect the celestial mage at a moment's notice.

Lucy glanced at him, but he was too busy scowling at Amelia. Erza and Gray had fallen into an argument with her, defending the blonde without hesitation, and Lucy let a faint smile cross her face.

She'd known these people for less than a month, had nearly hit one of them with her car. Yet here they were, ready to protect her and her not so hidden secret.

And Natsu, who was too angry to even consider motion sickness at the moment, was comforting and reassuring her in a way he'd learned was best after the previous night, simply letting his hand lay limply in her white-knuckled grip, as if they'd been best friends for years.

Lucy rested her head, ignoring the loud talking now.

Soon, she thought, opening her eyes tiredly.

Soon she would deal with the problem before her on her own.

But for now...she was happy to enjoy having friends for a little bit longer.

* * *

 _Time for the actual job! And of course this lady (we won't use any other words to describe her, though there are plenty of others to use) had to ruin Lucy's first job, hm? AND THAT NEW CHAPTER IN THE MANGA. I'm in tears._

* * *

 _ **Reviews:**_

 _ **silver light of dawn:** I actually have an explanation for that! :D Natsu's extremely worried that the other mages of Fairy Tail (and every mage in Fiore for that matter) will think he's not capable of handling the duties that come with keeping an eye on and helping out a newly discovered mage and doesn't want anyone to take Lucy away from him because of it.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Thank you so much! And isn't Natsu? I love him. He's precious.  
_

 ** _OgaxHilda:_** _I was going to tell you not really until I did the math. According to what I've seen somewhere, 100J is equal to $1. Natsu spent $2500 on that key. But then again, I believe I've mentioned he's got himself a hoard somewhere, so he's not too concerned about it. XD_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Our precious little Natsu. Always trying to impress his Lucy. :D_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Early morning surprises are the best. Have to have the main team know about her of course. No secret hiding in their team. For now.  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _Thank you. And not just any key, but Horologium, who can help keep her safe. ;) As for the grand spending sprees Natsu's gone on...he's gotta make his Lucy happy. Lol._

 ** _PuckSabrinaDaphne:_** _Thank you! Lol._

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _Isn't he? XD  
_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _You're making me laugh so damn hard. Thank you so much for your reviews. :D_ _  
_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _I think Natsu's reactions were pretty fun, too, yes?  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Ah. Amelia Swanson isn't being very nice, is she? My editor helped me come up with her name. We wanted something that sounded upper class. And NALU MOMENTS ARE THE BEST! :D_

 ** _Drooblesisafunnyword:_** _Your question has been answered. Just wait for what happens next. You'll love it. Lol.  
_

 ** _ERebellion:_** _Three chapters a week makes it pop up pretty fast, doesn't it? It's kind of weird. Took me like three months to write all of this. Glad you like it!_


	20. Chapter 20

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy was beyond relieved when they finally arrived at the destination Amelia Swanson was aiming for. She was the first out of the car, though a fairly ill dragon slayer stumbled out close behind her, crawling away to vomit on the ground behind some shrubbery. Lucy, not wanting to be near Amelia as Erza helped her out of the car and Gray went to fetch her bags, grabbed Happy and followed after him, wearing a concerned look on her face. "Natsu? Are you alright?"

"No," he moaned, rolling onto his back. Lucy made a face. "I hate the cruel world."

Lucy only laughed softly at his words, setting Happy down. "Come on, we have to accept our pay, and then we can go back. Okay?"

"Yeah...give me a second." Natsu's face twisted, and he clutched at his stomach. Lucy crouched beside him, Happy patiently standing beside her as she waited for him to feel better, not willing to go inside just yet. Finally, he sat up, looking like he felt a little bit better.

"Okay?"

"Yeah, I feel better now." The fire dragon slayer staggered to his feet, dragging her up as well. Lucy paused to pick up Happy again as he said, "Let's hurry and get this over with...she's an annoying bitch."

Lucy's jaw dropped. " _Natsu_!"

"It's true," he grumbled, scowling. "Going on about how you have a duty to go back to Bosco when she doesn't even know why you left."

Lucy smiled warmly, patting his shoulder before pushing past him. "Don't worry, I don't want to go back, even if she was right about the country more than likely falling into ruins." _Lies!_ she cried silently. _I don't want to be the reason a country collapses!_

Natsu kept close behind her as they made their way after Erza, Gray, and Amelia, who entered the massive house they'd arrived at without hesitation. The dragon slayer eyed the guards on either side of the door suspiciously, just daring them to try and touch any of the Fairy Tail mages. He sniffed silently, as if searching for scents he didn't like, and then stopped dead in his tracks. "Damn it!" he hissed.

Gray stopped to look at him. "The hell you doing now, Matchstick?"

"That guy who came to talk with Gramps a few weeks ago is here!" he growled back. "The one the Magic Council sent!"

"NO!" Gray groaned, looking defeated as he nearly dropped Amelia's suitcase. "Crowley Swanson... _damn it_!" He slammed a palm to his head. "The hell are we going to do? He's going to recognize her!"

Lucy swallowed thickly, nervous. She'd met Crowley Swanson once before, though they hadn't spoken to each other. She remembered the moment, and knew without a doubt that he would recognize her, just like Gray was worried about...

 _Her father smiled gently down at the young ten year old that held her mother's hand, waving towards the people before them. "Lucy," he said, voice full of a warmth that would leave it within two years' time. "This is the king of Fiore, Toma, and his daughter Hisui. She's about your age. And the man beside Toma is Crowley Swanson, one of his most important generals."_

 _The shy young girl tightened her grip, and Layla Heartfilia gave a gentle laugh as she rested her other hand on Lucy's head. "Excuse her, Toma, she's not fond of speaking with those she doesn't know well."_

 _Toma waved their concerns off. "Hisui is the same way."_

 _Hisui smiled faintly from her place between Toma and Crowley, her dark eyes searching Lucy's curiously, and Lucy smiled back, relaxing slightly as the sound of the keys that hung at her mother's hip jingled softly. They always calmed her, reassured her that everything would be okay._

 _"Hello, your highness," Crowley greeted, kneeling so that he was at her level. "It is an honor to meet you."_

 _Lucy blushed, glancing up at her mother. Layla murmured in encouragement, and then smiled as Lucy greeted him softly. "Hello."_

 _"Crowley," Jude Heartfilia said firmly, "One of my wife's servants, Virgo, will take you to your room, as well as you, Toma, and Hisui. We will see you at dinner."_

 _"Of course."_

 _She didn't see them again after dinner that night due to leaving early in the morning with her mother on a vacation, and didn't think twice of it._

Lucy shook her head to clear it, heart aching at the thought of her mother. She took a deep breath, then smiled brightly at both of them. "Guys, it's okay. I've met him, so he'll probably recognize me, but we'll just insist that I'm not Lucy Heartfilia like we did with Amelia, alright?"

"You sure? You don't have to come in," Gray offered. "I'll tell them that Natsu was too sick to move and you decided to take care of him until we're done."

Natsu glared at him for that. "I'm not that pathetic, Gray."

"Could have fooled me," Gray sneered.

"Popsicle!"

"Matchstick!"

"Stripper!"

"You can't deny that accusation," Lucy interrupted, shaking her head in exasperation, wondering how Erza managed to keep them from clawing each other's eyes out. "Come on." She shoved Gray forward, noting that his free hand was reaching to unbutton his jeans, and Lucy smacked his hand away. "Gray, keep your clothes on. You'll prove him correct."

Gray's hand snapped up to rub the back of his head. "Shit!"

They made their way through a set of doors, Happy remaining quiet when he saw that Amelia was in there. Erza was talking firmly with an older man with hair sprinkled with gray. His blue eyes, the same color of Amelia's, were serious as he glanced over - and locked his gaze on Lucy. "...take Amelia to her room, please," he ordered a quiet man behind him.

"Yes, sir," the man agreed, and Amelia pouted as she was led from the room, looking disappointed to have been removed. The man paused only to take her luggage from Gray, and then they were gone.

Crowley Swanson turned to face Lucy completely, looking amused by the suddenly empty-handed Gray and Natsu, who had shifted so that he stood slightly in front of Lucy and Happy. "Just your movements confirm what you're trying to convince us is incorrect, Mr. Dragneel," he told him, voice strong despite his age. "The same goes for you and Miss Scarlet, Mr. Fullbuster. And you, Princess Lucy. There is hardly a reason to try and convince me otherwise."

Lucy tensed, back straightening. "Crowley," she greeted stiffly, dark eyes hardening angrily. Natsu remained where he was, and Lucy fought back a shiver when Gray's magic threatened to act up like the fire creeping along Natsu's fire-proof clothes. "It's been a while."

"It has," Crowley agreed. His gaze surveyed the young woman with a warm look before he smiled apologetically. "Nearly nine years. I apologize for my daughter's behavior. She is incredibly jealous of your position and wishes it was her own."

"She can have it," Lucy said bitterly, grip tightening around Happy nervously. "I don't want it."

"You _are_ in a difficult position as of now, are you not?" He sighed. "King Toma certainly disagrees with King Jude's course of action over the matter we have on hand. He's going too far with his actions, and is going so far as to involve innocents."

"My father doesn't know how to stop," was all Lucy said in response, giving a shrug. "He gets what he wants, and he doesn't care who he brings down in the process." Her mind danced back to the one thing that had made her decide to run away and shuddered at the memory. "Even if it means marrying his only daughter off to a man who knows nothing but cruelty."

Erza's head snapped around. "What?"

"I guess I didn't tell you guys, huh? Told you almost everything else, can't believe I forgot… My father decided it would be a good idea to unite Bosco with the Pergrande Kingdom and offered my hand in marriage to the next in line to the throne. That's perfectly normal, but the prince I was going to marry is known for his abusive tendencies and has killed a couple dozen other women that were offered in the same way."

There was a moment of silence.

And then Natsu exploded, fire leaping to life and engulfing him in a ball of flames. "You mean he _knew_ you would probably die and was going to hand you off anyways?!"

"Stop that," Lucy snapped, batting at the flames that threatened to burn her clothing away. "Gray! Make him stop!"

"What do you think I can do?" he snapped, "He just melts my ice!"

"Natsu, enough," Erza told him quietly. "Or I will send you back to Magnolia and tell Master that you're not capable of handling such an important job."

Natsu scowled, and the flames died down. "Well you important people can screw off," he told the amused Crowley. "She's not going anywhere."

"Oh, my - " Lucy whined, groaning in exasperation. " _Natsu_! You can't just say that kind of thing to people who work with the king!"

"Watch me," he retorted.

Crowley only laughed. "Have no fears, Mr. Dragneel, I have no intentions on reporting the princess to our king. I have no wish to see such a lovely lady in that situation." He smiled warmly at the startled looking Lucy. "Now. Shall we discuss your payment? I'll add on a bit more than already intended because of the trouble my daughter caused you...will one hundred thousand jewels for each of you be enough?"

Lucy sputtered, looking shocked. "Th-there's no need for-"

"Nonsense, I'd like to help you at as well," Crowley cut her off. "You deserve your happiness, and I want to help with that. Oh! I nearly forgot…" He pushed his hand into his pocket, pulled something out and offered it to her.

Lucy's eyes went wide at the sight of the object he offered her. "That's-"

"One of your mother's keys," he confirmed. She took it gingerly, eyes soft as she caressed the metal, which heated beneath her touch. She recognized the sign at the top of it. _Cancer…_ "Your mother was a powerful celestial mage, though not many were aware of that. She was the only one until you came along. She once held all twelve of these golden keys, but I've heard that another mage who learned the magic now has two of them. Most of them were stolen from the Heartfilia Estate and sold off to various places, and when I came across this one, I figured it would be smart to grab it while I could."

"Thank you," Lucy said, holding the key to her heart with a warm smile. "That's very kind of you, Crowley. And thank you for agreeing to not tell the king of Fiore or my father about this."

"Of course," Crowley laughed. "Now...shall we get you your prize money?"

* * *

"Do you remember your mother doing anything with the keys?"

Lucy examined the golden key in her hand, shaking her head as she did so. "Not that I know of. "I didn't...I didn't even remember her having them until I really thought about it," Lucy admitted, glancing up at Erza. The scarlet-haired woman was seating on the couch, between Gray and Natsu. Happy sat on the back of it beside her head, looking amazed yet again that she'd been able to call someone in such a way. She'd summoned Cancer the second they were in the door, and she adored the strange Spirit, and she knew that Erza had been impressed as well.

"You didn't know your mom was a mage?" Gray demanded. "How?"

Lucy pressed her lips together thoughtfully. "My mother died seven years ago, on July 7th in the year of X777. I was young, naive, and childish for a twelve year old, though I think that had to do with being a princess. I wouldn't have been mature enough to take her seriously, and knowing my father...he wouldn't have cared to tell me because it would have given me a reason to leave. To defy him." She shrugged.

Natsu, who'd been inhaling some food that he'd dug out of the fridge, choked, nearly spitting it out everywhere. "July 7th?" he rasped, wheezing for air. "X777?"

"Yeah." Lucy eyed him curiously. "My mother died of illness that day. Why?"

"That's the day Igneel and every other dragon in Fiore vanished," Nasu choked out, his eyes narrowing. "Igneel, Metalicana, Grandeeney, even Sting and Rogue's dragons. Every one of them vanished on July 7th, X777."

"Interesting," Erza murmured, looking thoughtful..

"What kind of illness?" Gray questioned, folding his hands behind his head as he leaned back, eyes focused on Lucy. "Maybe her death had something to do with the dragons' disappearance?"

"No, it couldn't have," Lucy said, shaking her head. "She had some form of blood disease...it wasn't treatable. It struck quickly, and she died within a week."

"Jeez," the ice-make mage muttered. "That sucks. Sorry," he added hastily, as if realizing he wasn't being the nicest person in the world at the moment. "So nothing to do with the dragons then…"

"Well there's nothing we can do about any of that," Erza said firmly, then suddenly held out a stack of Jewels. "Take this. It's our portion of the prize money from the escort job."

"I can't," Lucy protested.

"Nonsense," Erza scoffed, glaring now. "We want you to have it, Lucy. The sooner you move to Magnolia, the better for all of us. We want you there, and at the rate you're going, it'll take forever. Plus, if you have this, you can move immediately. We'll help you, of course, and you'll have money to buy whatever you need."

"...he gave us each a hundred thousand jewels _extra_ ," Lucy mumbled. "I can't take nearly six hundred thousand jewels, Erza!"

"You need it more," Erza said simply.

"Just take the money," Gray agreed, giving her a huge grin. "Trust me, Juvia's constantly shoving money down my throat in hopes that I'll ask her to move in with me and then won't take it back. I don't need it."

"And we have our own place," Happy added, "So we don't have to pay rent, Lucy!"

"What he said," Natsu mumbled with a mouthful of food.

Lucy shook her head, fighting the urge to tear up out of happiness. She _really_ needed to get that under control. It was getting ridiculous. "Thank you," she told them, hesitantly taking the jewels. "You guys are awesome."

Erza waved her off. "You're our nakama," she told her, "And we prefer to help our nakama out when possible. Come on, let's get you packed. You can drive your car, correct?"

"I wouldn't have it if I couldn't," Lucy said drily. "But I think it can handle a drive to Magnolia. Do you guys want a ride there?"

Natsu blanched. "Screw that. Happy and I'll meet you there."

"I fly Natsu around when it's a long trip he has to take," Happy explained to Lucy.

"Can't blame him." Lucy said with a shrug.

Erza beamed. "Then we leave in the morning."

Lucy fought the urge to squeal in her excitement.

 _Finally_ , she was moving to Magnolia!

* * *

 _New chapter, yay! Hello, fellow Supernatural fans, you may recognize the name Crowley. I may have found that name on the internet and used it intentionally. I like Crowley, he's cool. ANYWAYS! We hit two hundred reviews! Thank you so much!  
_

 ** _Announcement!:_** _I'm sad to say that the Christmas chapters for this won't be out in time. So, as of today, I will be posting a poll on my profile in regards to a Christmas thing! The question is this: should I (riverofmemories) make a brand new Christmas one-shot for FT, should I give you a preview of one of the Christmas chapters for BTL, or both! Make sure to go vote! I will also take into account if you give your answer via review. ;)_

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 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Rhianna Park:_** _Thank you! I'm glad you like it! :D_ _  
_

 ** _seriousgusies:_** _You'll just have to wait and see now won't you! Sort of. Guess you won't now. You'll have to wait and see if anything more happens in regards to that sort of thing though!_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Hand holding for them is important, I think. It helps them comfort each other. :)_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _We won't be seeing Bosco for a bit, so no chance of knowing just yet about the state of it. Our poor precious Natsu...he's gotta be heartbroken. As will the other dragon slayers when they learn about what happened. Which Natsu better tell them, 'cause otherwise, Gajeel might kill him. Lol. XD_

 ** _Shidake:_** _The black market would be an interesting place for it to show up. But, alas, that's not the case. Her keys will show up in the most random of ways as you can see. Looks like my goal in getting you all to dislike Amelia worked though, eh? Tumblr doesn't help to calm anyone in this kind of situation! o.o  
_

 ** _dreaming-about-dragons:_** _Lucy's safe for now, thank the heavens! NaLu moments are the best. :)_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Sort of. Not really. Lol. Amelia's a pain. Natsu shall forever be a sweetheart though. :D  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _No one's supposed to like her, so that's a good thing. XD I won't lie. The NaLu bits die down for a bit, but it gets more focused on the actual depth of emotion between them so it's not completely gone.  
_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _I'd seen several predictions on tumblr (one of which was a bit less, just from the 400 years in the past bit) and my goodness! I can't believe people guessed right!_ _  
_

 ** _GoingDownWithTheseShips:_** _I absolutely adore when Natsu blushes. It's the best.  
_

 ** _Drooblesisafunnyword:_** _I agree. Lucy did seen to come out on top though, didn't she? She didn't get in trouble AND she got a key and money. :D_


	21. Chapter 21

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy yawned as she pried her eyes open, scrubbing at one eye with the heel of her hand as she shifted. A chuckle filled her ears, and she shot a glare over her shoulder at the comfortably spread out Gray, who'd made himself at home in the back seat. Erza, who was at the wheel of the car, glanced over for a moment. "You're awake. good timing, we've just arrived at Magnolia."

"Really?" Lucy sat up to peer out the window and sure enough, there was the town, waiting for their arrival. She smiled at the sight of it, popping her neck. "How did we get here so fast?" she muttered, "We shouldn't have been there for another hour or two…" She glanced at the speedometer - and nearly screeched. " _Erza!_ You're going fifty miles over the speed limit, slow down!"

Erza frowned, but did as she said, "I always drive like this...but I believe that _is_ why I don't have a license…"

"You don't - okay, pull over, please," Lucy pleaded. Her voice quivered nervously. "Or please go the speed limit. I don't want to die an early death." As Erza mumbled about such ridiculous matters, Lucy checked her phone with a yawn. She'd messaged an update on her progress as a mage and what had happened as of late to both Yukino and Levy before they'd set out, and she beamed upon seeing that she'd received a response from both of them alongside a text from Natsu. She opened Yukino's first.

 _Great to hear you're doing well despite the setbacks, Lucy! Three keys in such a short amount of time is an impressive feat, and that's not even considering that one's a member of the Zodiac. Congratulations!_

Lucy beamed at her friend's text, and sent back a message of thanks before turning her attention on Levy's.

 _Only Natsu. Sorry about your apartment, but glad to hear you're on your way here, Lu! Can't wait to talk to you in person again. We'll have to go out without Gajeel. The bookstore got a new shipment in recently, we can go check it out._

 _Definitely_ , Lucy agreed to herself. She sent exactly that to her blue-haired friend, then glanced over her shoulder again when Gray commented thoughtfully, "Let's hope Natsu didn't destroy anything in the guildhall in the time it took us to get back."

"He won't have if he wants to live," Erza reassured. Her tone held an underlying threat, and Lucy shivered before reading Natsu's text message.

 _Happy and I are waiting for you guys at the guildhall. Hurry up and get here already, you weirdo. You're taking forever._

Lucy arched an eyebrow and responded with a simple message, requesting to know if anything had been destroyed while he was there. It was only an instant later that he responded, and with the quickness of his response, she suspected he'd left the guildhall. He'd explained to her in their time together in Crocus that the wards around the guildhall made it difficult for technology.

 _Took ya long enough to respond! Nah, didn't break anything. Mira made us go home. Thunder Legion's hanging around today. Said somethin' about not wanting me to bother them when they're being cranky. Bastards._

Lucy couldn't help but giggle to herself at that, and told him that she was sorry and that they were approaching Magnolia before putting her phone away. "So where are we heading first? The guildhall?"

"Yes," Erza confirmed, then warned, "Gray. Keep your clothes on. There is a child watching you in the car next to ours."

"Shit!" Gray quickly buttoned his shirt back up, his eyes darting to his left. Lucy grinned, amused.

Only her friends would have such strange habits. Suddenly, she turned in her seat, tilting her head questioningly. "Hey, Gray." He looked up at her. "Where did you get this habit of yours?" It had been mentioned to her that he'd learned it from the mage that had taught him, but that did nothing in regards to explaining why he had it.

Gray looked shocked by her question, then flashed a rueful smile as he explained, "Like I told you, I'm an ice-make mage. My magic was taught to me by my master, a woman by the name of Ur. She taught one other, but I haven't seen him in forever. A member of Lamia Scale now, I think. Left when I was still with her, so I don't know if he has the same problem. Part of learning ice-make magic was learning how to handle the cold, so we took a three month vacation in the middle of the winter to the coldest place in Fiore, where she made me strip down to my underwear." He laughed, as if remembering the moment happily. "It seems cruel, and I thought it was until I learned how to handle it. I had to strip every day and before I knew it, I was stripping just about anywhere and everywhere. I still do...don't even know I'm doing it."

Lucy cleared her throat, a smile playing along her lips. "Like now?"

"Damn it!" he swore, re-buttoning his shirt again. "Thanks."

"No problem." Lucy laughed, then glanced curiously at Erza. "How did you learn your magic, Erza?"

The scarlet-haired woman's knuckles went white with how tightly she grasped the steering wheel. "I'd...I'd rather not discuss it, if you don't mind." Her voice was soft, but laced with such agonizing pain that Lucy hurriedly mumbled a soft apology.

Silence fell in the car for a few moments until Gray said, hoping to break it, "Hey, Lucy? Can you tell us some more about your mother, or what life was like when she was alive?"

Lucy beamed eagerly. "Sure," she said happily, "I'd love to."

The rest of the ride was filled with Lucy telling stories about her childhood and her mother, her voice full of longing for the woman she'd never again see. Every now and then she'd mumble something to herself, or wipe a tear away from her eyes, but not once did she stop.

By the time they reached the guildhall, Gray and Erza had informed her that they regretted not knowing her mother.

Lucy told them that she did, too.

* * *

By the time Natsu received the text that Lucy, Gray, and Erza were back from Crocus, he'd thought he was going to die of boredom. Happy had long since left to go visit some person he often times bought fish off of, which meant that he was left to mope alone.

Natsu puffed out a wisp of fire to show his impatience as he jogged along the sidewalk, annoyed with himself. They'd probably been there for an hour or so if the lag magic caused on technology was like usual. Meaning he'd been bored and missing out on time with his partner for an hour or more than necessary. People didn't seem to notice him as he scuttled past them, used to seeing the pink-haired man they thought was simply strange.

He snickered.

Not one of them knew that he was the one responsible for - accidentally - burning down three quarters of what had turned to ash in the past seven years.

...well, that's what happened when you were a dragon slayer raised in a location where it didn't matter whether or not you destroyed things!

Natsu didn't hesitate to throw the doors of the guildhall open, onyx eyes immediately seeking the blonde he knew would be there as he tugged the scarf away from his face. When he found her, a huge grin spread across his face.

Lucy had made herself at the bar. She was in a seat that was usually unoccupied - nobody knew why, it just felt unnatural to sit there, but Lucy appeared to be right at home - and was chatting with Gray and Mirajane, completely unaware of the water mage glaring at her from a corner of the guild. Lucy supported a happy smile on her face, completely different from the look he'd first seen on her when she'd been here before.

Where she'd once been hesitant to chat with them, a lonely look in her eyes, she was practically radiating happiness - and it was almost contagious. He noticed the usually silent Gajeel speaking urgently with Levy, who looked startled by this. Elfman was speaking with two other members of the guild, Macao and Wakaba, about what was considered "manly" and not, and Macao's son, Romeo, was burying his face in his hands in embarrassment. Bisca and Alzack were laughing and drinking together. Wendy was murmuring to Charle and another flying cat that he recognized as Pantherlily, Gajeel's cat. Cana was downing more beer than normal - and that was really saying something, because Cana never really stopped drinking to begin with.

Even the _Thunder Legion_ was in a good mood. Natsu was admittedly dense at times, but he wasn't blind to the subtle flirting Bickslow was doing with Lisanna, the tiny smile on Freed's face, or the relaxation in Evergreen's shoulders. Even Laxus wasn't looking as aggressive as usual.

Strange how one person could change the entire guild in moments.

And how he _noticed_. The hell was he doing?

He smirked to himself and set to work on sneaking up on his partner, curious to see what would happen if he scared her. Gray was the first to notice and said nothing, probably thinking it would be humorous. Mirajane figured it out soon after, but only giggled to herself. Lucy's face flashed with confusion.

"Boo!" he cried in her ear, grabbing her shoulders.

Lucy shrieked in surprise, immediately whirling around and instinctively cracking her hand across his face. He winced, surprised, but only burst out laughing alongside Gray. Mirajane couldn't help but giggle, too. "Got you," he laughed.

Lucy's cheeks flushed irritably. "Not funny, Natsu," she huffed, yanking sharply on his scarf so that he yelped and nearly toppled over. She shoved her bangs from her face and reached to take a sip of the drink she'd purchased from Mirajane. "What took you so long? I thought you'd be flying here without Happy's help with how impatient you are."

Natsu scowled at her, as if insulted, then tapped her on the forehead sharply with his knuckle. "Magic doesn't let the phones and stuff work normally with all the wards around this place. Get your own place and we won't have this problem."

"Aw," Mirajane cooed, "Look at you two, acting all adorable."

"Don't," Lucy wailed desperately. "We've had this conversation already, Mira, don't you dare!"

Natsu glanced between them and Gray, who was cracking up again. "Uh...what?"

"Nothing," Lucy said hastily before Mirajane could make an input. "Nothing at all, Natsu."

"Were you seen on your way back, Natsu?" Erza demanded as she came to join them, a plate of strawberry cake in hand. "Happy is not exactly the most reliable when it comes to such matters."

Natsu scowled at her for saying such a thing about his buddy. "We were fine. I had him drop me off behind our house. I did the spell for him, and he left to go talk with that fish vendor he likes. We're fine."

"Onto other matters then…" Erza turned her gaze on Lucy, not batting an eye when Juvia sidled over to join the conversation. Lucy watched curiously as she hugged Gray's arm, glaring furiously at the blonde, as if daring her to tell her to stop. "You _do_ need to begin looking for a place of your own, Lucy."

"I know," Lucy sighed. "I was going to work on it when we were in Crocus, but you know, my laptop was in the fire." She shot Natsu a look for that; he merely blinked as if he was the most innocent person in the world. "I'll start looking immediately and just stay in a hotel for now."

"That's incredibly expensive," Mirajane said warningly, frowning. "You've seen the prices of hotels here, Lucy…"

"You'll run out of money before you find a place, and you still need to buy furniture and stuff like that," Gray agreed.

"I'd say you're welcome to stay with me," Erza said thoughtfully, "But my room is full of armor and weapons...Levy's is completely covered with books, and I don't think Juvia's room would be suitable. Mirajane and Lisanna already share a room at Fairy Hills. I apologize, Juvia, but you _are_ the only one with so many versions of Gray…"

Juvia sniffed. "Juvia cannot sleep without my Gray looking over me."

"Uh...yeah, you and I need to discuss that," Gray said with a sigh, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to yank his arm free. "Remember that discussion we had about my space?"

She released him immediately. "Juvia's sorry!"

Erza's lips twitched into a smile. "As such, I don't believe you need to be staying with Gray for obvious reasons…"

"Yeah, I'd rather not have my throat cut by water in the middle of the night," Lucy said darkly.

"So Natsu will let you stay with him until you have a place of your own."

Natsu's jaw dropped, and for the first time, he was panicked about just how messy his house was. He knew without a doubt that there wasn't a single space of floor showing, and he was willing to bet everything he owned that Happy had left fish somewhere and forgotten it again. Okay, so maybe it wasn't just messy...it was seriously dirty, too. "N-no," he said urgently, protesting despite the frown that crossed Lucy's face. "Not a g-good idea, Erza."

Erza glared at him. "And why not?" she hissed, then took a bite of cake.

"Uh…" Natsu scrambled for a semi-decent answer because he knew without a doubt that if Erza knew the real reason, he'd earn himself more than a small lump on the head. But when he was unable to come up with one, he simply threw his hands into the air in his exasperation.

Lucy liked him just fine at this point. She wouldn't be disgusted with him after living him for the time they'd been partners...right?

A pout crossed his face. "Fine. She can stay with Happy and me until she finds a place of her own."

Surely it wouldn't be _too_ bad?

* * *

 _Lucy's back in Magnolia at last! :D Anyhow...nearly came off a horse today. That was fun. Hope you enjoyed!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _ckc14:_** _I'm glad you enjoy this! Lucy is ANYTHING but a weak character. I agree with you there. She's one of the strongest in Fairy Tail, even if it's not physically. She'll be pretty badass when I'm done with her. Ditching lifelong habits like that would be great. Thank you!_ _  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _I started laughing like an evil person when I chose the name Crowley. It was really weird writing it in Fairy Tail things though, let me tell you. XD  
_

 ** _Guest#1:_** _That is for me to know and for you to find out! ;)_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Random barely describes some of the places the keys are in. I was especially excited with Loke's place. Wait til' you see where he is. As for the Christmas chapter...it wouldn't be a random chapter. I actually keep track of the dates after chapter 30, and I just finished New Years where I'm at. I'd simply grab a small snippet from a future chapter and share it. :)_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _I shall consider it. Future-seers are very important. ;)  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Thank you!_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _I'm trying to use that new information even further for future things, and it's difficult trying to manipulate things when I'm so far into writing. Don't forget! Both the one-shot and the BTL snippet is an option. XD I believe I will be doing both at this rate._

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Silly, silly Lucy. She needs to pay close attention to everything, doesn't she?  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _I need to catch up on the current season...I'm one or two episodes behind! The King of Hell is a lovely person though. No filter Natsu is the best...I think I may have him drunk at some point to encourage that lack of filter...  
_

 ** _Guest#2:_** _Your vote has been noted alongside everyone else's! :D Thank you!_

 ** _Lkityan:_** _Lucy received Cancer! I didn't make that big of a deal, so it's easily missed. ;)  
_

 ** _Kitty Mcgarden- Redfox:_** _Thank you! Moving to Magnolia is an interesting process with her having to live with Natsu, no?  
_

 ** _Drooblesisafunnyword:_** _I agree. Amelia's father must have gone wrong somewhere. You'll have to wait and see on the next key though. ;) They should show up soon. I promise.  
_


	22. Chapter 22

**. Between the Lines .**

Lucy was speechless as she stared at the sight before her, unable to believe her eyes as she took in the ridiculous mess before her. There wasn't a single spot from what she could see that wasn't dirty or covered in something else that was dirty. "... _this_ is why you didn't want me here."

Natsu flushed in embarrassment, ducking his head so that most of his face was hidden by his scaled scarf. "Didn't even think about you comin' here. Would have cleaned up while waiting if I'd known."

"How do you…" Lucy trailed off, then tried again. "How do you even _survive_ in this mess, Natsu?"

Natsu shrugged. "Usually ain't home for months at a time, Luce. Constantly out on jobs and stuff 'cause how else am I gonna look for Igneel?"

Lucy's brown eyes softened slightly and she gave a warm smile. "I suppose that's true...nonetheless, if I'm going to be staying here, it needs to be clean, got it? That means you can't be leaving stuff like this around." She made a face as she prodded at a lump of what looked like clothes with her foot. "Please."

"I won't," he promised.

"Good. Now. You _will_ be helping me clean this up," she told him, crossing her arms as she took in her surroundings with a thoughtful expression. "Though I don't know where to even begin working on this place…"

Natsu sighed heavily. "I'll go get the trash bags and stuff...and then I'll hunt down the stashes of fish Happy forgot about since he's not here."

"...I swear to the heavens above, Natsu Dragneel, if I find one of those stashes, you're going to have the life beaten out of you, is that clear?" Lucy said darkly, glaring furiously at him as the dragon slayer set to work on wading through the trash, clothes, and whatever else littered the floor.

"Y-yeah," he stammered nervously. Once he returned with a box of trash bags and several other cleaning supplies, Lucy plucked them from his hands and together, the two set to work on cleaning the decently sized house that belonged to Natsu Dragneel and the talking cat that lived with him.

* * *

It took hours upon hours, but eventually, the house was ready for residency. Lucy was impressed with how hard Natsu had worked and had offered to buy him a full-sized meal in response, but he'd refused, mumbling something about how she needed to save her money. So, instead, she'd cooked with the groceries Lisanna brought over for her after a quick call. The silver-haired woman had refused the invitation to stay and eat with them, telling them that Mirajane and Elfman were waiting on her.

Nowhere near being offended, Lucy had only waved goodbye and set to work on cooking.

After Happy had returned and they'd eaten and early dinner (the little blue cat had been ecstatic about the idea of Lucy living with them for a while), it had come time to decide the sleeping arrangements. Natsu had offered his hammock to Lucy - the celestial mage had simply sat there for a moment before questioning why he didn't have a _bed_ , to which he'd responded he liked his hammock - and had decided to take the couch for himself. But Lucy had protested, claiming that after having to sleep on the couch for so long when they were in Crocus, he deserved a real bed - or hammock, she supposed - and had threatened him until he'd given him.

She didn't need to know that he could secretly put her in the hammock while she was asleep.

...what? It made him feel guilty that she didn't have a real bed to sleep in!

After deciding upon that, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy all decided to chill out together in the newly cleaned large room that held a large fireplace - which Natsu was eager to light for them - and a pretty nice couch that was actually really comfortable. Natsu whipped out - to her surprise - the two books that he and Happy had been in the process of reading before everything had gone to hell in Crocus, looking excited to keep reading, and Lucy simply shook her head with a smile before going to fetch her notebook and a few pens.

They fell into the routine they'd struck up before Bora had come and ruined everything. Lucy curled up onto a corner of the couch, tapping the pen on her lip in thought, while Natsu made himself comfortable with Happy in his lap, holding the book he was reading above the blue cat's head while Happy held his book - which was huge compared to him - in his little lap. Lucy shot him a look when he smugly shifted his feet so that they rested against the side of her leg, but left him be.

When evening came around and Lucy found her eyes growing droopy in her attempts to keep them open, Natsu was disappointed, but closed his book, silently noting that he was almost done with his while Happy was only about half-way through his own. He stretched after standing, giving a huge yawn that showed off his fangs, then picked up Happy and told her, "You sure you want the couch?" _Still changing you to the hammock in the middle of the night._

"Yeah," Lucy said with a yawn of her own, and then giggled when Happy yawned, too. "I'm happy with the couch. Go get some sleep, Natsu. You're helping me look for my own home tomorrow, right?"

He tried to hide the pout. He enjoyed living with the celestial mage. She made damn good food and she didn't pester him three quarters of the time like some people. She didn't even care when he did little fire tricks that made him crack up - excluding when she'd nearly had her hair singed because he'd decided to show off more than necessary. But he'd help her, anyways, because he knew better than to think that she'd stay in his home forever.

"Maybe. If you're gonna take the couch," he told her, "Then at least take the pillows and blankets. I don't need 'em, and Happy sleeps with me anyways. He'll be warm enough."

Lucy agreed and waited until he'd brought them to her before giving him a huge smile that made him stop dead in his tracks. "Thanks for letting me stay here, Natsu. Even if we did have to spend most of our day cleaning it because you don't know how to keep a house clean."

"I can," he protested, "I just choose not to."

Lucy laughed softly, then waved him away. "Good night, Natsu."

He only beamed at her. "Night, Luce!" he said happily and then scampered away to go to sleep - or so Lucy believed.

In reality, he sat up half the night trying to finish her book.

* * *

When Lucy opened her eyes the next morning, she blinked blearily for a few moments - and then swore colorfully, sitting up quickly and nearly falling out of the hammock she found herself in in the process. She gasped, scrambling to keep herself from falling as she screeched, " _Natsu!_ "

There was a loud crash, and then the dragon slayer was stumbling his way into the room, looking exhausted as he scrubbed at his eyes and yawned, "What?"

"What is this?" she seethed, waving at the hammock.

"...my hammock?" he said, looking bewildered. "What about it?"

Lucy gritted her teeth, glowering furiously at him. "I don't remember going to sleep in it! Last time I checked, _you_ were in the hammock, and _I_ was on the damn couch!"

He blinked, then rubbed the back of his head, messing his bed-head hair up further, ducking his head so that he could hide his face in his scarf. "You looked uncomfortable," he grumbled. "And I didn't like it. You deserve a bed. So I gave you the best I had."

Lucy opened her mouth to answer, and then closed it. She thought over this for a moment, then pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed heavily. "Natsu," she said tightly. "I can't...look. You can't just move people. It's rude and not a lot of people like it."

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Yeah, well, don't do it again, please," she grumbled, eyeing the edge of the hammock. "Now help me out of this thing. I don't know how to get out without tipping it over and falling on my face.

Natsu laughed, grinning now. "You weirdo, it's not that hard," he told her, then stepped over. He smirked, and Lucy glared at him, just daring to do what she suspected he was planning.

"Don't you _dare_ , Natsu."

He quite promptly tipped the hammock so that she toppled out of it, forced to throw her arms out and allow him to catch her forearms in his hands, her hands clenching around his in response to the shock of nearly falling over. He cracked up at the look on her face, pulling away so that he could hold his stomach. "You should have seen the look on your face, Luce!" he crowed.

"Damn it, Natsu!" Lucy snapped, hitting him as hard as she could on the arm. He didn't even show a hint of pain, only laughing harder as she staggered away, going to find her bag after catching her balance completely.

Happy appeared, wearing a little night cap. "What happened?" he asked sleepily, studying Natsu curiously as Lucy stormed past him.

Natsu, who'd begun to calm down, started laughing again, the sound ringing through the house. "N-nothing," he managed to get out, grinning when he heard Lucy yell at him to shut up already.

The celestial mage huffed from where she was digging a few of the clothes she'd brought with her out of her bag. She tucked them under her arm, shot a final glare over her shoulder as Natsu and Happy came out, then headed for the bathroom that had been discovered after their hard work the day before.

She changed quickly, sliding on a simple T-shirt and a pair of jeans before tugging on a pair of boots. A scarf and her jacket was added to the outfit, and then she scrambled out of the bathroom after brushing her teeth and hair, eager to get to the guild. "I need to start looking for a place to live," she told him when he'd come out of his room, dressed in fresh clothes after sleeping in yesterday's outfit. "So I'm going to ask Levy and maybe Erza to help me. Do you want to come, too?"

"Nah," Natsu answered, watching as she pulled her wallet and phone out of her bag before tucking them into her pockets. Happy flew out to join them, planting himself on Natsu's head. "Happy and I are gonna go do some fishing today. Canal's gotta a couple good places where fish hide."

Lucy glanced at him in confusion. "You can fish in the canal? Levy mentioned it being not allowed, though."

Natsu smirked. "It's not. But Happy and I know how to hide when we do it."

"You," she scolded, "Are horrible." Nonetheless, the celestial mage swept her blonde hair out of her face and looked at him expectantly. "Can you at least help me get to the guildhall though? I don't know my way around yet...might have to pick up a map while I'm out today…"

The dragon slayer rolled his eyes. "I'm just gonna let you wander around lost 'cause I wouldn't take my partner to the guildhall," he said sarcastically. "Damn, Luce, I'm not that stupid."

"I was just asking," Lucy grumbled, but didn't seem the least bit bothered by his sarcasm.

They left the house, heading in the direction of the guildhall and Lucy silently decided that Natsu's home was so far from town because of his rather destructive tendencies. Lucy enjoyed their companionable silence as they walked, Happy held lightly in her arms when they started to get close to town.

It took them no time at all to reach the guildhall, and Natsu kicked the doors in before Lucy could open them herself, shouting, "WE'RE HERE!"

"Don't worry," Happy whispered to Lucy, "He does this every time."

"Not reassuring," Lucy sighed, then slid in around Natsu.

"Hi, Lucy," Mirajane called from her place beside Cana at the bar. "Hi, Natsu, Happy! Need anything for breakfast?"

"Yes, please," the celestial mage answered as she seated herself at the bar, a smile on her face. "Skip Natsu, though," she added as an afterthought. "He doesn't deserve breakfast this morning."

"What'd he do?" Cana questioned, sipping at the glass in her hand. Lucy blinked. Who had alcohol this early in the day?!

"Tipped me out of a hammock," Lucy answered, making Cana burst into drunken laughter. "It's not funny," she grumbled, "He was being an annoying idiot."

Natsu threw an arm around her shoulders, grinning broadly at Cana. "It was freaking _hilarious_. You should have seen the look on her face!" He snickered, as if remembering, and Lucy rolled her eyes and elbowed him until he stepped away from her. "What? It was."

"Jerk," she retorted.

Lucy rolled her eyes, then glanced at Mirajane as the mage hurried to finish cleaning up a spot so that she could get Lucy her breakfast. "Is Levy here yet, Mira? Or Erza?"

"Erza left for an S-Class mission early this morning," Mirajane answered thoughtfully. "Levy should be here soon, though. Gajeel's leaving for a job later on today and she wants to send him off."

Lucy thoughtfully touched the iron ring that still decorated her finger, remembering when the pair had gifted it to her. "Okay," she mused, frowning. _Guess I won't be asking Levy for help then…_

The doors of the guildhall swung open suddenly, and they all looked over at them. Natsu's face broke into an evil grin at the sight of Gray and Juvia. The water mage was hugging Gray's arm to her chest, and he looked exasperated as he scolded her, telling her to let go. She only ignored him, instead beaming at them all - and glaring darkly at Lucy, as if telling her to stay away.

"Juvia," Gray grumbled, "Space, remember? Need my space…"

"Juvia is sorry," Juvia sighed, finally releasing him. She smiled brightly at him. "Does Gray want to go on a job with Juvia?"

Gray froze, and then said quickly, "Sorry Juvia, you go ahead and pick one out for yourself. I have a job that I accepted, and I leave for it this evening."

Juvia's eyes flashed with disappointment. "Okay." She slid away, going to examine a bulletin board full of papers that flashed prizes and work for the mages of Fairy Tail to accept.

"That wasn't nice, Gray," Mirajane scolded quietly, "She just wants to enjoy some time with you."

Gray rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah. I don't mind - except she wants to be around me every second of the day and I need some time to myself. Stayed the night at my place again 'cause she didn't go home soon enough."

Lucy frowned. "Are you two dating or something, Gray?"

Gray gave her a look. "Are you nuts? No. She seems to think we are, but nah." He shifted uncomfortably, tugging at the collar of his shirt. "I mean, I wouldn't mind if we were, but...not exactly looking for a relationship at the moment."

Lucy shook her head with a slight smile, then turned to Mirajane. "Well, do you know if anyone's free today? Is Lisanna? I need some help getting around town."

"Isn't Natsu going with you?" Mirajane asked, looking bewildered.

"Nah, going fishing with my buddy," Natsu answered, watching as Happy wandered off to go find Charle.

"Lisanna's helping Elfman out." Mirajane tapped her chin thoughtfully then snapped her fingers with a warm smile. "I think Wendy's free, though. Why don't you ask her?"

"Good idea, thanks." Lucy slid from her seat, pausing to add, "Just leave my food right here, I'll pay for it when I come back."

"Don't bother," Mirajane told her with a wink. "A treat for the suffering you're going through with Natsu." Natsu opened his mouth to protest, but Mirajane interrupted, reminding, "You tipped her out of a hammock, Natsu. You'll be paying for the meal."

Lucy giggled at the look on his face. "Why, thank you, Natsu, how kind of you." His jaw dropped as she patted him on the shoulder before heading over to where Wendy was seated, chowing down on some of her own breakfast. She glanced up when she heard Lucy coming, and then waved her greeting. "Hi, Wendy."

"Hello," Wendy answered, beaming. "Mira said you were back in Magnolia. I'm glad you're back, it was kinda sad without you."

Lucy flushed happily, then told her, "Yeah, I'm glad to be back, too. Um, Wendy, I had a question for you."

"Ask away." Wendy took a bite of bacon.

"I need some help getting around town, and I want to look for a place of my own. I'm staying with Natsu for the time being, and I don't want to invade his house for too long, so would you be willing to help me out?"

"Of course!" Wendy gave the celestial mage a huge smile. Her dark eyes darted to Natsu for a brief moment, curious of the annoyed look he supported. "I'll have to ask Charle if she's okay with it, though...she doesn't like being carried for too long, and I think we'll be out all day…"

"Take your time," Lucy laughed, "I still have to eat breakfast myself. How about we meet at the bar at nine?"

"That works for me," Wendy agreed.

Lucy grinned. "Then I'll see you soon."

"Definitely."

The two exchanged a final smile, and Wendy watched as she made her way back over to where Natsu was watching. Wendy's smile faltered slightly at the look on his face, a troubled one appearing on her own as she watched him scowl at Gray for ruffling Lucy's hair.

"Hm…"

* * *

 _Adorable domestic moments for the pair, eh? Along with jealous Natsu, what could be better? Hope you enjoyed! I'm going to go celebrate the fact that my school's been canceled for tomorrow..._

* * *

 _ **Reviews:  
**_

 _ **Shidake:** You have another thirty chapters until you find out more about where the hell Loke is sadly. NaLu moments galore in times of living together! ALSO! Thank you so much for informing me about that mistake, I went back and fixed it! :)  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _The Deliora arc was an interesting one to write, that was for sure. I was trying to work it in with later points and it gets all complicated. Thank you!  
_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _It's always fun when they're together. ;)  
_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _Happy late birthday! :D  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _He certainly owes Lucy for her help in cleaning his house up, doesn't he? Crowley in that setting...ugh, the soul deals he could get with Tartaros. Or Natsu for that matter. That'd be interesting. Natsu would want to know where Igneel is.  
_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Natsu worrying about such things is so cute, no?  
_

 ** _Meahhh:_** _There was a tiny bit of fluff, though it wasn't much! Thanks! :D_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _I agree. It is quite wonderful! :)_

 ** _AngelsMoonLight:_** _Thank you so much! I enjoy writing it as much as I hope you all enjoy reading it, so. You can expect a lot more reading material!_

 ** _BitterSweetTeas:_** _We all have those series. My most recent obsession got me sad when I was caught up. Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy this!  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _I kind of get him on a normal thing with him having just a bit more tolerance due to who he's lived with. I'll point you in the direction of my one-shot Kiss Me! if you want to see any of that. XD  
_


	23. Chapter 23

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The next two weeks were fun despite the stressful situation Lucy found herself in. Wendy accompanied her everyday in her search to find a place to rent, answering any question Lucy had for her. After the first day, Natsu decided to join them, and all three were sometimes accompanied by Happy and Charle, though they weren't more often. As Wendy had said, Charle didn't appreciate being carried all the time unlike Happy, and when she refused to come, the time out lost its appeal to Happy.

Most of the time, Natsu was cheerful during their outings. He teased Lucy and Wendy, chatted excitedly about stories from before Lucy had come into the picture, and even made decently good reasons on why not to pick certain places whenever they looked at one: "Too close to the edge of town, could get some mice easier." "Too far from Fairy Tail; what if something attacks and we don't know?" "Landlord's shifty...was watching you the entire time."

To put it simply, Lucy was impressed with the maturity of Natsu throughout the entire search, even if she and Wendy did have the sneaking suspicion that he was trying to come up with excuses as to why she couldn't move out of his home just yet. Lucy had blushed at the thought; Wendy had reassured her that Natsu hadn't been as friendly as he had been lately and might have been a little lonely with only a talking cat to talk to like he wanted.

But when they came across the apartment on Strawberry Street, she put her foot down.

It was a spacious apartment, with a decent kitchen area and a _lovely_ tub that practically called her name after the cold showers that she had to take in Natsu's home. Apparently he didn't feel the need for _anything_ being heated in the place, with him being a fire mage and all. There was a large window that overlooked a section of the canal, and even if the landlady was a bit frightening alongside the monthly rent of seventy thousand jewels…

She wanted it.

Satisfied with her new tenant, the landlady laid down only a few rules: Lucy wasn't allowed to be too noisy in regards to parties, _had_ to pay her rent on time or she'd be kicked out, and if she was the cause of any destruction, she was to pay for damages.

The celestial mage could live with that.

Lucy thanked Wendy for her help on guiding her and even going as far as to find a few places herself in the newspapers, and offered to pay her, but the sky dragon slayer had refused, saying firmly that she'd been happy to help before requesting the help of Juvia on a job she and Charle wanted to take so she could pay her own rent.

Now, Lucy found herself studying the calendar on her phone, taking in the date with care. October 20th, X784. She gave a dry smile. In exactly eleven days, on October 31st, it would be the beginning of her third year since running away from her home in Bosco.

And unlike the previous two years, she had people to celebrate with.

...not that any of them necessarily knew _why_ she was going to celebrate that day…most of them would be celebrating another day, one full of candy, costumes, and tricking or treating.

"Hey, Luce!" Natsu shouted from where he was shoving a pair of sandals onto his feet. Lucy rolled her eyes at his choice of shoes. It was slowly but surely becoming colder outside, and he didn't seem to notice. _Fire mage, he's a fire mage,_ she reminded herself as she turned to face him. "Ready?"

"Yeah, I'm coming." Lucy grabbed her ring of keys, shoved her phone into her pocket, and made sure to snatch up her wallet as she walked over to wait for him to finish, her own feet already clad in a pair of fuzzy boots. She waited for her scarf-wearing companion to haul himself to his feet before stepping outside, letting him close the door behind them. "Happy coming?"

"Nah, he's already headed for the guild again." Natsu scratched the back of his head anxiously. "Somethin' about saying bye to Charle…"

"Okay then," Lucy mused, crossing her arms to see if it would help her fight off the chill of the day. She glanced at the cloudy sky hopefully. "Do you think it'll snow, Natsu?"

"I dunno." He wrinkled his nose as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Doesn't smell like it."

"...okay then," she repeated, not questioning the fact that he could smell when the weather was going to change. Not necessarily a bad thing, really...at least she'd know when to avoid wearing certain clothes so they wouldn't get messed up.

Natsu was pouting as they made their way towards town, and Lucy couldn't figure out why. He refused to answer any questions about his suddenly cranky attitude when he'd been fine earlier when she'd made breakfast, and pretended not to hear her when she demanded he stop being a jerk. Finally, exasperated, Lucy summed it up to him mourning the loss of the meals she'd been cooking most nights.

Personally, Lucy was ecstatic about it. She was _finally_ moving into her apartment, which the landlady had told her needed to have a once-over cleaning before she was allowed to move in. And she couldn't wait! Before she could, however, she needed furniture, and Natsu had been willing to join her despite his mood.

Humming to herself as she turned into a furniture store, Lucy turned to ask her companion a question - only to discover that the dragon slayer was no longer there. "Natsu?" she questioned, confused. She turned on her heels, hands going to her hips as she searched for him, and came up with nothing.

Disappointment filled her. "You could have at least told me you didn't want to come," Lucy mumbled to herself, annoyed. She made her way further into the store, heading straight for where the tables were. Fine. If he was going to be an ass about coming with her, than so be it. He'd have to get over her not being able to cook for him whenever he wanted.

Lucy went through the entire store fairly quickly, noting which furniture she wanted to have shipped to her apartment. She paused to check in with the people up front, dealing with them and handing over as many jewels as needed - she thought the woman who'd agreed to help her was going to topple over out of shock when she handed it all over in cash. She'd gotten shipping for all of her furniture dealt with within an hour, and thanked the woman before leaving.

She was pulling out her phone to call Natsu and demand just where he'd decided to run off to, making her way down the street, when she nearly tumbled straight into a very familiar naked chest. "Gray," she stated in surprise as he steadied her, dark eyes looking equally as shocked to see her.

"Lucy," he mumbled, sounding strangely relieved. "Glad I came across you; ran into Natsu and he said ya didn't know-"

"You saw that bastard?" Lucy scowled. "Jerk completely abandoned me. He promised to help me pick out furniture and everything."

"Yeah...not so important right now. Left him with Erza," the ice-make mage said, gaze darkening. "There's been a black mage sighting."

"A _what_?"

"A black mage sighting," Gray repeated. He crossed his arms, thoughtful. "The emergency cards - Cana gave us a bunch of cards that let us communicate through them for emergencies - were activated and I think it was Elfman or Lisanna that reported a suspicious mage. They kept an eye on him for a bit, and managed to catch him in an assassination attempt. They stepped in, but the mage got away. We get to go find him and turn him in now."

"Um...black mage?" Lucy demanded, confused.

" _Shit_ , I keep forgetting you don't know anything!" Gray grumbled, then explained quickly, "Okay, so think of it this way. You've got the good mages and the bad mages. We're the good mages, Phantom Lord are an example of the bad mages. And then you have the black mages. Black mages are as close to pure evil as you can get. They use forbidden magics most of the time and tend to stay with the not-so-nice jobs, like assassinations and thievery. Difference between them and the bad mages, however, is that the bad mages manage to usually continue to stay within the boundaries that are set for us...these bastards completely cross it."

"Okay, so we need to find him," Lucy said slowly, nodding to herself. She understood what he meant, and they did _not_ need a black mage running around Magnolia.

"Yeah. Come on, you can come with me; can't leave you alone when there's a black mage running around and you're secretly a princess of a neighboring country." He gave a faintly playful smile. "Needed a partner anyways. We're not allowed to roam without someone with us when there's a black mage out and about. Not unless you're Gildarts."

"Got it." Lucy hurried to pull her hair back as Gray pulled out a card and began to murmur into it.

"Found Lucy, got her with me. Heading to the southwestern part of town. Anyone else there?"

"Team Shadowgear can meet up with you, heading there now," Levy's voice answered quietly. "No one else has checked it."

"You got Luce?" Natsu's voice added.

"Yes he's got "Luce"," Lucy piped up, scowling as she leaned over Gray's shoulder to snap at the card. "Thanks for letting me know there was danger around, by the way, Natsu. Very nice of you to just leave me."

"Didn't mean to," Natsu huffed. "Card went off, smelled somethin' funny, and kinda forgot about you a little."

"...ugh!" Lucy pulled away with a dark look on her face. "Jerk!"

Gray chuckled. "Don't worry, matchstick, I got her."

"You better," Natsu growled, then fell silent, leaving both of them to gape at the card with astonishment for a moment. Ignoring the weird looks they got for speaking to a simply prepared blank card, Gray finally just shoved it into his pocket and rubbed the back of his head. "C'mon, Lucy, we got places to be now," he told her.

"Right," Lucy agreed cheerfully.

The two set off at a run.

* * *

"See anything?"

"No."

"Damn!" Gray grumbled, kicking at the ground with a scowl on his face. "Where did he go? Can't have gotten too far… Lisanna and Elfman managed to track him for a while before they lost him…"

"It's not our fault," Lucy said firmly. "The dragon slayers said they couldn't find anything either, and if they can't find anything, than we probably won't."

"Guess so," he muttered, tilting his head back to study the cloudy sky. A breeze washed over them and he huffed, not even shivering - unlike Lucy, who immediately hugged herself and set to work on rubbing her arms. He noticed, and grinned with an amused look crossing his face. "Come on, let's head back to the guild and see if anyone else had any luck. You're cold, too, I bet Mira will be willing to supply something warm for you to drink."

"Sounds fine with me," Lucy agreed eagerly. She'd just turned to head back - she was more than grateful to Wendy teaching her the more common ways of getting around Magnolia, and was proud to say that she knew how to get back to the guild from the busy street they were on at the moment - when Gray suddenly grabbed her arm to stop her. "Hold on...do you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Lucy shrugged. "I don't feel anything."

"...we're getting you some training with Mira or something," he huffed. Gray had his face turned to look over his shoulder, eyes narrowed. "I can feel dark magic...this way. We need to check it out and be ready to fight, got it? We don't know if we'll be attacked." He yanked the card out of his pocket and held a hand over it for a moment before speaking into it. "Might have something. Going to check it out. You don't hear from us in half an hour, assume we're dead."

Lucy tensed, shivering at his words. While she didn't feel any bit of fear - honestly, you got used to the idea of nearly dying after helping Natsu - the words didn't exactly make her feel happy, either. She simply accepted the fact that they might die, then said, "Let's go."

Gray flashed her a reassuring grin, then started forward, leading the celestial mage. "Make sure you have those keys ready. You have a Spirit that can fight now, so I'm expecting you to help, okay?"

"Got it," Lucy answered. She reached into her pocket as they jogged along, her fingers wrapping around her keys.

A moment later, her phone rang.

Lucy gave an exasperated sigh, jerking it out and making a face at the person who was calling. "What?" she sighed when she'd picked the call up, her voice breathless as she tried to keep up with Gray.

"Can't you two wait until Erza and I get there?" her partner demanded, sounding annoyed. "Erza wants to go, but Mira said to wait until you said yes, so…"

"Can we wait for Erza and Natsu?" Lucy called to Gray. He shook his head wordlessly, turning a corner, and she kept close behind him, noting that they were leaving town. "Sorry, Natsu, there's not enough time...we're going to lose him again if we don't get a move on."

"Lucy," he whined. "Come on…"

"You shouldn't have left me behind," she told him. "You'd probably be with us by now if you hadn't." Feeling a flash of guilt when he huffed in annoyance at her words, she reassured him, "After we get back, I'll take you and Happy out to get something to eat, okay? Maybe I'll be nice and cook."

"Yeah," he muttered. "Can Erza and I try to catch up with you?"

Lucy repeated the question to Gray. This time, the ice-make mage agreed, calling back to her, "Yeah, but they better get a move on, or them coming might be useless."

"Hurry up," was all Lucy said, and then bid her partner farewell. She shoved the phone back into her pocket. They slowed to to a walk as they entered the trees of the decently sized forest that surrounded Magnolia, both searching the shadows as they walked.

"I think," Gray said warily, "Whoever it is wants us to feel his magic. He'll have noticed us following by now and should have to tried to escape by now."

"Or he was sent by my father," Lucy said darkly. "Wouldn't be the first time he dabbled in illegal things."

They swung around a tree - and stopped dead in their tracks at the sight before them.

Lucy's lips parted in shock, but her reaction was nothing compared to Gray's.

"No," he breathed, then snarled, "NO WAY! THERE'S NO WAY THAT...WHAT THE HELL?!" His breath hitched as he heaved for air, his eyes wild, and Lucy took a step away from him when the air became colder than it already was. He didn't seem to notice, shoving his hands through his hair and staring with wide eyes.

There, before them, entrapped in a beautifully crafted shell of ice, was what could only be called a demon.

* * *

 _Time for some more craziness! This little section's a bit confusing, and I'm sure most of you are disappointed in the lack of Lucy living with Natsu moments, but it was necessary. |D There'll be a hell of a lot more NaLu moments as time goes on, have no worries! Hope you enjoyed!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _That would be more than interesting...she and Natsu would be doing Dean and Sam things, going back and forth to save each other. XD I agree, though. A jealous Natsu is definitely an interesting Natsu._

 ** _LavenderMoonRose:_** _That makes me very happy to know. :D_

 ** _Kameleon:_** _School got canceled again today funny enough. We had a rather nasty snow storm go through. It's melting already though. |D Thank you! I'm glad you liked!  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Have no worries, it'll be here before you know it! Jealous Natsu is adorable. Free breakfast is great, I agree. ;)  
_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _He tried his best, but he has failed. Incoming sulky Natsu, yes? :D  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _The dragon slayers are so lovely when it comes to noticing things. The single female, anyhow. The others...not so much. The males are kind of blind, aren't they? XD_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Thank you so very much! I'm glad you liked the chapter!  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _I've never been in a hammock. I wish I had one...I think I'll get one some day.  
_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Natsu was kind of mean in this chapter though, I think. Leaving Lucy without thinking...how dare he. ;)_


	24. Chapter 24

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy was silent as Gray knelt beside the canal, not seeming to care that it wasn't exactly the cleanest of water as he scrubbed it down his face, seemingly attempting to wash away the sight of the creature entrapped in ice. While Lucy had suggested they contact the rest of the guild, Gray had almost immediately rejected the idea, his eyes hard with anger. They wouldn't contact anyone; they would deal with this on their own.

Which led Lucy to asking _why_.

Gray had hauled her away from the demon - which, he'd confirmed to be such - and to where they were now.

Silently hoping that Natsu and Erza showed up soon because honestly, Gray was freaking her out a little bit, Lucy lowered herself to sit beside the ice-make mage. She tucked her knees up against her chest, puffing out a breath into the chilled air as she waited a moment, then asked, "So...care to explain why you freaked out?"

He grimaced. "Sorry," he muttered. "Not my best moment." Gray sighed heavily, shoving a hand through his dark hair before saying quietly with a dry smile, "Haven't really told anyone...not even Juvia. Might as well be you since you told us about you being the princess of Bosco…"

"Not so loud," Lucy muttered, glancing over her shoulder. What? She didn't need the world knowing that the princess of Bosco was sitting right there… "Now what are you talking about?"

Gray opened his mouth to explain what he'd said, then clamped it shut when there was a holler of "Hey! The hell you two doing all the way over here?!" Both mages looked up to see Erza and Natsu jogging their way, and Lucy rolled her eyes when Natsu didn't hesitate to throw himself down to his knees beside the celestial mage, adding with a serious look on his face as he withdrew Happy from the jacket he'd somehow come to wear, "Sorry I ditched ya, Luce."

Lucy giggled, taking Happy from him and fixing the cat's fur. Happy shot her a grateful look, carefully keeping his mouth shut since they were in town. "Apology accepted. Hello, Erza. Glad to see you're back from that mission you took…"

"It was easy," she said simply before demanding, "Did you find anything?"

Gray and Lucy exchanged a look before the ice-make mage admitted, "Yeah...we found something alright." He lifted his gaze to Erza's, and the armored woman - she must have changed before coming out to help look for the black mage - carefully settled herself down beside all three of them. He took a deep breath, then said stiffly, "The black mage led us to a demon trapped in a spell called Iced Shell...a demon - one of Zeref's - by the name of Deliora."

Lucy scanned her memories of the website she'd read so long ago, but came up with nothing. "Iced Shell?"

"It's a spell," Gray murmured, gaze hardening. "A spell that can only be performed by those who use some type of ice magic. It takes the mage's body and uses it to create a shell of ice that entraps whatever the mage wants."

"It...kills you?" The celestial mage's lips pressed together nervously at the thought.

He shrugged. "Pretty much."

"You found a _demon_?" Natsu demanded, watching as Happy became thoughtful beneath Lucy's gentle petting. "Those things never show up anymore! Last time one of 'em was seen was-"

"Fourteen years ago," Gray finished. "When a man known as Silver Fullbuster and his wife Mika were killed along with the rest of their village." He gave a dry smile, staring at the water beneath them, which had begun to freeze despite the fact that the air around them was not yet cold enough to do so. "A while ago, you asked how I ended up with Ur, didn't you, Erza?"

"I did," the requip mage said slowly, her dark eyes thoughtful. "I was curious...you've always spoken of Ur so fondly, but I didn't think she was your mother…"

"She wasn't," he answered. Gray folded his hands behind his head, looking up at the sky. "My father was a fairly well-known man in our town. We lived in a remote village up north, nearly as far north as you can go in Iceberg. He was the head of it...and my mother stood alongside him. It was a good home. Everyone knew everyone, and no one did magic...Iceberg isn't exactly a supporter of mages," he explained to Lucy when the celestial mage made a questioning sound. "Just like Bosco. Fiore, Seven, and Stella are the most willing to allow us our freedom to use magic.

"Anyways, I wasn't born with the ability to use magic. Just grew up like any other kid. Played all day, slept all night. One day, when I was...six, I think, a demon showed up." Gray's eyes hardened with rage. "Deliora, the demon of destruction. Don't call it that for nothing. It ripped everyone apart and completely demolished my home. By the time it left, nothing was left. It had ruined everything I'd grown up knowing, and I was the single person living because my mother had told me to go get some wood for the fire.

"Naturally, I wanted revenge," Gray laughed without humor in his voice. "So I, six year old that I was, went to work on hunting down the demon. I'd learned the hard way that magic existed, and I looked into it, working as hard as I could to learn everything I could - not that I could use magic. I made my way down into the lower cities, where it was warmer and there were more people and made myself at home in the streets.

"Then came the first time I met Ur." Gray's eyes warmed with respect and love for the woman who'd taken him in, as well as loss and grief.

"I'd gotten pretty damn good at thieving," Gray laughed, rubbing the back of his head when Erza gave him a sharp look. "I don't do it very often. I'll do it on occasion if I'm bored and they're being a bunch of jerks at a tavern or something. Most of the time, though, the people were all too busy to stop and think about that weird little tug they felt when I just snatched something from them. Made a good amount of jewels from it.

"So, one day, I was just doing my thing, stealing only a little bit from each person so I could get something to eat, when this lady that I'd just snatched from just about beats the hell out of me." He grinned at the memory. "She asked what I was doing, I told her that I was hungry, and rather than going to work like she should have, she drags me to the nearest fast food place and gets me all the food I wanted."

"Damn," Natsu huffed, looking jealous of such an idea despite the fact that it was well over thirteen years ago. "Must be nice."

"It was for a kid that hadn't eaten a full meal in nearly six months," Gray agreed, flashing Natsu a rare grin. "She asked my name, I told her, and she told me that her name was Ur. Asked why I was stealing, what I was doing in the streets, and I told her the truth.

"Didn't think anyone would believe me. What normal person thinks magic is real when a kid tells you?" Gray snorted. "But she did. Was real serious about it and everything. Asked me a few questions, then asked if I wanted to go to work with her. I agreed, but only 'cause she promised more food.

"She dragged me into her workplace, and all I really remember 'bout it is that it was boring. She just left me in this chair for a few hours, and then came back and we left. Turns out she'd quit her job - she was a member of CPS. They'd heard about what happened to my village and were told to keep an eye out for any people that could have survived and come into the area, unable to care for their children, but Ur didn't want to turn me in.

"Instead, she took me in. We left Iceberg and went to Fiore. After crossing the border, she explained where we were going and why. She'd heard of Deliora before - most of the mages in Iceberg hid their magic, but most of them knew about him. She explained that she was an ice mage and she was going to teach me magic, so that if I did choose to pursue Deliora, I wouldn't be completely useless, which was why we were heading for Fiore.

"'Course we went into the mountains where it was cold as hell," he said with a grin. "Nearly froze my ass off for a while before I got used to it. Spent the next four years with Ur in the mountains, working as hard as I could. I met another boy around my age that she'd trained, Lyon Vastia. You'll have heard of him, he's in Lamia Scale now."

Erza nodded to herself. "That explains the similarity in your fighting styles...I noticed when we worked with them on that hostage mission a few years back."

Natsu huffed. "Wondered why it smelled cold when he was around."

"...he's an ice-make mage," Lucy said bluntly to Natsu. "How would you _not_ recognize that after being around Gray?"

"He's an idiot," Happy murmured softly so only she - and Natsu - could hear him. Natsu glared at his friend for that.

"Anyways," Gray muttered, rolling his eyes. "Ended up getting pretty good. Ur got a job in a nearby town that was only a few minutes' walk away, so when she was working, I'd practice on whatever she'd told me to practice. Days I got off from practicing, I was inside reading what I could on magic, trying to see if maybe there was a special kind of magic that killed demons - there is, by the way. It's even harder to find than celestial magic, and you can't learn it. Devil slaying magic is what it's called.

"One day, Ur left and she didn't come back." Gray's hands tightened into fists. "I waited for a day, then went down into town to see what had happened. A mage she'd worked with mentioned sensing something the previous day before she'd run off, and that she'd probably gone to deal with it.

"So I went home and waited. I waited and waited, and I stayed in our home until there was no food left. Eventually, I realized that Ur wasn't coming back and left." Gray's eyes darkened. "Traversed around Fiore for a while, going back to stealing. Met with Lyon before he joined Lamia Scale, told him and his parents, who were friend's of Ur's, what had happened, before traveling some more. Until I tried to steal from Mira. Kicked my ass and dragged me to Fairy Tail. And here I am.

"The thing is - Ur didn't just abandon what she was doing." Gray was thoughtful now, serious. "She wasn't one to just…leave, and it didn't ever feel right. Seeing that Iced Shell…"

It clicked in Lucy's mind. "You think it's her," she breathed. "You think the Iced Shell is Ur's work."

Erza narrowed her eyes. "Then perhaps whatever that mage sensed was Deliora? The day Ur disappeared?"

Gray shrugged, folding his hands behind his head. "That's what I was thinking. Ur knew just what Deliora had done to me, to a bunch of other people. It sounds like something she'd do."

"So how'd the thing end up in Magnolia?" Natsu demanded, bringing up a fairly important point. All heads turned towards him. The dragon slayer shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. "Seriously. You weren't anywhere near here, right? And when the lady disappeared, it was up near the mountains. So how did Deliora get here?"

"The mage that's been around," Erza murmured, rubbing her chin thoughtfully as Lucy ran her fingers over Happy's head, smiling as he purred. "Something's not right...the black mage showed himself for one of us to see and then vanished, showing up to somehow lead Gray of all people to where Deliora rests. Such a thing concerns me."

"Either way," Lucy said quietly. "I think we need to get rid of the demon."

"Agreed," the others murmured. The team fell into silence for a few moments before Gray suddenly frowned and said, "The problem is if that really is Iced Shell, then we won't be able to melt the ice. It's so infused with magic that's gained power over the years, that we can't melt it. The only way to melt something like Iced Shell is to use the moon's power, but that takes years…"

"Is Gildarts around?" Natsu suggested. Again, they all stopped to stare at him. He threw his hands up in exasperation. "What! I'm not dumb or anything. Gildarts' magic should be able to break it, right? Or mine. But even I have problems melting the stripper's ice, so I don't think I could."

"Gildarts is stronger than Ur was," Gray admitted, though he looked unhappy to say so. "It might be possible...he or Laxus would probably be able to do it."

"Um, sorry to interrupt the contemplation on how to destroy ice magic," Lucy said uncertainly, "But who's Gildarts?"

Natsu cackled. "Most powerful guy in our guild and Cana's old man. He could beat Gramps in a fight, maybe even kick Jura's ass."

"And Jura is…?"

"A powerful mage and a good ally of ours," Erza explained. "He's a member of Lamia Scale and happens to be known as one of the Ten Wizard Saints. In other words, he's one of the top mages in Fiore, quite possibly the world."

"Huh," Lucy murmured to herself, scratching Happy's chin thoughtfully. The small blue cat looked like he was in heaven he was so happy with the attention, and Lucy giggled. "In any case, we can't act on our own...I think we should tell Master, let him know what's happened, and see what he wants us to do." She silently narrowed her eyes. "If a black mage is as dangerous as you guys seem to think...it might be best that he decide what to do."

Natsu and Gray opened their mouths to protest, but one look from Erza shut both of them up. "Lucy's right," she told them. "There's not much we can do with a demon encased in such powerful magic anyhow. Gray, you'll go back and alert Master of what you and Lucy discovered. Lucy, you are moving into your apartment, yes? Keep Natsu with you, work on that. Happy and I will keep an eye on the demon until we know what to do with it."

"Come on," Natsu protested. "I want to stay and see the demon, too!"

"Natsu," Erza said bitingly, "You are not trustworthy enough when it comes to staying quiet and watching. Gray, you will take us to the demon, and then leave as well, because I don't trust your ability to stay away with your past."

Both men pouted but grudgingly agreed.

Natsu climbed to his feet with a huff, and then offered a hand to help Lucy up when the young woman handed Happy over to the armor-clad warrior beside her. Lucy accepted it, her hand grasping his as he hauled her upwards. "Fine," he muttered. "Let's go move some stuff inside…"

Lucy beamed at him. "Oh, look, you have the muscles to bring _all_ of my furniture inside. And since I didn't get the chance to buy little things, I'll be nice and cook you dinner for letting me stay an extra night."

Natsu immediately looked a hell of a lot happier at that idea.

* * *

 _Ah, Gray's slightly different back story! You can thank my editor for all of the help she gave me on coming up with it, this was a rather difficult thing! Hope you enjoyed and see you on Monday!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Guest#1:_** _No problem!_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Wendy is such an adorable little child, is she not? And definitely a good thing Gray came by! ;)  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Why thank you! I try to be evil. :D Pouting Natsu is adorable, I agree. Just wait for the first time she wakes up with him in her bed. Lol._

 ** _GoingDownWithTheseShips:_** _Deliora for certain! Thank you!  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _It shall be a lot of interesting things happening soon, yes? ;)  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _Deliora definitely. Mira would be a like a weird version of Meg maybe. Lol XD_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Of course, protecting Lucy is a full time job after all. Thank you!  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Unexpected things are the best, are they not? It's fun to be surprised! :D_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _I agree. Natsu can't keep his head in one place half the time. He needs to learn to stay still sometimes. |D  
_

 ** _Guest#2:_** _Bad Natsu. Lol. XD_


	25. Chapter 25

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy placed her hands on her hips, proudly looking around her apartment. It had taken nearly two hours, but she now had all of her furniture in her new home - though it was all bare of anything. Drawers were empty, the bed was only a frame without a mattress, and the beautifully crafted shelf that was settled in a corner of the room lacked the books that had once filled her old apartment.

She made a face. She'd have to ask her publisher to send her a copy of each of her books... _damn_ she should have picked up a laptop while she was out!

Natsu examined their work as he rolled his shoulders, his onyx eyes scanning the furniture thoughtfully. "How much did you spend? I know we gave you all of our money to help so you could move, but...some of it looks kinda pricey, Luce."

"Not too much, surprisingly," Lucy answered. "The only thing that I spent more than normal on was the shelf over there." She shot him a pleading look. "Please don't burn my home down again."

"Hey!" he protested, huffing sharply. "That only happened 'cause you were attacked. You only had Plue, so _someone_ had to protect you."

Lucy rolled her eyes but patted his shoulder gratefully. "And that was very kind of you. Now. Let's head back to your place and I'll make some dinner for you, okay? Just like I promised. I want to go to the guildhall tomorrow morning as soon as we wake up so we can see if we missed anything that might have happened to Erza or Happy."

Natsu scratched the back of his head, tugging the scarf away from his mouth as he said, "Eh, they'll let us know. Don't worry about 'em." He gave her that special Natsu grin, trying to look reassuring.

Lucy only eyed him, worried for the safety of of her new home. The last time he'd worn that grin, he'd nearly burned her clothes off.

Again.

It took them only a few minutes to leave the apartment, Lucy pausing to lock the door behind them as they went. They left the building fairly quickly and were soon walking along the canal. Lucy balanced on the edge of it with care, humming to herself, and Natsu walked close beside her, making sure she didn't fall into the water. His hands were clasped behind his head, his sandal-clad feet slapping against the ground as he walked in a comical way. "Don't fall," he warned.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I'm not that clumsy," she retorted, but gave him a reassuring look that told him she wouldn't.

"You better not be, 'cause if I have to climb in after you, the water will boil." He gave a sheepish grin. "Canal and I don't get along."

"...Natsu," she said slowly. "It's not a person or anything. What do you mean you don't get along with the canal?"

Natsu shrugged. "Scares me to fall in there," he admitted. "Juvia used it against me once. I fell in 'cause Gray was an ass and tripped me and Juvia got mad when I threatened to burn his hair off. Thought I was gonna drown. Stripper thought it was hilarious."

Lucy couldn't help the giggles that slipped past her lips. "Oh, Natsu," she said affectionately, shaking her head. The pair fell into silence for a few moments. And then Lucy began to sing softly to herself, her voice rising and falling in a tune Natsu didn't recognize yet listened to with curious eyes.

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Little one._

 _Forgive me,_

 _For the things,_

 _That so soon,_

 _Must be done._

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive Me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Precious one._

 _For the Dragons,_

 _Need my help,_

 _So the war,_

 _Can be won._

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Gentle one._

 _The darkness,_

 _Will soon be gone,_

 _And shine bright,_

 _Will your sun._

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Lonely one._

 _Death will come,_

 _Guide your way,_

 _To much more,_

 _than your play._

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Tender one._

 _For only when,_

 _The keys have met,_

 _Will my spell,_

 _Be undone._

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Helpless one._

 _You will fight,_

 _And will win,_

 _But from shadows,_

 _you can't run._

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Faithful one._

 _The Demon King,_

 _Will rise again,_

 _And your loved one,_

 _Will be gone._

Natsu remained quiet for a moment after she'd finished, then asked curiously, "I've never heard that one. Where did you hear it?"

Lucy smiled warmly. "It's one my mother sang for me," she said softly, love filling her gaze. "It's such a sad story, but…" She shrugged. "It's the one I always loved the most. And it's the only one I remember."

"It is kind of depressing," Natsu agreed. He cocked his head thoughtfully. "You should sing it with Mira...we have karaoke night sometimes, and we always have competitions and voting. Dunno how Gajeel won the last one, sucker can't sing at all...I think Levy must have bribed everyone."

Lucy giggled. "Are you saying that I have singing abilities? You're hilarious. I can't sing at all."

"You're not as bad as Gajeel," he protested, flushing in his attempt at what Lucy thought might be a compliment. "I liked it. It was good."

"Well I'm glad you liked it, Natsu," Lucy said warmly, giving him a huge smile-

-right before something wrapped around her ankle, sending a painful jolt through her leg, and yanked painfully, dragging her down into the water of the canal. Something _dark_ , or what felt like it was dark, filled the air around them, and Lucy had enough time to see the horrified and shocked look on Natsu's face before she was under water.

Lucy kicked desperately, struggling to free herself so that she could swim to the surface, but realized within seconds that whatever had her didn't plan on letting go. She screamed in her mind, panicking when her gaze blearily met glittering black eyes that eyed her hungrily.

 _Delicious,_ a voice purred in her mind, _A little fairy to munch on…_

Lucy blanched, then let her hand drop to the keys at her hip. Without pausing, she withdrew the one golden key she had. She slashed it through the water in front of her face, eyes flashing. _Please work!_

Cancer materialized just as the water around them heated up dangerously, nearly boiling hot. Yet she couldn't seem to feel pain from the heat, only the pressing need to breathe. _Natsu,_ Lucy thought. He was the one who was messing with the water, forcing it to heat up. The creature didn't seem to appreciate it, hissing and trying to drag her further downward.

Cancer put a stop to that wordlessly, using the strange scissors in his hand to cut through the appendage that had wrapped around Lucy's ankle. The second she was free, Lucy scrambled to swim to the surface. She broke through to the open air above the water, gasping desperately for breath in the chilly evening. "Natsu!" she coughed.

The fire mage looked enraged from where he was currently kneeling on the edge of the canal. His hands had plunged into it, the water around him boiling at a dangerously hot level. His eyes snapped up at her voice, and he didn't hesitate to reach for her hand as she swam towards the edge. She reached for it, grasping it tightly-

-and was promptly dragged down again, this time taking an angry dragon slayer with her.

Cancer had vanished, and Lucy realized distantly that she felt exhausted. She wasn't used to summoning the Zodiac Spirit just yet, and it had sucked up a large amount of magic to do so. Water flooded her mouth and nose, and she kicked to try and free herself again before something flaring caught her attention.

Her eyes widened in shock despite the stinging the water brought with it.

She didn't think it was possible for fire to form underwater, but Natsu had done it. This flame, however, seemed a little bit different than any other fire he'd produced so far. It was darker than the usual flames, more red than orange and yellow, laced with what might have been darker colors.

And he didn't hesitate to throw it at the creature trying to drown his partner.

The creature released Lucy a second time, but didn't move to try and fight again. Instead, it disappeared in a mass of bubbles that stung when they brushed against the blonde's flesh. Natsu grabbed her arm and hauled both of them upwards.

Both panted desperately for air when they broke the surface, eyes wide with alarm. Natsu's hair had been plastered across his head, and the second he'd managed to catch his breath, he was rasping, "You okay?"

"Y-yeah," Lucy stammered, her hand clutching his forearm. She trembled slightly, shocked by what had just happened. "W-what was…?"

"Dunno," Natsu answered, picturing the strange looking creature in his mind. "Not something I've seen before...c'mon, we gotta get outta the water. You'll get sick." He swam over to the edge of the canal, waiting for Lucy to grab the side before releasing her and hauling himself out. As quickly as possible, he helped her to climb out as well. The celestial mage trembled violently from the chill in the air and exhaustion, swaying on her feet. Frowning, Natsu glanced around to make sure no one was nearby - he silently thanked the solitude of this area - and lit himself aflame so that he was dry almost immediately. Lucy instinctively shifted closer to the heat, shooting him a grateful look as he fixed his scarf.

"Note to self," Lucy mumbled faintly, glaring at the canal. "Don't walk on the edge anymore."

Her companion snorted, increasing the heat so that she'd dry faster. "You don't say. Damn it, told you to be careful."

"What?" she retorted. "It's not my fault there was a thing in the water." She shivered hard, and grimaced. "Come on, let's head back. I want to get into something warmer and eat...can we contact the guild through that card?"

"Yeah. Should still work... _damn it_!" he groaned. He withdrew a card that had grown soggy and ripped, as if it was made of paper. He crumpled it up and threw it into the canal with a scowl. "I _told_ Cana to make it waterproof! Guess we'll have to wait til tomorrow...your foot okay?"

"I'm fine," Lucy said firmly. "Just...I'm cold. And tired."

Natsu finally let the flames die down - and not a moment too soon. A pair of women scuttled around the corner, chattering excitedly to one another. The blonde woman paused to peer curiously at the wary looking man and the shivering woman, and the dark-haired one stared at them with narrowed eyes, as if suspicious. Natsu glared at both of them, and the blonde woman quickly looked away.

The dark-haired one did not. She only smirked, a smug look crossing her lovely pale face, her dark eyes sparkling with amusement.

Natsu tensed angrily, looking ready to launch himself at her, but Lucy put a stop to that by weakly grabbing his arm. "I think…" she said distantly, her voice slurred. "I'm going to pass out."

Effectively distracted, Natsu turned his head away from the woman, his eyes landing on her. "Luce?"

Suddenly, she tipped over, nearly falling back into the water. He managed to catch her by the waist before she could, dragging her to safety with startled eyes. "Lucy!" he repeated, worried. His gaze darted towards the women, but they were gone, and he swore at the fact that he might not be able to use their phones. The phones weren't waterproof, and dropping it into a canal was a lot different then dropping it in a puddle.

Still, he tried.

Natsu shoved his hand into his pocket and withdrew his phone, only to discover a melted mess. He scowled, tossing it, too, into the canal before hesitantly reaching into Lucy's pocket. He scrounged around in it before withdrawing her own phone - and grinned when the phone lit up. He scanned her contact list, scowling at the fact that Gray's number had been put in it, but called it nonetheless.

"Lucy?"

"Natsu," Natsu corrected with a smirk. He hoped the wards around the guildhall didn't mess with the connection this time. They needed it to work. "Just got attacked by some weird thing we've never seen before...dragged Lucy into the canal."

"What?!" Gray sounded furious. "Is she okay?"

"Fine, just passed out 'cause she summoned that crab guy." Natsu sent his partner an affectionate look, studying her face for a moment before looking back to the water. "Killed the thing...looked something like an octopus with a fish body. Tentacles all over the place."

"...just what I wanted to hear," Gray muttered, disgusted. "Take her back to your place. Just left the guildhall, but I'll go back and let Master know what happened. I'll inform Erza and Happy, too...make sure you don't get attacked again."

"Yeah, yeah," Natsu growled. "Like I'd let that happen." He hung up, shoving the phone back into Lucy's pocket. The young woman didn't move, her breathing soft against his arm, limp in the awkward position he held her up in. He sighed heavily. "Damn it, Lucy. You need to get your act together."

With that, he swung her up, carrying her carefully, letting her head loll against his chest as he set off for his house.

* * *

Her lips curved into a smile as she stepped away from the body of the woman she'd just abandoned. Blood dripped from a wound in her gut that had slowly drained her of life, but the first woman didn't seem to notice as she dug a handkerchief out and wiped the blood from her fingers. She studied the body. It'd be found come morning, when the baker stepped out to throw out yesterday's stale bread.

She tilted her head, pressing her lips together in thought as she set off down the street, drawing her hood up. She let her magic flared for a moment, letting any mages in the area know that she was there, but then disappeared, hiding her. She didn't need to be discovered yet...not until she'd accomplished what she'd set out to do.

She hummed to herself quietly in thought, turning a corner. Her ambush had failed to kill anyone, but she'd certainly succeeded in capturing the attention of the Fairy Tail mages - not that her magic hadn't already. Black magic was easy to detect for those who knew what to look for.

"Thank you for lending me one of your lesser pets, Master," she whispered to herself, smirking. "It was incredibly helpful...the blood of a celestial mage is rare. It will sell for a high price, allow me to step into the ranks of a guild strong enough to accomplish what I've been wanting to do for years."

She grinned. "Prepare yourself, Gray Fullbuster.

"For you took my mother from me."

* * *

 _Pretty sure you can guess who that girl is! And dangerous things are happening...fishy-octopus thing attack. Never thought I'd say that._

 ** _Fun Fact!:_** _That song that Lucy sings is actually an original song written by me and my lovely editor! We've called it Forgive Me, and I'll be putting a link on my profile for anyone interested in hearing the tune of it. No words will be sung, though they_ are _on the music. You'll simply have to hit play and read along! ;)_

* * *

 _ **Reviews:**_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Little Gray stealing is the cutest thing though. He was just hungry and had to live. As for stealing with Mira...that is a very bad idea though, I agree. Gray was probably missing a few brain cells at that moment.  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _I can't stop laughing at the idea of Laxus questioning about the pizza man. My goodness, that would be the funniest thing ever. XD_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Thank you! My friend and I had a rather difficult time figuring some things out with it! :)  
_

 ** _Celestial Valkyrie:_** _Thank you!_

 ** _TigerArrowGirl:_** _NaLu moments are the best. You have precisely twenty five chapters until you see Loke! :D  
_


	26. Chapter 26

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy's eyes snapped open and a wild look of fear and terror flashed across her face. Sweat dampened her forehead, making her hair stick to her face, and her entire body trembled with the need to flee from something that clearly wasn't there. There was a sharp pain in her ankle that made her cringe as she hurried to sit up - and nearly toppled out of the hammock she was in. Tears sprang to her eyes at the realization that she was alone.

The nightmare had been horrible, she realized, giving a soft sob as she buried her face into her hands. Full of darkness and loneliness. She'd been forced to return to her home in the palace in Bosco, where her father had trapped her in the darkest of the dungeons, promising that she'd never again see the fairies he'd destroyed to regain her.

Swallowing thickly and suddenly overcome with the desire to have someone with her, Lucy opened her mouth and called shakily, "Natsu?" The dragon slayer would hear. He always heard her.

Sure enough, an exhausted pink-haired fire mage was quickly stumbling into the room. "Lucy?" he answered, cracking a massive yawn that showed off his fangs. "You're awake?"

"Y-yeah," she murmured, carefully bringing her knees to her chest and hugging them as he made his way over, sleepily rubbing his eye with one hand and using the other to scratch his naked chest. "Sorry...just...had a nightmare."

He snorted softly. "Happens," Natsu answered with a shrug. "'Specially after you've been dealing with darker magic and you're not used to it. S'happened to all of us."

Lucy's grip around her knees tightened. "I see."

Natsu gave her a huge grin, reaching over to suddenly ruffle her hair affectionately. "Ya feel okay? Erza said to make sure you felt okay when she called me before I went to bed. Oh! And Happy says good night."

Lucy's lips twitched up into a smile. "I'm fine. Ankle's sore, but I think it's from when the creature grabbed me."

Natsu's lips set into a pout. "Stupid creature. Never seen it before...better not be venomous." Lucy's face went white at the thought and he reassured, "Don't worry. We'll go see Wendy tomorrow just to make sure it's not."

"How comforting," she said sarcastically. "I could be dead by morning, you know."

He stuck his tongue out. "Don't be so dramatic, you're fine."

"Jerk."

"Weirdo."

"Says the one who can light himself on fire," Lucy pointed out.

"I'm a dragon slayer," he snipped, "I'm allowed to do that."

"Not when we're in public."

"You were cold!"

"So?" Lucy huffed, puffing her cheeks out in annoyance. Did he _have_ to argue with _everything_? "You shouldn't use it when we're in public...the Magic Council wouldn't like it and I don't want to be the reason you get into trouble with them."

The dragon slayer smirked. "Like I could get into anymore trouble with 'em, Luce. They hate me." He folded his hands behind his head with a massive yawn. "M'gonna go back to sleep, kay?"

"Okay," she sighed softly, frowning to herself. Lucy bit her lip thoughtfully and then forced herself to shove the memories of her nightmare into the back of her mind. Making herself smile hugely at him and ignoring the suspicious look that appeared on his face at the sight of it, she said simply, "Good night, Natsu."

"Night!" he called over his shoulder, giving a small little wave.

Lucy didn't sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

"It looked like _what_?"

Lucy scrubbed her hand down her face in exasperation as Natsu repeated firmly, "A fish with octopus tentacles."

"...could you repeat that?"

"I said it looked like-"

"Enough," the celestial mage pleaded, cutting her partner and friend off. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "We told you fifty times already, Cana, it's a fish with octopus tentacles, it grabbed me, dragged me underwater, Natsu killed it, and now my ankle's freaking _killing_ me, so can you _please_ go find Wendy for us?"

The blonde looked exhausted, Cana noted as she gave a slight smile and nodded, standing swiftly to go hunt down the little blue-haired dragon slayer. Wendy had arrived earlier in the day, and Cana knew exactly where she'd gone.

As Cana slipped off to find Wendy for them, Mirajane peered anxiously over the bar at the mentioned ankle, her blue eyes concerned. "You should have contacted one of us sooner," she scolded gently, studying the blackened flesh and the dried blood that crusted the wound it surrounded. "We would have been able to keep it from being this bad."

"I didn't know it'd done this," Lucy said honestly. "And I think Natsu was too concerned about getting us out of there to realize that this had happened."

Natsu huffed, rubbing the back of his head. "Didn't want anything else to come after us," he said with a shrug.

Lisanna, who was on a barstool beside Lucy, tilted her head thoughtfully. "What concerns me," she said truthfully. "Is that this may not be something we can fix with just Wendy...we may have to send Jet to fetch Porlyusica, Natsu."

"No," Natsu moaned, throwing his head back. "Don't bring her here, she'll be mean!"

"Show more respect for her," Mirajane told him, "She saved your life."

"And then nearly killed me afterwards with all of those weird plants she shoved in my mouth," he complained, awkwardly reaching back to touch a spot between his shoulder blades, making a face.

At Lucy's bewildered look, Lisanna laughed and explained, "Natsu got into some trouble with a black mage a few years back...they landed a blow that broke his spine, and if it hadn't been for Happy flying back to let us know what was happening, he would have probably been killed. We had to bring Porlyusica - she's a healer, her magic exceeds even Wendy's - in and she helped care for him until he was back on his feet. She's not very fond of his rudeness, though."

Lucy giggled softly, ignoring the stab of pain that raced up her leg. "I can't blame her."

"Oi!" the dragon slayer exclaimed, "You're my partner, you're supposed to be on my side, Luce!"

Lucy stuck her tongue out at him, retorting, "Whatever you say, Mr. I-Don't-Have-To-Follow-The-Rules."

He smirked. "What's the fun in following rules?"

"Keeping safe and alive is fun," Levy piped in as she approached, giving Lucy a kind smile and a yawn. Team Shadowgear had taken over watching the ice-encased demon for Erza and Happy - who'd crashed with Erza rather than heading home - half-way through the night, and once dawn had come around, Makarov had sent Elfman and Romeo - but only after the youth had pleaded to be allowed to help.

"Eh," Natsu answered.

"If you weren't "eh" when it came to being careful, there wouldn't be half the trouble that you cause," Lisanna muttered, then glanced over when Cana reappeared, a fresh barrel of alcohol tucked under her arm and Wendy beside her. The cheerful sky dragon slayer cradled Charle in her eyes, her eyes sparkling.

"Good morning," Wendy greeted, then let her gaze rest on Lucy's ankle. The girl sighed. "You get hurt a lot."

Lucy flushed as Natsu cackled. "It's not my fault," she protested. A pause. "Most of the time."

"You're causing Wendy needless exhaustion," Charle scolded.

"Sorry," Lucy sighed, guilt flashing through her. She didn't mean to...she wouldn't have asked Wendy for help if she wasn't concerned about the idea of the wound actually being poisoned.

Natsu huffed, glaring at Charle over the top of Lucy's head, but nobody noticed as Wendy bent closer to inspect the wound. Lucy had placed her ankle over an unoccupied barstool to keep it from swelling even further, and the celestial mage winced when Wendy gently prodded it after setting Charle on the bar. "...hm," she hummed. "I'll try and get it fixed up as best as I can," she promised, "But we may have to call for Porlyusica anyways…" Wendy frowned. "On second thought, I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to try anything. Levy, can Jet get Porlyusica?"

"Yeah, I'll go ask him," Levy promised, then headed off to do just that.

"Why can't you do it?" Natsu demanded.

"It's not a bad idea," Mirajane said gently. "As you said, we don't know what kind of creature did this. It might make it worse if Wendy tries to use her magic."

Natsu's onyx eyes flashed with anger and self-loathing, as if he was upset with himself. "Damn it," he hissed, "I would have smelled the sucker if it hadn't been hiding itself in water…"

"S'not your fault, Natsu," Cana said happily, resting her elbow on his pink-haired head. The dragon slayer scowled at her as she tilted her head back and chugged close to a quarter of the barrel, nearly succeeding in dropping it on Natsu's head in the process. "Yer nose don't work so well by the water."

"...are you seriously drunk already?" he demanded, astonished by the speed of which Cana had gone and gotten herself drunk despite the earliness of the day.

"...no," the brunette lied, wrinkling her nose.

"Cana, you have to leave some for guests and other guild members," Mirajane said, exasperated as she sighed, shaking her head.

"Meh," Cana muttered in response. She took another deep drink, then grinned, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol. "They can't beat me to it, they don't get none."

Lisanna tapped her chin thoughtfully. "...I'll go see if Gray or Alzack feel up to helping me get it away from her."

Cana froze, then scuttled off with the barrel, making Lucy giggle. All of them watched as Lisanna stopped to speak with Alzack, who sighed to himself and climbed to his feet, and then as both went to work on cornering the card mage. Cana, determined not to lose her beer, withdrew a card, brandishing it like a weapon. "Come any closer," she threatened. "And I'll be forced to use it."

Lisanna pinched the bridge of her nose. "Cana-"

"Too late," Alzack groaned just a moment before there was a small flash of light.

The pair scampered back to avoid a nasty wave of fire and Natsu's face lit up like it was Christmas. He threw himself forward and scarfed down the flames that had appeared, shoving them into his mouth like a toddler eating a meal.

"Jeez," Lucy sighed, amused by the sight. "You'd think he was a kid the way he acts sometimes…"

Mirajane laughed. "I don't think he's ever been this willing to be friendly with anyone but Happy," she said softly, voice full of warmth. "Sure he was friendly with us, he was willing enough to brawl and argue, but…"

Wendy giggled. "He's been paying attention," she finished for Mirajane. "He's been willing to hang around us more without fighting."

"And he doesn't shove away as soon as we try to get too close," Levy added as she came over, arms folded across her chest. "Jet just went to go get Porlyusica, Lucy...give them about half an hour, and they'll be here. She lives just north of town."

"That's good," Lucy said with relief. She eyed her ankle with a look of annoyance. Damn, she really needed to cut it out with this getting hurt hing… "Least I had Cancer," she muttered.

Levy suddenly smacked a hand to her forehead, crying, "Oh, my god, I can't believe I forgot! Lucy, stay here! I'll be right back!" Without waiting for a response, Levy turned and darted away, her eyes wide with annoyance directed at herself.

"Like I can go anywhere." The celestial mage rolled her eyes, pulling her keys out of her pocket. She'd put them on fancy keyring she'd purchased while she'd been out the day before, and she smiled at the sight of all three of them. She adored her Spirits, even if they weren't exactly human like she was.

She just hoped they felt the same way.

* * *

It took Lucy a matter of seconds after being introduced to Porlyusica to realize that the woman frightened her. Porlyusica was sharp in every way, and didn't hesitate to speak her mind - even if it meant calling everyone in the guild rather nasty names.

Particularly Natsu.

Apparently, she held a strong dislike for the dragon slayer, and that was putting it lightly.

The only one she seemed to decently like was Wendy. It was as if the sky dragon slayer had something about her that Porlyusica liked, and the healer was kind and gentle to her because of it, as if she couldn't help the softening of her attitude.

At the same time, however, Lucy realized that there was something strange about the air around the woman. Nobody else seemed to notice it, but there was an emptiness around her, one that lacked magic. And while it was strange considering the fact that she used magic, it wasn't that that concerned Lucy.

It was the lack of _warmth_. The lack of _life_. The lack of...whatever it was that told Lucy something was off about the woman known as Porlyusica.

And Lucy was pretty sure that Porlyusica didn't like her because of it.

She wasn't the only one who noticed the healer's strong dislike for Lucy. Natsu spoke up the moment she was gone, giving a low whistle. "I think she hates you more than she hates me, Luce. The hell did you do to piss her off like that?"

"Nothing," Lucy said, stunned. "I did absolutely nothing to her."

He shrugged. "Oh, well. She doesn't like anyone but Wendy."

Wendy, who'd been assisting them in every way possible by bringing her supplies from around the infirmary, flushed. "I don't know why...I didn't know her before I joined Fairy Tail." She finished wrapping Lucy's ankle in bandages, smiling slightly. "But I'm happy she likes me. She reminds me a lot of Grandeeney, you know?"

"Grandeeney?" Lucy said in confusion.

"The dragon that raised me," Wendy explained, her gaze warming with love for the missing creature. "I hope I can see her again one day…" She smiled broadly. "But until I do see her again, I'm okay with remaining with Fairy Tail. They're like my family, too."

"You got that right," Natsu said with a smug look, ruffling her hair affectionately and making the younger girl puff her cheeks up at him in her annoyance.

"Lucy!" The doors suddenly flew open and a heavily panting Levy stood there, her face flushed red from exertion and her hair dampened with sweat. Lucy's eyes were wide with surprise.

"Levy?" she said uncertainly. "Are you alright?"

Levy blinked. "Yeah. I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Lucy waved at her, and the solid-script mage took a moment to think over what she meant, then laughed. "Yeah, I'm fine, I just ran all the way back from Fairy Hills is all. I have something for you...I found it last night, when I was sorting through books." She walked over and slapped something onto the bed beside the blonde.

"The hell are you doing with one of these?" Natsu demanded, plucking up the silver key before Lucy could even touch it. He squinted at it - just seconds before Lucy reached over and snatched it from his fingers, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I must have gotten it as a reward on some job or another and not even thought of it," Levy said simply, laughing. "You don't have to worry about making a contract right now, Lu. Think of it as my house-warming gift."

"Thank you, Levy," she murmured, safely depositing it onto her keyring alongside the rest of her keys.

"You should be up and around on your own two feet by tomorrow at the latest," Wendy told her, retreating to fetch a pair of crutches. "Use these until it's healed, because I doubt you'll be able to rest with Natsu around."

"Thanks," Lucy sighed, taking the crutches after shoving away her keys, hiding them from view again. Natsu pouted at the somewhat insult.

Rest?

With Natsu around?

Not likely.

* * *

 _Porlyusica! I like her, even if she is kind of strange. Her rudeness makes me happy. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading! ;)_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _OfInkNRoses:_** _I'm happy you enjoyed it! That song took us a while to create. My editor was the one who wrote the original music portion, I just switched to strictly piano so I could play it on my own ancient piano. We both wrote the lyrics, and we made damn sure that song will be important later on! ;)_ _  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Perhaps. And perhaps again. XD Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Lots of things did seem to happen, didn't they? Gets crazy sometimes. It only gets crazier. XD  
_

 ** _Guest:_** _Thank you so, so much. I work hard to keep Lucy and every other character in character. I fear I slip up every now and then, but...that's to be expected, I'm only human. Same greetings to you!  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Thank you! Suspense is a lovely thing, isn't it?_

 ** _Yami-The Lord of Darkness:_** _Of course!_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _That would be freaking hilarious. My stomach...it hurts from laughing at the idea! Fish thing is weird. Really weird._

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Nope! Virgo won't come for a while longer. Lucy only has Cancer at this moment. That's the one she received from Crowley. XD Ultear is causing issues already, yes? I like her though. She, Melody, and Jellal working together are one of my favorite teams._

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _I think I would, too. Poor Lucy, first time fighting using a Spirit. It exhausted her. XD_

 ** _Katiebug73x:_** _Thank you! I'm glad you do!  
_


	27. Chapter 27

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Only Levy would hand her the key to a slightly terrifying Spirit that might later turn out to be extremely helpful. Crux was an interesting character, that was for sure. He'd scared the hell out of both she and Natsu - and Happy when the cat had come in during the middle of her making a contract - but seemed to have good intentions.

Especially when he'd started spouting information about dragons and their crazy skill for hoarding. Natsu had looked slightly insulted throughout the entirety of that conversation, and then guilty when Crux had commented about how dragons were known for their riches and reluctance to share with others. When Lucy had turned to question the dragon slayer about it, he'd blushed a brighter red than she'd ever seen him turn and stammered about it being possible, but that he wasn't about to explain to her why or where he had his "hoard".

After that, Crux returned to the Celestial Spirit Realm, or wherever they Spirits went, and Natsu seemed suspiciously eager to get out and shop for the remaining things that Lucy needed for her apartment. Making sure both of them had the cards Cana had made sure to shove into their pockets, they'd left his house after bidding Happy farewell, Lucy using the crutches Wendy had given her with ease. Her ankle already felt a hell of a lot better than a few hours before, and it barely bothered her as they made their way through Magnolia.

Now, the pair made their way down a busy street, Lucy considering the fact that only nine days remained to mark three years since leaving home. Well, what had once been home and was now a place of imprisonment. And what would soon be a place that she had no choice but to return to.

Her father knew of magic, which meant he knew exactly what she was, what Layla Heartfilia had been. That meant he had answers that no other person could give her, answers she practically needed to survive...okay, so maybe that was over-exaggerating, but _still_! It was important to know.

Her dark eyes darted over to Natsu, who was grumbling playfully about having to carry all of her purchases. The dragon slayer had become such a good friend over just a few weeks, and with the way he'd reacted over some things...she wasn't sure her partner would be so willing to part ways for something like that, even if she _did_ promise to come back as soon as possible.

And then there was everyone else. Happy, Erza, Gray, Levy, Cana, Lisanna, Mirajane...the list went on and on! The idea of leaving them for going home was painful, but necessary, and Lucy found herself silently wondering if the third year mark might be a good day to go back.

"Oi!" A hand waved in front of her face. "You hear what I said?"

"Uh...no?" Lucy's answer was sheepish, and her cheeks flushed as she turned her attention on Natsu. He was studying her with a curious look in his onyx eyes, his gaze almost concerned before a huge grin lit up his face.

Lucy's eyes narrowed suspiciously. The little bastard was planning something.

"I said," he said with mocking slowness, "That _maybe_ we should go on a job. One of the bigger ones since that last one was so boring."

Lucy sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Natsu, I don't think I'm ready for-"

"Sure you are," he interrupted. "You have that crab guy, don't ya?"

"Yes," she said with exasperation. "But Natsu, the only job I've done so far is escorting a lady who did nothing but nearly send me home! I'm fine with how it is now...I'll just find a normal job around town, get back to writing, and be happy by not dealing with people who might send me back."

 _I'm going to send myself back soon, don't know why I'm so concerned with this…_

He pouted, gazing at her mournfully. "Come on, Luce, it's more fun when you come with…"

Lucy rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to screech in exasperation. "Fine," she said after discovering herself unable to refuse his hopeful look. He grinned excitedly, and she hurried to add, "But only if Erza approves of it being one that we can take, okay? And Happy can come, too."

"'Course, 'course," he said eagerly, looking more than happy to carry her bags now. He paused to squint at a building suddenly, and Lucy followed his gaze, more than surprised to see a familiar sign above it.

 _Rozlyn_ _Cafe,_ the sign read.

Lucy shuddered, looking away. While she'd enjoyed the few meetings she'd had in there, the last time she'd visited it wasn't exactly a happy memory. She pressed her lips together and looked away. Natsu, who'd opened his mouth to see if she wanted to take a break and eat, decided against asking and instead said cheerfully, "Let's go. Gotta get a few more things, right?"

"Right," the celestial mage said firmly. "I definitely need a laptop so I can get to work on my next book…we'll stop to drop this stuff off first, though."

"Yes!" he cheered. "Happy and I finished our books, and we want new ones! Don't usually like to read, but your books are pretty interesting," he told her, turning the street corner. She kept close behind him, not daring to take too many steps away after what had happened with the fish-octopus creature.

"Oh?" Lucy questioned, surprised. "How so?"

"...I dunno." He shrugged. "Someone we know wrote 'em? Makes me like them…" He took on a sheepish look. "I, uh, kinda burned your book though. Pissed me off and I couldn't help it."

Lucy couldn't help but smile at the adorable look he wore on his face. "It's fine. I still have to run to the bookstore with Levy, so I'll get some spare copies of my books for you and Happy if you want."

"Yay!" Natsu cheered, giving her a brilliant grin - and then scowling as they came to where Lucy's apartment was. She unlocked the door and headed inside, up a flight of stairs, and unlocked a second door, holding it open for him. He glared around the apartment as he deposited the dozen or so bags he'd been carrying on the table. "You can keep my money from our job, then, 'cause I wanna pay for 'em."

"Okay," Lucy said simply, throwing herself down onto the couch she'd purchased. She cracked a yawn, setting aside the crutches. "Any word from whoever's in charge of watching the demon right now?"

"Bickslow and Lisanna were sent to watch it," he reminded her. "And if I get word, you get word, too, 'cause you have your own card."

"True," Lucy admitted. A pause. "...and we use Cana's cards and lacrima crystals because the magic around the guildhall screws with the electronics, right?"

"Yep," he said cheerfully.

"Got it." Lucy rolled her eyes as he sprawled himself out on the couch beside her, smirking as he promptly placed his feet in her lap, just daring her to move him away. Lucy just shook her head, silently contemplating how she could get him off of her when she felt the need to get up and drag him out to do more shopping.

She rested her head back, closing her eyes. A nap didn't sound like a bad idea right now...she had a few blankets - one for her couch, the others for her bed. But getting the blankets required getting up and Natsu seemed pretty comfortable where he was at the moment. They rested quietly together for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company, and Lucy mused, "I haven't seen Happy as much lately…"

"He's been chilling with Charle," Natsu snickered. Lucy's gaze darted his way and he met her gaze with one full of amusement. "Likes her. It's hilarious. Poor little buddy…she won't give him the time or day." He folded his hands behind his head, messing his pink hair up further. "He doesn't give up though. Determined to get her attention until the end of his days. That's what he said anyways."

"Aw," Lucy cooed, thinking of the little blue cat. "Hopefully he doesn't tell her she looks like whales…"

"Nah. That's just you." Natsu smirked at her and she huffed, smacking his feet away from her lap and standing carefully, reaching for her crutches. He pouted, but hauled himself to his feet.

"Come on," Lucy grumbled, glaring at his snickering self. "Let's finish up my shopping...I _was_ gonna get you something from Mira for dinner as a thank you for letting me stay with you, but now that isn't happening."

Panic flashed across his face. "C'mon," he whined as he followed her back out of the apartment. "I wasn't calling you a whale, that was all Happy! I promise!" She sniffed, hiding her smile as he wailed, "Lucy, no, I want food! Please?"

She giggled, unable to help it. "Goodness, you're like a dog who got his bone taken away," she told him, shaking her head. He frowned at the comparison. "I'll get you food, but you have to stop whining. Now. Let's get the rest of what I need. I'm tired of e-mailing my publisher on the phone…"

* * *

The day went by rather quickly and before she knew it, Lucy had bid Natsu farewell at the door of her apartment. The fire mage looked nearly reluctant to leave but had finally teasingly told her not to burn this building down, too, before dancing away to avoid the crutch swung at his head. When he'd gone, Lucy had closed the door and set to work on setting up everything she'd purchased. They'd eaten at the guildhall, so she'd decided grocery shopping could wait until tomorrow.

Finally, the young woman dropped herself into one of her chairs, sitting at the table with her brand-new laptop set up in front of her. She'd set up the software and whatnot a few hours before, during their second break - a break in which Natsu had nearly fallen asleep on the couch, claiming to be exhausted - and was now ready to get to work.

Of course, her attention was immediately diverted as she pulled a certain website up and stared at the homepage, her gaze serious. Hesitant, Lucy began to set up a new account, and this time, when it'd been done, she went to take the survey she'd originally thought completely ridiculous.

And this time, when she got to the questions she'd once mocked, she answered them. She smiled drily. "What kind of magic do I use? Celestial magic, apparently...do I intend to join a guild? Done." She glanced at her Fairy Tail emblem lovingly. She loved the guild she'd joined, even the members that slightly scared her. They were all one big family, something she hadn't felt since she was small.

She sighed as she pulled up her e-mail to send a message to the publisher.

She was so happy that she'd nearly hit Natsu with her car. If she hadn't nearly hit him, she wouldn't have looked him up. She wouldn't have found the website or gone to Magnolia.

She would still be a lonely person, sitting there doing nothing in her old apartment but writing about things that would never happen to her.

Lucy smiled.

No, she wouldn't have given up nearly hitting Natsu with her car even if it meant bringing her mother back from the dead. Okay, so maybe that was kind of over-exaggerating everything, but she was serious. She would love to have her mother back, but she was happy now. Happier than she remembered being in years.

Lucy sent the e-mail quickly, then sat back with a yawn, stretching carefully. She barely felt the injury on her ankle anymore, and was decided then and there that she was done with the crutches. They only got in her way. Especially if something happened that resulted in her needing to _move_.

Suddenly, a sound filled her apartment. The celestial mage glanced up, curious, and patted herself down until she found which pocket held her phone. Pulling it out, she checked the number, then narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She didn't know who was calling her, but she needed to find out.

She set the card that Cana had given her in front of her on the table - just in case she needed emergency help, she told herself. Just in case. She took a deep breath, then answered, lifting it to her ear.

It sounded as if whoever was calling her had bad reception, because most of what she heard was the crackling of white noise. She frowned, struggling to hear the voice that pleaded throughout it.

"...ready...coming...you... _run_...end…"

Such words continued to escape and Lucy frowned. "Who is this?" she interrupted, trying to piece together the information.

The white noise cut off for just a second before returning as the voice replied, "...save...your... _please_...can't...kill-" The noise cut off, and then a voice screamed from the phone as there was the sound of the phone on the other end clattering to the floor.

" _...HERE! ...YOUR…DEAD..."_

Lucy shivered at the blood curdling screams that left it and she almost hung up until a final word chilled her to the bone.

"Zeref."

 _Click!_

Lucy shakily let the phone fall to the table, her hands trembling in fear and confusion. She stared at the blank screen, swallowed thickly, and then lifted it again, dialing a number she'd somehow managed to memorize already. She lifted it to her ear, and then said in a shaky voice when the other end picked up, "Natsu? H-how far did you get?"

* * *

 _MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS! You get this chapter a bit early because I won't be doing anything online tomorrow I'm sure! I'll be skipping out on responding to reviewers (THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORDS!), but I want you to know that each and every review makes me smile when reading them! I think you'll forgive me in a moment...ta da!  
_

 _Your Christmas present! A sneak peak at chapter sixty-one, which takes place on Christmas Day in the world of BTL! Expect a Christmas one-shot from the canon-verse soon! ;)  
_

* * *

 ** _Sneak Peek of Chapter Sixty-One!_**

 _"Please tell me we're almost there," Lucy pleaded as Natsu waited impatiently for her to reach the top of the hill he stood on. It was rocky, and for normal people, ridiculously difficult to climb, but Natsu, being the person that he was, had found no issue with climbing to the top._

 _He reached down to help her the rest of the way up. "If you'd get up here, then we'd be there. Jeez, you're slow."_

 _"Thanks," Lucy said sarcastically, accepting the help and grunting as he hauled her up. He kept a grip on her hand as he began to lead her through the trees of the forest around Magnolia. They were deep enough in it that Lucy knew that if he decided to leave her there, she was screwed. But he wouldn't do that she knew, so she let him do what he wanted._

 _"Here," he said proudly a few minutes later, hand still gripping hers tightly. They stopped in front of a small entrance that led into a dark tunnel. The outside was made of hard stone that had strange symbols carved into the rock, and Lucy curiously studied them. Noticing her looking, he explained, "They're of the language of the dragons. Igneel taught the language to me before he left."_

 _Lucy blinked, then tripped after him as he pulled her into the dark tunnel, lighting himself on fire so that he could be a walking torch. They descended down the winding path that was provided until they came to another open arch that led into a massive cavern._

 _Lucy's lips parted in shock, recognizing the set up immediately. "Is this-"_

 _"My hoard," Natsu said proudly, seeming to puff up. He spat bits of fire at a few torches that lined the walls, and the fire caught instantly. He'd put them there for his own benefit, as even he wasn't too good at seeing in the pitch black. "What do ya think?"_

 _She gawked at the endless piles of gold, gently pulling away to curiously pick up a piece. "...this is almost as large as Igneel's…"_

 _Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "That's 'cause it's a portion of his. His hoard used to be a lot bigger, but a few weeks before he left, he said I could have about half of it. I didn't take it until I found Fairy Tail, and then spent a while transporting all of it. It was a pain in the ass." He grinned hugely and threw his arms out, the gold ring she'd purchased for him glinting on his finger as he did so. "S'my present for ya. You can have whatever you want out of it."_


	28. Chapter 28

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Something was off, and Lucy just couldn't figure out what it was.

She was seated beside by a humming Mirajane, who was entertaining herself with a book that Levy had let her borrow to keep her occupied while she and Lucy guarded the demon within Ur's Iced Shell. The two had been ordered to watch under Makarov's orders despite Natsu's desperate protests that he wanted to go, too.

The last she'd seen of the fire mage was him sulking in a corner of the guildhall, refusing to meet her eye as he chatted with Happy.

Her lips twisted into a tight smile at the memory of when he'd burst into her apartment a few nights before, phone held to his ear. After she'd called him, he'd kept her on the phone until he'd returned, his eyes narrowed, as if suspicious that he would discover something amiss. But Lucy had still been sitting there with her eyes still glued to the table, still trembling. He'd grumbled, dropped into the seat beside her after setting Happy on the table beside her laptop - she'd felt a flash of guilt when she'd learned that he'd already gotten home by the time she'd called him, but he'd hurried to tell her to stop apologizing, that he didn't care.

The two of them had yet to figure out just what had happened with that strange phone call.

Lucy tilted her head, studying the demon, trying to figure out what was off at the same time that she went through her thoughts. _Deliora…_ she silently contemplated, frowning. There'd been nothing on the website - she'd read through it again, searching for answers while Natsu had dozed off on her couch, deciding he was too lazy to go home - about demons, or that name she'd heard.

 _Zeref_.

So familiar, yet not…

 _Damn it all, where did I hear that stupid name?!_

"Everything alright, Lucy?"

Mirajane's voice startled her out of her thoughts. Lucy glanced over, meeting her curious blue eyes. The silver-haired woman was dressed in warmer clothing, with a scarf wrapped around her neck. Lucy, used to seeing the scaled scarf that Natsu wore, was distracted by the lack of scales before she answered. "Sort of...it's just...I got a weird call the other day." She frowned. Surely Mirajane could help her. "And I'm trying to figure out where I heard something…"

"Maybe I can help?" Mirajane suggested, smiling warmly. She glanced at the demon, checking on it with a suspicious look.

Lucy puffed out a soft sigh, watching as her breath made a cloud in the air. "Like I said, there was this weird phone call...I couldn't understand anything they were saying, but they said the word "zeref"...and I can't remember where I've heard it before…"

Mirajane went still, her face going white. "Zeref?" she demanded. "You're sure that's what they said?"

"Yeah," the celestial mage answered, cautiously summoning Plue in hopes that he would help keep her warm. He cuddled right into her lap and Lucy smiled at him. "Zeref."

Mirajane gave a tight smile. "Zeref...it's a name. A name of a very powerful black mage that vanished into thin air four hundred years ago alongside most of his demons. A few of them, like Deliora," she nodded towards the encased demon, "Are still around, in hiding. Zeref is most well known for creating a well-known demon that is the reason people without magic don't know of our abilities, Lucy… I'm worried. I don't like that you heard that in a strange phone call…"

Lucy pressed her lips together. Well, at least she knew where she'd heard the name before. She was pretty sure Gray had mentioned it when explaining his involvement with the creature before them. "Can we not...mention this around anyone else?" she pleaded. "I don't want anyone to flip out."

"Of course," Mirajane promised, then tilted her head, studying the demon with a frown. "Something isn't quite right."

Huh. So it wasn't just her. Shifting Plue in her lap, Lucy murmured her agreement, subconsciously rubbing her throbbing ankle.

Suddenly, the creature's eyes rolled to stare at the two Fairy Tail mages.

Lucy recoiled in shock and fear, quivering beneath its gaze, but Mirajane was on her feet in an instant, a snarl on her face. There was a swell of magic power just an instant before her form changed, complete with armor and enough magic to scare Lucy to hell and back. "Contact the guild," she said warningly, "Something's not right. Tell them that I think the demon is about to free itself."

Plue vanished in a flash of light and Lucy raced to yank the card out of her pocket, doing as she'd been instructed and like Gray had done to activate the card. Mirajane's flickered from where she'd set it on the ground. She gave it a brief moment, then spoke. "There's an emergency...something's wrong with the demon. Mira says that she thinks the demon -" She cut off with a hiss of pain, dropping to her knees, clutching her ankle with a whimper as it throbbed and flooded her with pain.

Mirajane's head snapped around. "Lucy?!"

"Hurts," Lucy rasped, grimacing, then hissed into the card, "Can...can anyone come? The demon...we think it's about to free itself…"

There was a moment of silence, and Lucy feared that nobody had answered the card's call, but then Gray's voice came. "We're coming!" Gray panted. "Almost there. Juvia and I were getting ready to switch shifts with ya!"

"I'll let Master know," piped in Levy's voice. "I'm at the guildhall. Anyone else here, don't do anything until we know what the Master wants to do about the situation."

Other voices murmured their agreement, but Lucy didn't hear a few voices that she expected to. Natsu hadn't said anything, nor had Wendy, Erza, and Cana. Lucy silently hoped that they and the two cats that usually accompanied the dragon slayers were okay.

Lucy set the card aside and shoved her boot from her foot, yanking her sock and pant leg away to study her ankle. "M-Mira?" she stammered, eyes wide.

Mirajane spared her a glance, and then frowned unhappily at the black veins that had begun to lace up and down the celestial mage's body. "...damn, I can't...I have to stay here and watch the demon...can you get back?"

"I can't just leave," Lucy huffed, climbing to her feet and reaching for her keys. "I'll have Wendy check it out when we get back." _Damn, I wish Wendy had answered, too…_ Lucy wrapped her hand around Cancer's key, ready to summon the crab Spirit if necessary.

"If something like that is happening to you-"

"The demon," Lucy interrupted, face going white as a massive wave of power flared through her. Lucy glanced back towards town, worried that those who weren't supposed to know might notice them, but that turned out to be the least of their concerns when the ice near the demon's head was freed. Rather than making a sound like she expected, the demon sneered, showing ugly teeth to them.

Lucy swallowed thickly and readied herself for a fight as Gray and Juvia came scrambling into view. The ice-make mage's eyes were hard with wariness and anger, and Juvia looked worried as she came to stand beside Lucy.

"The ice," Gray breathed, his face flashing with grief. "It's melting away…"

Lucy felt for the guy. His master, what she'd given her life to be, was going away. "The demon is going to be out soon," she said faintly. "What do we do?" She was - to be perfectly honest - terrified. Who wouldn't when facing a demon?

Juvia stood beside her, her voice soft as she said, "Juvia will keep an eye on Lucy. Gray and Mira can fight if necessary."

"Thank you, Juvia," Mirajane said stiffly.

The cards alerted them of another person activating their's, and Lucy scooped hers up to listen. It was, to her surprise, none other than Makarov. "Brats," he ordered as soon as Lucy let him know they were listening. "I'm sending Bickslow, Erza, and Lisanna to assist you. It wouldn't be smart to allow more. Who is there with you?"

"Me," Lucy said carefully. "Mira. Gray. Juvia."

"Natsu isn't?"

"No," Juvia supplied, frowning. "He is not with us, Master...Juvia has not seen him around town, either. Is he not in the guildhall anymore? Perhaps he went home?"

"No, he's not. Neither is Wendy, Charle, and Happy...I will send some of our other mages to look for them. Focus on your task, you four. The reinforcements should come soon. How much longer do you think there is before the demon is freed?"

"The ice is beginning to melt faster," Gray said slowly. "Once the Iced Shell melts completely, the demon will be free to do whatever the hell it wants. Gramps, you need to get ready to call the Magic Council...we may need that memory guy of theirs…"

"I'd prefer," Makarov groaned, "To not have to deal with the paperwork. Avoid it if you can."

"Roger that," Gray muttered, and then nodded at the two women to tell them to cut off the call. Lucy did just that and shoved the card into her pocket. She checked the progress of the melting ice. It had freed the edge of the demon's shoulders. She quickly yanked her phone out and sent a frantic text to Natsu.

 _Where are you?! Let someone know if you're okay or not, you idiot! We have a situation here!_

She sent it, then slipped her phone away. The ice was getting close to the creature's elbows, melting faster and faster the further along it got. With each second, her ankle throbbed, and Lucy winced, trying her best to ignore it. Now was not the time for stupid things like that!

When the ice was down to the demon's waist, and all four mages were getting ready for a fight - somehow, this meant Gray had permission to remove half of his clothes - the others finally arrived. Bickslow had lost his usual grin, and stood behind Erza and Lisanna as the two studied the demon as it silently sneered at them, a dangerous magic rolling off of it in waves.

"...it hasn't tried anything?" Erza demanded after muttering that she'd been in the shower when the call had come.

"No," Mirajane hissed in response. She didn't take her eyes off of it, still transformed. Era studied her, then requipped into a powerful-looking armor. Bickslow tilted his head, the tiki dolls that usually danced around him whenever he was in the guildhall still in the air. They were all waiting, and there was nothing to do but wait for the demon to do something.

Suddenly, as the ice melted near its ankles, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Lucy risked a glance at it.

 _Fishing with Hap._ _ _Went after we saw Wendy off on a small job._ What's going on?_

"You _idiot_ ," Lucy moaned. "Don't go fishing and not tell us!"

"He's _fishing_?" Gray groaned, looking beyond a little annoyed. The ice-make mage looked _pissed_. "The idiot went - we're sitting here, Deliora's almost free, and he's _fishing_!"

"I know, I know," Lucy mumbled, quickly typing a message back. "I'll make him clean the guildhall from top to bottom for this...or something, so long as he's not feeling destructive."

 _Oh, you know. Just about to more than likely get ourselves killed. Ttyl, a bit busy right now. Bye._

 _Bastard_ , Lucy grumbled silently before summoning Cancer. The Spirit said nothing as it stood before her, ready to fight the demon that was suddenly free. Lucy was sure that the mages in town could feel the power radiating off of it in powerful waves as it stepped away from the pool of water that surrounded it. A sneering grin flashed across its face.

Lucy swallowed thickly, distantly realizing that the pain in her ankle was gone.

At least she wouldn't be tripping over herself with a throbbing ankle. She'd die with her body intact as far as she knew.

Her phone buzzed again, but there was no time to check it, as the demon stepped forward and _roared_. Mirajane readied clawed fingers, Erza extended an arm so that a sword had space to appear, and Lisanna prepared herself to fight, standing on the balls of her feet. Bickslow's grin was nowhere in sight, and Gray and Juvia exchanged looks before sliding into a fighting position where their backs faced each other, as if they were used to this.

Lucy merely licked her lips and decided she needed to get a weapon that would allow her to fight beside her Spirits if necessary.

Another buzz.

One of the cards on the ground lit up, and then the other Fairy Tail mages glanced at the cards that were stashed in various places on them before focusing on the demon again. Nobody had time to answer.

Lucy was fairly positive that she knew who was doing it, but she didn't answer, as the demon suddenly lunged.

* * *

 _Deliora is free! Not cool. Have no fears, my friends, the phone call will be explained some day. AND WE HIT THREE HUNDRED REVIEWS, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Fun fact: I just added in the Spirit thing that happens after the Grand Magic Games (the anime exclusive arc) as well as the movie (The Phoenix Priestess) into BTL's plans! :D I hope you enjoyed and see you on Wednesday! ;)_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _beginswithkay:_** _Thank you so much! Holiday season is hectic, I agree. Having a regular update schedule definitely helps alongside my lovely editor. And (late) Merry Christmas to you as well!  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Natsu definitely has money to cover Lucy's rent several times over, doesn't he? XD He's a selfish little bastard though._

 ** _Shidake:_** _I love cliffhangers. They're one of my specialties. ;)_ _  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _The phone call is a very important thing it seems, isn't it? Natsu and his hoarding...I find it adorable. Lol.  
_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _Have no fears, the next chapter has arrived. Thank you so much. :D  
_

 ** _Knightwalker:_** _Your wait has ended. ;)  
_

 ** _Astra199:_** _Thank you! It wouldn't be thought of as such without you lovely people, so! Thank you for reviewing!_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _(Late) Merry Christmas to you as well. :D Previews are fun. It'll be a couple weeks before you see the chapter it takes place in though.  
_

 ** _Moon Stone Tiger lily:_** _Thank you, I'm glad you do!_ _  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Ominous messages are terrifying sometimes. You'll have to wait and see about anything bad happening. ;)  
_


	29. Chapter 29

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The demon was fast. Nobody would disagree with that statement once it moved.

It was in front of Erza in an instant, roaring as it swung at her with talons that clanked off of her armor. Lucy flinched at the sound, but listened as Mirajane began to shout orders, her eyes dark. "Erza, fend it off for a while! Gray, Juvia, I want a wall of ice around this area. We need to keep it from going into Magnolia. Bickslow, I want you, Lisanna, and Lucy hanging back, ready to assist us whenever needed."

"Got it," Lucy murmured as the others hissed their agreement. The celestial mage cringed when the demon suddenly turned on Mirajane, _screaming_ when Gray and Juvia began to move, creating a wall of beautiful ice around them. Gray froze the water Juvia created for him, his dark eyes focused on the demon the entire time, rage and grief swirling in them.

"Don't worry, Lucy," Lisanna said, shooting the celestial mage a faint smile. "I'm sure we'll take this thing down, quick and easy. We always come out on top."

"I hope so," Lucy murmured in response, frowning as Deliora whirled around and suddenly lunged for Juvia and Gray. Both remained calm, Gray throwing up a shield of ice to give Juvia time to suddenly become a puddle of water that slithered around to join Erza and Mirajane, both of which tag-teamed on it from behind.

"Bickslow!" Gray called, cursing when his shield cracked. "Need some help over here!"

"On it," the mage called back, darting forward. His dolls, which had appeared out of seemingly nowhere, followed. "Come on, babies! We've got some work to do."

"Stick close to me," Lisanna murmured to Lucy suddenly, but the blonde barely heard her as the demon's eyes turned on _her_. Lucy went still, eyes wide with fear and shock as it grinned and pinned her with a gaze full of hate. She found herself unable to move, its gaze trapping her so that it could lunge at her.

"Move!" Lisanna cried, shoving at her. The take-over mage yanked her out of the way, and Lucy gasped as Deliora's claws snipped away a few strands of hair. "What are you doing, Lucy, you have to-"

Lucy shrugged her off, scowling. "I know! I couldn't move…" She glared at Deliora. "Cancer! Help the others!"

"On it, ebi," Cancer replied, eyes narrowed. The Crab Spirit leaped into action, distracting Deliora so that Erza could dive forward to slam her sword through its chest.

The wound healed around the sword and Erza grunted as she was thrown into a tree, pausing with a dazed look before she shook her head clear and shot back into battle. Lucy struggled to come up with a solution to the problem before them. Clearly, the demon was faster than any of them. Perhaps even stronger than each of them alone, so…

"Erza!" Lucy called, relieved when the requip mage let Mirajane take over for a few moments and jumped back to listen. "You all need to attack it at once! Lisanna, you, too. I'll be fine here." She nudged the young woman forward and Lisanna gave a curt nod, moving to prepare to fight. Bickslow shifted aside when she used her magic to become partially a cat.

She _really_ needed to get herself a weapon that would allow her to fight beside her Spirits, she thought as Cancer hopped back to stand beside Juvia. Juvia was glaring at Deliora, her eyes dark.

They were running out of chances. It wouldn't be long before they tired and made a fatal mistake that would result in their deaths.

Exhaustion suddenly ran through her, and Lucy cursed her lack of stamina. She'd be working on that, too, she thought as Deliora roared, its voice shaking the ground and trees around them. She wavered, trying to keep her balance. She caught sight of her one bare foot - who the hell knew where the other shoe was at this point - and gaped. It was perfectly fine, as if it hadn't ever had anything wrong with it. Lucy's gaze darted up to Deliora, and she came to a quick conclusion.

She'd read up on black magic on the website after she'd gotten her new laptop, and it was totally possible. The creature that had attacked she and Natsu had been with the same mage that had brought the demon to Magnolia. It had somehow stored its magic in her - she distantly remembered a piercing pain during the attack - and the demon had drawn on the magic to free itself.

Well, at least they knew who was at fault over the demon freeing itself.

"Go!" Mirajane suddenly shouted as Deliora roared again and moved to attack them. Bickslow muttered something and his dolls shifted into position, power flaring off of them. Gray held his hands out in front of him, eyes hard with several emotions, and Juvia's arms became made of water that hovered around her.

Everyone fired off their attacks, and Lucy fought to stay upright as Cancer faded from view after firing his own attack. She could handle this, she told herself. This was nothing compared to what the others were doing. Surely she could stay awake after such a short time of having her Spirits out and doing nothing!

The Fairy Tail mages pulled back, expecting the demon to fall beneath their power.

Deliora roared, grinning spitefully at them as his size grew bit by bit until he towered above them like a mountain. The humanoid appearance it had worn was gone, and it looked even more like the demon it truly was.

Lucy's face paled as she realized that even Erza was panting for breath, her dark eyes full of anger. "What do we do?" Lucy mumbled, frowning to herself. There wasn't much they could do period if several mages couldn't take the demon down.

"That's Deliora for you," Gray said grimly. He glanced in the direction of Magnolia. "We need to consider evacuating everyone, this isn't going to end well."

"You serious?" Bickslow demanded. "S'gotta be a way we can kill it."

"I don't think Juvia can handle another full out attack," Juvia said faintly, tired. The water mage exchanged a look with the equally tired Lisanna. "All of Juvia's power went into that attack, my love."

Gray didn't respond to that like he usually would have, instead giving a tight smile. "Deliora won't be brought down that easily...I could do the Iced Shell if necessary, even if I'd rather not."

"No," Erza said firmly, requipping out of her armor and into an outfit of cloth. The fabric was bright, shimmering in the shadows of the trees as Deliora knocked them over, roaring again. "No, Gray, you are not permitted to use the Iced Shell. Those kind of spells require Master's permission, and you are aware of that. Mira," she said, addressing the silver-haired woman with serious eyes. "Are you capable of Unison Raid?"

Mirajane shook her head. "No," she murmured. "I haven't been able to use such magic. I don't have a strong enough bond, not even with Lisanna." She shot her sister an apologetic look, which looked strange on her demon-like appearance. "Perhaps Juvia and Gray…?"

"Probably," Gray answered, then jerked his thumb at the blue-haired woman beside him. "But she's got no magic left."

Lucy chewed on her lip. "What do we do then?"

"Could send my babies back for reinforcements, but then I'm out for the time being," Bickslow offered. The strange man was rocking back on his heels, his tiki dolls dancing around his head anxiously.

"We need your magic. Juvia, go," Erza ordered. "Lucy, can you - Lucy? Are you alright?"

"S-sorry," she mumbled in response, her arms held out in an attempt at balance. "I just...I used a lot of magic, too. I'm fine, I promise." _Not!_

Erza opened her mouth to tell the celestial mage to go with Juvia, but was cut off when she had to jump out of the way, hauling Lucy with her to help the blonde avoid being crushed by the massive hand that descended upon them, intent on grabbing them. Gray swore colorfully, glaring up at Deliora. "It doesn't want us leaving," he muttered.

"Well we can't exactly kill it," Lisanna said softly, "So what do we do?"

"We do our best to stop it," Mirajane said firmly, "Even if it means our deaths, because there is _no_ way Fairy Tail will allow innocent lives to be harmed if we can put ourselves in the way first."

"Damn right we won't," Bickslow agreed, giving that crazed grin of his. Lucy gave an exhausted smile in return. She'd joined the craziest guild out there, apparently, and she was perfectly fine with it.

"Lisanna, I want you and Juvia to take Lucy back to the guildhall," Erza instructed firmly, and carefully helped Lucy regain her balance. "We'll keep Deliora busy." She glanced up, the took on a grim look when she realized that magic was gathering in its a hand in a deadly black orb. "Go."

Somehow, among all the chaos, Lucy was able to hear her phone buzz.

Nearly delirious now, the blonde stumbled along beside Juvia and Lisanna, both of which who urged her to stumble along, and groaned. Her eyes scanned the trees, her eyelids heavy, and she barely comprehended the heat that was beginning to arise around them before Lisanna suddenly gasped, yanking her to the ground to avoid a blow from Deliora as it whirled to chase after them.

The demon roared in anger, lunging after them despite the attacks their companions were releasing on it, and then reeled back when a scowling mage placed himself between it and the three women. Onyx eyes were slits of anger, scarf and hair shifting in the swirl of flames that surrounded him as he glared at Deliora, his jaw clenched.

"Seriously," Natsu huffed. "You couldn't let me know _this_ is what you were dealing with?"

Lucy gave a tired laugh. "Sorry, was kinda trying to stay alive." A familiar blue cat landed beside them, and Lucy smiled at him. "Hey, Happy."

"Did you trip and drag Juvia and Lisanna down with you?" was the cat's cheeky response. "Jeez, Lucy, you need to lose some weight."

"Shut up," she moaned in response, dropping her head to the earth beneath her, tempted to fall asleep then and there.

Deliora was surprisingly quiet as it studied Natsu, its gaze almost fearful for a moment before filling with confusion that a demon of its size didn't seem capable of having. Especially when the flames swirled faster around Natsu, and his expression became hardened with anger. "Don't touch my friends, you bastard," Natsu growled, then suddenly attacked.

The others paused, stunned by the dragon slayer's appearance, then moved to assist him. The fire Natsu released in his Fire Dragon's Roar curled around them, singing but not burning. Smoke began to drift into the air as the flames caught the trees around them, and soon they all found themselves in an inferno.

"How nice of him," Lisanna grumbled as Juvia doused a flame on the take-over mage's shirt. "Let's just burn our clothes away - oh my gosh! Lucy!" she cried as Happy snickered and made some comment about how she was copying Gray.

Lucy, despite her exhaustion, flushed with anger and astonishment, hiding her suddenly bared chest as the flames burned her shirt and torn jacket away. "Natsu!" she screeched, glaring at him over her shoulder. "Watch it!"

He paused to send her a confused look that quickly flashed into a smirk that only she saw before he turned his face away, focused on the furiously screaming Deliora. The demon was swatting at the flames that covered him, and Lucy grimaced at the smell of burning flesh.

Sure, they all hated the demon. It came with knowing what it was, what it had done. _Especially_ Gray. But she didn't want to see it burn to death. So the celestial mage looked away, tears rising to her eyes. She hugged herself, making sure she hid her chest from view, and she cried for the demon as Natsu burned it alive despite the fact that it had tried to kill them not only minutes before.

And, silently, she admitted that her partner could be scary as hell if he wanted to be.

Natsu stood there in front of his flames, not seeming to notice that they swirled around his friends and allies. He wore a huge grin, proud of himself for coming to the rescue, for being the one to kill Deliora. The glow washed over him, silouetting him against his own destruction, and he lifted a hand to tug his scarf away from his face, watching the burning carefully. Lucy knew somewhere in her mind that he was only making sure he truly killed the creature, but at first glance, one would have thought he was enjoying himself.

Suddenly, his onyx eyes darted back to meet her's, and they filled with concern for his partner, silently questioning if she was okay. Feeling guilty for even thinking of him in such a way, Lucy gave a tired smile, wavering this way and that as she tried to stay awake. She needed a shirt. And her bed. Then she could pass out.

"Is your ankle alright now?" Mirajane's voice startled her and Lucy glanced up to see her approaching with Erza, Bickslow, and Gray close behind her. Her deep blue eyes were worried as the transformation she'd used disappeared. "I know there was something happening with it right before everything went down...is it alright now?"

Lucy cleared her throat, managing to slur out, "Yeah...jus' tired now. I think Deliora used magic stored in the wound to...to free itself." She yawned, cursing herself mentally for her weakness. Here was Natsu, taking down a demon completely by himself when the rest of them couldn't even lay a scratch, and his partner couldn't even stay awake after summoning _one_ Celestial Spirit.

She shivered as a breeze washed over her, curling up and drawing her knees to her chest to try and keep warm at the same time that she hid her skin from view. "Can I, err, borrow someone's jacket? I can't run around town half-naked. Natsu burned mine away."

"Natsu," Erza gritted out warningly as Mirajane willingly un-shouldered her jacket and wrapped it around her. She helped Lucy zip it when she fumbled with the zipper.

Natsu snickered. "Not my fault she can't keep her shirt from burning up," he taunted as Happy cackled alongside him. The blue cat received a dark look from the requip mage, and Lucy hesitantly scooped him up, hugging him to her chest.

She shot one more look at the still burning demon, then turned away, allowing herself to be guided away from Deliora.

As if reading her mind, Bickslow muttered behind her, "Damn...forget how strong Natsu is sometimes. Can't beat Laxus, but put him up against someone threatening his nakama, and..."

 _I'd say._

* * *

 _And down with Deliora! They owe Natsu a lot this time, eh? The hell's up with him being selfish and taking all of the glory anyways? ;)_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _I didn't even realize I didn't mention! She WAS using a form of her take-over magic. I simply referred to the clothes accompanying the transformation as her armor. Whoops! Sorry!  
_

 ** _beginswithkay:_** _Guilt tripping will always work between them, whether Natsu is trying to guilt trip her or the other way around. ;)_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _Very quickly, apparently. How they got away without being noticed will be a miracle in itself, especially with the fighting against a demon of all things. XD_

 ** _Rhianna Park:_** _Cliffhangers are the best! Que evil laughter right there... I love cliffhangers when I write them. Hate when other people do it because I get impatient like everyone else. Lol._

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _I agree. Natsu is a very selfish person when it comes to Lucy, yes? And protective. Your theory was correct though. I praise your thoughts._

 ** _TheIcefire:_** _I'm glad you enjoy it! I certainly enjoy writing it, that's for sure. Happy New Year!  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _I imagine it alongside you. I bet you he's yelling at them for being stupid in the process despite him being the one who wasn't thinking straight. XD_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _On the bright side, I update quite often. :D_

 _ **Kinsutenekochan:** Natsu's always mad when Lucy's in danger, isn't he? It's a very good thing he is. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to save her half the time. ;)  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Pissed off Natsu means crazy desperate tactics that rarely end well. Although this one did. He does need to pick better times though, I agree.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Happy New Year to you as well! I'm glad you think so!  
_

 ** _luckylucy77:_** _Of course! ;) I love your little face things, by the way. So cute._

 ** _piggycat350:_** _I'm glad you like this! And I've actually aimed for Natsu to be a bit more mature, actually. (It's proving to be rather important where I'm currently writing.) For some NaLu action...I wanna say not for a while. You'll get peeks at Natsu and Lucy's thoughts on one another for the next while, and then FINALLY some more physical actions, but with how long BTL is...it'll be quite some time before things_ really _get moving. ;)_

 ** _Guest!:_** _Intense is good! And only Natsu. XD_


	30. Chapter 30

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy was tired enough that she slept for a solid fifteen hours after the event with Deliora. So when she finally showed up at the guildhall, yawning, she wasn't surprised to learn that everything had been dealt with. It turned out that they'd been far enough out of town that no person that wasn't supposed to see Deliora had seen it, and the only problem that had arisen was a forest fire that had resulted from Natsu's involvement.

Naturally, when she was told that Natsu had been invited to the headquarters of the Magic Council - which was a two day trip from Magnolia - she hadn't been surprised. Makarov had reassured her that this was normal, that she needn't worry when she'd asked if he would be back soon, and then had proceeded to ask if she minded keeping an eye on Happy until he came back.

Lucy had agreed, and now she found herself waiting for Happy to finish his fish so that they could go back to her apartment. The blue cat had sworn that he'd be "nice" for the next few days, which Lucy interpreted as him not insulting her at every twist and turn. That would be _great_ , she thought, then glanced up when her name was called.

It was Wendy. The blue-haired girl looked as tired as Lucy felt despite her long rest, and Lucy felt a flash of curiosity as she wondered about where the young girl had been. "Hi, Wendy," she greeted as Wendy set Charle on the bar before hauling herself into a bar stool beside the blonde. "Where were you? You missed out on some serious action…"

Wendy gave a small laugh. "I heard...are you okay? I heard your ankle bothered you again."

"I'm fine," she replied, resting her chin in her palm. "It's long since returned to normal." She studied the fidgeting girl out of the corner of her eye, then smiled and said, "Okay, what is it? You're all over the place, Wendy."

Wendy blushed, her dark eyes dropping to her clenched fist. "Um, well, C-Charle and I...you know that, um, dragons have h-hoards, right?"

"I heard about them, yes," Lucy mused, distantly remembering the conversation about such things. "You guys do, too, right?"

Wendy nodded. "W-well, Charle and I went to, err, search through my hoard, because I thought...well, I thought I saw something like o-one of your keys, and…" She flushed a brilliant red, shoving her hand out. Lucy blinked, extending her own and watching with wide eyes as Wendy dropped a golden key into her hand. She recognized the symbol immediately.

 _Aries._

"You...you had a Zodiac Spirit's key in your _hoard_?" Lucy said, stunned, unable to believe it. She turned the key this way and that in her hand, bewildered. _...if Wendy had a Zodiac Spirit's key in her hoard, and she's younger than the others...just what the hell do Gajeel and Natsu have in their hoards…?_

Wendy hesitantly smiled. "I didn't think anything of it," she admitted. "I think it came with a reward for a job I did with someone, and I just dumped it in there. I spent the last two days searching through my things to see if there were more, but there was only that one."

"I told you to organize, child," Charle chided, shaking her head.

Wendy laughed nervously. "Well, you know…"

"Thank you, Wendy," Lucy said honestly, glancing over to see if Happy was almost done with his fish, eager to get home and summon the Spirit despite _just_ finishing refilling her empty tank. Or whatever the magic was held in. She wasn't really sure.

"Of course," Wendy said cheerfully. "Oh! And don't worry, Lucy, this is the...thirty second time, I think. Thirty second time this year that Natsu was called on by the Magic Council. He'll just be scolded again and sent home, maybe with instructions to do something to make up for his destruction. Trust me. This is more than normal."

Lucy sighed heavily. "It seems to me that he can't help himself...poor guy."

Wendy only giggled. "From the stories we've heard, Natsu seems to have always been prone to destruction."

"That's putting it lightly," Charle sighed from where she was.

Lucy giggled, shaking her head. Sounded like the Natsu she knew, but it did make her wonder a few things...Natsu _had_ been able to take down a demon that the rest of them couldn't, and all by himself on top of that. And Lucy _knew_ the bastard was easily beaten by Erza, Mirajane, and a few other top mages in the guild.

So what the hell had been different about his flames that they could burn Deliora to death while they'd been forced to use up nearly all of their magic on him?!

Too late to freak out over it now. Lucy reached out to affectionately ruffle her little friend's head. "Well, I better get going. I have work to do. Come on, Happy." Happy protested as she scooped him into her arms, standing from her seat. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Wendy nodded. "Yes, I got the money I needed for rent, so I'll be here tomorrow." The thirteen-year old girl beamed, then waved as Lucy headed for the door. As soon as she was out of earshot, Wendy nervously leaned closer to Charle, her dark eyes sparkling. "Are you _sure_ what you saw was real, Charle?"

Charle gave her a grim look, the memory of what she'd seen running through her mind.

 _Flames. A figure dotted with patches of red scales that gleamed in the firelight. Lucy, doubled over, screaming as she clutched a scaled scarf to her chest. Gray protecting Juvia from a blast, his shield of ice cracking beneath the pressure. Erza, her eyes blank with grief, her face streaked with ash as she held an unconscious Happy away from the dangerous heat. A man cloaked in darkness._

 _A body with someone knelt over it, crying._

"Yes," Charle answered with a dark look on her face. Her dark eyes lifted to the anxious Wendy. She hadn't told the dragon slayer all of it. But she knew the general time. And she was determined, to keep Wendy out of whatever had happened in her vision.

Wendy was her first priority. She always had been and always would be.

Whatever anyone else said be damned.

* * *

"Okay," Lucy said firmly after shoving her couch out of the way, leaving more room in her apartment for her to do her thing. Happy was perched curiously on the back of it, watching excitedly. "Let's do this."

"I hope it's some kind of fish!" Happy said eagerly, tail twitching.

"...uh, no, I don't think it is," Lucy replied with a roll of her eyes. She held out the key, took a deep breath, and then summoned the Spirit. "Open! Gate of the Ram!" The words came naturally to her lips, as if someone else was speaking for her. "Aries!"

There was a flash of light, and then there was a nervous looking person before them. Her dark eyes were wide with surprise, her hands fidgeting as she shifted from foot to foot, messing with the edge of her woolen dress. Two horns curved on either side of her head, and pink haired curled around them. "Sorry!" was the first word she gasped out.

"...for what?" Lucy demanded, bewildered by Aries' word. "You didn't do anything."

"She's a _sheep_?" Happy cried, surprised.

Lucy rolled her eyes, and Aries mumbled another apology before telling the celestial mage hesitantly, "Um, my last master...sorry!"

The blonde gaped at her for a moment, contemplating the different meanings she could take from this before saying firmly, "Well, Aries, you don't have to apologize to me for anything, okay?"

Aries blinked, looking surprised by this, then gave a hesitant smile. "Okay," she answered, then added another apology out of simple habit. "I am glad you discovered my key…" she added a moment later, "It's been some time since I was summoned to this Realm."

Lucy's eyes softened and she smiled warmly at the Spirit. "Well, let's make a contract then. Happy," she warned when the blue cat tried to make a snide comment. "You can shut it, or you can go stay with Gray until Natsu gets back. Your choice."

Happy clamped his mouth shut almost immediately.

"That's what I thought," Lucy muttered, then turned her attention back on Aries. "Sorry 'bout that. Now. Where were we?"

It took close to an hour, but eventually, they had a contract. Lucy thanked Aries, who murmured an apology for being so picky about the times she could be summoned and promised that if it was absolutely necessary, she _would_ come out and help the celestial mage. Lucy bid her farewell and allowed her to return to the Celestial Realm.

Tired again, Lucy glanced at the clock. "Well, it's the middle of the day...you can watch some TV if you want, Happy. I'm going to make some tea and work on my book, okay?"

"Okay!" Happy replied, scrambling to find the remote. Lucy watched him scamper off with an amused look on her face, then went to hunt down her laptop. Tracking it down, she set it up on the table as she usually did and then seated herself in the chair, popping her knuckles with a content sigh before going to check for messages on the website that everything she could want to know.

 _ **Monthly Notice!**_

 _Welcome to the newest member of our community, Layla Cor of Fairy Tail! Nice to have you with us, Layla!_

Lucy giggled at that. Mirajane had told her that she was the one who wrote the monthly notices for the Magic Council on the website, so it didn't surprise her that the message was so happy.

 _2) The fire outside of Magnolia is - as I'm sure most of you have expected - Natsu Dragneel's fire. Please forgive him. I apologize if it worried any of you._

 _3) Fairy Tail has recently detected a black mage within Magnolia. They've not been located. Please be aware of this._

 _4) Suspicious activity along the border of Iceberg. Be aware. A Sabertooth team has been sent to deal with this._

 _5) Lamia Scale has lost a member due to unfortunate circumstances. RIP, Mila Rineson._

 _6) Last and most importantly! PLEASE READ THIS! A man by the name of Jellal Fernandes has escaped from where the Magic Council was keeping him imprisoned. He is considered highly dangerous. Please be careful everyone. Enclosed in this message is a picture of him. If he's seen, report it immediately._

 _~Mirajane Strauss_

Curious, Lucy clicked on the link that led to the picture of the man known as Jellal Fernandes. She took in the dark, emotionless eyes, the strange marking that marked his right eye, and his wild blue hair before tapping her chin, frowning to herself. She could have sworn she'd seen him somewhere before...oh, well. It's not like _maybe_ seeing him would help the Magic Council any…

So, Lucy closed out of the Magic Council's website and set her phone beside her laptop in favor of pulling up her work in progress. She could hear some documentary on fish going on the TV - she silently wondered how Happy found so many of them - and decided the cat would be fine for the time being. She'd make them some dinner in a few hours.

Just as she began to type, her phone rang.

Sighing heavily, she answered without looking at the caller ID. "Hey, Natsu."

A pause, and then he huffed, "You don't sound happy to talk to me. I was kidnapped, you know!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You were not _kidnapped_ , you were hauled off for questioning because you couldn't control your own fires."

"'Cause I was trying to save you guys," he protested.

The celestial mage giggled, rocking back in her chair. "Thank you, great and powerful Lord Dragneel, for your assistance in killing the demon known as Deliora. Gray's pretty mad at you, I hope you know. He wanted to kill it. He said he went and contacted that other student of Ur's, Lyon, and let him know what happened in detail."

"Huh," Natsu grumbled in response. "Stupid stripper. Is Happy okay?"

"Happy's fine," Lucy promised. "He's hanging with me until you get back."

"Good," the dragon slayer mused. He sounded pleased, and Lucy had to fight back a small smile. She wouldn't hesitate to admit to herself that she _had_ kind of missed her wild friend's presence so far. It had been a while since they hadn't seen each other at least once a day. "Anything good happen?"

Lucy beamed. "Yes, actually! Wendy went to look through her hoard and it turned out she had a Zodiac Spirit's key in it! She gave it to me. I now have five keys in total: three silver and two gold."

Natsu cheered and said happily, "Now you have no reason _not_ to take a job with me!"

Lucy shook her head in exasperation. "You idiot," she said fondly. She tilted her head. "We'll take a job when you get back...how long do you have to stay, anyways?"

"Already talked with 'em," he replied. There was the sound of shuffling, and then he added, "Got away with another bill...gonna have to pay for destroying some outside property of Magnolia. Damn it. Was gonna use that money, too…"

The blonde tried not to laugh, but a giggle escaped her. "Then don't destroy things."

"Oi! Don't laugh at me!" Natsu's protest was half-hearted, and she knew he was trying not to laugh alongside her without even seeing his face. "Anyways...should be back within the next day or two. Actually got me in faster 'cause they knew what they were gonna do with me already. So long as I don't bother them, I stay out of jail."

Lucy studied her nails. "Idiot," she repeated. "I'll see you when you get back then...don't worry about Happy, I've got him handled. I need to get some work done."

"Okay," he said cheerfully. "Bye, Luce!"

"Bye, Ash Breath," Lucy replied teasingly, then hung up before he could realize that she'd stolen one of Gray's insults. She set her phone aside, then settled into write.

Suddenly, she felt really inspired.

* * *

 _Natsu really needs to reign in his destructive tendencies, yes? And Lucy's found herself a new Spirit, yay! Anyways...I apologize thousands of times! I've received every single review via e-mail, but they're not showing up on the site for me! I only realized this after I'd gotten rid of said e-mails, so I won't be able to respond to reviews this chapter! I'm so,_ so _sorry! Hopefully it'll start working again soon, and we'll be back to normal on Monday (Ugh. School.). I do want you to know that I've seen all of them and appreciate them all! If you have any questions from the last chapter, send me a message and I'll answer them!_


	31. Chapter 31

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Grumbling as he dragged himself out of the train station, Natsu Dragneel decided then and there that he was never _ever_ again getting on any mode of public transportation. His stomach was churning violently, he felt heavy, it was three in the morning, and he just wanted to _sleep_.

But first...he had to check in with Lucy. He'd promised her the day before that he'd check in with her, no matter what time it was, and he'd keep that promise, even if it meant he passed out in the middle of the street.

Natsu wrinkled his nose, checking where he was and contemplating whether or not he could get away with physically going to see her rather than calling. Maybe if he went in through the window…

The pink-haired mage snickered softly at the thought and started forward, making his way through Magnolia to get to Lucy's apartment. He wasn't happy with her having her own place now - he'd enjoyed her presence immensely in his house - but by now, it would have been a bit more homely. Lucy was there, too, so that was a bonus. And maybe Happy.

It took him half the time that it would have taken someone else to get there, and within minutes, he was somehow scaling the wall up to her window, carefully sliding it open and pulling himself inside. He balanced with ease on the ledge, taking in the apartment happily before slowly beginning the process of dropping in.

The bed was below the ledge he was on, but Lucy was in it. Luckily, he knew she was a deep sleeper. He carefully placed his sandaled feet on the bed, sliding the window shut after him, and then quietly removed his shoes. He didn't want to wake her up, he decided, taking in her sleeping face. She must have been exhausted still from summoning Cancer for so long without practicing first, even if it had been a day or two before.

He searched the room for his little buddy and didn't see him. Frowning, Natsu decided Happy must have been out celebrating Halloween with the other younger members of the guild and ended up crashing at their home. He enjoyed the holiday, and dressed up as a different fish every year despite being unable to go out and gather candy with the children of the guild.

Yet here was Lucy, sleeping away. Natsu took in the abandoned teacup - part of a set she'd purchased when they'd shopped for various objects that she wanted - and laptop before deciding that she must have gotten tired during her work. Natsu smirked. "Stupid Lucy," he told her softly, slipping off of his crouching position on the bed to go inspect what she'd left up on her laptop.

He carefully dragged the chair out, dropping into it. His eyes flashed with impatience as he opened up something she'd minimized, and tilted his head as he began to read through it.

 _"Three year anniversary of the disappearance of Princess Lucy Heartfilia of Bosco,"_ he murmured to himself, reading aloud. He cocked his head curiously. "Three years, huh?" The dragon slayer tugged at his scarf, cranking his head around to look at the sleeping blonde curiously. "Jeez, Luce. Pretty good for a runaway princess…" He smirked. "Don't worry. Not gonna let you go back there, even if you want to."

He minimized the website again, climbed to his feet, and then wandered back over to the bed, bare feet padding softly over the wooden floor. He paused to hesitantly touch a lock of golden hair that had fallen across her pillow, then eyed the bed thoughtfully.

...it _was_ three in the morning, and he was kind of tired of sleeping on uncomfortable things like her couch.

Surely the celestial mage wouldn't mind, right?

Oh, well. He'd find out when she woke up in the morning.

* * *

Lucy awoke in the morning to a sweltering heat surrounding her. She frowned, shifted to try and get comfortable, then gave up, too tired to be truly trying to get away. A mumble filled her ear, and Lucy grumbled in response, swatting at it.

Her hand met something, and she sighed heavily, opening her eyes.

She took one look at the person in her bed with her, and then screamed bloody murder, scrambling to escape her bed. There was a loud yelp from the person in her bed, followed by a thump as she hit the ground, and then she cried out as she hit her head on the floor. Cradling it, she blinked, then snarled, "What the _hell_ are you doing?"

Natsu blinked innocently at her, looking sleepy as he yawned and rubbed at his eye with a fist. "Sleeping."

"In my _bed_ ," Lucy squawked, glaring at him furiously. She climbed to her feet, holding her head with a scowl on her face. "Damn it, Natsu, you don't just climb into other people's beds! You scared the hell out of me!'

He looked bewildered. "Why? It's just me."

" _Natsu_!"

"Okay, okay," he grumbled, climbing out of the bed and standing, stretching. He popped his back, giving a tongue-curling yawn. "They got me in and out really fast, so I got to come home a few days earlier. Was gonna wake you up to check in, but you looked tired, so I left ya alone. Already been sleeping on some uncomfortable cot and I didn't want to sleep on the couch, so I just climbed in."

"Why didn't you go to your own house!" she demanded.

"I was tired and it was far away." Natsu gave a second yawn, scratching his chest. Lucy found herself grateful that he was at least nice enough to take his shoes off and keep his clothes on. "Sorry. Didn't think you'd mind."

"Natsu," Lucy said bluntly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Do you not...you don't just climb into bed with people, okay? It's weird."

"You're weird anyways though," he said cheerfully. "So it's fine."

"It's _not_ fine," she gritted out. "I'll let you off easy this time, but if you do it again, I _will_ ban you from my apartment, got it?"

He pouted. "Yeah, yeah." Natsu suddenly grinned. "So what's for breakfast?"

"Out!" Lucy pointed at the door to her apartment. "You can go get some breakfast from Mira, got it? I'll see you at the guildhall later. Happy went home with Bisca and Alzack last night. And Asuka. Asuka said she'd share her candy with him."

Natsu sighed, looking disappointed, and moved to leave before pausing. "You know," he said slowly, creating a lie as he spoke, not wanting to get into any more trouble with his friend. "I saw somethin' in a newspaper yesterday...looks like Princess Lucy's been missing for three years as of October thirty-first."

Lucy flushed. "Yeah...three years since I ran away. Can't believe they still believe that I was kidnapped or something...Father knows better. The rest of the world are idiots."

He grinned in response. "Well, we gotta celebrate. If ya hadn't run away, then you wouldn't be here now. Let's go on that job. You can pick."

"How generous of you," Lucy sighed, shaking her head with a small smile. She studied his hopeful expression for a moment, and then rolled her eyes. "Oh, alright. I'll see you at the guildhall, okay? Hunt down Happy, he can go with us, and do you want anyone else to go?"

Natsu wrinkled his nose thoughtfully, then said with a shrug, "Up to you. Just not Metal Breath or Ice Princess."

Lucy giggled. "Okay, no Gajeel and Gray, then. What about...Wendy and Charle? Happy would like to have Charle come along."

"They're fine," he agreed, grinning. He liked the little sky dragon slayer. "I'll see if she's up for it. Didn't she just get back from a job a few days ago?"

"Yes, but she looked like she was bored. Now out!" Lucy pushed him towards the door, pausing only to let him go back and retrieve his shoes.

Just before she closed the door on him, he grinned over his shoulder at her. "Nice pajamas, by the way."

Lucy glanced down...and proceeded to flush angrily and slam the door behind him. "Go away!" Seriously short shorts and a tank top were _not_ what she needed to be seen wearing! Especially when certain dragon slayers were sneaking their way into her bed!

Annoyed with her friend, Lucy took a quick shower and then hurried to track down some clothes; a simple pair of jeans and a T-shirt beneath a sweatshirt would do for the day. The chilly weather had yet to go away, and Lucy knew without doubt that it wasn't going anywhere. Grabbing her keys and her wallet and phone, the blonde finally made her way out of her apartment.

Relieved to see that Natsu had actually left for the guildhall ahead of her, Lucy stretched. She'd left at eight, so it wasn't too early, nor too late. Quite a few people would already be there, and she was quite proud of herself, she realized as she walked. She already knew her way from her apartment to Fairy Tail.

Of course, that was kind of Happy's doing. He hadn't exactly been good at guiding her in the right direction. He'd been quite the opposite, actually, preferring to send her the completely wrong way.

Damn, that little blue cat was lucky she hadn't strangled him in the time he'd stayed with her. She loved him to death, but...goodness. She sometimes wanted to shake some sense into him. But she was pretty sure that much shaking wouldn't be good for him.

Lucy was lost in thought, about to turn a corner, when a voice called out her name. She glanced up, and then smiled hugely in surprise at the person she discovered. "Yukino!" she greeted eagerly as the young woman came to a halt beside her, panting for breath. "What are you doing in Magnolia?"

"Passing through on a job," Yukino laughed breathlessly, smiling brightly at her. "I only brought Rogue with me, and Frosch. I don't know where they went though. Maybe to see Gajeel? Anyways, I thought it would be a good chance to catch you and see how you were. Erza told me your address."

"Definitely," Lucy agreed. "Come on, I was just heading for the guildhall."

They set off, and after Yukino had caught her breath, she asked cheerfully, "So, Lucy. I heard that you've got quite a few keys?"

"Yeah," Lucy replied. The celestial mage smiled warmly as she pulled the ring of them out of her pocket to show her the three silver and two golden keys. "Plue...he's the one you gifted me. This one's Crux, this one's Horologium, and the two golden keys are Cancer and Aries."

Yukino whistled. "Two Zodiacs in such a small amount of time...you're doing very well for just recently becoming a mage, Lucy."

"Thank you," Lucy said honestly, putting the keys safely away and back into her pocket. "How about you? Have you got any keys as of late?"

"No," Yukino laughed. She patted her own pocket, where she more than likely kept her own Spirit keys. "But I don't expect to. More Spirits are probably going to end up in your hands. Those born with magic are more powerful than those who are taught it, after all. They're more likely to find their way into your hands, and come to you themselves to make sure it happens."

The blonde pressed her lips together, feeling strangely guilty about the matter. She didn't want Yukino to feel as if she thought she was better. Because she wasn't. In fact, she was probably the worst mage in existence. The worst princess for certain. The two fell into a friendly conversation about nothing in particular as they walked towards the guildhall and when they reached it, Lucy didn't hesitate to push the doors open.

They were met by utter chaos, which didn't surprise either of them. Natsu was in the middle of brawling with about half of the guild - Lucy didn't bother to question it, merely led Yukino past them to where Bisca, Asuka, Lisanna, Erza, and Mirajane were gathered at the bar. "Hello, Asuka," Lucy cooed, smiling at the little girl.

"Hi," Asuka greeted cheerfully, then returned to coloring in a coloring book that she'd brought with her.

"Hello, Lucy," Erza said with a smile. Lisanna, Bisca, and Mirajane all waved. "And to you as well, Yukino...I don't know where Rogue ran off to. Frosch was with him though, and I'm not seeing Gajeel anywhere."

"More than likely ran off to chat," Yukino answered, waving her concerns off. "They'll be fine."

Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but words quickly turned into a screech of surprise when she found herself lifted off the ground by a muscled arm. Natsu grinned as she demanded he let her down, refusing to do as she said. "C'mon, Luce!" he shouted above the noise of the brawling guild. "Fight me!"

"No!" Lucy wailed, a slight smile flickering across her lips. "Put me down!"

"Natsu," Erza threatened, glaring at him. The dragon slayer pouted, but put her down, hooking an arm playfully around the blonde's shoulders, ignoring the glare that was continuously placed on him by the red-haired woman.

"You said you'd pick out a job," he whined in her ear. "Why are you taking so long? I'm bored!"

Amused and annoyed, Lucy shoved away from him. "Then go find Gray and insult him some more - don't you dare, I was just kidding!" she said hastily when he grinned and moved to do just that. She caught him by his scarf, hauling him back. "Did you cause this mess?"

"...Gray called me a name."

Lucy rolled her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Oh my - Natsu. Can you not do that anymore? That would be great."

"But-"

"No buts. Now go calm this all down while I pick out our job, got it?"

"Fine," he grumbled, wandering off to go and pry various fighting mages apart.

Lisanna and Mirajane exchanged looks before bursting into laughter, and Bisca gawked. Erza gave an approving nod while Yukino just looked downright confused by their responses. Lucy was with the other celestial mage there; she had _no_ clue as to what was so funny. "What?"

"Sorry," Lisanna giggled. "It's just...even Erza can't make him do that much. It's funny."

"Seriously?" Lucy gaped at the requip mage, who shrugged her shoulders. The armor she was currently wearing clinked as she did so, and Lucy realized she was leaving on a job.

"Natsu," she said carefully, "Is a good mage who, even with his destruction, has his heart in the right place. But he does require someone to keep his destructive tendencies under control. I'm glad he has someone who can do it in a way that does not require force like I must use."

Lucy smiled to herself, happy with the thought. "Okay," was all she said. "Excuse me for a minute...I _do_ need to go pick out a job really fast…" She headed hesitantly towards the large bulletin board that stood off to the side, taking in the dozens of papers pinned to it. Natsu, as if noticing where she was heading, finished yanking two of his nakama apart, and then practically sprinted to her side. Happy came zooming along behind him, just as excited.

Lucy squeaked in surprise when he skidded to a halt beside her, onyx eyes sparkling. "Calm down, I haven't even read a single one yet," she scolded. "And remember, Natsu, we have to be careful about what jobs we pick. My father's probably got people out and about searching for me, and certain people will go to him or other people who could be bad with information. If I get found, then I'll probably be dragged home."

Natsu's eyes flashed, but the look she'd seen in them disappeared as quickly as it had come. "Don't worry so much, Luce," he scolded. "Like I'd let 'em just run off with you."

Lucy giggled. "Good."

"Aw," Happy said suddenly, giving a sly look. "He _likes_ you, Lucy!"

"Damn cat," Lucy growled, reaching out to snatch him and finally go with the urge to shake him. Natsu said nothing, instead squinting at the requests on the board, as if he hadn't heard what Happy had said. Grumbling when Happy flew off cackling, Lucy turned her attention on the board as well. She studied a few papers, mentally marking one or two that she approved of. "Okay," she said after a while of looking. She reached out and tapped one of the papers. "What about this one, Natsu?"

He took one look at it, then whined, "But it's _boring_."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Fine. Then what about this one?"

Natsu shook his head, cocking his head thoughtfully and tugging his scarf away from his face. "How 'bout this one?" He pointed at a paper that was just above her head, grinning at it. "Capturing a thief that broke into this guy's house?"

The blonde studied the page, contemplating. It didn't seem _too_ difficult. And the offered prize money was decent, at twenty-thousand jewels… She opened her mouth to agree, and then sputtered, reaching for a different one when she caught sight of a small illustration on it. "Natsu!" she said excitedly, "Look!" She tapped the silver key that had been drawn onto it.

He pouted. "It's gonna be boring though...s'only delivering some stupid vase to another location. And there's barely any money," he added, thinking of the bills he still had to pay to the Magic Council.

"We'll take one that you want to take when we get back," she offered.

He grinned. "Deal."

* * *

 _Not much happening this chapter, but it was fun, yes? Gotta love Natsu for his sneaky ways...did any of you see the new chapter, by the way!? I can't stop crying! So the review problem has yet to be fixed, but I have e-mails from chapter 30 this time!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 _ **Blue VanLocke:** I'm glad you decided to give it another try! And I thank you for your sincerity. :)  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Charle and her predictions mean trouble, I agree. The prediction will be revealed to you. And soon. ;)_

 ** _Yami- The Lord of Darkness:_** _Of course!  
_

 ** _ERebellion:_** _Calming things surrounding such characters can mean nothing but bad. I agree though. It is like the calm before a storm.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Light hearted chapters are fun to write because everyone's happy. Mind you, I enjoy ripping that happiness away as bad as it sounds._

 ** _luckylucy77:_** _Such demands are lovely though! I enjoy knowing that you like this so much! :D  
_

 ** _Guest #1:_** _Hello and thank you for your kind words! I'm glad you enjoy this! Visited Germany a few times, it's a lovely place.  
_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _Chapters where not a lot happens are fun to write, honestly. They get to screw around however they want. XD  
_

 ** _Guest #2:_** _Thanks, I'm glad you enjoy it! :D_

 ** _Guest #3:_** _Thank you for informing me of that, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one, honestly. Lucy's the first he would call when in such a situation, don't you agree?_


	32. Chapter 32

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Lucy asked, eyeing the article of clothing with a bit of distaste. "I don't know, those pants over there are a bit more to my liking...especially for the winter months…"

"Nonsense," Mirajane scolded, "This is a good skirt for you. It'll go nicely with that top we picked out…"

"Yeah, not sure about that either," she muttered in response before making a face as Mirajane added it to the small pile of clothing they'd gathered. She wasn't exactly into all of these short skirts...shorts, maybe. _Not_ skirts. She already had to worry about Natsu burning her clothes to ashes. She didn't want to have to worry about random guys seeing things she really didn't want them seeing…

And that included a certain fire mage who hadn't seemed to mind burning her clothes away.

Maybe in another world. Where magic was known among the public and it was used freely among those who possessed it.

Luckily, she'd been reassured that these clothes would be fireproof. Thank the heavens for that.

"What about this?" Levy called from where she was browsing through the store they'd come to. The shop was one hidden by the owner's magic. The owner's wife was the one who dealt with the clothing, using some kind of lacrima dust to make it stand against most kinds of magic. The solid-script mage held up a dress, and Lucy studied it for a moment before giving her a thumbs up, grateful that at least _one_ person was considering how she felt about the clothes.

Because yeah, she enjoyed her fancy clothes, but wearing stuff like this? Not her thing. Maybe in some other universe, yeah, but not in this one.

After picking out the mission with Natsu - the dragon slayer had gone home to pack after inviting Wendy and Charle to join them, as the trip was a train ride away, in Hargeon - she'd gone to check in with Mirajane about it. The mage had decided that they needed to get Lucy those magic-enhancing clothes immediately, and had proceeded to drag she, Levy, and Lisanna out. Erza had gone out, heading for her own job, and Yukino had bid them farewell before going to track down Rogue and Frosch. Lucy couldn't remember if that was the cat he had or not. She was pretty sure he was.

After a few more choices, Lucy was hauled to the front of the shop, where the owner's wife stood, smiling kindly at them. "This is it?" she teased Mirajane as she set to work on checking them out. "Usually there's so much more…" She turned her sharp green eyes on Lucy, reassuring, "Don't worry about sizes. Once you put them on, they'll change to fit your body. It's part of the magic put into them."

"Thanks," Lucy said honestly, handing over the needed amount of money. She flinched at the price and took her bag.

The four women headed out of the store and into fresh air. Lucy tilted her head back to study the sky, grateful her ankle - and life - had returned to somewhat normal. Or as normal as life could get with Fairy Tail, Natsu, and magic in their lives.

"You'll want to wear these from the moment you leave until the moment you get back," Lisanna told her. "You never know when something may go wrong on your job, so it's good to be prepared. Levy picked out a pair of pajamas that you can wear at night, just to be safe. Natsu doesn't have any, just a warning. He kind of just-"

"Wears his clothes to bed, I know, found out this morning," the celestial mage grumbled. They all stopped to stare at her and Lucy paused for only a moment before flushing a brilliant red, flailing her arms desperately. "It's not like that, I swear! The jerk decided to sneak into my bed in the middle of the night, when he got back, and-" She glared at the grin spreading across Mirajane's face. "You stop that right now, Mira, it's not like that!"

Levy burst into giggles, holding her stomach. "Wh-what do you...Lu, what do you m-mean he sneaked into your _bed_? How d-did you not…" She burst into more laughter, unable to finish her sentence.

Lucy's face turned even more red if possible. "Stop," she whined. "He just did it, and I was tired, and-"

"D-don't let Erza hear," Lisanna laughed alongside Levy as Mirajane beamed excitedly, clapping her hands together. "Erza will beat him to hell and back."

"How did you not notice?" Levy finally managed to get out completely. "It's _Natsu_."

"He can be a sneaky little bastard," Lucy grumbled, trying to get them off of her case. "Mira, _talk_ , you sound like you're about to explode!" she added when Mirajane made an excited squealing sound.

"Natsu and Lucy," she cooed in response, the words rushed, as if she'd been holding it back. "I'd thought that maybe - just _maybe_ \- it would happen, since he's never teamed up with anyone but Happy, and he willingly let you stay in his place, but to hear that it's _actually happening_ -" She threw her hands up, blue eyes sparkling. "This is like a dream come true! I can't _wait_ to tell everyone!"

"No!" Lucy wailed, throwing her bag at the silver-haired woman. Mirajane's reflexes allowed her to catch it, and she looked anything but offended by the action. Instead, she only smiled brighter. "It's not like that, Mira, I swear! We're just friends, okay?!"

Mirajane's eyes twinkled. "Whatever you say…"

"Don't say anything when we get back, Mira," Lisanna giggled. "Be nice. I'm sure you'll be the first one they tell when they _do_ start dating."

"Which won't happen," Lucy reminded desperately. "I can promise you that. Natsu's _not_ the relationship kind of guy, I can guarantee it." And he _wasn't_. Not that Lucy could tell. He was her partner, a crazy dragon slayer who could barely tell up from down at some points. But after his vow to not let her get dragged home...he was definitely someone who could be relied on. "Can we go back now? I have to pack for our job."

"Alright, alright," Levy agreed, smiling to herself. "I have a date with Gajeel later anyways."

"He's back already?" Lucy said, eager to get the spotlight off of herself.

"Yeah," Levy said happily. "He got back last night. He's been busy dealing with a few things today, but when he's done, he and I are going to go grab some dinner. Then I'm heading out with Team Shadowgear in the morning. Master asked us to deliver a letter to Master Bob."

"...who?"

"The guildmaster of Blue Pegasus," Lisanna explained. "As long as it's not Ichiya, Erza usually hands out letters to people. She goes all over the place when she takes her jobs. But she's heading in the other direction and taking a letter to them would be out of her way. Besides. I know she doesn't like taking letters to Blue Pegasus. She certainly doesn't appreciate Ichiya."

Mirajane pressed her lips in a hard line at the name and shook her head. "I can't blame her."

"Who?" Lucy repeated, embarrassed that she didn't know any of these names. Not that it was her fault; she hadn't known these guilds even existed into a little bit ago anyways.

"A member of Blue Pegasus," Mirajane explained. "He's fond of Erza, but Erza isn't too fond of him. He's a good person, but...he can be a bit...weird."

"That's putting it lightly," Lisanna laughed, shaking her head. "You'll meet him at some point, I'm sure. Come on, let's head back."

* * *

Lucy knew the second she stepped into her apartment that he was going to be there. How, she wasn't sure, but she did, and she was already giving him a glare as she closed the door behind her.

"Hi, Luce!" he said cheerfully from where he sat on the couch, book in hand. Happy didn't look up from his place beside Natsu on the couch, instead focused on his own book.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Looks like you two are enjoying yourself," she muttered. The blonde arched an eyebrow, not exactly happy that they'd managed to get inside despite the door being locked. She glared, dropping her bag onto the table beside her laptop. "Just what," she gritted out, "Are you two doing in here?"

"Didn't know when we were leaving, so Wendy said we should leave tomorrow morning," Natsu answered, peering curiously at the bag she'd put down. He set his book aside and scampered over, as if curious. "What's in there?"

Lucy smacked his nosy self away from it. "Clothes. I had to go get some fireproof clothes, in case you forgot. A certain person seems to have taken it upon himself to burn them every time he gets the chance…"

"It was one time," Natsu protested with a huff. He playfully ruffled her hair, then meandered into the kitchen, sharp onyx eyes simply searching. "What do you have to eat in this place, Luce? I'm starving."

"Nothing for you," she retorted sharply reaching out to pull him back by his scarf. She hauled him back over to the couch and pushed him down onto it, ignoring the pout on his face. She caught sight of the obviously packed back that rested beside the couch and sighed. "Staying the night, are we?"

He grinned. "Why not?" Natsu said cheerfully. "It means we can leave earlier." He reached for his book again. "Wendy's gonna meet us at the station at six in the morning anyways...so with how you sleep, you might wanna go to bed at like five in the afternoon."

"Natsu," Lucy said, holding up a threatening fist as she went to work on packing her own bag. He only grinned childishly at her before returning to his book. Lucy rolled her eyes in response. Natsu was a child at heart, she had to remind herself, and not necessarily in a good way.

After she'd finished packing, Lucy grabbed her laptop and retreated to the couch to work on her next novel. "Move, please, Happy," she ordered, and smiled warmly at the little blue cat as he climbed up onto the top of the couch before curling up in her corner of it. Natsu smirked, extending his legs so that his feet pressed against her jean-clad thigh, toes tickling her.

She simply decided to ignore the jerk other than reaching out to pinch one of his toes.

He prodded her in response before making himself comfortable, eyes locked on his book. Lucy felt a flash of pride for being able to make Natsu Dragneel, someone who supposedly hated books with a passion, read. They fell into a companionable silence, a familiar one that neither of them were discontent with.

Happy, however, was discontent with where he was sitting. He quickly reclaimed his spot between them, squeezing in despite Natsu taking up practically the entire couch and Lucy waited until both had shifted to start tapping away at her laptop.

She was proud of herself, she realized as she sent the e-mail to her publisher only a few moments later. She'd gotten an entire rough draft done in mere days, trying to make up for lost time, and her publisher would be pleased as well. At least she wouldn't be chasing after her for it now. And neither would her editor. Lucy tapped her finger thoughtfully on her chin, tilting her head. She'd have to head over to Crocus for a day or two, to meet with her editor again...it would be annoying, but she was sure she could do it after they got back from Hargeon…

Finished writing for the time being, Lucy redirected her attention to the internet, scanning through several websites for updates on anything she found important. She paused to respond to a few e-mails from fans, musing silently that she really needed to get caught up on that.

She giggled when she noticed an e-mail from Levy, sent before they'd met. She'd have to tease her for it later.

Natsu glanced up at the sound of her laughter, studying her curiously for a few moments, then shook his head and went back to reading.

Lucy hummed, the tune of the song she'd sang when they'd been attacked by the fish-octopus creature slipping from between her lips. She made her way to the Magic Council's website, checking for new messages, and smiled when she discovered quite a few messages that welcomed her. Most of them from Fairy Tail despite having been welcomed by them in person.

There were welcome messages from others of other guilds, too. A few from Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Sabertooth, a couple from Mermaid Heel. There was even one from a guild that Lucy didn't think had been mentioned to her. When she questioned the dragon slayer about it, he informed her that they weren't, in fact, a member of a guild, but were a mage that worked outside of them.

Which brought up another question on her part. "Natsu?" she asked, glancing up from her laptop. "Do you have an account on here?"

"Everyone does," he said simply. "It's required."

"Even I have one," Happy supplied cheerfully from where he sat.

"Really," Lucy murmured, tilting her head. "Then do you just not use it?"

"Nah," Natsu replied. "We don't have a computer anymore... I kinda melted it when I was messing around with it and got pissed off. I do the same thing with my phone every now and then, too," he added with a thoughtful look. "Except the computer's more expensive, so I don't buy it. I have other things I buy."

"Like…?" Lucy said curiously, setting her laptop aside. She turned to face him curiously.

To her surprise, Natsu's face turned a bright red, and Happy snickered before answering the question for him. "Random little shiny things, Lucy," he cackled. "Natsu has a liking for gold and shiny things."

Lucy studied the annoyed dragon slayer with a sparkle in her gaze. "Oh? I take it that's what you hoard, Natsu?"

He practically sank into his scarf, hiding half of his face in it and tugging at the scaled material with his hand. "Shut up," he grumbled, embarrassed. "Can't help it, okay? I see something like that and I just...I have to have it. Gajeel does it with things like metals and rocks, and Wendy's got an obsession with gems."

"Oh?" Lucy's tone was teasing. "So you guys share your collections with each other?"

"Hell no," he snapped, eyes flashing irritably at the thought. "Like hell I'd share it with anyone!"

"Okay, okay," Lucy said, holding her hands up, not looking the least bit offended by his harsh words. "I meant that you share what you like in _words_ , not handed items to each other."

"Oh." Natsu shrank down again, looking annoyed with himself. "Well, ya know. We trade sometimes. Wendy finds cool gold things, I take dangerous jobs that have good prizes, we exchange, simple as that. Gajeel does it, too, but not as often."

Lucy couldn't help but giggle, then questioned curiously, "Do you think you have any more keys in that hoard of yours?"

He shrugged with a huff, beginning to get aggravated with the conversation. "I dunno. I guess I can look when we get back. Doesn't mean I'll give it to you, though." Her jaw dropped, hurt flashing across her features, and he swore before hurrying to explain himself. "Sorry, but it's a dragon's hoard, Luce. S'my stuff. I don't share any of it, not even with Happy. I can't physically make myself hand over a piece of my treasure."

"...okay." Lucy accepted.

And with that, the conversation ended. Lucy returned to her laptop, Natsu to his book, and Happy to snickering like a little imp as he contemplated just what he was going to do to tease his friends.

* * *

 _Another simple little chapter. Some big things will be happening soon though. Better enjoy the peace while they can, eh? Fun fact: This is the chapter I actually started recording the date of what's going on. I have a whole list of the date at the beginning of the chapter. I'm currently at the end of January._

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Risa98:_** _It's going to be a LONG time before Lucy's capable of something like Star Dress. I WILL admit that she starts using her magic a bit more and learning how to use a whip after the fiftieth chapter mark though. ;)  
_

 ** _Yami-The Lord of Darkness:_** _Fluff is the best though. I like shoving it into random moments.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _I apparently put a lot more calm before the storm chapters in here without remembering...but yes! ;)_

 ** _Blue VanLocke:_** _But of course. He's an adorable little creature who requires pissing Lucy off by doing so._ _  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _HAVE ANOTHER NALU MOMENT! Not quite as big, but Nalu nonetheless! :D  
_

 ** _See you:_** _Thank you, I'm glad you like it! I don't mind questions at all! Between the Lines is still a work in progress and will be for a hell of a long time. I've just finished writing chapter eighty-eight, and I'm not even CLOSE to ending this. I originally expected one hundred chapters, but now I'm thinking closer to two hundred, honestly. I update on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, though that might change in the future depending on what I feel like doing. As for lemons...I've considered it. ;) No confirmation just yet though.  
_


	33. Chapter 33

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Wendy!" Lucy waved with a smile on her face when she caught sight of the little blue-haired girl. Wendy's dark eyes snapped their way and she smiled, waving at them. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Natsu disappeared just before we left and Happy and I had to figure out where he'd run off to."

Natsu, who stood beside her, scowled. "Thought I smelled some weird thing hanging around and had to check it out before we left, woman. Calm down."

She yanked on the scarf tangled in her fingers so that he choked. "Please forgive us." She patted the bag at her side, where Happy rested, with a thoughtful look on her face. "And I apologize for such a boring job, as Natsu put it. It's just...the prize is a key. So I thought it would be a good one to take."

"Boring jobs are nice," Wendy told her with a reassuring look. "The last one I went on, with Charle and Juvia…" She shook her head. "It wasn't very fun, honestly. Too much fighting. I don't like fighting."

Lucy murmured her agreement, but Natsu grinned. "Nah, they're fun. Get to see how strong you are." He made a face when an announcement was called, that the train for Hargeon would be arriving momentarily. "Come on, guys, do we _have_ to take the stupid train?"

Wendy gave him a sympathetic look. "I'd cast Troia for you, but there's no point when the train ride is so short…" There was a muffled huff from Wendy's bag, and Lucy fought the urge to grin when Wendy flushed in embarrassment. "And Charle doesn't like me using my magic for things like that."

Lucy patted her friend's arm reassuringly. "You'll be fine, Natsu, I promise. It's not too long of a train ride, just like Wendy said. And it's faster than me driving there."

They chatted for a while longer, and when the train came, they boarded fairly quickly. Natsu immediately sank into the seat beside his blonde partner, hunching down with his arms crossed tightly across his chest and a green-tinged face. Lucy opened her bag a little further so Happy could breathe, and Wendy did the same for Charle after sitting across from them in the booth.

"So where are we taking the vase to?" Wendy questioned a few minutes later, tilting her head curiously.

"We're picking it up and guarding it for a night before taking it to a member of the Magic Council," Lucy explained, pulling out the paper that had the job on it. She placed it in Wendy's hand, then frowned when the train finally lurched forward and Natsu gave a miserable moan. "...are you going to be okay, Natsu? You can sleep, you know. You already know what our plan is…"

"No," he whined, "Can't sleep on the stupid train." His face twisted at just the word and Lucy found herself grateful he was sitting beside the window. Just in case. Patting his back soothingly, she turned her attention on Wendy when the sky dragon slayer spoke up.

"Um...Lucy? Can I ask you something?" The young girl spoke hesitantly, nervously.

"Sure, go ahead." Lucy sat back after taking the paper back and tucking it carefully into the bag that Happy hid in. She absentmindedly began to stroke the blue cat's head, not thinking it out of the normal to do so despite the fact that he was clearly anything but a normal cat.

Wendy mumbled something Lucy didn't hear to Charle, but apparently Natsu overheard, because he tensed momentarily. Lucy spared him a look, then returned her attention to Wendy. Wendy hesitated for a moment, then shoved the papers that Charle had handed over at her. Lucy carefully took them, and then nearly dropped them in surprise.

Plastered right across the top was a series of words:

 **OCTOBER 31, X784 - THREE YEARS SINCE THE DISAPPEARANCE OF PRINCESS LUCY HEARTFILIA**

Natsu peered at them out of the corner of his eye before closing it again, not seeming to think there was much danger at the moment. Lucy studied them for a moment, then sighed heavily. Wendy _was_ a trustworthy girl, she knew. And she doubted Charle was likely to spill. So, she forced a smile to her face at the sight of her picture. "Oh, would you look at that. The sucker sent in a decent picture and not a painted portrait. Only took him three years."

Wendy's eyes snapped with with astonishment. "So...that really is you then? You're the lost princess of Bosco?" Her voice was hushed, and for that, Lucy was grateful.

"Was," Lucy corrected, folding the papers up and tucking them into her bag alongside the job's paper. "I ran away, and I'd rather shoot myself with one of Bisca and Alzack's guns before I went back." She brushed some hair behind her ear. "I hated it there. I like Fairy Tail a hell of a lot better."

Wendy tilted her head, biting her lip for a moment before shrugging. "It's not really any of our business if you ran away...I'm glad you're in Fiore now though."

"Me, too, Wendy," Lucy said with a warm smile. "Me, too."

The two girls went away from that conversation and then began to chat with one another for a while, Lucy pausing their conversation every now and then to make sure Natsu was still alive. At one point, he leaned forward to rest his forehead on his knees, and Lucy rubbed his back soothingly, hoping it would help. She was quick to discover that the strange one-sleeved jacket he wore was made of a material that was both rough and coarse on her fingers, but soft and warm as well. He wore the pants she'd seen him wearing at their first meeting, alongside a set of sandals and his scarf. Lucy wondered how he didn't freeze.

Of course, she also wore a skirt, so she had no room to talk. But she'd managed to grab a jacket before walking out the door, so at least there was that.

And Wendy was in a dress. Apparently this was normal for mages.

When the train stopped and they made their way off of it, Lucy thought Natsu was going to scream and cry his relief. He dropped to his knees to kiss the ground, earning strange looks from the people around them. Realizing that her face had been in the paper only a few days before, Lucy was quick to draw the hood of her jacket up.

She didn't want or need people recognizing her.

When they finally made their way out of the train station, the first words out of Natsu's mouth were, as expected, "So when are we getting some food?"

Charle's annoyed scoff could have been heard from a mile away, and Wendy giggled at her cat friend's irritation with him. Lucy only smiled to herself in a secretive manner, shaking her head before scolding, "We need to get a hotel room and such before we go eat. Let's decide now rather than when we get there...are we all sharing a room or what?"

"It would be cheaper," Wendy murmured thoughtfully. "Rooms can get expensive in little towns like Hargeon...and Hargeon's really popular on top of it all. It's a well-known port."

"I don't mind sharing a room," Natsu agreed. His onyx eyes gleamed, and Lucy rolled her eyes before turning away.

"Sharing a room it is. We can split the bill three ways. Is that alright with you, Wendy?"

The girl nodded, moving forward, and Natsu's expression slid into a pout as the pair followed. "Why don't I get to agree or disagree, Lucy?"

"Because," Lucy said with a sigh, "Two against one, your decision wouldn't matter anyways in this situation. And you would have agreed anyways, I know you would have. Maybe even agreed to cover the entire cost if Wendy and I agreed to pay for tonight's meal. But since we're _not_ paying for your meal tonight, that means you have to be careful with your money, which means we don't have to spend hundreds of thousands of jewels."

Natsu opened his mouth to protest, thought better of it, and then blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, you know, gotta pay bills for the Magic Council, and I'm hungry."

Lucy shook her head, amused as she scolded gently, "It's your own fault that you have to pay those bills. But," she sighed, feeling guilty when his gaze lowered in disappointment. "I suppose I can buy you a little extra…"

Natsu gawked, and then Lucy suddenly found herself in a crushing and tight hug, a cheerful voice shouting in her ear at a tone that threatened to make her go deaf, "Thanks, Luce!"

"Yeah," Lucy muttered, flushing and trying to push away. "No problem...let go, please, before you break my ribs."

He released her and Lucy ignored Wendy's startled gaze as she hurried after the dragon slayer. "Come on, you idiot, let's go...we have things to do."

* * *

After getting themselves a room - they managed to get a decently priced nice room that had two seriously comfortable beds - they headed out to get some brunch. It was only about nine, and they didn't have to meet with their client for hours yet, so Wendy and Natsu agreed that it would be fun to take Lucy sightseeing. They left Happy and Charle in their room, promising to bring back something for them to eat, and headed out.

The first place they went to was a beach, just outside of town, and Lucy decided then and there that as soon as it was warm again, she'd be coming back.

More than likely without Natsu if possible, because the way he kept looking between her and the ocean made her nervous.

Really, _really_ nervous.

Lucy and Wendy enjoyed pacing along the edge of the water, and when it was finally warm enough, they shed their shoes in favor of playing in it. They'd follow as the water sank back away from them, and then scamper to avoid the water as it came rushing back. Natsu watched them, looking absolutely bewildered, for once being the one _not_ messing around.

When they'd rinsed their feet of sand and dried them so that they could put their shoes back on, the trio of Fairy Tail mages decided to head back into Hargeon, where they went to see the docks - Lucy was immensely thankful for the water that soaked everything, because there was a point when Natsu got too excited over the fish in the water below them and she thought he would burst into flames out of excitement.

Eventually, they stopped somewhere to pick up a fish for Happy and a small meal for Charle before heading back to their room. Lucy glanced at the clock as they kicked their shoes off and headed inside. They still had a few hours to spare. So she prepared Happy's fish for him, and then left Natsu and Wendy to have a playful little discussion over which of their dragons would win in a battle. The celestial mage wasn't exactly blind to the sadness that occasionally filled both of their voices, but she smiled at the pride they had at the same time.

Pulling her laptop out - she'd brought it with her, figuring the job wouldn't be destructive enough that she had to leave it behind - and wishing for some tea, Lucy pulled up her work and cocked her head in thought, eyes studying the screen. Her publisher had praised her for her rough draft, explaining a few edits that her editor had suggested, and Lucy was ready to create her second rough draft.

At this rate, she'd have a new book out within the next few months.

She was half-way through rewriting a scene she wasn't entirely happy with when she realized that silence had filled the room and that there was a warm breath on her shoulder, revealed by the showy top she'd picked out.

On pure instinct, she simply snapped around, backhanding the fire mage that had been reading over her shoulder hard enough that he went crashing to the ground with a yelp of surprise and pain.

"Ow," he said with a huff, rubbing his cheek as Wendy, Charle, and Happy all gaped in their direction. "The hell was that for, Luce?"

"I told you," she seethed, snapping her laptop shut with a scowl on her face. She climbed to her feet, then placed her hands on her hips and glared furiously down at her partner. "No one gets to read my work until it's finished, Natsu."

"I finished my book though," he whined. "I wanna read more."

She turned away, scooping up her laptop with a sniff. "Sucks to be you, you should have brought another with you, Natsu." Lucy tucked the laptop under her arm and headed over to return it to her bag before glancing at the clock. "Now stop whining and clean yourself up. We have a client to meet."

Wendy scampered to her feet, glancing at Charle. "Would you like us to bring you with us, or should we leave you two here, Charle?"

The white cat eyed them carefully, studying the grumpy look on Natsu's face as he rubbed his reddening cheek. "Happy and I will remain here. I am quite certain you and Lucy are capable of handling Natsu's destructive tendencies."

Lucy smiled smugly. "We are. Don't worry, Charle, I'll make sure Wendy comes back safe and sound." She shot Natsu another glare as she quickly tugged on her shoes, and he scowled in response, irritated that she'd actually managed to hit him before he could get out of the way.

Wendy only giggled, shaking her head so that her long blue locks fell around her face. "We'll see you soon then...bye, Happy!" she called to the blue cat, who was finally finishing off his fish from earlier. The cat had a habit of practically preserving the fish he received, and Wendy knew that Lucy was also questioning the sanity of the cat. It had to be disgusting by now…

The two females waited for Natsu to stand up and grouchily make his way over before heading out of the room.

It was time to meet their client.

* * *

 _I liked writing this chapter. It was cute and fun. With tiny little Nalu moments if you squint. Next chapter is where we get some more insight on some of Natsu's thoughts. ;)_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _GoingDownWithTheseShips:_** _Mira is a seriously awesome person. Her changes of personality when she's happy and angry makes me laugh harder than it should. XD  
_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _Natsu the hoarder. Curling up on his hoard like that wouls be absolutely hilarious though, I agree._

 ** _Risa98:_** _At this point, I'm pretty sure you won't have to have any worries about a hiatus. Not unless something comes up. I generally don't do much that makes me unable to write, lol. Thanks!_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _Stingy Natsu is an adorable Natsu._

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Natsu better learn to share, or he's gonna have an angry Lucy on his hands! :D  
_

 ** _Yami-The Lord of Darkness:_** _Only thirty or so chapters left until it happens! ;)  
_

 ** _TigerArrowGirl:_** _Natsu is an adorable selfish person though. Her revenge will be delivered swiftly and painfully. Have no fears about that, my friend._

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Things are going to be interesting on their job, aren't they? I'm glad you enjoyed!_

 ** _See you:_** _I agree. That seems like a necessary action. And you are not mistaken, she did mention that. You'll have to wait and see when that happens though. ;)_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Levy's laughter was probably the part I enjoyed writing the most in that scene to be honest. I was trying seriously hard not to confuse the fellow student beside me because I chose to write it in school (a mistake on my part) when I was laughing! :D_

 ** _Moon Stone Tiger Lily:_** _Oh, you'll want to hit him even harder later on. I have plans that will probably piss everyone off. ;) I agree though. He does need to learn to share, yes?_

 ** _:_** _Yep! I do go back and add them all in! My process is actually pretty simple though, because I post on tumblr as well. Upload the chapter here, add in breaks and whatnot at the same time as going through tumblr, and then take about fifteen to thirty minutes responding to reviews and smiling the entire time, voila! And thank you so much!_ _  
_


	34. Chapter 34

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The meeting spot was a decent place in public, something Lucy wasn't so sure about. It didn't allow them to use their magic, and that was just plain concerning. If something were to happen - Wendy had reassured nothing usually did, something happened only once in a blue moon in regards to clients - they wouldn't be able to fight back without pissing off the Magic Council.

So when they stepped into the park they'd agreed to meet their client at and Lucy felt a tug of something that made her uncomfortable, she found herself instinctively moving closer to her friends. Natsu's onyx eyes hardened warily, but Wendy only smiled at them before guiding them to the first bench on the right. "We agreed to meet here, right, Lucy?"

"Yes. Master told them to look for a boy with a weird scarf," Lucy told her. Natsu huffed, looking annoyed by this and she shrugged. "Sorry, Natsu," she told him, grateful that her annoyance and his grouchiness had faded away. "It is a little bit weird, no matter how much I like it."

His annoyance disappeared and he grinned broadly. "I know."

"Fairy Tail?"

Lucy's head snapped around, blonde hair tumbling around her face as she pushed her hands into her pockets, her fingers wrapping around the reassuring coolness of her keys. Her eyes darted up and down the figure before them studying him with care. His dark hair had been slicked back into a spiky ponytail, and he was dressed in fairly decent clothes, but Lucy continued to feel even more uncomfortable the closer he got.

Wendy remained calm, but Natsu was anything but. The fire mage shuffled a step or two closer to his partner so that their arms brushed, his onyx eyes flashing dangerously, just daring the man to do something weird.

Their client pretended not to notice. "By the symbol on the lady's hand there," he said, nodding at Lucy and making her tense, "I'll take it as a yes. My name's Kageyama."

Lucy licked her lips before answering, forcing herself to speak so she didn't come off as rude. "I'm Layla," she said as an introduction. Neither Wendy nor Natsu said anything about her name, and Lucy was grateful that Wendy seemed to instinctively know better than to blurt out her real name. "This is Wendy, and this is Natsu. I assume you've brought what you'd like us to deliver to the Magic Council?" She was grateful the Magic Council would be the one behind their payment. She wouldn't have trusted Kageyama to bring their money, honestly.

"Yes." Kageyama shoved his hand into a bag, shuffling around in it before pulling out a small box. It was made of plexiglass from what Lucy could see, and there was a velvet cushion inside upon which the object rested.

Lucy shivered slightly at the sight of it. She wasn't entirely sure of what it was, but it looked like a flute. A flute made of ancient wood with a skull upon it. And she didn't like it one bit. "May I ask what it is?" she asked carefully.

"This," Kageyama said, a smile playing along his lips in a way neither dragon slayer appreciated. "Is Lullaby."

Wendy sucked in a sharp breath while Natsu and Lucy exchanged confused looks. Lucy had never heard of it, Wendy guessed, thanks to not knowing she was a mage until recently. Natsu was just clueless.

But Wendy certainly had.

Grandeeney had mentioned it once or twice in passing.

And only when speaking about one thing.

...she'd tell the other two later.

"We'll protect it and keep it safe until it can be delivered," Wendy promised. She held her hands out and Kageyama placed it in her small grasp, looking nearly reluctant for only a moment before the smile was back on his face. "Thank you for cooperating with the guilds of Fiore and the Magic Council, Mr. Kageyama." She smiled brightly at him, bowed her head, then turned and handed the small box to Lucy.

Kageyama only gave a smile that was edged with a darkness nobody saw. "My pleasure, Miss Wendy."

Lucy examined the box in her hands with Natsu peering curiously over her shoulder. She shuddered at the chill that went down her spine when she studied the empty eye sockets of the skull part, immediately tucking it into her pocket - and not the one that held her keys, which warmed against the hand grasping them.

"We'll make sure it gets to the Magic Council, just like Wendy said," Lucy told him, copying the young girl by giving a small nod. "Now if you'll excuse us…" She smiled, ignoring the way the dark-haired man eyed her chest. Damn, she was even wearing her jacket!

Unknown to her, Natsu gave the man a dangerous look, practically puffing up in his anger. Smoke escaped his nostrils as he huffed out an annoyed breath, and he gritted his teeth furiously, growling just barely enough that Wendy overheard and had to fight back a smile. He felt a slight flash of satisfaction when Kageyama's gaze darted to him and then away from Lucy.

After giving a final word of farewell, the three Fairy Tail mages turned to leave. As soon as they were out of earshot and they were sure they weren't being followed, all three huffed out a sharp breath of relief.

"I don't trust him," Lucy announced quietly.

"Nope," Natsu agreed.

"He scared me," Wendy admitted.

"And he was looking at my chest," the celestial mage added grouchily, crossing her arms as if hoping it would help hide her. "Damn. Everywhere I go...I'm in a jacket, too! Ugh! Jerk!"

Wendy only bit back another smile at the look on Natsu's face. While Natsu was known in the guild for his childishness and supposed obliviousness to certain matters, Wendy alongside a few others knew just how clever and sneaky the fire mage could be. And he was currently in the process of being that clever and sneaky man.

Precisely why Erza had confronted him in secret after he'd burned Lucy's clothes away in their battle with Deliora.

Not that Lucy knew about that.

And Wendy seriously doubted she ever would, because if anyone told her, Erza would beat the hell out of him, and not even she, who usually got away with some things others didn't, didn't dare to talk. "I wonder why they lied and said we were transporting a vase," the young girl mused aloud, frowning.

"So...the hell is Lullaby anyways?" Natsu suddenly demanded curiously, cocking his head and not particularly interested in knowing why they'd been lied to.

"How am I supposed to know?" Lucy huffed, rolling her eyes. "I'm not some all-knowing person, Natsu. How about you, Wendy? Do you know anything about Lullaby?"

"Yes, actually," Wendy said carefully. "Grandeeney - my dragon mother," she added quickly in explanation to a bewildered Lucy. "Grandeeney mentioned it once or twice before she left. I don't remember the details, because I was only seven years old, but…" She tilted her head, sweeping a long lock of blue hair behind her ear. "Lullaby - a long time ago - was another of Zeref's demons."

Natsu went stock still, gawking at her and stopping in his tracks. "S'another _demon_? Lucy has a _demon_ in her pocket?! Get it out, woman!" He shoved his hand into her pocket and Lucy squawked in shock, trying to shove him away, smacking at his hand with a cry of "Natsu!".

Wendy laughed, catching their attention. "It _was_ a demon, Natsu." She smiled kindly at the other dragon slayer, her dark eyes sparkling. "It was sealed into that flute a long time ago. I'm glad the Magic Council is getting a hold of it...from what I heard, it was a demon of death."

Natsu withdrew his hand from Lucy's pocket, wincing as he shook away the stinging pain from Lucy smacking it. "Oh. Well...you know, better safe than sorry." He frowned. "Why did Grandeeney tell you about _demons_? Gajeel mentioned Metalicana talkin' to him about them, too...Igneel never said anything to me."

Wendy shrugged, carefully stepping off of a curb. They were only a few minutes away from their room by this point, and Lucy admittedly wanted to curl up on the couch with a book or her laptop. "I don't know," the sky dragon slayer said truthfully, shaking her head. "Grandeeney didn't talk about it much - or maybe she did. Like I said, I was seven when she vanished, so I'm not sure. We can talk about it with Gajeel when we see him next."

"Damn right we'll talk with Iron Breath," he growled in response. "Or I'll run to Sabertooth and see what they have to say."

Lucy only shook her head, but she _was_ a bit curious.

What the hell was with these demons?

* * *

When evening came around, Natsu was the first to offer to stay up to watch over Lullaby. After Wendy's words about it being a demon, neither he nor Lucy were willing to leave it completely alone. So Lucy ran out to buy Natsu one of her books to keep him occupied, back within minutes of leaving.

 _Thank goodness for having a bookstore in the hotel…_

"Here you go," she told him as she handed it over to the eager-eyed dragon slayer. He mumbled a thanks, not taking his eyes off of the book. "This is the one you wanted, right?"

"Yeah," he replied, shooting her a grin. "Thanks, Luce!"

"No problem. Just keep the lamp on, make sure Lullaby doesn't do anything weird, and wake us up if it does, okay?" Lucy affectionately patted his shoulder before going to the bathroom to change. "We're going to bed...don't get too noisy, okay?"

"I'm reading a book," Natsu replied, frowning. He gave her a bewildered look. "How the hell do you expect me to make noise? 'Sides, Happy's sleeping with you." He pointed to where the blue cat was already curled up among the blankets.

"You're you," Lucy said bluntly. "You'll figure out a way. Wake me up next, okay? We're going to let Wendy sleep since she did most of the negotiating today." She smiled slightly at him, gaze softening from it's warning look. "Good night, Natsu."

He sighed. "Night," he muttered, and then wandered back to the couch, not saying anything more than that. Lucy smiled to herself and headed over to the bed, sliding Happy aside before sliding between the covers. Happy mumbled in his sleep and tried to snuggle against her before sighing and falling back into a deep sleep.

Lucy wasn't far behind, and Wendy and Charle were already unconscious in their own bed, enjoying the world of dreams.

When he was sure everyone was asleep, Natsu turned in his spot to stare at them - particularly his blonde companion. He studied her as he'd done a few nights before, when he'd come back from the Magic Council visit.

She wasn't too deeply asleep yet, so her breathing wasn't deep and quiet. She'd curled herself around Happy after a few minutes, cuddling the blue cat to her chest with a slight smile on her face.

Natsu shook his head, unable to understand. He wouldn't lie. He knew he hadn't had any friends outside of Wendy he'd seek out before she'd shown up. Sure, he and Lisanna had once been close, but she'd drifted off eventually. Partially his fault, he'd gone out too much in search of his father, staying out for months on end and leaving her to move on with her life.

Outside of Happy, Natsu had didn't dared to get too close to the rest of his guild. He loved them all, yes, and he'd protect what he had with his life - dragon instincts and his own - but he hadn't gone into the guild to _talk_. He'd been there for food, drinks, the occasional brawl, and picking up jobs. But he'd never actually _talked_ with them. He'd never playfully teased them as Lucy was fond of doing. He'd never made them smile.

If anything, he'd pissed them all off beyond belief.

Of course, he knew a few of them cared for him. Erza was often checking on him, as were Lisanna, Mirajane, and Makarov. Not to mention Wendy, who made sure he didn't go crazy when he was in the guildhall.

He'd just had his issues. He'd been abandoned by Igneel. The others - especially Gajeel - had seen it in the same light. Wendy had eventually agreed, though she'd been reluctant. Igneel, the one he cared for above everyone else in the world, had up and left him.

So if he chose to get too close, why wouldn't someone else leave?

He wasn't worried about that with Lucy, not like he'd been with the rest of his guild. Maybe it was because of some weird thing he didn't know about, or maybe it was just something about her. Perhaps it was even the fact that her hair looked like spun gold in the sunlight, bringing out his need to stash her away alongside the rest of his hoard.

But he knew without a doubt Lucy wouldn't abandon him willingly. She was his partner, even if Makarov had told him to team up with her. She had his back, even if she couldn't fight well. And she'd filled the hole - overflowed it - that had once ached for his father.

Sure, he still missed Igneel. He'd always miss Igneel. But he was gone.

And Lucy wasn't.

He narrowed his eyes dangerously, watching her for a few more moments before turning away, instead scowling at Lullaby, which rested lightly on the coffee table that rested in front of the couch.

Natsu wouldn't hesitate to protect her.

Even if that meant the destruction of everyone else.

* * *

 _As promised, Natsu's thoughts on Lucy for the time being! Pretty big thoughts, yes? Next chapter, things start going to hell. Gonna say it right now. ;)_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _No one can control the great Natsu Dragneel! Lol, I agree. It requires a freaking dragon to control that lovely person.  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Lucy's revenge was apparently purchasing a published work, eh? That slap was fun to write though. My evil side came up for that._

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _And what do you think of them? Good? Bad? Strange? ;)  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Oh my gosh, thank you so much! Natsu being grumpier goes with him being older, I think. It was originally just going to be the lyrics (in regards to the song) but my editor/best friend ran away with herself and started making a tune for it and it just went from there. Aquarius...you'll have to wait and see about the glorious arrival I have for her. XD  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Mages and their weird clothing choices indeed. I need to have Natsu wear his vest again later, I think. See what Lucy thinks then. ;)_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _Lol. Their hoarding is a fun thing for me.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _I love Wendy! She's such a kind character who feels horrible about destroying things. I love how the team acts around her, too._

 ** _Celestial Valkyrie:_** _Thank you for your amazing review! You'll have to wait and see if that happens! :D  
_

 ** _Typhlosion8:_** _Huh. I love Harry Potter, watch the movies and read the books all the time. I didn't even think of that connection...the hell have I been doing? ...I think I was reading Harry Potter when I came up with the idea, that might explain quite a bit, actually... Well. Thank you for this interesting review. XD_ _  
_

 ** _felic42:_** _Thank you! Have no worries, I update this three times a week! ;)  
_


	35. Chapter 35

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

When morning came around, Lucy was exhausted. As promised, Natsu had woken her up about half-way through the night to switch with her, passing out the second he hit the bed. Lucy had fought the urge to laugh. Only Natsu would be as energetic as he was and then just pass out.

Setting her book aside with a yawn, Lucy went over to gently shake Wendy awake. The sky dragon slayer mumbled a quiet thanks, and Lucy proceeded to smile warmly before turning to wake Natsu. She poked at his shoulder, wary.

She didn't want to burst into flames today.

"Natsu, wake up," she told him, and then continued poking at his shoulder until he finally groaned and rolled over to give her a sleepy glare. His pink hair stuck up in every single direction imaginable, and Lucy fought back a smile by biting her lip as she looked at it. "Stop giving me that look," she scolded gently, "We have things to do. We have to leave to go give Lullaby to the Magic Council in two hours."

"Ugh," he moaned, turning back over and burying his face in the pillows. "Go without me. I wanna sleep."

"And you'll regret it if you don't get up," Lucy chided, rolling her eyes before smiling when Wendy's giggles and Charle's unamused mutter filled the air. "Because we're heading straight to the train station afterwards."

"Screw it." His voice was muffled by the pillows. "Go without me, I'll walk."

"Happy," Lucy sighed, turning her attention on the yawning blue cat. "Can you see if you can get him up by the time we leave? I need some coffee…"

"Sure," the blue cat answered cheerfully.

"Do you want the bathroom first, Wendy?" Lucy offered, glancing at the blue-haired girl. "I want my coffee before my shower anyways." Wendy beamed and headed into the bathroom immediately, taking Charle with her, and Lucy wandered over to the small kitchenette and reached for the coffee pot, pouring the coffee she'd made before she'd gone to wake them up into a mug. She sipped thoughtfully at her mug after mixing in some sugar and creamer, and then hummed as she went around, picking up various possessions.

Natsu got up at some point, mindlessly following her around after he was awake enough to stop sitting in bed. Lucy pretended not to notice - until Happy snickered. Then she told him to stop and sit down.

Natsu was, admittedly, quite adorable, the celestial mage decided as he puffed up his cheeks and flopped onto the couch, scrubbing at an eye tiredly and fixing his scarf so that it wasn't partially strangling him. So she couldn't help it when she moved over with a sigh, setting her mug aside in favor of gently fixing his hair, muttering, "Jeez, you're a mess this morning."

He grumbled, dropping his hands and letting her do what she wanted. "M'tired," he mumbled with a huff.

Again, Lucy was reminded of the fact that she'd known this man for only close to two months, and here she was, affectionately helping him fix his hair for the day, as if she'd done it for years. Honestly? She couldn't be happier to do it.

She'd just finished when Wendy came out of the bathroom, dressed in a long-sleeved dress. She held Charle in her arms, and smiled brilliantly at the blonde. "You can have the bathroom now, Lucy," she said cheerfully.

Lucy smiled in return. "Thanks, Wendy," she said honestly, grabbing her coffee and drinking a few more sips of it before shoving the mug into Natsu's hands. "Drink. It'll wake you up a bit. Wendy, I don't know how he reacts to caffeine, so I'm putting you in charge of him until I come back out."

Wendy's eyes filled with fear. "But Lucy-"

Lucy turned away before she could finish, slipping into the bathroom after grabbing her possessions. She grinned, though she was betting she was going to regret giving Natsu coffee. She'd let Wendy deal with it first, though.

She showered quickly, and within no time at all, Lucy was walking back into the room, clothed in another pair of clothing that she'd purchased on her shopping trip. She grimaced, uncomfortable in the long-sleeved shirt that plunged down to show off a bit more chest then she was used to. The skirt - which only came a few inches down her thighs - was way too short, she decided, and she really shouldn't have been wearing thigh-high boots unless she was looking to seduce someone.

Which she wasn't.

Longing for her jeans, Lucy turned to Wendy. "How's he doing?"

"It hasn't kicked in yet," Wendy reported, glancing warily at the dragon slayer that was happily sipping away at Lucy's coffee. "I _really_ hope it doesn't start when we're around the Councilman...that could end badly."

"I may have you take him to the train station," Lucy sighed. "I can deliver Lullaby myself. It'd be safer that way...I'd rather not have to explain why the most destructive mage in history is bouncing around because of caffeine."

Natsu grumbled from where he was sitting on the couch with Happy. The blue cat was watching his buddy warily, as if nervous of what would happen soon. "I don't _want_ to ride the train," the dragon slayer whined. "Can't I walk?"

"No," Lucy told him, "Because you and I are going to see if we can catch another job right after we get back, remember? One that you chose. Which probably means I'll be losing money so that you can pay for the destruction you cause…"

"You can't say anything against that," Happy pointed out. "You're really good at that."

"Shut up, Happy," Natsu grumbled.

Lucy plucked the mug from his hands and cleaned it quickly, replacing it in the cabinet she'd gotten it from before waving for them to leave. "Grab your stuff, and let's go. I'll see you at the train station, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Natsu huffed. His onyx eyes were cautious as he watched Lucy put her jacket on and shove her wallet, phone, and keys into the pocket alongside Lullaby. "Be careful. Dunno what else might want that thing."

"Take Wendy with you," Charle surprised them all by saying, her dark eyes wary. Wendy studied her blank expression with a frown, as if recognizing the look. "It would be best that you take Wendy with you. The tomcat and I will watch over Natsu."

Lucy eyed her in surprise. "...okay. Come on, Wendy, let's get going then."

"Yeah," Wendy agreed. They bid the other three a quick farewell, and then set off for the agreed meeting spot. As soon as they were out of earshot of Natsu - which took a few minutes of walking - Wendy spoke. "Charle's not telling me something."

"What do you mean?" Lucy questioned, glancing at her with a frown.

"Charle has visions," Wendy explained. "I know she had one recently...it shows her glimpses of what's coming, of the future. She said before we set out on this job that she saw something that concerned her, that it had something to do with you, me, and a few others...and she also mentioned that it wasn't good. That look she had…" Wendy shook her head, hugging herself and looking truly worried. "She has that look when she sees something. I'm worried."

Lucy soothingly wrapped an arm around the younger girl's shoulders. "I'm sure everything will turn out alright, Wendy. So long as Natsu's around, we'll be safe. Besides." She grinned, patting her pocket. "I have my Spirits, and I'm sure they'll help us if we need it."

"True," Wendy agreed with a small giggle, returning the small hug. "Let's just hope Charle can handle both Natsu _and_ Happy…" She winked. "Happy has a crush on Charle, you know...I've tried to encourage Charle to just accept him, that he really does like her, but...I think she likes to make him think she doesn't like him, just so he continues to try and improve his own strength. It encourages him to train and work harder."

"Not a bad thing," Lucy admitted.

Wendy murmured her agreement.

The two made their way through the town with ease, pausing only to grab something to eat from a stand on the street. They'd finished eating by the time they arrived at their destination: a small plaza with a fountain in the middle. They'd been told to meet the Councilman or Councilwoman sent here, and Lucy appreciated the fact that it was in public this time. Unlike with the other man, who'd made all of them uncomfortable, this man would surely be safe.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

Lucy sighed. Only one way to be sure.

The girls settled down to wait.

It turned out that the woman - it had been a female member that the Magic Council had sent - had been as safe as Lucy had hoped. She'd done nothing to make either of the Fairy Tail mages uncomfortable, and had been friendly and grateful when Lucy had safely deposited Lullaby in her possession. She'd handed the key over to Lucy immediately alongside a few thousand Jewels to Wendy, who'd gratefully accepted the money. Lucy decided that since they hadn't gotten any more money, she'd simply let Natsu get their next job's prize.

After they'd bid farewell to the Councilwoman, Lucy had playfully linked arms with her dragon slayer friend, and the two had set out, chattering with each other one whether or not Wendy would cast the Troia spell on Natsu for the way back.

* * *

"Shit," he gasped as he sped down a highway, trying his damn hardest to get to the next town over while trying to not get a ticket at the same time, " _Shit_! How did we not hear about this sooner?!" His knuckles were tight enough around the steering wheel that they'd turned white, and his dark eyes flashed with concern for what might have already happened.

"Calm yourself, my dear," the blue-haired woman in the passenger seat tried to soothe, "It isn't our faults."

"Listen to Juvia, Gray," Erza urged from where she sat in the back. "The Magic Council only realized what was happening today. It's not any fault of ours." Her voice was surprisingly sharp and angry despite the calm and collected look she wore. "If it's anyone's fault, I would blame the one behind this all himself."

The woman who sat behind Erza hummed in thought. "Perhaps," she suggested, her blue eyes staring straight ahead of her, "It is not Jellal Fernandes behind this? I do not feel that he is to blame for any of this."

Erza turned startled eyes on the strange woman beside her, and even Gray glanced in the rear view mirror, watching warily.

To say that she'd surprised them was an understatement.

The strangely dressed woman with short pink hair had scared the hell out of them. She'd appeared - quite literally - in front of Erza only moments after it had been announced that the escaped criminal Jellal Fernandes had begun to move, his goal clear.

He needed a celestial mage.

And with Yukino safe with Sabertooth, that left only one other option.

Lucy.

Hence the reason that this strange woman had shown up. Clothed in a maid outfit, none of the males in the guild had really minded her showing up - until she'd announced that she was Virgo, a Celestial Spirit, and that she needed to get to the celestial mage Lucy as soon as possible. She'd even brought the key to prove it.

In the chaos, Makarov had sent the four of them out to see to it that Lucy - and the rest of the team in Hargeon - were safe.

Virgo, realizing that she'd be going with them, had announced a chilling bit of news that frightened them once they were in Gray's car: Jellal was already there.

"Have you gotten through to anyone?" Gray called to Erza, letting his foot press down a little bit more on the gas pedal, thanking the heavens above that the magic they used could hide them from the cops. When Erza didn't respond, her eyes locked on some place they couldn't see, he snapped, "Erza! Snap out of it, this could be a life or death situation here!"

Erza shook her head to clear it. "No," she replied, glancing at Juvia. Juvia shook her head, lowering her own phone after attempting to call Lucy. "Try Natsu, Juvia."

"Okay." Juvia dialed the dragon slayer's number, and then lifted it to her ear, biting her lip nervously as Gray took a sharp turn, throwing them all into the side of the car. There was a few moments of silence, and then-

"Yo."

"Natsu," Juvia whimpered in relief, "Juvia's glad you picked up! Juvia needs to know if Lucy is with you." She put the phone on speaker.

Natsu sounded bewildered when he replied, "Uh, no, she's not. She sent me, Charle, and Happy to the train station. I've got Wendy and her bag - s'where the cats are - and the two of them went to hand over Lullaby to the Magic Council."

"... _Lullaby_?" Gray snapped, astonished. "The hell are you doing with _Lullaby_?"

"Not now, Gray, my dear," Juvia scolded, then said firmly, "Juvia needs you to find them immediately. The Council sent out a warning that Jellal Fernandes was seen in Hargeon, and he's searching for a celestial mage."

Natsu didn't respond for a moment, stunned, and then snarled, " _What_? Shit! C'mon, Happy, Charle, we gotta go find them!"

"We're on our way," Erza called into the phone, her gaze dark. "We'll help you when we get there. If you find them, make sure they're safe and that they stay safe, is that clear?"

"Yeah."

Natsu hung up without another word.

"I will be able to assist in finding her," Virgo added suddenly. "But I cannot remain here for the time being. I leave my key in your care. Simply call my name when you think I am needed." She tilted her head just slightly. "The Spirit King doesn't appreciate us stepping through our own gates. Not since Big Brother-" She cut off, shaking her head. "Call for me when you believe I am needed." She bowed her head to Erza, dropped something into the startled woman's hand, and then vanished in a flash of light.

Erza studied the golden key, and then carefully pocketed it, taking a deep breath as she prepared herself for the hell they were about to face.

Gray sped the car up further.

Juvia chewed anxiously on her lip.

And from where he watched in the shadows of a church, a hood drawn over his head, Jellal Fernandes smirked, watching the blonde celestial mage pause near a magic shop that the sky dragon slayer had pointed out to consider buying a pair of fingerless gloves that were patterned with a red dragon and its flames.

* * *

 _Virgo's here, yay! And things are about to get serious, yes? As you might have guessed, we've entered the Tower of Heaven arc. I enjoyed writing all of this arc more than any other arc so far. ;)_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _Protective and sad thoughts are lovely things. They're enjoyable to create in writing, too. ;)  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _And more Nalu moments for everyone to enjoy! :D Natsu would probably chain Lucy in a safe if he could. Lol._

 ** _silver light of dawn:_** _I'm glad! Natsu's POV doesn't show up as much as Lucy's, but when it does..._ _  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Natsu's a sneaky little bastard. Look at the smiles he gets when Lucy loses her clothes! I agree with you. Look at what he's done recently, he's a deeper thinker for sure.  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _The Nalu only intensifies further, eh? That vest needs to show up soon, I think. ;)  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Ah, Lullaby. Here and then gone. For now.  
_

 ** _kinsutenekochan:_** _I agree. And I think that it's a thing that he'd do in the actual series, too, going so far for her. I think we need more private talks between he and Erza. It'd be funny._

 ** _GoingDownWithTheseShips:_** _Thank you! His thoughts are enjoyable to write._

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _Oh my goodness, thank you for your kind words! Love mslead's works, she's a lovely writer. Especially with Parallels. I'm totally fine with fanart if you want to make some. If you have a tumblr, shoot me a message about it there (my url is in my profile), or if you don't, let me know here on the fanfiction website. ;)_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Dragon-like Natsu is one of my favorite things. He's already so much like a dragon it's ridiculous._

 ** _Guest#1:_** _You'll have to wait and see about Zeref! ;)_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Kageyama pisses me off for some reason. END-ish thoughts are important. They create that darkness we need. :D_

 ** _Miya:_** _I'm glad you like it! I like writing it a lot. Protective Natsu is the best._

 ** _Guest#2:_** _Thank you! Other characters' thoughts are interesting, it helps you put things in perspective._


	36. Chapter 36

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

She ignored the metallic taste of blood in her mouth in favor of protectively holding the unconscious girl in her arms. The sticky red liquid matted both of their hair from wounds on their heads, both caused by something heavy striking them. And while she'd woken…

Wendy hadn't.

Lucy swallowed thickly, hugging Wendy tightly, relieved to feel the younger girl's breath on her cheek. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and murmured a silent prayer that Natsu realize that something was wrong and that he realized it _soon_.

It had happened so quickly, Lucy hadn't had the time to truly realize what had occurred. She'd been walking out of the store after purchasing some gloves for Natsu when the world had gone black. She'd cried out in alarm, immediately grabbing Wendy so she wouldn't lose her and then... _wham_! Pain had exploded in the back of her head and she remembered nothing. Now…

Well, at least it was nicer than Jose's place had been. It wasn't a dungeon. But she was surrounded by things that had to do with cats and she was just a little freaked out.

There was also some strange material wrapped tightly around her ankle as well as one wrapped around Wendy's. A small comfort was, however, the fact that she still had her keys. They were warm when she touched them, a comfort. It appeared her wallet, the gloves, and her phone were alright as well…

She slapped a hand to her face.

Her phone! How stupid could she get? She dug her hand into her pocket and immediately checked to see if she had a signal.

She was more than surprised when she discovered she did. It wasn't too good, but it would work.

The second she realized she did, in fact, have the ability to contact her friends, Lucy was scrambling to do exactly that. The first one she called, to her relief, picked up.

"Natsu," she gasped before he could say anything. She winced at the crackling over the line. "Natsu, can you hear me?"

"Lu-?" The call cut off before coming back, going in and out. "-alright? Where-"

"I'm fine," Lucy reassured quietly, biting her lip and hoping he could hear her. "I don't know where we are. But...Wendy's hurt." She set her phone between her shoulder and her cheek, brushing the hair from Wendy's face. There was only crackling. "Natsu?"

"-here," he muttered back. "Got-" More crackling. "-find you, Erza…"

Lucy gritted her teeth. "What about Erza?"

"They're...find you. Hold...Jellal…"

Her face went white as it clicked. So the one she'd seen in Mirajane's message to the entire magic community was behind this? Damn.

"-safe. I'm...promise. I'll-"

The line went dead, and a giggle filled the air. Lucy slowly lowered her phone, pressing her lips together as she turned her gaze on a doorway that had appeared in the room. She instinctively held Wendy closer, glaring.

The girl was pretty…and clearly had an obsession with cats. Her light brown hair contrasted sharply with her green eyes, and she wore an outfit that put Lucy's short skirt to shame. There were two red marks on each cheek and what looked like cat ears atop her head. A cloak had been tied around her neck, and a gloved hand messed with a tail that twitched every now and then. When she smiled, she showed off just barely sharpened canines - nothing compared to Natsu's and Gajeel's.

"You're awake!" she said with a cheerful tone, making Lucy cringe. How could someone be so _happy_ when they were kidnapping people? "We were worried that you were hit a little too hard…" She frowned. "Are they too tight?" she added suddenly, indicating the strange bands on their ankles.

Lucy narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but then blinked.

This girl was actually concerned. She wasn't mocking her, she wasn't trying to brag. She was really trying to make sure she was alright. "...no," Lucy said carefully, "But my friend isn't waking up."

She grimaced apologetically. "Sorry. That would be Jellal's fault...he must have hit her a bit harder than he thought." Lucy's gaze snapped up to her face. Maybe she was seriously a nice person, but if she was working with the one who was behind this...the one who'd hurt Wendy…

She was the enemy.

Simple as that.

Lucy raised her chin, clenching her jaw as she demanded, "Why am I here?"

The girl paused, cocking her head for a moment. "I don't think it's a good idea that I tell you. I don't know all the details myself, but our ultimate goal is for-"

"Milliana," a deep voice suddenly chided gently, "You're not supposed to give plans away to the ones we kidnap." A rather tall man had appeared, his dark eyes darting to Lucy for a moment. Lucy swallowed thickly and quickly lowered her gaze to Wendy. He didn't seem all that bad either, from the looks of it.

Milliana scoffed. "I know that!" A pause. "I think."

Lucy knew just who to go to to get information, then. She ignored them, and then murmured a hissed "Keep quiet!" when Wendy stirred. While relieved that the girl was okay, she wanted to gain some time.

"I'll let Jellal know she's awake," Millianna said cheerfully, giving Lucy a little wave before slipping out of the door. "Sho will be excited to know, too, I'm sure."

The man gave a kind look - Lucy was sure he smiled beneath the strange thing he wore to hide the lower portion of his face. It looked like a metal jaw that had been pinned there by some sort of magic. She was sure it was some sort of magic holding it there...it was always magic now a days. "Don't worry, we don't want to hurt you."

"You might not," Lucy said tightly, "But I don't trust anyone." And she wouldn't. Not until Natsu was with her - or someone else who could fight. But mostly Natsu, because of all of the people in the guild, she trusted him the most. Not that she didn't trust anyone else, but...he was her partner. And she trusted him to play dirty if necessary, not something she was sure the others would do.

"Smart," was all she got in response before he slid out of the room after Milliana. Lucy waited until the door was shut to gently nudge Wendy.

"Ow," Wendy mumbled, touching her head as she sat up. Lucy released her, her gaze full of concern. "That kind of hurts...where are we?"

Lucy shook her head. "I don't know." She peered around at the crazy cat room again, deciding it must be the girl's. "I was able to get through to Natsu a moment ago though...he and the two cats are looking. They'll find us. But...we're going to be dealing with Jellal Fernandes if what I could gather is correct."

Wendy's eyes darkened, and then flashed with pain when her head throbbed. "That's not good...he was imprisoned in the first place because he tricked the Magic Council into thinking he was someone else before trying to gather some kind of incredibly powerful magic they had."

Lucy pursed her lips and then said simply, "Well, we'll just have to see why we're here, hm?" She went to work on inspecting Wendy's injury. "It doesn't look too bad...you'll be alright. You might have a bit of a concussion, though."

"I'll be okay," Wendy reassured, grimacing.

Before the sky dragon slayer could say more, the door opened again, and Lucy protectively wrapped her arm around Wendy's shoulders, pressing her lips together and reaching for her keys. She'd use them if she had to, even if it meant fighting and losing.

Better to fight and lose than to not fight at all in this case.

This time, rather than Millianna and the tall man, her eyes settled on a young-looking man, only a few years older than herself. Blonde hair contrasted sharply with dark skin, and his green eyes were surprisingly cheerful. His cheek was dotted with a strange mark, Lucy noted, and one ear had been pierced. "Jellal would like to see you." Lucy moved to pull Wendy to her feet, but he stopped her with a hastily said, "Only you."

Lucy contemplated how to respond. Did she go with this man, see the Jellal everyone was worried about? Or did she stay here, where it was safe with Wendy?

Wendy chose for her. "Go, I'll be okay," she said firmly. "The others will be here soon, I'm sure. It won't take Natsu long to find us."

"Right." Lucy gave her a final hug, and then stepped over to join the newcomer with a blank look on her face. She paused, however, and tossed her phone to Wendy. The dragon slayer caught it. "Use it if something happens, okay?"

"Got it," she replied, smiling just barely.

The last she saw of Lucy was the celestial mage's messy blonde hair swinging behind her as she turned a corner.

She wouldn't see her for a while after that.

* * *

Natsu tapped his foot impatiently on the ground, his onyx eyes full of rage and just daring the man that worked in front of them to give a wrong answer. "Are you done yet?" he gritted out.

"One moment, please," he protested. "It takes a moment to trace calls to begin with...the fact that this one isn't connecting is a little concerning. It may be broken, or someone's blocked the phone with their magic. I'm not a magician here! Well, actually…"

Gray stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "Look, buddy, we just need you to answer the damn question. Where's the phone?"

The man ignored them for a few moments, muttering under his breath, "Freaking mages...impatient little bastards, aren't you? Here. This should be a general location." He grabbed the map they'd laid out and drew a circle around an area before slapping it down in front of them. "I know it's a bit testy and stupid, but it's the truth. It's in the middle of the water."

Erza studied the map carefully beside Juvia, and then narrowed her eyes into dangerous slits. "I know where she is...thank you, sir. Juvia, if we rent something as simple as a small boat, how fast could you get us there?"

Juvia looked startled. "Juvia would be able to get to where we're going within at least an hour."

"Let's go, then." Erza shoved the map back at the man that had helped them, murmuring a quick thanks before turning and darting out of the store, already requipped into her casual armor. People stared as she stepped outside, but she ignored them - especially when Charle spoke up from where she was hiding in Wendy's bag, which was carried by Juvia.

"What are you not telling us, Erza?" Charle demanded. "You know where they are and who has them, do you not?"

"We've already said it was Jellal," Gray reminded the white cat, crossing the street quickly and tugging his shirt off as he went. Juvia paused to quickly scoop it off the ground, as if used to picking up her beloved's clothes. "What more could do you think she knows?"

"Charle's right," Erza said suddenly, startling all of them. She glanced back, leading them towards the docks of Hargeon. "I'm...I _was_ a good friend of Jellal's once." Her voice became pained, her eyes flashing with grief. "I'll explain more once we're on a boat. But...I know exactly where we're going, as well. The island he's on was once where I lived with him and a few others. It was our hideaway. What he could possibly doing and in need of Lucy for, I don't know."

Natsu reached into Lucy's bag to reassuringly pat Happy on the head when the blue cat made an unhappy sound. "Wendy's there, too...he should have just left her here if he needed a celestial mage. So what the hell does he want with _her_?"

"I don't know," Erza said gravely, pressing her lips together. She nodded towards a small building as they made their way onto the docks. "I'm going to go rent us a boat. Stay here. Don't go _anywhere_ , is that clear?"

"Yes," they all agreed.

When the requip mage had gone inside, Juvia bit her lip. "Juvia is worried. Do you think they're okay?"

"I hope so," Gray grumbled. "What the hell is the Magic Council _doing_? How could they have let him get so far and not found him?"

Natsu said nothing, only glared furiously at the ground. He was more than just a little pissed off about the fact that his partner had been kidnapped. "I should have been there with them, damn it!"

"Don't blame yourself," Juvia scolded gently. "Lucy and Wendy will be alright."

"They better," he replied darkly. "I'll incinerate the bastard if they're not."

Charle was silent, unlike Happy, who'd begun to frantically claim he wanted out so that he could help, too. She remained still, her gaze blank as she stared off into a distance they couldn't see.

It was the same vision she'd had before, but at the same time, it wasn't.

 _Flames. A figure dotted with patches of red scales that gleamed in the firelight of the inferno that swirled around them. Lucy, doubled over, screaming with blood staining almost every inch of her skin as she clutched a scaled scarf to her chest. Gray protecting a pained looking Juvia and terrified Wendy alongside the screaming blonde from a blast, his shield of ice cracking beneath the pressure as he bellowed for Natsu to help him, not seeming to realize that the fire mage was nowhere in sight. Erza, her eyes blank with grief, her face streaked with ash as she held an unconscious Happy away from the dangerous heat and knelt before a man. A man cloaked in darkness, whose dark eyes gleamed with tears and malice as he begged for her forgiveness._

 _Wendy beside a body, sobbing hysterically into her hands as she screamed for them to wake up._

Charle shuddered.

Where they were going…

The white cat wasn't sure they'd be coming back.

* * *

 _Ah! Sorry for the lateness! I've been watching some American Horror Story... Anyhow! A bit of craziness, yes? And some more detail in Charle's vision...a warning, by the way. I'm not too big a fan of Wally, so he's not going to be making an appearance. BIG NEWS! I'll make sure to get it up on my profile soon, but BTL got some amazing fanart from ajdrakes! Thank you so much once again!  
_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:  
_**

 ** _Shidake:_** _We may never know about Natsu...but I agree. Lucy does tend to get into a LOT of trouble, doesn't she?  
_

 ** _Risa98:_** _Thank you! This is my favorite one that I've written so far! :D_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Natsu in the morning IS definitely adorable. Virgo's one of my favorites outside of Aquarius and Loke. She's such an interesting character. Jellal's intentions will be made clear eventually...the question is when! ;)  
_

 ** _Blue VanLocke:_** _No worries. But Council scenes would be interesting...I might have to try it eventually._

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _I apologize for making you wait longer than normal. Now you must wait two more days. ;)_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Yeah, Lullaby was another sort of transitional thing, like Phantom Lord, but it's not completely done with just yet. No worries. :D  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Anticipation is good. I like seeing you all anticipate the next chapter.  
_

 ** _Guest #1:_** _Sneaky, sneaky Jellal! I'm with you on being lazy in the mornings. Sometimes I sleep at my desk 'cause I get yelled at otherwise._

 ** _Typhlosion8:_** _Sweet Erza is adorable, but scary Erza is terrifying as hell. I dunno who I'd be more scared of, her or Jellal, honestly..._

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _Those little tiny moments are so much fun to write. Jellal needing a celestial mage was something I decided to twist in for some reason. It seemed fun. XD_

 ** _artistofthemind:_** _Oh my goodness, thank you!_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Tired Natsu is the cutest thing. You'll have to wait and see for Jellal's evil plans, and you just wait for Loke's official entrance. I can't wait for you all to read it. Only...fourteen more chapters!  
_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _Lucy needs to be way more careful than she is, doesn't she? XD_

 ** _Miya:_** _That was indeed a reference to our favorite Zodiac leader that you saw. ;) Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed!  
_

 ** _Guest #2:_** _Jerza might come into play, might not. You'll have to wait a LONG time to find out though. Que some evil laughter right there... Lol._

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _A giant chill pill would have been good for him. And speaking of Simon... ;D  
_

 ** _Guest #3:_** _Perhaps Natsu does get dragon force, perhaps he does not. In any case...hope you're ready for a wild ride. :D  
_


	37. Chapter 37

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy followed the blond man through the halls of wherever they were, her dark eyes carefully lacking in emotion. She would _not_ give Jellal Fernandes the satisfaction of her fear, she'd decided, no matter what he wanted with her.

When they entered a rather large room, Lucy took a moment to study it. It was made of some kind of beautifully shining rock rather than the stone and rugs she'd grown used to while walking through the building. It glowed softly in the dimness, casting shadows in strange frightening ways, and at the center of the room sat a throne-like chair. A person was settled in the chair, a man Lucy recognized from the picture she'd inspected on her computer only days before.

Jellal Fernandes watched her quietly, his head cocked just slightly to the side. His dark eyes showed no sign of anger or the evil gleam she expected. His presence held no threatening feeling or dark magic like Deliora's had, and the man beside Lucy only grinned and held up a hand in greeting as he called, "Brought her, Jellal!"

"Thank you, Sho," Jellal answered, voice surprisingly mellow. Lucy watched him suspiciously as he stood, waving for Sho to leave. "Would you and the other two make sure Miss Marvell's head is seen to?"

"Sure," Sho said cheerfully. "We'll set things up for her, too," he added, nodding towards Lucy before turning and starting away, hands shoved into his pockets. When a door closed behind him, Jellal's attention turned on Lucy.

"Hello," Jellal greeted pleasantly. "I'm Jellal Fernandes, though I suspect you're already aware of that...you _are_ Lucy Heartfilia, the princess of Bosco, am I correct?"

Lucy contemplated the idea of lying before seeing that there really wasn't any point. "Yes," she said stiffly, making no effort to be as polite as he appeared to be. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia." She offered nothing more than that, watching him carefully as she tightly crossed her arms, clamping her mouth shut.

Jellal shrugged, turning away. "Good. That would not have gone over well, explaining why you were picked for no reason had you not been." He examined a watch that decorated his wrist for a moment. "...perhaps an hour to two before they arrive. Should be plenty of time." Lucy impatiently gritted her teeth, silently demanding to know what there should be plenty of time for. When Jellal offered no more information, merely waved for her to follow him, she couldn't help but say it out loud.

"What do you want me here for?" Lucy demanded. "You had to knock us out? You couldn't simply _ask_?"

Jellal paused, as if considering this, and then flashed her a grin. "I suppose. But you wouldn't have come. The Magic Council will have alerts out everywhere by now. You would have heard of me, even if you _are_ a newer member of our community. Now. Follow me, please."

Lucy kept her gaze locked on him as she did as she was told, just daring him to try anything. He led her through the corridors of the strange building, his dark eyes thoughtful as he talked. "You asked what I needed your services for...it's simple."

"So explain it, then," Lucy huffed.

"I need your magic to fire off a bit I stole from the Magic Council. My magic should have been enough but it uses a bit more than expected. Your magic is the closest to my own heavenly body magic." He showed what he meant, a soft glow appearing in his hand. She eyed the golden light with curiosity despite her nervousness. "You will simply need to use your magic to help me fire it."

"Fire _what_?"

"A canon that uses powerful magic," he answered as if she should know what that was. "I stole bits of magic that I needed from the Magic Council, set it up, and just need help firing it. Our magic comes from a similar place: the heavens. It's far more powerful than any type of magic any of your other mages from Fairy Tail can come up with." He gave a dark grin suddenly. "Even more powerful than Erza's."

Lucy's eyes widened fractionally. _He knows Erza._ "May I ask _why_ you're so determined to fire this?" she questioned, not entirely sure she was going to like his answer.

He extended his arms to wave at the building around them. "This building...I've built it out of a material called etherion. It's dormant for now, but struck with enough power…" Jellal grinned. "My Tower of Heaven will truly be created, and I will be able to resurrect the black mage Zeref."

Nope. She definitely did _not_ like where this was going.

"Why?" Lucy said shakily. "Why would you want to resurrect someone like Zeref?"

"He is the most powerful mage in all creation, why would we not?" Jellal answered simply. "Will you help me, Miss Heartfilia? Or will I be forced to make you?" His politeness was gone in an instant, his gaze slitted furiously. Lucy flinched at the sudden change before choosing her next words very carefully.

"What do you want with Wendy?"

She wanted to keep him distracted for as long as she could. Two hours. If she could last two hours, maybe less or more, she'd be able to procrastinate long enough for her friends to get there. She hoped Wendy had called them, texted them at the very least.

"Simple. She's here to make sure you do what I want," Jellal said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. And it was, Lucy realized. He knew _exactly_ what he was doing.

"Hm," Lucy answered, swallowing thickly. She didn't feel as if this was the smartest thing she would ever do, but like hell she'd willingly assist him in resurrecting a mage like Zeref. So she smiled tightly, said, "Screw off, Jellal."

And then she spat in his face.

* * *

Wendy hugged Lucy's phone to her chest tightly, her expression one of fear as she uneasily let Millianna tend to the wound on the back of her head. The woman chatted easily with the largest of the three - Wendy had learned his name was Simon - and Sho, who'd shown up without Lucy to pull her to this room. She'd managed to send a message to Gray after her calls hadn't connected, and he'd responded quickly, reassuring her that they were on their way before they'd come.

Wendy watched them out of the corner of her eye, wincing when Millianna tightened the bandages that were wrapped around her head now. She didn't think these three were bad guys. They seemed genuine in their concern.

But that didn't make her less worried for Lucy.

"There," Millianna cheered as she finished tying off the bandage. "Better?"

"Yes," Wendy said in a small voice. "Thank you." And then she was quiet again.

"She's a quiet one," Sho mused, grinning at Simon. The larger man inclined his head just barely, watching Wendy with care. Sho shoved away from the wall he leaned against, rolling his shoulders. "I wonder-"

The phone in her hands went off. Wendy's face flashed with terror, fearful that they'd take it away, but Simon only waved at her.

"Answer it if you want," he said kindly. "We won't do anything against you, Miss Marvell."

"...thanks," she whispered, and then answered the phone call. "Hello?"

"Wendy?" Juvia's voice answered. The connection was clear, without a single bit of static. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Wendy reassured, relieved. "They, um, actually just helped me bandage my head."

"They did?" Juvia sounded shocked. "...Juvia is confused."

"So am I," Wendy muttered back. She glanced nervously at Millianna when she went to put the supplies away. "Wh-where are you? I couldn't get through with a call when I tried…"

"Juvia is at the base of the tower," Juvia said smugly, sounding proud of herself. "Gray asked if Juvia would go ahead of everyone and Juvia reached the island in under ten minutes. They are about an hour away, Wendy. Is Lucy okay, too?"

"I don't know," Wendy said, gaze darting over to the others. She didn't say anything more than that about Lucy's location. That and something along the lines of, "I haven't seen her in a while."

"Natsu will not be pleased," Juvia murmured. "Stay strong, Wendy. Juvia will figure out Lucy's location quickly, so they don't get too mad."

"Okay," Wendy said quietly, hugging herself after she'd hung up and safely tucked the phone into her pocket. She hoped silently that the battery didn't die before she was found. Or Lucy for that matter. Wendy studied the three curiously watching her out of the corner of her eye and then spoke up. "Um, what is Jellal doing with Lucy?"

"He just needs her help with something," Millianna told her, smiling reassuringly. "We're trying to accomplish something important, and he needs her magic to help him start it. Don't worry, he doesn't want to kill her or anything. He doesn't even want to hurt her."

"Are you sure?" Wendy said nervously. "I've heard bad things about him…"

"She'll be okay, Miss Marvell," Simon reported. "Jellal promised us that nobody would be hurt in any of this. So we'll promise the same in return. And if we break our promise, strike us down where we stand."

Wendy didn't like the sound of that.

She didn't like the sound of that at all.

* * *

"C'mon," Natsu moaned miserably, draped over the side of the boat that was going forward at full speed. "The hell is taking us so long to get there?"

Happy, who was sitting beside his buddy, worriedly patted his back. "Don't worry, Natsu, Erza said we're almost there."

"We are," Erza confirmed, staring straight ahead with a hardened expression. "We'll be reaching the island within the next twenty minutes or so." She'd long since requipped into a full set of armor - something none of them could understand. Never before had Erza clothed herself in such a way.

It was Gray who suddenly realized it. "You never told us about how you knew Jellal, Erza."

Erza's lips parted in surprise before she glanced at them. Even Natsu was paying attention, listening intently despite the green tinge to his face. The requip mage gave a nervous sigh before turning to face them, her face blank. "I did promise I'd say, didn't I?" She gave a bitter smile.

"You did," Charle confirmed, white tail twitching impatiently. Despite the reassurance Wendy had given Gray close to an hour ago, she was worried for the sky dragon slayer. Especially after the vision she'd had.

Not that she'd told any of them about it.

Erza bit her lip for a moment, and then began to speak, her eyes flashing with grief and her tone mournful. "As I told you, I was once friends with Jellal. The way we met isn't exactly the nicest story, of course…

"My parents...they were not the kindest people," Erza admitted, her tone one of disgust. "They were cruel people who enjoyed placing pain on their child. I wasn't wanted, I hadn't been expected, and they hated me for it. Eventually, when I was nearly eight years old, they went too far, and I nearly lost an eye. If it wasn't for a skilled mage who secretly used magic to help me, I wouldn't have an eye at all. I was taken from them, and I couldn't have been more happy.

"I was sent elsewhere to live. I went to an orphanage, where I met a boy by the name of Jellal." Erza smiled fondly at the memory she was running through in her mind. "Most of the children - and the adults - in that place were just as cruel as my parents had been. I was scared, I was angry, and I didn't know how to do much after what I'd been through. Jellal was the only one kind enough to try and befriend me, and it was Jellal who taught me various things that I needed to learn. When I first began schooling, he helped me through the harder portions. He quickly became the person I was closest to and for the next three years, we were best friends.

"And then...I discovered I could use magic. The second she heard about it, the mage who'd helped me with my eye came to try and adopt me. She wanted to make sure I was taught correctly, wanted to make sure that I didn't go down the wrong path.

"Naturally, I saw it as her trying to take me away from Jellal." Erza gave a bitter laugh, and Gray exchanged a look with Charle. "It wasn't pretty. I told the woman that if she even tried, I'd disappear. She tried...and I disappeared with Jellal. We ran away, determined not to lose each other.

"We were only eleven years old at the time, we didn't even know how to make enough money to survive. But we stole a boat, made a home on an island two hours away from the main part of Fiore, and we went back and forth once a week for a few years, stealing food and whatever else we needed as we went. I helped Jellal master the magic he realized he'd been born with as I practiced my own, and we were happy. We even had a few more friends we brought home with us after a while. And I...I won't lie," she murmured mournfully, "I felt more than I should have felt towards someone who was only a friend.

"And then...things went wrong. When we were fifteen, Jellal vanished while we were out. I looked, and I looked, but I couldn't find him. The other three - our friends - had disappeared as well, and I didn't know what to do." Erza sighed heavily, closing her eyes. "So I sought out a guild by the name of Fairy Tail in hopes that I would be able to look for them and make money at the same time.

"The next I heard of Jellal was only a few years ago, when I was nineteen." Erza suddenly scowled, clenching her hand into an angry fist. "It was announced that a man by the name of Jellal Fernandes had been stealing the magic needed to recreate an Etherion Canon. He'd tricked them into thinking he was someone else, an innocent man by the name of Siegrain. He was thrown in prison, and I heard nothing of him nor my other friends after that." She gritted her teeth.

"I don't understand," Gray said suddenly. "Just what turned this guy into a criminal? From the sounds of it, he was a decent person until he disappeared."

"He was," Erza agreed, scowling. She was angry, he realized, with both herself and this Jellal. "He would have been an amazing example of what a Fairy Tail mage should be had he come to the guild with me. I want...I want to find out what he's done. I want to know why he's done it, and I want my friend to return to what he used to be, though I don't believe it possible. So I will ask you all this." Her dark eyes turned on them. "I want to be the one to kill Jellal. If he engages you in a fight, do not attempt to defeat him. Make way for me."

"Erza," Happy said uneasily, unnerved by the sudden murderous look she wore. "We don't kill…"

"He deserves it if he lays a hand on Lucy," Natsu said in a shaky yet dark tone, his head suddenly lifting. "And we're going to find out what he's done with her."

"We're here," Charle whispered, the vision flashing through her mind again.

This time, Wendy was crying over the body of the very woman they were trying to save.

* * *

 _What do you think of the different back story I created for Erza? My editor was a great help with that...she helped me create one for both her and Gray, as I decided I needed different ones for Between the Lines. Hope you enjoyed!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _I'm always caught up on Fairy Tail! Read the newest chapter this morning and cried! Let me know if you remember that question!  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _A lot of doom and gloom is fun though. :D  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _I got seriously distracted and remained so the entire weekend, honestly. Silly television. Jellal needs to work on his people skills A LOT. XD  
_

 ** _Uchida Akira:_** _I'm glad!_ _  
_

 ** _Typhlosion8:_** _The future is always dark in Fairy Tail and filled with light at the same time, isn't it?  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _I rather like Millianna, her design during the GMG was fantastic. Thank you!_ _  
_

 ** _Yami-The Lord of Darkness:_** _Of course!  
_

 ** _Masked Guest:_** _Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it, and I hope you continue to do so!  
_

 ** _luckylucy77:_** _No worries, this won't end for a LONG time. :D_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _You'll have to wait and see. END may or may not make an appearance. I haven't decided yet. ;) Your question has been answered! And yep. Fourteen chapters. Thirteen now. It'll come quickly, have no worries.  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Angst is the best! I love angst. :D  
_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _Of course! :D  
_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _We get to do what we wish. I love being a writer. Let's me do things I can't do in reality. ;)  
_


	38. Chapter 38

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

If there was one thing Lucy Heartfilia had learned since she'd come to know mages and the entire magic ordeal, it was that she really needed to stop pissing off the ones who decided she'd make a good punching bag.

She spat the blood that filled her mouth onto the floor, gritting her teeth against the pain as she struggled to get back to her feet, telling herself that she had to get up. Her friends wouldn't simply lay there and take whatever was thrown there way.

And neither would she.

Jellal was pissed. That was for certain as he stood above her with a sneer on his face. Gone was the polite and cheerful man. In his place was a person that was out to get what he wanted, even if it meant the death of the rest of those present.

Suddenly, he stopped. Lucy hauled herself to her feet, ready to try and fend him off and cursing herself for not training harder with her Spirits. Then again, she couldn't use her magic for some reason, and that left her to simply receive blow after blow while Jellal smirked, claiming that he should have gone after the other celestial mage, kicking away her keys after she'd tried to summon a Spirit.

Lucy swallowed thickly, watching cautiously and ignoring the metallic taste of blood on her tongue as she waited. Jellal had tilted his head, as if listening to something she couldn't hear. And then he grinned. "Ah," he said simply. "It appears you have some time to consider whether or not you'll help me now...I have business to take care of. Last chance, Miss Heartfilia." And then he was striding from the room, scowling at something.

Lucy heaved out a huge sigh, flicking a sticky lock of hair out of her face before giving herself a once over.

It wasn't bad enough that she couldn't handle it. Sure it hurt like hell, but it wasn't like when Gajeel had been forced to beat her to near death. Jellal knew that he still needed her magic and he knew better than to kill her. Still, the thousands of cuts that leaked blood all over her body and the blood that stained her lips from where she'd bitten them and her tongue was enough to make her look like she'd come back from the dead.

Her friends were _not_ going to be pleased about this.

If they ever arrived.

Suddenly, there was a soft dripping, and the exhausted celestial mage looked around, slightly frightened - until she found the source.

Water was dripping from the ceiling, gathering in a puddle rather rapidly. And as the puddle grew, a form took shape, a wide-eyed Juvia appearing before her. "Lucy!" Juvia gasped in relief, "Juvia finally found you! Juvia was worried...Juvia's been searching for close to an hour."

"Juvia," Lucy rasped, relieved.

They were here.

Juvia hurried over to her side, gently inspecting her. "Are you okay, Lucy? Juvia doesn't think you look it...I'm sure Wendy will heal you when Juvia finds her. What happened? The others should be here soon."

"I, uh, wasn't cooperative," Lucy said with a shrug, smiling faintly. "Is Wendy safe?"

"Yes, Juvia talked to her not too long ago," Juvia reassured. The water mage pulled back suddenly, looking nervous. "He's coming back. Juvia needs to go meet up on the shore with the others. Will you be alright, Lucy? Juvia can try and help-"

"Go," Lucy ordered. "I'll be fine for a little bit longer. He can't kill me or anything, he needs my magic, so just...tell them to be fast. Oh! What' he's after. Something about resurrecting Zeref and creating a Tower of Heaven by shooting something called an Etherion Canon."

Juvia's face paled, but she gave a curt nod. "Juvia will tell them. Good luck." And then she was gone, dripping through some crack in the floor that Lucy couldn't even see. Footsteps filled the air, and Lucy turned away, swiping at some blood that dripped down the side of her face, smearing it only making her skin look worse.

Rather than Jellal, however, she found herself confronted by the sight of Sho. He wore a broad grin on his lips - which vanished the second his eyes landed on her. The smile was gone, replaced by a look of utter shock that had Lucy smiling bitterly. "What happened?!"

"Jellal," she said honestly, voice hoarse. She grimaced, thinking of what she must look like. Probably covered from head to toe in her own blood. Grateful that it looked worse than it really was, Lucy squinted at the man before her, taking in his horrified and shocked look.

"That's not...he said-"

These people, Lucy decided, the ones that were here with Jellal...they had no idea what was really going on and were truly good people that were just caught up in a bad situation. They thought they were doing one thing when they were really doing something else completely.

She'd make sure to inform her friends of that.

"Yeah, well," Lucy grunted, smiling grimly. "It's time to wake up, because Jellal is not who you think he is."

Sho sputtered for a moment before saying faintly, "He said he wouldn't hurt anyone, that...that we were all…" He seemed at a loss, still staring before he finally spoke again. "He's not really trying to help everyone, is he."

"No," Lucy murmured, voice sympathetic. "He's not."

Sho scowled. "He said he was going to help the world...that with what we were doing, magic wouldn't have to be hidden anymore, that mages and those without magic could just be happy...that we'd get our revenge on _her_ for what she did…"

Lucy focused on that. "Her?"

Green eyes darted up to her face. "...that's none of your business." He set his shoulders, rolling them back with a dark expression flashing across his face. "If Jellal lied to us, then we're going to help you."

"Uh...that'd be nice, but I'm pretty sure that guy's going to show up at any moment, so…" Lucy gave a helpless wave of her hands, ignoring the twinges of pain that raced through her. "Unless you can find a way of getting my friends in here undetected…"

Sho thought over this for a few moments, and then grinned. "Easy. I'll be back."

He left without another word, and Lucy gawked after him for a moment, wondering about what had just happened before shaking her head to clear it. No time for that now, she told herself, glancing this way and that around the room.

She had to figure out how to get out.

And find her keys.

...yeah, she had to find her keys first.

* * *

"What the hell are we waiting on?" Natsu seethed irritably, glaring up at the massive building before them with a scowl on his face. Water lapped at their feet in gentle waves, dousing the flames that were licking up and down his body in a hiss of steam.

"For one, Juvia," Gray said bluntly. "For another, we don't know where to even begin, Natsu. Jeez, you stupid freaking pyromaniac. Pay attention."

"Not now," Erza growled threateningly. She shot both men a sharp glare before glancing to Charle when the white cat suddenly tensed, tail twitching. Happy, who was seated beside her on the edge of the boat, nervously looked around.

Natsu growled softly, smoke leaking out of the corners of his mouth, giving him a dragon-like appearance - until Juvia suddenly materialized out of nowhere, her body see-through before solidifying. "Juvia is here," she said nervously, eyes wide at the sight of the smoke.

"Good, let's go!" Natsu cheered.

Erza grabbed him by the scarf before he could go anywhere, and Happy's wings appeared as he hopped up to hover near the scarlet-haired woman's head. "Are they okay?"

Juvia nodded. "Wendy is okay. She's with two people that call this place home. Juvia saw them trying to get her to eat. Juvia doesn't think they're bad people, but…" Her gaze darkened. "Jellal was, um, convincing Lucy to try and help him with something. Lucy didn't want to."

"Did he hurt her?" Gray demanded, gaze darkening.

"She was okay enough to walk and talk, but…" Juvia shivered. "Juvia thinks that Wendy will need to see her."

Natsu ripped free of Erza's grasp, snarling, "Then what are we waiting for?! We have to go help her!"

"They're fine, Natsu. For now anyways." Charle narrowed her eyes thoughtfully as she joined Happy in hovering beside their heads. "We have to think of a plan before we enter this place...for all we know, there could be traps. Juvia, did you manage to at least remember the way to the two?"

"No," Juvia admitted sheepishly. "Juvia had to travel with Water Body and couldn't tell you how to get anywhere."

"Damn," Gray muttered, but reassuringly patted her shoulder when Juvia mumbled a guilty apology. "Not your fault, Juvia, at least you found them. We'll just have to figure out the general area, right?"

"Right," Erza confirmed. She cast them reassuring looks. "They're alive. That's all that matters for now." She smiled gently, then went back to staring up at the building. "This wasn't here before," she murmured. "It wasn't here when we lived here…"

"It was built by those that live here," Juvia told her. "I overheard Wendy asking about it."

"Hell of a place to get built in that short amount of time," Gray commented.

"No shit."

Their heads snapped up to discover a young man looking down at them from a balcony close to two stories above them. His eyes burned with a dangerous intensity, locked on Erza, who stared up at him with shock, her lips parted in surprise. There was a heartbeat of silence before she breathed, "Sho?"

The cheerful attitude Sho had kept up was nowhere in sight, replaced by a silent rage as he glared down at them, his arms casually folded on the ledge. "Should have known. We really should have known. Nobody's who they say they are," he drawled. "You...Jellal...you're all a bunch of goddamn _liars_ , you know that?" He sneered. "I came out to help that mage, but...if you're the one she's waiting on, to hell with her. She can die for all I care."

Erza pressed her lips together, her eyes never leaving Sho's angry face as she urged, "Whatever you think happened is not what happened, Sho. That's a discussion for another time. Please. Our nakama are-"

"Your _nakama_?" Sho gave a harsh and joyless laugh. " _We_ were your nakama until you decided that life was better elsewhere!"

"Look, dude, you're pissing us off," Natsu snapped up at him. "Where's Lucy?"

"The celestial mage? Dead, I hope." Sho scowled. "You freaks can suffer as much as we did. I'll send the dragon slayer out. Hope you're good at playing catch, 'cause she's coming over the balcony."

"If you lay a hand on Wendy," Gray threatened viciously, glowering up at him.

Juvia cut him off, placing a gentle hand on the ice-make mage's arm. "Threatening will not help, my dear," she soothed.

"I don't know why you're angry with me," Erza said seriously, "But I beg of you, Sho. Help us. If our friend…" She shook her head. "There's something wrong if Jellal is determined to bring a celestial mage to this place. Please. Now is not the time for these kind of matters. I promise you that we will deal with it after this is all over, but our friends are in danger."

Sho studied them carefully for a moment. "...You don't know?"

"No." Erza stared up at him with a fierce look in her dark eyes. "Believe me, I wouldn't be asking for your help if I knew I'd done something that didn't deserve your assistance."

The young man glanced at the desperate looking faces of the other Fairy Tail mages, then finally sighed heavily, the anger vanishing. "Fine...but one thing first."

"Look, we don't have time for-"

Sho cut Natsu off. "Did you abandon us like Jellal said, Erza?"

Erza met his gaze evenly. "No."

And then Sho's grin was back. "Good. You have some explaining to do later, though. Jellal knows you're here. He doesn't know where as far as I know though. The celestial mage told me to get you guys inside without Jellal knowing. I can do that easy...anyone afraid of enclosed spaces?"

* * *

Wendy fiddled anxiously with her torn dress, her eyes wide with fear as she watched the blue-haired man chat lowly with Simon and Millianna. He wore a gentle smile as he spoke to them, his voice warm as he let them know that the Tower of Heaven had been breached and that he wasn't ready yet.

"I still have to convince Miss Heartfilia that it's for the best. Another few minutes, and I'm sure she'll agree. Just keep Miss Marvell company, would you?"

"Of course," Milianna agreed readily, shooting Wendy a friendly smile.

Just as the phone in Wendy's lap went off.

When Simon and Millianna weren't looking, Wendy saw rage and a deadly gleam in those dark eyes that frightened the hell out of her. She whimpered, tightening her hand around the phone and cringing away, tears rising to her eyes.

"May I see that, Miss Marvell?" Jellal said with mock kindness in his voice. Wendy glanced at the other two, her throat dry. He wouldn't try anything when he was obviously trying to keep them from suspecting him of anything...would he? She shook her head, hugging it to her chest even as it rang again.

His smile vanished. "Hand the phone over, Miss Marvell."

Again, she shook her head, and Simon and Millianna exchanged a nervous look. "Let her keep it, Jellal," Simon said slowly. "It's not like it's doing any harm."

"There are people calling her, Simon," Jellal gritted out, glaring now. "That means they're here. Just as I said. They'll be looking for her and Miss Heartfilia, and I won't have them rescuing them before I can finish."

"Well, we'll just keep her from answering it," Millianna supplied with a shrug. "It's not hard."

"...fine." Jellal straightened, barely contained rage shining in his eyes. "Make sure she doesn't. I'll be back when I'm done. Watch her." And then he turned and strode out of the room, leaving them in silence.

As soon as he was gone, Simon gave Wendy a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, he's not usually like that. He's not a bad man."

Wendy didn't know how to respond to that, and simply studied the message that she'd been sent.

 _Be ready. We're coming._

* * *

 _Lucy's really good at getting into trouble. Isn't she? I'm going to go eat some birthday cake now for breakfast. Tastes delicious.  
_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Miya:_** _I'm quite fond of both. It wasn't their fault they got involved in such bad things like the Tower of Heaven. I liked that "evil" sucker when I was younger. He was great. Miss that show.  
_

 ** _Masked Guest:_** _Cliffhangers are fun to write. I don't know if that counts as one though. Whoops. And don't worry, Erza's back story was supposed to be general. More details will be explained throughout the fic. ;)  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Scary Natsu is getting closer and closer, yes? XD AND YES. YES I DID. I CRIED. AND THEN CRIED SOME MORE._

 ** _Uchida Akira:_** _Thank you!_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _I assume it does feel that way. I sit here and smile while responding to reviews, so._

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Jellal broke his word almost immediately, didn't he? And she does. Lucy gets into a lot of trouble. Thank goodness Natsu's coming to help. :D  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _Yeah...couldn't have people snatching up children/slaves to build the place and a revolt. The news would have been all over that. Lol._

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _I love Erza and Jellal. Poor precious babies. Thank you!  
_

 ** _YAYS:_** _Thank you! Day after tomorrow you'll get a new one! ;)_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _I don't know what's with me, but I like to have characters do so. In my other fic, SR, I had Levy spit on someone to piss 'em off, and yeah. It's a good way to piss people off._

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _All will be revealed in good time. And in good time, I mean literally a good seventy chapters from now, maybe later. :D  
_


	39. Chapter 39

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she peeked around the corner, her sticky red-stained hair falling into her face. She impatiently swept it behind her ear. "Damn it, Natsu," she grumbled to herself, her keys tightly clasped in her hand. "How is playing ninja _fun_ to you?"

Lucy was extremely grateful that she was practically high on adrenaline because she didn't think she would have been able to push past the exhaustion she now felt otherwise. She would have been dizzy with exhaustion at any other time. Not here, where she was trying to escape and get to Wendy at the same time that she was trying her damn hardest not to be caught by Jellal.

Here, she was wide awake.

 _Come on, guys, where are you?_ she thought faintly as she slid down another hall as stealthily as she could. She'd been walking for what must have been a good twenty minutes. How Jellal hadn't found her was a mystery she didn't want to solve.

She turned a corner - and walked straight into an equally surprised looking Simon. She gave a soft gasp of fear and recoiled back, tightening a shaky hand around her keys - until he gawked at her appearance. "What happened?"

 _Here we go again._ "Jellal beat the hell out of me," she said bluntly. "Questions? No? Good. Where's Wendy? I need her help."

"She's...what?" He looked stunned. "This...this can't be...Jellal said-"

"Look, I explained to the one guy already and we don't really have time for this," Lucy said impatiently. She glared at him. "So either get me to Wendy or help me find out where my other friends are because I know they've arrived. Jellal wouldn't have left when he did had they not shown up."

Simon blinked a few times, then seemed to accept this, muttering, "I knew something was weird about the way he was acting...this way. Follow me, I'll take you to-"

"Simon."

 _Shit!_ Lucy cried in her head as both turned their heads to look at Jellal. He approached with a dark look on his face, and Lucy knew _immediately_ that this was not going to end well. "I see you found Miss Heartfilia...hand her here. Now."

Simon's eyes narrowed. "What is the meaning of this Jellal? You said nobody would be hurt. That you only needed her help to-"

"Rid the world of Zeref's followers?" Jellal threw his head back and gave a dark laugh. "As if! I'm trying to resurrect him! Zeref will get rid of all of those that have no magic, pests that they are. And he'll destroy all of the little flies like this girl here. Now hand her here. I need her magic."

"No," Simon said firmly, his gaze darkening. Jellal's hands began to glow softly in warning and Simon shot Lucy a look. "Two lefts and a right. Tell Millianna I said to find Sho and then your friends. Go."

Lucy blinked, then demanded, "But what about-"

She didn't get to finish, as there was suddenly nothing but the pitch black of darkness around her. She coughed, waving a hand in front of her face as if she would be able to see if she did it, and then took off at a run. She'd have to trust Simon, she decided. And trust him she would.

It's not like she could do much else in this situation.

Lucy followed his directions, turning a few corners and then running straight until she heard a feminine voice cooing happily, "This would look lovely in your hair...try it!" Lucy stumbled after it, relieved when she burst through a set of doors and found Wendy shyly smiling as Millianna held up a white ribbon to her hair.

"Lucy!" Wendy gasped, stunned by the sight of the celestial mage. She shot up to her feet, lunging forward as Lucy doubled over, panting for breath. "Oh…are you okay?" She went to work immediately on trying to heal her, but looked bewildered when nothing happened. "My...I can't use my magic?"

"Yeah, as fine as I can be for the time being," Lucy panted back. She glanced at the wide-eyed Millianna. "The one guy...he said to get you and then go find Sho and our friends. And we have to move fast."

Millianna hugged her arms nervously. "Why?"

"...why can't you guys just go along with it?" Lucy whined, throwing her hands up. The keys in her hands jingled. "Let's just go before Jellal decides to murder us all, please."

"Yeah, sounds good to me," Wendy agreed, stopping what she was doing. Lucy shot her a grateful look, and Lucy waved for Millianna to follow them before turning and skittering out of the room, both hot on her heels. She swallowed thickly as they ducked past a corridor, heart pounding at the sound of quickly moving footsteps. She stopped dead in her tracks as she pressed against the wall, pressing a finger to her lips. Wendy kept close to her, but Millianna simply stared at them before smiling carefully at the person who'd appeared.

"Sho," she greeted in relief.

Lucy relaxed, relieved and pulled away from the wall, tugging Wendy with her. She stepped into sight beside the other woman, her fingers twined tightly with the nervous dragon slayer's as he greeted, "Sorry I took so long, Miss Heartfilia."

"Just Lucy is fine," she wheezed. "Where are they?"

"Here," he reassured. Sho grinned. "We're mages, too, you know." He dug in his pocket and then withdrew a handful of cards. He paused, however, to glance at Millianna. "...Millianna, don't be mad, okay?"

She blinked. "What on earth are you-"

Sho simply flicked his fingers over one card and before their very eyes, Natsu appeared. The second he was free, the fire mage lunged for Lucy, who squawked in surprise when he threw his arms around her in a tight hug, ignoring the blood in favor of burying his face in her hair. "Luce!"

"Natsu!" she laughed, tears of relief rising to her eyes as she hugged him tightly in return. She pressed her face into his scaled scarf for a moment, and then pulled back to greet an excited Happy. "Happy!"

"Are you okay?" Happy demanded anxiously, looking up at her bloodied face. "You're covered in blood…"

"I'm fine," Lucy reassured, smiling warmly at him. "I'm just glad you guys are okay."

"Same," Gray added as he appeared, scowling about something they knew nothing about,. He rolled his shoulders, as if grateful to be free. "Damn, that was small…you two okay?"

Lucy nodded while Wendy gave a cry and greeted Charle with a hug. The white cat looked beyond relieved as she returned it, scolding Wendy gently for being so careless, and Juvia smiled warmly from where she hugged Gray's arm to her chest. The ice-make mage looked incredibly uncomfortable as he tried to pull away.

"Erza," Millianna growled suddenly. Her eyes glared darkly at the scarlet-haired woman, who looked calmly back at her with a surprisingly soft expression.

Before the woman could say anything, Sho cut in. "She's okay, Millianna. Where's Simon?"

Lucy bit her lip. "He's the other guy, right? He...he told me to leave and was fighting with Jellal." She frowned worriedly. "I can't fight. My magic won't come, and…" She waved at her bloodied self. "There's a reason I was told to go."

"Damn," Gray muttered, running his fingers through his dark hair. He'd lost his shirt and jacket along the adventure to where they now found themselves, and he scowled as he placed his hands on his jean-clad hips. "Why can't you use your magic?"

"I'll...I'll fix that," Millianna mumbled, still casting suspicious glares at Erza. She knelt beside Lucy, tugging at the band around her ankle for a moment until it came free. And then she did the same to Wendy. "It's my magic. These nullify magic."

"Thanks," Lucy mumbled, smiling when the keys in her pocket warmed themselves. A thought suddenly struck her. "Oh!" She turned to Natsu. "I bought something for you."

He gave her a strange look. "We're in the middle of enemy territory after you've been attacked and kidnapped and you're thinking about some random thing you bought me?"

"For a good reason," she muttered back. She yanked the fingerless gloves out of her pocket, tearing the tags off. "Wendy pointed them out at a magic shop. They're supposed to enhance a wearer's magic." She paused before shoving them at him. "Can't believe I'm adding to your desctructiveness.."

"Sweet!" Natsu grinned, yanking them onto his hands, wiggling his fingers so that they settled comfortably about his knuckles. He let flames explode into existence in his glove-clad hand, eyes sparkling as he took in the blazing heat. "This is awesome! Thanks!"

"That's all nice and fun," Gray said impatiently. "But we have to go!"

"This Simon more than likely needs our assistance," Charle agreed quietly from where she was in Wendy's arms. Millianna and Sho exchanged a look and murmured their agreement.

"Simon's magic is not made for offense," Sho murmured, looking uneasy. "It's defensive, but it's not even the best for that...he's useful when it comes to distractions."

 _Click!_

Lucy's head snapped up at the familiar sound of an intercom seeming to come on, her eyes studying the ceiling above them carefully. She drew Wendy closer to her with a sharp look, and the others simply fell silent, listening intently.

"Visitors," Jellal's voice greeted smoothly, echoing through the halls. Happy drifted closer to sit on Natsu's shoulder, looking unhappy. "I welcome you to the Tower of Heaven." A pause. "I understand that some of you are rather...confused as to why I'm here. What I'm doing. Why I need Lucy Heartfilia." Natsu tensed angrily, a soft growl leaving his lips and flames spiraling up and down his arms. "But I assure you...as long as you are polite and cooperate, nobody will be hurt. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Liar!"

Erza's voice rang clearly through the corridor, her dark eyes ablaze as she glared upwards, requipping a sword into her hand. Juvia stepped away to avoid being accidentally nicked by the sharp blade. The scarlet-haired woman tightened her hand around it. "You claim such things after you've hurt our nakama? Coward." She spat the word like it was poison, looking disgusted. "What a coward you've become, Jellal."

Jellal's answer chilled the Fairy Tail mages to the bone.

"Will you call me a coward when I've torn the throats out of your precious nakama, _Erza_?" Dark laughter filled the air. "I'm sure you can reach the top of the tower. But can you do it before your time runs out?"

Just like that, when Lucy turned her head, the rest of her friends were gone. Natsu, who'd been standing only inches away, Happy on his shoulder, Juvia, even their newfound allies All of them. Her heart twisted nervously, and she reached for her keys as a dark feeling washed over her.

"I mean," Jellal's voice continued. "Surely you can find the celestial mage before I do…"

Lucy took off at a run.

She _had_ to find them.

Because while she was a mage, too, she knew she wasn't anywhere near strong enough to fight Jellal alone.

* * *

"To hell with this bastard!"

Natsu uttered a few other select words as he charged down yet another unending hallway, Happy flying as fast as he could beside him. They hadn't waited a moment when they'd realized they'd been separated. As soon as they'd disappeared, the pair had started, determined to hunt down Lucy before finding the others, or at least find the others on the way.

The others - except for maybe Wendy, who hated hurting other people, and their allies - could handle themselves.

Lucy couldn't.

"Smell anything, Natsu?" Happy fretted as the dragon slayer turned another corner, nearly slipping. He caught himself on the floor before continuing onwards at a fast jog, trying to catch his breath.

Natsu shook his head. "Nothin'," he reported, scowling. "What kind of magic does that?! Wasn't his magic...I can smell him everywhere sort of…"

"That makes no sense," Happy commented, giving a little flap of his wings. "I hope everyone's okay...Lucy had so much blood on her…"

Natsu huffed, "She'll be okay. Luce is strong, even if she doesn't think so." And she was. Despite the fact that the celestial mage was still rather new to their world, she could handle herself. Even if it was just her attitude or her words that kept her alive. It would keep her breathing until one of them could get there.

"Too bad we haven't found one of those two people that were with Jellal," the flying blue cat mumbled. "They know their way around, they could have guided us straight to Jellal, I bet."

"Happy, you're a genius!" Natsu answered with a grin, skidding to a halt. He inhaled sharply as Happy hovered beside him, letting the scents wash over him. He sought out Lucy's, Jellal's, or Sho's or Millianna's scents, but came up with nothing and gave a frustrated growl. "Nothing...come on, Happy!" He tore off again.

Only to turn a corner and run smack into Wendy.

"Natsu!" she cried in relief, looking near tears as she threw her arms around him in a relieved hug. The older dragon slayer patted her head with a shocked look. Charle scoffed disapprovingly from where she hovered just behind the blue-haired girl. "Where did everyone go?! I couldn't find any of you...the place is messing with my nose, I couldn't find anyone's scents."

"Don't worry," he reassured, adjusting one of the gloves Lucy had given him. He felt the power radiate through him, and he grinned at the thought of using it to incinerate the man that had hurt his partner. "We'll find them. I couldn't find their scents either. They can handle themselves. We have to find Luce."

Wendy nodded, and the pair set off, their cat friends close behind them.

"Hold on, Lucy," Natsu muttered, his onyx eyes darkening to a near black in his anger. Flames twirled around his body as they started forward, leaping off behind him in a way that made him look very much like a dragon.

"We're coming."

* * *

 _A short reunion! And then they're separated again! And what has become of Simon? Such dramatic things happening, yes?_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Shidake:_** _I agree. Jellal has some serious character problems at the moment. At least Wendy's okay. Wendy the brilliant and adorable little dragon slayer, yes? And thank you!  
_

 ** _Typhlosion8:_** _Freaking out is definitely a good sign that I'm doing what I'm aiming to! I like making you all panic or cry when I write! ...that sounds horrible, but it's true. XD  
_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _Of course!_

 ** _Compucles:_** _Thank you for telling me, I made sure to go in and fix it!_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _Birthday cake is delicious. Especially when it is a King Cake. Those are even better. Creepy is good. I like creepy.  
_

 ** _Kinsutenekochan:_** _I like writing long fics. Thank you! :D_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _I like that it's usually Natsu to come to her rescue. It's so cute when he's all panicked and trying to save her. Part of the reason I enjoyed the Starry Sky arc so much in the anime. Juvia and Lucy are so cute when they're being friendly.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Lucy likes to piss off the bad guys, doesn't she? Juvia's a lovely character. Now you don't have to wait anymore! :D_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _My poor precious Wendy. I don't like hurting her.  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _You'll have to just wait and see about Natsu. AHHH Aquarius made me so happy and I was screaming over Natsu!  
_

 ** _Masked guest:_** _Thank you for your kind words! I hate waiting for a week when it comes to watching shows, and I feel the same about writing, so I think it's better to release them at such a rate. Jellal? Meh. His name is a strange but lovely one. XD  
_

 ** _Guest:_** _I'm with you on Charle. She's not my favorite character AT ALL, but I love Wendy and Wendy has to have Charle alongside her, so. Thank you!_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _Good for you that you don't have to wait! :D_ _  
_


	40. Chapter 40

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Shit!"

That had become his new favorite word as of recently, Gray noted as he shot through the seemingly unending halls of the Tower of Heaven. He sought out the familiar magic signatures of his friends and Juvia, but came up with - frustratingly - nothing. _Where are they?_ the ice-make mage demanded silently, whipping around another corner at full speed.

Another empty hall.

Gray grumbled as he started down it, slowing to a jog and then a walk. He crossed his arms tightly over his bare chest, dark eyes darting this way and that. What kind of man built a place like this and had only himself and three others inside of it? Where were the guards, the people keeping it clean? He knew magic was amazing and could do so much more than he was capable of using it for, but...there _was_ a limit.

Besides. If you had magic, it was _very_ unlikely that you were using it to keep some crazy place clean.

A groan suddenly filled his ears, and Gray grinned. Even if it was Jellal, that would work for him. He'd just kick his ass for messing with the Fairy Tail guild.

The temperature around him seemed to drop - not that he felt it - and Gray readied himself to fight, prepared.

He definitely did _not_ find himself coming across Jellal...but Jellal had most certainly been there not too long ago. A man was propping himself up on the ground, his back resting partially against a wall. The wounds on his body looked similar to those on Lucy, Gray noted, and he quickly let his magic return to a non-threatening level. "Uh...you okay, man?"

Dark eyes snapped open. He took one look at Gray, then carefully sat up further. "I don't believe so," he admitted, his eyes nearly black with anger. He waved at his bloodied flesh. "Jellal doesn't appreciate people getting in his way. You're one of Miss Heartfilia's friends, right? Is she okay?"

"Lucy?" Gray rubbed the back of his head, wishing Wendy had been with him to help heal the guy. "I don't know. We all found each other - that card guy got us in and kept us hidden until we came across her, Wendy, and the other lady, but...I don't know how Jellal separated us. But he did. Can't find any of them now. He's turned it into some kind of game that he thinks is funny."

The man before him huffed, wheezing out a wet-sounding breath. "Jellal...hah! Should have known better!" He spat blood on the ground, and Gray shifted uneasily.

This guy wasn't as hurt as Lucy, he was hurt worse. It just wasn't visible.

"What do you mean?" Gray demanded, jaw working furiously as he listened. He needed to figure out just how he could find the others, and if that meant listening to this man's story, even if he didn't have the time, so be it.

"Came back from getting supplies years ago, said Erza had outright walked away on all of us." His lips twisted into a wry smile. "We were kids then, teenagers. We believed him. We shouldn't have. He taught us how to use magic, even if it was a very different kind from his own, and we all built this tower." He took a shuddering breath, his eyes darkening. "We should have known...he was so much harsher, crueler after that. That is not Jellal. Not the Jellal we knew and loved anyways."

Gray's mind scanned over any possibilities that might explain what had happened to the man he spoke of. "Simon, right?" he asked for clarification. "You have to be Simon." Simon nodded slowly. "We'll try our best to get the other two to safety, but...there isn't much we can do if he doesn't want to be saved. And if he hurts any of my nakama, the others - even Erza - will kill him. Especially Natsu. Natsu's temper won't let him rest until Jellal's payed for the damage he's done."

Simon gave a choked laugh, resting his head back and closing his eyes. "Thought something was weird about that man. I can feel his magic from here."

Gray searched out Natsu's magic, and then grimaced. There it was. Just as Simon had said. "He'll be after Jellal or Lucy...don't worry, Simon. We got this."

"I hope so." Simon smiled faintly, and the blood bubbled at his lips. "Because I won't be alive by the time this is over."

* * *

"Alright?" Erza questioned quietly as she helped Millianna up. The young woman had stumbled and fallen in their mad dash to find the others or Jellal. Either one would work. Erza was certain that Sho wanted his revenge, though she was more concerned about Millianna, who still looked suspicious of the scarlet-haired woman.

"Yes," Millianna mumbled, snatching her hand back. She hugged herself, her gaze narrowed dangerously until Erza had turned away.

Sho squinted up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "We should be near the top of the tower. Even if Jellal gets to Miss Heartfilia, that's where he'll take her. It'll be for the best if we get up there."

"I see." Erza's eyes narrowed. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she muttered a curse to herself as she quickly yanked the key she'd be given out of her pocket. "I forgot about this," she admitted, gently running a finger over the edge of the golden metal before hardening her gaze. The only way to keep Jellal from succeeding was to find Lucy or him.

Currently, their best bet was the celestial mage.

"Virgo!" Erza called, earning bewildered looks from the two with her. She held the key out in front of her, palm up as it was suddenly enveloped by a gentle glow. A flash of light later showed the serious-looking maid Spirit, her dark eyes locked on Erza.

"You called, Miss Erza?" she stated simply, the chains at her wrists clanking.

Erza briefly wondered about them, blinking, and then focused on the matter at hand. "Lucy's here, in the Tower of Heaven...is there any way you could help us find her?"

Virgo tilted her head, studying Sho and Millianna for the briefest of moments before turning back to her. "I believe so. I should be able to guide you. Her magic is rather easy to sense." She promptly plucked her key from Erza's fingers. "Follow me."

Virgo started off at a brisk walk, guiding them through the twisting hallways of the Tower of Heaven. It was Sho who realized where they were going. "She's at the top of the tower," he breathed. "There's no way Jellal hasn't found her by now."

"Lucy wouldn't willingly help him," Erza told him.

"Willingly," he responded gravely. "I'm not sure Miss Marvell or the water mage would do well in a fight against Jellal. If he gets to either of them, I'm sure Miss Heartfilia would be more than willing to assist him. Jellal is powerful, Erza. Hiis magic is insane compared to ours."

Erza scowled at the thought. "That's because I taught him," she murmured, gaze darkening. Suddenly, she snapped her head around to look at the two, still following Virgo. "What happened? Perhaps we can solve what happened…"

Sho and Millianna exchanged a glance before Millianna said hesitantly, still looking like she didn't trust the scarlet-haired woman, "Jellal...he told us that you'd left us for a better life. That you'd claimed we only weighed you down and left."

Erza snorted. "I said no such thing." She pressed her lips together. "I was looking for food. I couldn't find you. Were you two together? And...and Simon?" Sho gave a curt nod. "Jellal was alone, then. Something must have happened-"

"Excuse my interruption, Miss Erza," Virgo said suddenly, glancing over her shoulder. Her dark eyes were serious as she spoke. "There is a much darker magic about than you seem to think...perhaps it has to do with what you are discussing?"

"What kind of dark magic?" Erza questioned curiously, letting her own senses seek out any magic signatures she didn't recognize. The requip mage stopped dead in her tracks, however, when she caught the smallest trace of a familiar one, and the others slowed to a halt as well. "That's-"

"Princess is close," Virgo supplied. "As is the water woman."

"Juvia found her," Erza said with relief. "Jellal still hasn't found her then. This will give us the chance to figure out what our next course of action is as long as he doesn't separate us again...it must have been the black magic you spoke of that did that. Jellal's magic isn't capable of such a thing."

Virgo murmured her agreement, as did the two with them.

"They're on the topmost level, Erza," Sho told her, charging forward. The other three took off after him, Millianna looking a little more confident now as she kept up beside Erza, stride for stride with the scarlet-haired woman. "And that means Jellal has her right where he wants her."

Erza's eyes flashed with anger. "He will _not_ hurt my nakama," she declared, and then pushed onwards, her face set in a determined look. As they ran, she noticed a searing magic that began to fill the air. "Natsu's approaching as well. That just leaves-"

"Erza!" Gray's voice filled her ears. She slowed again, turning to look over her shoulder as Gray rounded a corner, sprinting at full speed to catch up with them. His naked chest rose and fell as he stopped beside her, heaving for air. "Have you seen-"

 _Crash!_

They threw up their arms to block the debris that suddenly showered them as an explosion of flames burst through the wall beside them. A second later, waving away the smoke impatiently, Natsu climbed through, helping a flushed looking Wendy through. Happy hovered beside the fire mage, and Charle was clutched in Wendy's arms, looking fairly annoyed. Natsu looked pissed off, flames swirling around him, and Erza could have sworn that she saw the wings of a dragon flaring behind him before going up in smoke.

"Where's Lucy?" were the first words out of his mouth before he saw Virgo and stared at her in confusion. "Who the hell-"

"She's up at the top, with Juvia." Erza's lips kicked up at the corners when Gray uttered a mumble of relief. She knew without a doubt that Gray returned the water mage's affections, even if he insisted that he didn't.

"What are we waiting for then?" Natsu snapped, "Let's go!"

"He's really worried," Happy explained to the startled looking Sho and Millianna. "She's his partner."

"Hold on," Gray said, face darkening. "I think these guys should know...that other one, Simon?" Erza focused on him as well, her gaze flashing with concern and then grief at his next few words. "He's dead. Jellal killed him."

Sho's mouth opened in shock. "Wh-what?" he breathed. "There's...there's no way that-"

Tears appeared in Millianna's eyes. "No," she whimpered.

"I apologize for interrupting again, Miss Erza, and you may punish me later if you wish, but…" Virgo waved at the ceiling above them. "I can sense the black magic. But I can also sense some kind of powerful magic as well, one that's nearly overwhelming it as well as Princess' and the water woman's-"

"The Etherion Canon," Erza managed to get out, her voice laced with horror. "The magic he stole, he's firing it!"

"But…" Sho looked concerned. "He needed Miss Heartfilia's magic to fire it. You said she wouldn't do it willingly."

"Juvia," Gray gritted out. "You said Juvia was up there with them!"

"Shit," Natsu swore.

"We should go," Wendy fretted. "We have to go!"

The vision flashed before Charle's eyes again.

* * *

Juvia's eyes were filled with unshed tears and rage as she held herself protectively over the now unconscious Lucy, her blue hair matted with the blood that smeared Lucy's flesh. She watched intently, her eyes never leaving Jellal as he cheerfully worked, his hands covered in a gentle golden glow.

She remembered what had happened clearly.

One moment, she had been beside Gray, clutching his arm to her with a thoughtful look on her face, and the next, she was here, at the top of the Tower of Heaven, staring into the dark eyes of Jellal Fernandes. He'd looked annoyed, as if she hadn't been the one he'd meant to appear, but had shrugged and hauled her with him as he went on the hunt for Lucy.

It had only taken moments to find the exhausted celestial mage. She'd willingly agreed to come with him when he'd threatened the water mage despite Juvia's protests that she would be fine, and that Lucy needed to go.

And she'd willingly assisted Jellal, too, using up all of her magic to power up the powerful weapon that was slowly constructing itself above their heads. Jellal looked a little tired himself, but Juvia suspected that he'd let Lucy take the brunt of it all. Juvia cautiously brushed a hand over Lucy's pale cheek at the thought.

Jellal suddenly spun on his heel to grin darkly at them. The strange symbol that was above and below his red eye seemed to glow in the dimness of the room as the Etherion Canon began to power up further, sucking up all of the light of the building. "Years of work is about to pay off. I hope you're ready for it."

Juvia glared. "Juvia knows that you will not succeed."

He didn't seem the least bit bothered by her words. "So you think."

Light washed over them all in a flash, and Juvia knew no more.

* * *

 _And they're on their way, yay! :D Simon's gone though, which sucks, 'cause I kinda liked him. But things get a bit crazier next chapter!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _Masked Guest:_** _I've thought about repetitive things. I separate my lovelies often, but not often enough that I'm too concerned about some things. Thanks for the warning though! And thank you!  
_

 ** _BlueVanLocke:_** _Huh. That's interesting. o_o  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Nah. Poor Lucy. Lol.  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _One last little hug before hell comes, yes? You'll have to wait and see about Erza and Jellal, but I think you'll enjoy the next few chapters. :D  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _I wanted to curl up and cry after the last update. I'm terrified for our poor favorite characters._

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _New chapters are always lovely, eh?_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _I like that. I should have some hide and seek playing between those two later. Way later. Like, almost a hundred chapters later 'cause you know. I don't know where I came up with the idea of the gloves, but I love those gloves._

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _I think that can be arranged for the time being. But only for now. ;)  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _Why, yes. Cliffhangers are my favorite, can you tell? XD And I agree, it sucks to see Jellal evil, but it's a necessary thing for later plot. Thank you!_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Nah, she seems to be constantly getting into trouble. That reunion comes next chapter and sorry. But you must say goodbye to Simon. ;-;  
_

 ** _Uchida Akira:_** _I'm glad!_


	41. Chapter 41

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu groaned as he pried his eyes open, staring up at the harshly growing ceiling above him. Pain ricocheted through his throbbing head and he blinked a few times to try and clear it away before sitting up, looking around him. The last thing he remembered before darkness was an insane amount of light, and he found himself concerned for the people he'd been with.

The rest of them - even Happy, who was unconscious beside him - were sprawled out on the ground around him. He rubbed his head thoughtfully, pink hair messy, and then jumped when a familiar voice greeted, "I am glad that you are awake now, Master Natsu."

"Yo," he greeted, voice hoarse as he looked over at Virgo. The maid was kneeling beside Wendy, who was beginning to stir. "The hell happened?"

Virgo glanced at him sharply. "The Etherion Canon was fired, Master Natsu, I recommend you go to Princess' side as quickly as you can. I am using my own power to awake Miss Wendy. I believe Princess and the water woman will have need of her magic...please. Take my key to Princess." She flicked her fingers and a golden key went soaring through the air.

Natsu nabbed it with ease, his eyes narrowing irritably as he recognized the symbol atop of it. "This was in my hoard...how the hell did you get it out of there?"

Virgo's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Celestial Spirits do not appreciate being kept from the mages they wish to make contracts with, Master Natsu. I recommend giving Princess anymore keys that you might have. There are already more than a few of them who do not like you."

"Uh...okay?" Natsu blinked, then heaved himself to his feet, staggering slightly. He tested his magic cautiously, flexing his gloved hands, and was relieved when he noted that his magic stores were full. "Any other tips?"

Virgo hummed thoughtfully. "Yes. Remember that magic is made up of etherious material, something that is already a part of you. If you truly wish to defeat this man...I recommend that you eat it." She waved to the walls around her, and he gave her a strange look that had a slight hint of suspicious shock before watching her disappear in a flash of light when Wendy opened her eyes.

"Let's go," he told Wendy. "The others will be fine, we have to go help them."

Wendy scrubbed at her eyes, grimacing as her head throbbed like his. "Okay," she said without hesitation. She didn't question the man who knew what to do in situations like these. She did, however, pause for a brief moment to touch Charle's head.

They didn't have the time to wait for their comrades to wake up. Jellal was undoubtedly moving, so they had to move, too.

He darted forward, glancing back only once as the floor began to ascend in a slope. Wendy scrambled to keep up with him. "Go to Lucy and Juvia immediately," he told the girl firmly. "I'll deal with Jellal and hold him off until the others get here, okay?"

"Yes," she agreed.

Flames began to swirl around Natsu's arms as they came upon a door. He slowed, breathing in. "They're in there. Ready?" One curt nod, and he burst through the doors, a Fire Dragon's Roar already building in his throat. He fired it as Jellal spun on his heel to stare at them in shock, and Wendy tore over to where their nakama lay, throwing herself down between them and ducking to cover her head when Jellal threw out a hand, diverting the attack.

"Hm...awake sooner than I thought." Jellal cocked his head. "You shouldn't be awake yet. The blast should have knocked you out for more than a mere ten minutes."

"Try five," Natsu said, flashing a vicious grin. His onyx eyes were like shards of flint as he glared at him, silently promising to destroy the man before him. He'd hurt Lucy. So he'd receive the same damage.

"No matter," Jellal muttered. He turned his way, unconcerned - and then looked over when Wendy suddenly gave a cry.

Wendy was looking down at Lucy in horror, her eyes filling with tears as she desperately shook the blonde's shoulders. "Lucy!" she whimpered. Her gaze snapped to Natsu's, full of horror. "N-Natsu, she's...she's not…" She began to cry, sobbing into her hands.

Cold fear gripped Natsu tight in its clutches. "Lucy?" he breathed, his flames dying out just like that. Forgetting about Jellal, he darted to Wendy's side, dropping down beside her. He hesitantly touched the celestial mage's pale and cold cheek. "Luce!?" Sheer terror filled him when she remained still. Instinctively, he dropped his head to her chest, seeking out her heartbeat.

He wanted to scream his relief to the skies when he heard the quietest of thudding and felt just the slightest rise and fall of her chest. "She's alive," he said hoarsely, yanking back and gently grasping the other dragon slayer by the shoulders, eyes darting to Jellal, who was watching with a grin on his face. Natsu scowled. "Do that thing where you share your magic. You've done it for me before, remember? It'll exhaust you, but we'll protect you, okay?"

She sniffled, and then whispered, "Kay."

He patted her head. "I have to wipe that smirk off of his disgusting face now. Help Luce. Keep her safe if she wakes up. Do the same for Juvia." He shot to his feet then, not even hesitating to throw himself with a vicious snarl at Jellal. Jellal's smile faded and he used his own magic to shield himself as fire exploded around him, threatening to incinerate him where he stood. Natsu glared at him from furious eyes as the fire swirled around him in a deadly vortex. "Erza wanted the honor of killing you...she just lost that chance. You sealed your fate when you decided to mess with Fairy Tail. You _won't_ walk out of here alive."

Jellal only waved a hand, as if uninterested. "Words, all words, none of which are true." Jellal motioned to the glowing walls around them. "What more do you think you can do? I would have thought you of all people would be interested in bringing back the mage that had been declared the most destructive mage of all time."

Natsu opened his mouth to respond and was distracted when the doors flew open and in came the rest of the Fairy Tail mages. He noted that the two that had turned against Jellal weren't there anymore. Suspecting that they had sent them off, he only called, "Help Wendy!"

Gray didn't need to be told twice, and he and Charle went to join the sky dragon slayer, who was working furiously at transferring portions of her own magic store into Lucy's. Erza and Happy, however, did not.

"Natsu!" Happy shouted, diving forward to snatch Natsu out of the way when he didn't notice Jellal launching a nasty looking golden attack.

Erza simply stared for a brief moment, her jaw working as she clenched her teeth. "Jellal."

Jellal grinned again. "Hello, Erza. It's been awhile, has it not? Do you like what I've done with the place?"

She responded by requipping one of her most powerful weapons into her hand.

"Shit," Gray muttered as he checked to make sure that Juvia was okay. Relieved that she was still breathing, simply knocked out, he turned his attention on Wendy and Lucy. Charle was hovering anxiously near the blue-haired girl's head. "What happened?"

"Jellal used her magic," Wendy said, her gaze determined. "Too much of it, too. I'm trying to replenish her magic stores...can I use some of your's? I can't give her any more of mine, or I won't be able to continue performing the spell."

"Sure." He let Wendy place her hand over his heart, his face set in a worried look. "Do what ya have to, Wendy." She cast him a grateful smile.

"I'll do my best," was all she said in response.

* * *

She stirred as the sound of fighting filled her ears. The sound of bellows of pain and the roaring of fire flooded her senses alongside the smell of smoke, but that wasn't what woke her. Nor was the gentle hand resting over her heart, or the low voices that urged the unconscious being beside her to wake up.

No, it wasn't any of that that woke Lucy Heartfilia.

It was the sharp sound of a golden key falling to the floor. It clanked against the glowing blue stone that made the Tower of Heaven so dangerous. It slowly began to slide as if it had a life of its own - and it did. The Spirit it was connected to was somehow directing it to her and she knew it.

So when it brushed through her, sending a funnel of power that she felt to the very tips of her toes, Lucy leaped into action.

Wendy screeched in shock, toppling backwards into Gray's lap as the exhausted celestial mage suddenly threw herself in the direction of the fighting, slashing the key through the air. "Open! Gate of the Virgin! Virgo!"

Natsu, too, squawked in surprise when she practically stumbled into him as the strength left her as quickly as it had come. The fire mage had taken a step back, waiting for an opening as Erza launched herself at Jellal, who'd only laughed.

Clearly Wendy had been successful, he decided as Lucy's dark eyes flashed with rage.

"Look who's finally up and walking," he wheezed, out of breath. _Damn_ , this guy's magic was crazy. Not even Laxus had this much! It was like his stores never emptied.

"Shut it, now is _not_ the...the time...damn!" Lucy grunted as her legs gave out, watching intently as Virgo assisted Erza in the strangest way she'd ever seen. The maid Spirit had dug a series of holes through the stone floor despite the fact that it was made of etherious material.

Natsu caught her before she could fall to the ground. "You okay?"

"Will be, may have gotten up a bit too soon." She flinched as a wave of exhaustion raced through her. "I dunno who this Spirit is…her key was suddenly there, so I grabbed it and thought I was awake, but…"

"Gray!" Natsu shouted, and then swore when Jellal suddenly - and miraculously - tripped in an attempt to avoid a hole that Virgo had dug. The attack he'd originally directed at Erza went off course, heading straight for them, and he spun them around so that his back was towards it. Gray came to the rescue in record timing, throwing himself between them and the attack at the same time that he threw up a shield of ice.

"Be careful, pyro," he muttered. "Lucy, come on, you need to stay out of the fighting when you're like this. Trust us, we've got this."

"I do," she mumbled, then glanced towards Virgo when the Spirit, who'd appeared beside them, spoke.

"It is nice to meet you, Princess. I won't draw on your power anymore. We'll form our contract when you're feeling better." She smiled kindly and bowed before disappearing in a flash of light, her key warming in Lucy's scuffed palm.

Natsu glanced over his shoulder when Erza cried out in pain, then quickly unwound his scarf from his neck and shoved it at Lucy with a huge grin. "Protect this for me, would ya? Don't want it getting damaged."

Lucy smiled faintly, and then let Gray whisk her away back to where the others were. Juvia, it appeared, had just waken, and Wendy was working on checking to make sure she wasn't injured. Juvia smiled brilliantly when she saw Gray.

Lucy clutched the scarf to her chest, nervous as Natsu suddenly leaped into action, snarling, "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" She'd never understood why her partner thought screaming the names of his attack would help, but she thought she knew now. It helped focus his magic, allowed him to control it so that he could do what he needed to do.

A thought suddenly struck her. "Where's Sho and Millianna?"

Gray gave her a faint smile. "When they woke up, we sent them to check on our boat and make sure it stayed alive. We don't want to be stuck here when it comes time to leave, though I'm sure that Gramps would send people after us if we were gone long enough."

"Good," Lucy murmured, glad they wouldn't be getting hurt.

Enough people would be getting hurt as it was.

Suddenly, things went very wrong, and Lucy knew without a doubt that she would have nightmares about it for as long as she lived.

A beam of golden heavenly body magic struck Natsu straight in the chest, and his expression twisted into one of shocked pain just a second before it enveloped him and sent him flying straight through the wall behind them, leaving a hole that showed off the midnight sky. Silence followed this for a moment, and then Lucy _screamed_ , clutching the scarf to her chest as tears flooded her eyes. Happy hit the ground with a thud beside Erza, who scrambled to pick him up as Jellal turned on the exhausted Titania.

Annoyed with Lucy's screaming, Jellal scowled and raised a hand, throwing another attack their way. Gray swore, ripping his attention from where he'd been helping Wendy set a broken bone that Juvia had, immediately crying, "Ice-Make: Shield!" The ice shield from before sprang into existence, and then cracked beneath the power of Jellal's magic. "Where the hell is that- NATSU! GET UP HERE, THERE'S NO WAY THAT KINDA ATTACK KILLED YOU, YOU BASTARD!" His demand became a cry as his shield threatened to give way.

"Jellal," Erza breathed, her eyes full of pain as she simply knelt before the smirking man. Her face was smeared with the ash of Natsu's flames, her gaze one of horror as she realized that _this_ was the man that had once been her friend. This was the monster she'd created when she'd helped him with his magic all those years ago.

And then a tear fell from his eye. The eye that was free of any marking around it was suddenly brimming with tears that refused to fall, full of mourning that his grin contrasted so sharply with. The other eye was still hateful, malice glittering in its depths even as the color and shape of his iris and pupil changed into that of a strange symbol she'd never seen before in her life.

Erza's own eyes widened fractionally as it struck her.

This was Jellal. But this wasn't him entirely.

Someone else was there, too, lurking and taking over his body.

Erza's expression darkened and she hauled herself to her feet, requipping a fresh weapon into her hand and a new set of armor onto her body. Happy remained tucked under one arm, and she said coldly, "You've messed with the wrong guild."

Just before she could attack, however, there was a groan, and a panting dragon slayer heaved himself back into view, looking exhausted and pained. Blood stained the front of the shirt he wore, and the rest of his clothes were in tatters. His hair hung limply in his face, but his onyx eyes still gleamed with rage.

"You seriously think," he panted, "That I'd die from something like _that_ , popsicle?" He shot Gray a glare. "What the hell, man? I'm not that weak. Barely...barely hurt...damn!" His elbow slipped and he yelped as he nearly fell right back out of the space he was trying to crawl in through.

Jellal paused to stare at him in shock, and a relieved smile played along Erza's lips as Happy stirred in her grip. "How are...how are you still…"

Lucy flew to the dragon slayer's aid, stumbling in her rush. She'd thrown the scarf around her neck by the time she'd reached him and she was quick to grab his arm, yanking and helping him back up to the safety of the room. He flashed her a quick smirk in thanks that she returned with a tearfully relieved smile before turning his attention back on Jellal, an evil grin appearing on his face.

" _Remember that magic is made up of etherious material, something that is already a part of you. If you truly wish to defeat this man...I recommend that you eat it."_

"What Erza said," he said simply, reaching for a chunk of the wall that lay on the floor, glowing softly still.

He began to chomp down on it.

* * *

 _This was one of my favorite chapters to write! So much happened! Poor Jellal! Dramatic Natsu! Ahhhhh!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _Risa98:_** _I believe you've reviewed once or twice. You'll have to wait to see about what happens to Jellal after this. ;) I think it's different than what everyone expects.  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _I HAVE. I've read that chapter several times! I agree, Lucy needs that chance to be badass again. I want more Star Dress forms to be revealed. I love Acnologia for some reason, and I've hopped on the Annalogia pairing's train, so. I'd kinda be interested in seeing how Acnologia reacts to Lucy, honestly. And Natsu, too.  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Yes. Yes they did. XD  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Bad things are always on the horizon, but they are lovely things. I think you'll be getting your wish here soon with Natsu. ;)  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _I agree. Nothing's going to sit well with anyone, is it?_

 ** _Uchida Akira:_** _Thank you! :)_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Same here! I get excited every time the lovely evil dragon shows up, though. Almost as excited as I get when Sting makes an appearance. Natsu's about to get crazy, isn't he? And yep! Eight chapters from now! ;)  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Yep! Jellal threatened Juvia, able to overpower her, and Lucy agreed to willingly work with him because of it. And Charle's vision just happened. Yes?  
_

 ** _Typhlosion8:_** _My poor precious Jellal...his evilness will fade eventually.  
_

 ** _readwithcats:_** _Welcome to the world of having an account! :D No worries, wasn't rude. It's something that's important to keep an eye on. As for Erza summoning Erza, that was a one time thing on behalf of both Virgo and the Spirit King, mostly so that Lucy could be helped. :)_

 ** _Miya:_** _Of course! Gray handled it pretty well, I think. Simon was decent, I was fond of his short-lived existence. CLIFFHANGERS FOREVER, MY FRIEND!  
_


	42. Chapter 42

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy was beyond shocked as she watched Natsu practically devour bite after bite of hard stone, his onyx eyes smug as he did so. She opened her mouth to demand to know what he was doing, then closed it, unable to come up with a question that would explain just how confused she was. Apparently she wasn't the only one either. Everyone else - even Juvia - was staring at him in shock.

When he finished, Natsu swiped at his mouth, smacking his lips. "Yuck," he muttered, wrinkling his nose. "That's disgusting." He shoved himself to his feet, then offered a hand to Lucy, giving her that signature smile of his. "C'mon, Luce, we've got work to do."

"...okay?" she mumbled, hesitantly taking his hand. He pulled her upwards and ruffled her blonde hair affectionately, and even as he did that, Lucy could feel the power he gave off, feeling it ripple around him in terrifying waves. As she watched his face, her eyes widening, she saw scales seemingly grow out of his flesh, as red as she suspected the dragon who'd raised him was. Eventually, he was covered in patches of them, and the flames that began to swirl around both of them made her flinch at their heat, even if he would have usually never let them burn her.

"Natsu?" she breathed.

Natsu only bared his large fangs in a grin as the fire increased. "Help Gray, kay?"

"...sure," she muttered, cautiously touching the scales that dotted his cheek out of simple curiosity for a moment before darting to join them. "I think we should move out of the middle of the room," she said simply. "Better yet, I think we should get to the boat. Natsu's got this."

"The hell happened?" Gray demanded with confused eyes even as he carefully picked Juvia up. Juvia crooned happily, curling up eagerly against him and rubbing her cheek against his naked chest, blue eyes sparkling. "Don't do that," he mumbled into her hair, "Now's not the time."

"Of course, my love," she purred happily.

"Go!" Lucy gasped, snatching Wendy, who clutched Charle to her, by the arm and hauling her towards the doors as the fire suddenly exploded violently around the dragon slayer. Natsu's smile vanished as soon as she was out of the room.

Erza stepped back, deciding it was against her luck to assist him at the moment. "Natsu!" she cried, holding Happy carefully to her. "Don't kill him, that's not Jellal!"

Natsu cracked his knuckles as he glanced her way, scowling. "The hell do you mean it's not Jellal? Bastard's called himself that, and it's not like he's trying to be anyone else, Erza."

"I think," Erza said slowly as Jellal turned to Natsu, ignoring their conversation. "That he's possessed."

"Possessed or not, he messed with our nakama, and he's not getting away with it," Natsu snarled back, motioning for a sluggish looking Happy to go with the others. The cat did as he was ordered and flew off, looking shaky in his flight. Then he grinned maliciously and slammed his fist into his other hand's gloved palm, fire exploding at the action. "Let's do this."

And then the fight began.

* * *

The massive tower shook as the battle started above their heads and Lucy frowned as dust fell from the ceiling. She stumbled every now and then, careful not to drop Happy, who'd hurried to catch up with them, the adrenaline not able to keep away the exhaustion that had come with summoning Virgo, and she wished silently that she'd been training harder.

Somehow, it seemed like she'd never be as good as the others around her at this point.

"The tower," Gray said suddenly. "It's falling apart...no, it's _melting_. What the hell is that pyro doing?"

"That power," Wendy said with a shudder as she glanced anxiously over her shoulder. "That was... _intense_. The amount of power coming off of Natsu, and the...the scent he usually has. It all changed...I hope this doesn't change him for good."

Lucy cast her a sharp glance. "What do you mean, Wendy?"

Wendy blushed even as she jogged beside the celestial mage, careful to make sure she didn't fall in their attempt to get away. "Something like this could be dangerous, Lucy. It might change him, turn him into something he's not. I hope it doesn't...it looks a lot like Gajeel's Dragon Force…"

"Dragon Force?" Gray called over his shoulder, sparing a look back.

"Dragon Force," Wendy began, her eyes flashing nervously. "Is an ability that is incredibly difficult for first generation dragon slayers to use." She pressed her lips together, slowing to a halt so she could catch her breath and finish. The others followed suit. "It's like amplified dragon slayer magic. Our instincts are more dragon-like, as are our appearances. Our magic is more powerful, too. It's like we're humanoid dragons. The problem is...we first gens can't use it with a snap of our fingers. We rely on outside sources."

"The entire Tower of Heaven was made of etherious material," Charle murmured.

"You said Gajeel had used it before though?" Lucy said hesitantly. "And what do you mean first generation?" She gently touched Happy's cheek, frowning at the blood that stained his fur. He smiled reassuringly at her, silently telling her that he was alright.

"Oh!" Wendy smacked herself in the forehead, staggering as the building shook around them. "Um, Natsu, Gajeel, and I are first generation dragon slayers. We were raised by dragons. Sting and Rogue of Sabertooth are third generation, and they have both a lacrima - a magical device we use when magic is so concentrated that electronics don't work - implanted in them as well as they were trained by dragons."

"Okay," Lucy mumbled, nodding slowly, mentally deciding to get her hands on a lacrima soon. "And what about second generation?"

"Just the lacrima," Gray told her. "We have one of them, too. Laxus."

"Gajeel," Juvia said quietly from where she was held in Gray's grasp, her blue eyes serious, "Was once very capable of using Dragon Force. He had darkness in his heart, but Levy changed him after a rough meeting between them. Juvia is grateful. Gajeel used to be Juvia's only friend before we came to Fairy Tail."

"Lovely stories and all," Charle said sharply, "But we must leave this tower before that fool melts it with us still inside!" Her statement was enforced when what looked like glowing goo splattered the floor near them, and Lucy cringed in pain when a few drops splashed her leg.

"Right," Gray muttered. "Go!" He darted off again and they hurried after him as fast as they could.

"Lucy!" Happy gasped, eyes wide. Lucy followed the terrified blue cat's gaze and hardened her gaze. She leaped back - just as the ceiling from above them crashed down, efficiently separating she and Happy from her friends.

She heard frantic cries of her name from the other side of the melting debris, and she grimaced, wiping sweat from her brow as a wave of heat came blasting through the corridor. "Damn...you okay Happy?"

"Yeah," he muttered, squirming out of her grasp so that he could hover beside her, looking refreshed. "What do we do, Lucy? We can't go back up there, Natsu was...Natsu was kind of scary," the cat admitted.

Lucy pursed her lips. "You fly Natsu around, right?"

"Sometimes," Happy answered. His wings beat at the air before he continued. "I can only carry one person at a time, and I can't do it for too long. I've been training to get better though."

Lucy smiled. "We don't have to be in the air for that long. We just need to get to the base of the tower, or wherever you guys left the boat. Do you think you can get me that far?"

"Definitely!" Happy cheered. Lucy turned on her heel and started running again, ignoring the heat that had begun to fill the area. Happy kept up with her with ease, his gaze set in determination as they began to ascend the Tower of Heaven, searching for a way out and narrowly avoiding several pieces of ceiling that came falling down, nearly crushing them.

"Who doesn't have windows in a building?" Lucy cried as they came upon the doors that led to the room Natsu and Erza were battling Jellal in. Or what was left of the doors, anyways. There wasn't a single part of the room that hadn't been partially destroyed, and it was like they'd managed to blow the top of the tower right off. The entire room was an inferno, and Lucy could barely make out shapes that clashed in the flames.

She could definitely hear the sound of pained and desperate cries as two of Fairy Tail's strongest fought to take down Jellal.

Lucy took a deep breath as an idea struck her, and tugged Natsu's scarf over her mouth and nose to protect them, and then snatched Happy out of the air. It was because of her magic that all of this had happened, so she'd make sure she fixed it. "We're going to have to go out this way. Can you catch me if I jump out at that hole Natsu was thrown through?"

"Yes," Happy said, his voice firm. But he watched her nervously, seeing the determination on her face.

"Let's go then."

Lucy sucked in a large breath, then sprinted into the flames, ignoring the searing heat they brought with them as she started for the shapes that leaped around, trying to get the advantage so that they could win their fight.

* * *

"Go, go, go!" Gray shouted as he bolted through the small door at the base of the tower, Wendy practically diving out of it with Charle in her arms moments later. A second later, the Tower of Heaven crumbled, beginning to collapse in on itself.

Juvia clung to the ice-make mage with a terrified expression, hiding her face in his shoulder as he sprinted for where the boat was. He was more than grateful that the horrified looking Sho and Millianna had already started the engine, and he practically shoved Juvia into Sho's grasp before whirling around to throw up a shield of ice, blocking a massive stone that came falling from the sky.

Wendy shot Millianna a grateful look as she helped haul the sky dragon slayer into the boat. Charle freed herself from the girl's grasp, twisting to look up at the Tower of Heaven with a horrified look.

"Lucy's still in there," Wendy whispered, voice cracking. "What are we going to do? Lucy...she's still…" She burst into sobs, burying her face in her hands as she whimpered the blonde's name.

"Happy, too," Juvia said faintly. "They're both in there."

"They'll be okay," Gray said firmly, surprising them with the grin he wore. "Fairy Tail's mages are some of the best. Like we'd be killed in stupid ways like being crushed."

Juvia reluctantly agreed, clearly not believing Gray for once.

Millianna bit her lip. "Simon...he's in there, too," she whispered softly, her voice full of the grief that she felt. Sho murmured his agreement to her statement.

"I'm sorry," Gray told them gently. "There wasn't anything I could do to help him. If Wendy had been there, he might have been saved, but…"

"We don't blame you," Sho reassured. "We blame Jellal." He scowled. "He tricked us a thousand times. To build this...to not search for Erza…" He shook his head. "I hate him. I truly hate him."

"Hate is a powerful emotion," Juvia said softly, patting his arm soothingly. "It is best to not recognize it sometimes."

"Pretty sure that's what Natsu is feeling," Gray muttered, his eyes flashing with wariness as he watched a massive burst of flame explode out of the top of the Tower.

 _Come on,_ the ice-make mage urged in his mind, _Where's Lucy? He'll kill us if she doesn't make it out of there before the building goes down!_

Wendy was the one to voice these thoughts aloud.

"I hope Lucy and Happy are okay…"

* * *

"Damn," Erza murmured as she leaped back, avoiding a blow that would have nailed her through the chest had she not managed to escape its power. The scarlet-haired woman requipped into a fresh set of Adamantine Armor, speedily setting up her shield to block a blast of heavenly body magic. Jellal only grinned when the armor actually managed to shatter beneath it and send her flying just a split second before Natsu was upon him again.

The dragon - Erza could no longer see him as anything but a dragon for the time being - snarled and threw himself at Jellal again, red scales shining in the light of his flames as he landed a punch on the other man's jaw. Jellal swore as he skidded back before hurling himself back at Natsu.

Natsu dropped his lower jaw and let loose a Fire Dragon's Roar unlike any attack Erza had ever seen him create.

For the first time ever, the requip mage found herself wary of her comrade. She requipped again, this time into a set of Fire Empress Armor that would protect her from the heat and flames, diving forward to mask herself in them as Natsu fired another attack. Erza curled a lip as she dropped out of them, swinging a massive battle axe she'd acquired not too long ago.

One touch with Jellal's magic and it shattered.

Swearing aloud, Erza dropped to avoid the attack that came at her head. A few strands of hair were snipped off by accident, but she didn't seem to notice as she cried, "Natsu!" He nodded and suddenly, his arms were coated in flames. A nasty Fire Dragon's Wing Attack was used, followed by another Roar as Erza changed her weapon and hid among the flames again to charge.

Jellal, however, seemed to have other plans.

The blue-haired man showed up beside Natsu and the fire mage jerked his head around in surprise. Jellal didn't hesitate to lunge at Natsu with the blade that had suddenly appeared in his hand, aiming for his throat.

The knife didn't reach its destination.

Lucy appeared, her dark eyes serious as she slammed into Jellal, ignoring Natsu's call of her name in surprise as she shoved him towards the hole in the wall. Her gaze was one of determination as she thanked the heavens above that they'd already been near the hole, because otherwise? She wouldn't have been able to push him into the empty air.

"Lucy!" Natsu bellowed lunging forward to try and drag her to safety. His fingers just barely brushed against the edges of his scarf before she was gone, falling into the inky darkness of the night.

* * *

 _Ha! Craziness has returned! Not that it ever actually left...Ahhhh! Five hundred reviews, thank you so much guys! As a treat, I'm going to give you all an extra chapter tomorrow! ;)  
_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _The chapter was a bunch of crazy things. Drama for the win, yes?  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _With some help from Erza and Lucy, of course! Time for more Nalu! I love Nalu. This fic needs more Nalu soon. To angst and more in the manga!  
_

 ** _Hikariko93:_** _I'm glad you like it! :D  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Only Natsu would do something as strange as eating the wall. XD  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _You'll have to wait and see if our lovely has more keys hidden away. Perhaps he does, perhaps he doesn't. But I can tell you that you won't expect the next one when it comes. ;) AND I KNOW IT'S CRAZY._

 ** _Guest:_** _Christmas, apparently. Lol.  
_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _Of course!  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _No longer time to concern yourself about Natsu's health (just kidding, be ready for the angst) and nah. It was Wendy. ;)  
_

 ** _readwithcats:_** _Natsu is crazy in that way. He and Gray are great buddies in my opinion though. Perhaps this fanfic won't end nicely. Perhaps it will. I have no idea yet. That heartbeat might be temporary. ;_  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _I agree! Thank you! :)  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _And you thought the last cliffhanger was bad! Que evil laughter right there... ETHERIOUS MATERIAL IS A PRECIOUS (and apparently delicious) THING NOW. I'd like to try it.  
_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _Just as Wendy said, eh? Intense is great. I love intense.  
_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _Congrats about being the five hundredth reviewer! And yes. Yes it is.  
_


	43. Chapter 43

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy fought the urge to scream as her hair whipped around her face, her stomach giving that strange feeling that one felt when on a roller coaster. Jellal glared viciously at her, the jacket he was wearing torn and singed along with the rest of him from his fight flapping around him. "You bitch," he seethed.

"You threatened the wrong people, Jellal Fernandes," Lucy said simply and then shouted, "Happy!"

"Aye, sir!" The blue cat shot out of nowhere like a bullet, catching her by the back of her shirt. She'd shed her jacket before jumping into action, sure it would only ruin what she was trying to do.

She was definitely getting some jeans rather than these short skirts, though, because they were sure as hell not good for this line of work. Her lips twisted into a wry grin at the thought as she grunted, the gravity suddenly no longer as powerful as it had been. She tugged Natsu's scarf away from her face as Jellal swore, dropped beneath them. Then, however, Jellal only grinned, and the just like that…

Jellal Fernandes was gone.

Lucy panted for breath, gulping down air. Happy carefully lowered her, both ignoring the height at which they were currently at. When Lucy's feet touched the ground, she swept the blue cat into a hug, laughing happily. "We did it!" A pause. "Well...sort of. I wonder where he went."

Happy only purred, returning the hug.

A crash interrupted their celebrating. Lucy's gaze darted up and she grimly smiled. It appeared that the Tower of Heaven was still practically melting.

No matter. That was fine. Or it _would_ have been fine had Natsu and Erza not still been inside. Cursing herself for not thinking of such a thing, Lucy ordered, "Fly back up, get Erza or Natsu out of there. I'm going to see if I can find the others and send Charle up and get whoever you don't grab, okay?"

"Aye, sir!" Happy said confidently, and then flew off again.

Lucy took off at a run, ignoring the water that splashed along her feet. The tide had come, she realized, shivering at the coolness of it as it soaked her feet. As long as they could get the other two out of the Tower of Heaven safely, she had a partner who'd be able to warm her feet back up for her. Now was not the time to panic over such matters.

She saw the boat within moments, and she flailed her arms over her head as she shouted, "Hey!" There was a flash of something in the moonlight and Lucy squeaked, jerking out of the way to avoid the arrow of ice. "Gray!"

"Lucy!" he called back, sounding guilty. She stumbled, catching herself on the boat, and smiled slightly at the apologetic look on his face. "Sorry, didn't know it was you. You good?"

"Yep," she replied, then immediately sought out Charle. "Can you go help Happy? He's trying to get the other two down, but I don't know how long we have until-"

The celestial mage was cut off by the sound of a rumbling roar. Dust flew up into the air as one side of the Tower gave way. The entire structure suddenly began to tip sideways - threatening to crush them beneath it. Gray grabbed Lucy, hauling her into the boat as he shouted, "Go! Get the boat going!"

Sho didn't waste a second, and with Millianna's help, he managed to get the boat to safety, sending it off at full speed to get it out from the Tower of Heaven's shadow. Wendy screamed as the boat rocked violently from a massive wave and Juvia's eyes darkened as she threw herself at the side of it, shoving her arms into the water as she tried to stabilize it.

Lucy flailed, trying to get herself into a better position so that she could see what happened next, but all that she saw was the waves of the water around them as what was left of the tower crumpled to the ground or sinking beneath the waves.

She froze. _No!_ she screamed within her mind. Where were their friends?! Where were Natsu, Happy, and Erza?! Gray shouted their names, joined by Wendy and Juvia, but Charle only stared at the space the Tower of Heaven with horrified eyes. Lucy's hand lifted to clutch the end of the scaled scarf wrapped around her neck. "No…"

A gasp, followed by splashing, caught her attention and her head snapped around. Lucy rocked the boat as she threw herself at one side of it, reaching out a hand. "Erza!" she gasped. "Happy!"

"Sorry," Erza apologized, pushing Happy into her arms. Lucy hugged the shivering cat tightly as Gray hauled Erza into the boat. The scarlet-haired woman wore a fierce expression as she shivered. "I'm sorry. Natsu…"

Lucy clutched Happy closer to her, stunned. "What do you mean?" she demanded. "Where is he?"

"He wouldn't let me take him down, too," Happy whispered, quivering against her. Lucy glanced down, grimacing at the violently shivering blue cat. He seemed tiny with his soaked fur, she thought, and carefully folded herself around him to try and warm him up. "He said he'd be okay."

Gray, wishing he had his jacket for once, watched as Sho hesitantly offered his own to Erza. The requip mage gave him a warm smile and refused, taking a moment to requip into a set of clothes that were thick and warm, made for colder weather than what they were currently in. She was quick to strip off a layer and drape it over Lucy and Happy. "I don't understand...something like the Tower of Heaven should not have come down just because Natsu used such magic…"

Lucy mumbled her agreement, dropping her gaze. She remained quiet, simply trying to warm up Happy and fussing over him, as if such a thing would help distract her. But tears filled her eyes despite her attempt, and Juvia scooted over to sit beside her alongside Wendy, both offering silent comfort.

"What do we do?" Millianna questioned quietly. "Should we go back to the mainland?"

"Not yet," Gray argued, rubbing the back of his head. "That bastard might have just...give him a few minutes. He might be pranking us."

Erza's lips threatened to kick up into a smile. "I never thought I'd see the day you thought such a thing, Gray."

"Meh," was the ice-make mage's only response. His dark eyes searched the darkness around them, and he grimaced at the water. "Hope there ain't any sharks. That would make more than a few problems for us."

"Gray," Wendy protested, hugging Charle tighter.

Juvia suddenly stood, rocking the boat lightly. She waited until it had evened out, then told them, "Juvia will check the water...Juvia will be able to spread out more. It will be easier than waiting until Natsu shows up."

"Good idea," Erza praised. Juvia gave her a smile, and then simply stepped out of the boat. She disappeared, becoming one with the endless water around them - but only a moment later was scampering back into the boat with a pained gasp, steam rising off of her body.

"Juvia," she gasped, "Does not think we need to look for Natsu."

They all gawked at the water around them as it began to boil, steaming. Lucy squeaked, leaping to her feet when her bare legs began to burn on the boat, and she was joined by Millianna and Wendy in that.

"Where is he then?" the celestial mage mumbled, searching the dark waters now for any sign of Natsu.

"There!" Gray said suddenly, nearly tipping the boat in his rush to get to the other side of it. It rocked beneath them, but nobody seemed to care as they caught sight of the dragon slayer, barely conscious as he tightly gripped a piece of the Tower that stuck up over the water. He was soaked, and the water around him was evaporating and bubbling around him despite his obvious exhaustion.

Even in the dim light of the moon, Lucy could see the scales gleaming against his soot-stained flesh.

Grateful she still had his scarf, Lucy shouted, "Natsu!" She joined Gray at the side of the boat, still cradling Happy, who'd stopped shivering so much from the chilly water.

"Charle," Wendy pleaded, "Can you-"

"Of course, child," Charle murmured, wings sprouting at her back. She soared off, heading for him and managed to grab Natsu by the back of his tattered shirt just seconds before he would have sank beneath the waves. She flinched at the flames that sprouted around him the second he was out of the water, but quickly flew him to safety. She dropped him into the boat, and Lucy was quick to move to his side, gently checking his pulse before flinching at the heat that radiated off of him.

"Yo," he rasped, giving her a faint grin that showed off fangs that were larger than normal.

She rolled her eyes, smiling gently past tears of relief. "Idiot." She reached out to gently touch the scales at his cheek, watching with a relieved look as they began to fade away alongside the fire. Before long, he was back to normal, too exhausted to even feel sick about being in the boat.

"Natsu!" Happy's excited cry barely brought one more smile to his face before he passed out, completely unconscious. Lucy frowned, but Wendy reassured, "He doesn't look very hurt, he's just tired, Lucy."

"Good," Erza said sighed, sounding just as relieved as they all looked.

"Should we get moving?" Sho demanded. "Before anything starts happening again?"

"Good idea," Juvia praised, smiling shyly at Millianna, who eyed Happy longingly.

Lucy, noticing, only smiled warmly and offered the blue cat to her. "Do you want to keep him warm until we get to safety? I have to watch over Natsu and make sure he doesn't get too sick when he wakes up."

"Thank you," Millianna said happily, beaming at Happy, who only purred and pressed against her.

Gray glanced at Erza, smiling slightly as they exchanged a look before watching Wendy and Lucy inspect Natsu for injuries. "You okay, Erza?"

"...as well as I can be," Erza mused back. She was anything but pleased about what had happened, but she would be okay. Just as she always was. She'd discuss with the others about the situation when everyone had rested and was awake.

For now, she was content to study the stars, scarlet hair whipping around her face as the boat headed for the mainland.

* * *

Lucy thoughtfully tapped a finger against her lips, her eyes locked on the screen of the laptop that had miraculously survived the entire fiasco with the Tower of Heaven. Words had been carefully written, but not a single one of them had been written within the last two hours that she'd been sitting there. _That_ time had been spent darting over her shoulder to where a certain dragon slayer lay unconscious in her bed.

It had been three days since she'd seen Jellal vanish into thin air. Every mage in Fiore - and more than likely several other countries - had been put on high alert after it was realized what he'd been trying to do. Erza had been very careful to make sure that the authorities _knew_ that Jellal had been possessed, and the Magic Council had promised to see to it that a situation was dealt with properly.

In those three days, Natsu had only woken up once. He'd gotten a few mouthfuls of food down before passing out again, and the grumpy healer Porlyusica had told her it was merely a side effect of digesting etherious material in such concentrated amounts. They'd been ordered to let him sleep as much as it required, but make sure he was taken care of.

Hence the reason both he and the cheerful Happy were in her apartment, where they'd been since they'd come back from Hargeon. She'd left Happy in charge of him at least once a day in order to run to the guildhall and update everyone on what was happening. The blonde found herself proud that she could now navigate the town by herself.

Lucy sighed heavily, cautiously tapping a key several times.

She'd made contracts with the two keys she'd obtained as well. She found herself quite fond of the maid Spirit, Virgo. She'd been using her to train as much as possible, and Virgo didn't mind keeping the place clean for her so she could work.

She was incredibly grateful for that.

Lucy had sent another draft to her editor in the time she'd been watching over Natsu. She was excited to write, her creativity through the roof after fighting through the whole thing with the Tower of Heaven.

She'd even written the first letter to her mother since who knows when.

Which had brought about other thoughts.

Lucy sighed heavily, rocking back on her chair. Happy glanced at her, then returned his attention onto the TV.

It'd be time to go home soon, she realized. Well, not really home. And not anytime in the next month or so. She'd wait until after Christmas at least.

But still...she could feel it, a stab in the back of her head and a guilty feeling in her heart.

Bosco was calling.

And who was Lucy to refuse its call?

* * *

 _And so ends the Tower of Heaven arc. We'll have a little fun time before the next arc starts (my own self-planned arc for a certain someone that you'll all be excited about). Thanks for all of the support up until this point, guys!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _Miya:_** _Thank you! You guys are what make 'em happen, and it makes me smile to see the reviews! But of course I end a chapter there. :D It's the best point to end a chapter.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _No worries, things like that happen all the time. Cliffhangers are my specialty. It's great when I surprise my editor, too. She yells at me and I simply laugh and continue to write more.  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _Evil cliffhangers are the best. Action and drama are hard to write, so I'm glad you think of them as intense. That's a good thing for me! :)  
_

 ** _UchidaAkira:_** _And here is your promised chapter, though it was a bit later in the day! ;)_

 ** _Shelby143:_** _Thank you so much! Shattered Dreams was enjoyable to write. As were its companions. This is turning out pretty well as well, I think.  
_

 ** _Kaze:_** _Yep! It was where the collapse occurred. The ceiling fell between Lucy and Happy and the rest of the group, trapping the others on one side and those two on the other. ;)  
_

 ** _Knightwalker:_** _Because it was a necessary cliffhanger! Lol. Natsu's Dragon Force is always interesting, as is Wendy's. And Sting's. And the others, too, I suppose. I love it all._

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Damn right I can leave it there and I shall! Que evil laughter there...I love your reaction alongside everyone else's. It makes me plan more evil cliffhangers.  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Thank you! :D  
_

 ** _readwithcats:_** _Speechlessness is good, yes? ;)_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _Lucy is planning to be a very crafty person soon. Particularly involving Bosco. And Natsu, our lovely and clueless freak, is adorable when he's worried._


	44. Chapter 44

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

It was a week after the Tower of Heaven, on November 11, X784, that Natsu _finally_ decided it was time to wake up for more than a few minutes at a time, and damn, she could not be _any_ happier.

Lucy had been in the middle of jotting down some ideas for the next few books in her planned series when he'd suddenly yawned hugely and loudly, catching her attention. She'd turned to find him sitting up in her bed, sleepily rubbing an eye.

Naturally, and she couldn't blame him for this, the first words out of his mouth weren't anything like "Hi, Luce!" or "You okay?" Nope. She could only laugh when he stared at her with wide onyx eyes and stated bluntly, "You're wearing my scarf."

"Hello to you, too, Natsu," she teased, setting her pencil down. She folded her notebook shut with a small smile as he cracked another massive yawn. "Anyways, I didn't think you'd like it just laying around, so I kept it with me. Happy's already at the guildhall, and I think we should head there when you're ready, because I sure as hell don't have enough food to feed you."

He blinked, carefully going over this information for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay," he agreed readily. He practically tripped over himself in his haste to get out of the bed, his stomach growling at the thought of food. He grinned broadly. "Oh, yeah. Hi, Luce!"

Lucy giggled, shaking her head as she stood and pushed her chair back in. "There it is," she mused, unraveling the scarf from her neck. She offered it to him and he gingerly took it, studying the material and running his fingers happily over the scales before returning it to its rightful place at his neck.

Not, however, before Lucy saw the scar it usually hid. She tilted her head. She'd seen it a few times, and curiosity had filled her. "Natsu?"

"Huh?" he yawned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Where'd you get that scar on your neck?" She grabbed the teacup she'd been drinking out of, dumping it into the sink. The _second_ she heard the fridge open, she whirled on him with the darkest glare he'd ever seen, and he closed it with wide eyes and a squeak.

"Dunno," he mumbled, attempting to shove his pink hair into its usual style. His bangs hung in his eyes, and Lucy snickered when he huffed impatiently. "I've just...had it for as long as I can remember." He scrunched his nose as he struggled to come up with something that might have happened, but he came up blank. "I don't remember."

She shrugged. "Too bad." She pranced past him to grab her phone - she'd praised Wendy several times on keeping it safe from everything, because she really didn't have the money to replace it. She snatched up her ring of keys as well, smiling at the sight of all of them. "Did you see? I got two more. Lyra and Virgo."

She blinked in confusion when Natsu scowled. "Yeah, I know. Virgo let herself out of my hoard apparently."

Lucy's jaw dropped. "You seriously - you _knew_ you had a Zodiac Spirit in your hoard and you...Natsu!"

The fire mage flushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry! Didn't want to give it away, okay? Was one of the nicest things in there. Was the only one still that shiny after having it for years!"

She smacked his arm as she headed for the door. "Then clean, Natsu! Jeez." She scowled, muttering under her breath as he trailed after her, giving another yawn and pretending that he wasn't starting to get drowsy again. He paused to slip on his shoes, and then shoved his hands into his pockets, waiting for her to finish locking her apartment door.

Lucy nudged him forward, sure he'd been falling asleep on his feet by the time she was done. "Keep moving," she ordered with an amused roll of her eyes. "Or you'll fall over and I won't be able to get you back up and into my apartment. I'll have to run and get Happy."

"Don't be such a jerk, Luce," he mumbled whiningly, his lips sliding into a pout.

She fought the urge to laugh at the look he wore. The celestial mage was in a good mood after getting quite a bit of writing done alongside managing to keep Virgo - the Spirit was currently her most powerful - in their realm for more than just a few minutes. She'd succeeded at keeping the maid out for nearly three hours on her own before she'd needed to stop and take a nap.

And to top it all of, Natsu was finally awake! What was there to not be happy about?

Of course, there was that sombering cry at the back of her mind, ordering her to face off with her father, but… She needn't worry about that for another month and a half at the latest.

They made it to the guildhall quickly, and Lucy whistled happily as she entered the building without hesitation. Once, she would have shly kept back, letting Natsu lead the way in or force her inside. Now...she was perfectly at home.

And that's what Fairy Tail had become for her, she realized as several of their guildmates raised their hands in greeting. She waved in response, heading for the bar, where Mirajane waved in greeting, smiling brightly at them. This was home, not Bosco. Bosco was a place that she had once lived at.

This was the place that had her family. The place that had captured her heart and refused to let it go.

Silently, she once again thanked the heavens that she'd very nearly nailed Natsu with her car.

"Natsu!" Happy suddenly squawked, abandoning Charle in favor of zipping over to slam into his buddy's chest. Natsu grinned, hugging the blue cat cheerfully before letting him hover beside him. "You're awake!"

"Hey, little buddy," Natsu cheered, patting his head with his signature grin. "Didn't mean to scare ya."

"Finally awake, eh?" Gajeel drawled from where he was sitting, feet propped up on a table. He tossed a screw into his mouth, red eyes glinting as he chowed down on it. Levy, who'd waved at Lucy, gave him a glare for the sound. An amused Pantherlily only shook his head before returning to his cup of kiwi juice.

Natsu smirked, ignoring the hair that hung in his onyx eyes as he raised a threatening fist, which was still clad in the fingerless glove Lucy had got him. "Get me some more of that Tower, and I'll kick your ass."

"You need material made of etheious material to be able to beat me?" Gajeel said with a snicker.

Natsu paused, looking confused before shrugging. "...no."

"Boys, we just got here," Lucy tried to protest, annoyed with their immediate need to bicker. She looked around, seeking out Erza, but Cana answered the unsaid question almost immediately.

"Erza's out on a job by herself," the drunk called, then tilted her head back to practically swallow an entire barrel's worth of alcohol. Lucy eyed the barrel with a slight flash of surprise. Did they still keep alcohol in barrels? She had issues keeping track of such things…

"Damn," Lucy grumbled, then groaned in protest when Natsu's smirk reappeared. He slammed his fist into his hand, saying cheerfully, "I'm all fired up!"

There was a collective silence for a moment as the entire guild - or the members that were present - stared at him in utter bewilderment when no flames exploded around him. It was Lisanna who mused, "Or maybe you're not?"

Natsu stared at his hands in horror, looking panicked. "What the - _Wendy!_ " he wailed, sprinting straight to the sky dragon slayer's side. She squeaked, recoiling away from him in shock when he shoved his face near her's. "Fix it!"

"Fix what?" she mumbled, confused.

"I can't summon my magic." His hands were suddenly in front of her face, and she scrambled back a little bit to try and get him out of her personal bubble. "Help!"

"Natsu," Wendy squeaked, nearly toppling off of the chair she'd been in. "I can't do anything for that! It'll come back on it's own! It's probably just being really slow and trying to sort through what is etherious material and what's your natural magic!"

Natsu stared at her for a few seconds, looking utterly bewildered, as if he couldn't believe what she'd said. Then he scowled, whirling away in a temper - though it wasn't directed at anyone in particular. Not feeling like getting in an argument with her partner, Lucy gathered Happy into her arms and scurried out of the way, quick to join Cana at the bar.

"We'll need a few plates of food, I think, for when he's not storming around," Lucy informed Mirajane with an apologetic look.

"Already done," Mirajane reassured her with a wink. "I made a whole bunch last night and put it in the fridge so that Natsu wouldn't have to wait more than a few moments at the most. I had the feeling that he would be waking up within the next few days. I'm glad I was right."

"Aren't we all," Lisanna laughed as she came to join them, her silvery hair mussed and her eyes underlined by dark shadows. She gave a yawn, then smiled sheepishly as Lucy gave her a concerned look. "I was reading a book Levy recommended to me last night...I couldn't sleep until I finished it."

"You need to go to bed early tonight," Mirajane chided as she went to fetch a fish for Happy. She gave it to the grateful blue cat, her lips threatening to kick up into a smile. "You're leaving on a job with Elfman in the morning, aren't you?"

"Yes," Lisanna said with a smile. "We're teaming up with some mages from Lamia Scale to help out a town near their own after a landslide screwed them up. It blocked them off from everyone else and they can't get out on top of running out of food and water. They're still missing a hell of a lot of people, too. I was actually going to see if a few others wanted to go...there's no pay, but it's a dangerous situation."

"I'll go," Lucy offered. "I'm sure Natsu will need some way to get his energy out, even if he can't use his magic at the moment. And if not…" She shrugged. "Oh, well. He can stay here. I can see if Levy wants to go, too."

Lisanna shot her a huge smile. "Thanks, Lucy...I'll go ask a few others and inform Lamia Scale. I'm pretty sure they're bringing most of their guild, so. We leave at four in the morning. Meet at the train station, got it? Oh! And we won't be able to use any magic. This town doesn't know it exists...a few of the minor villages do. Not this one."

"Yep." Lucy gave her a thumbs up. She frowned apologetically at Happy. "I don't think it'll be smart for you to come then...is that alright?"

Happy swallowed a bite of fish before answering. "Yeah. I'll stay and help Mira!"

Mirajane giggled. "I'd appreciate the help. Are you going to go, Cana?"

She wiped at her mouth after taking another drink of alcohol. "Nah. Gildarts is gonna come home soon. I wanna be here ta catch him 'fore he leaves again."

Lucy blinked in confusion. "Um...can I ask who that is?"

Mirajane beamed excitedly at the blonde. "Oh! I forgot you haven't met him yet...Gildarts is arguably our strongest mage. It's hard to say who would win between him, Master, and Laxus - oh! And that new mage that joined a few days ago. Mystogan is his name, I think. Gildarts uses crash magic, which is fairly interesting to see. He doesn't come around often as he's usually busy taking the huge missions that make it so that he's gone for years at a time, and it's honestly difficult for him to come with his destructive tendencies...and he does it more on accident than Natsu!"

There was suddenly hot breath on the back of her neck, and Lucy, who would have once screamed and whirled around to smack whoever it was, only rolled her eyes and glared furiously at the grumpy dragon slayer until he moved out of her bubble. He didn't seem to notice her annoyance, instead grinning broadly at Mirajane. "Gildarts is coming back?"

"Scheduled to," Cana yawned. She jerked a thumb at Mirajane, her eyes amused. "He's also my dad. He didn't even know it when I showed up at the guildhall years ago. Ended up telling him a couple years back, and he's a freaking moron about it."

"Yes!" Natsu cheered, "I bet I can beat him now!"

"Not without your fire, idiot," Lucy chided, eyes flashing with amusement. "I'm guessing you won't be going with then...oh, well. I'll go see if Levy wants to go now." She waved to the three women she'd been chatting with, and then headed away as Natsu demanded to know where she was planning on going.

As she approached Levy and Gajeel, Lucy noticed a few things. One, the rest of Team Shadowgear was nowhere in sight. Levy was alone with Gajeel and Pantherlily, who was content with his kiwi juice. Two, Levy was glaring at Gajeel with puffed cheeks, and the dragon slayer looked fairly reluctant about something or another. And three? Lucy wasn't anywhere near blind enough to miss the gleaming gold held tightly in the iron mage's fingers.

Her lips parted as she stopped in front of their table. "Is that a key?"

Gajeel's head snapped up and his eyes flashed angrily. "What of it?" he spat, tightening his grip so that his knuckles turned white. "It's mine."

Lucy flinched, and Levy puffed up even further. "Gajeel Redfox, you give her that key right now, or so help me, you'll be on the streets for the next few centuries, is that clear?"

In explanation, Lily told Lucy, looking amused, "Gajeel found it in his hoard this morning when he was there seeing if there was any books he could give Levy, and Levy found about it. She's been trying to make him give it to you all morning."

"It's not like you have any need of it," Levy continued, as if not hearing Lily. "So what if it's all gold and shiny? Give it to Lucy. It could help protect her, you know. If you'd had that key with you when we were taken by Phantom Lord, she might not have been forced to suffer through you beating the hell out of her."

Gajeel's gaze hardened, and Lucy cringed at the memory. "Levy," she protested, stepping in now. "You don't have to go that far...it's not his fault that happened, and besides, look. I have plenty of keys to help me now. If he doesn't want to up what he considers an important part of his hoard, it's okay."

Levy huffed. "No," she told Lucy, "It's not, because he's already stated he was going to give it to you after things went back to normal. And things are normal now since Natsu's up, so damn it, Gajeel, give her the stupid key!"

Lucy snickered softly when he scowled at her, looking more like a stubborn child than a fierce dragon slayer. "How about this," she offered, trying to calm down the argument between the two. "I can summon the Spirit...that symbol looks like Scorpio. So I'll summon Scorpio, we'll see if they want a contract with me and if they don't, you can have the key back. If the Spirit does, I'll keep the key and you can have it if anything happens to me. Does that work for you, Gajeel?"

He studied her closely for a moment, then suddenly smirked, tossing a final screw into his mouth before chomping down on it. Crunching happily, he flicked the key into the air, watching her closely as she caught it. "Gihi! Go ahead, Bunny Girl. My old man gave me that key. Somethin' about that fucker being choosy. Good luck."

Lucy only winked and slashed the key through the air, her lips mouthing the necessary words.

* * *

 _My heart. The new chapter. I'm dead. My poor Laxus and my precious Gajevy. My poor Natsu. My poor everyone. ANYHOW! I honestly forgot about Scorpio arriving here. It's been a while since I looked at this chapter._

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _Miya:_** _Phantom Lord won't be coming unfortunately, as I used them to bring Lucy into the magic situation at the beginning. I have my own little mini-arc that I created that will be coming up after this little fun job. ;)  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _I like calming chapters between the arcs, so you can expect a few more of them before the next larger thing happens! :D_

 ** _Gaia Kame:_** _Thank you! I'm' glad you enjoyed it! The Tower of Heaven arc was pretty fun to write, as is the next few arcs.  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Nah. Enthusiasm is lovely. I believe that first question will be answered eventually, and as for the Battle of Fairy Tail, I have skipped that. Laxus is getting a break from his little attitude over that.  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Thank you! I agree. Nalu forever. :)_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Because that totally seems like some hellish thing I'd do. ;)  
_

 ** _iBook keeper:_** _I want to wrap everyone in protective bubble wrap all the time, so blankets are okay. Lol.  
_

 ** _Yami-The Lord of Darkness:_** _Of course!  
_

 ** _Guest:_** _Bosco is an entirely terrifying prospect for poor Lucy. Fun for us though. Lol.  
_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _Mission accomplished then! I try to do that, honestly. Keep it the same but different at the same time. The arc that goes way off course is Edolas though. Let me tell you how weird that one gets.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _You'll have to wait and see about Jellal, but yes for Nalu moments! :D  
_


	45. Chapter 45

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The guildhall fell into a surprised silence as there was a large flash of light that appeared before Lucy, and she grinned to herself at the curious looks on all of their faces. She hadn't really used her magic around too many of them just yet, so she might have been showing off just a little.

Only a teeny bit, though. She didn't want to piss of the Spirit that she was summoning.

Gajeel was watching with a surprising amount of attention, nothing escaping his gaze as the Spirit took form.

Lucy blinked, admittedly intimidated by the man before her. He was tall, with a massive scorpion-like tail made of metal that curved high above them all. Lucy was used to the strange style choices of the Celestial Spirits, so his clothes, the armored plates along his arms and legs, and his hair, colored red and white and split straight down the middle, didn't surprise her.

The huge grin that immediately stretched across his face as he crossed his arms and rocked back on his heels, however, did. "Well, look who finally summoned me," he said, eyes gleaming "My girlfriend's been wondering when you'd finally find her...looks like it'll be a while yet. You better get a move on. She's a _blast_ to chat with when you've pissed her off." He winked.

Lucy's mouth opened and then closed a few times as she tried to come up with a somewhat decent answer. Finally, she managed to get out, "...your girlfriend?"

Scorpio waved off Lucy's confusion, crossing his arms and leaning forward slightly. "You wanted a contract, didn't ya? Let's get a move on, Heartfilia, I ain't got all day."

Lucy didn't flinch at the sound of her last name, but a split second later, she realized she should have scrambled to correct him, because Mirajane spoke softly, mumbling to herself. "Heartfilia…where have I heard that name…"

Levy choked on the drink she'd been sipping at while watching Lucy, spitting it all over Gajeel by accident. "What the - _Heartfilia_?! You're-" She threw her arms up, and Lily was affected this time when the table shook violently and the poor cat went tumbling to the ground when it tilted. "Oh, my _gosh_ , how have I not noticed, Lucy! You're the freaking missing princess of Bosco!"

Lucy groaned, covering her face. "Just scream it to the world, why don't you," she moaned from between her fingers as Natsu scrambled to stand beside her, a defensive look appearing on his face when he realized that this might cause problems. The celestial mage silently cursed the fact that her name and face had been all over the newspapers lately after the anniversary of her disappearance.

Scorpio watched in confusion as the guild exploded into action, everyone scrambling to come closer. Natsu's defensiveness grew as more of the guild members gathered - and Lucy wished desperately that she'd thought twice about making the deal with Gajeel.

"HEY! BRATS!"

The familiar voice of the guildmaster filled the air, and Lucy felt a flash of relief. Makarov, aware of her situation, shot her a reassuring smile from where he was standing on the bar before scolding rather sharply, "Now, there's no need to bring about a fuss and push for information that you needn't know. Lucy is here for her own reasons, and it's not any of your business. Got it?"

"Sorry," Levy uttered, flashing an embarrassed look at the celestial mage.

Lucy shot her a hesitant and faint smile, patting Natsu's arm reassuringly. The dragon slayer looked ready to explode, one of his hands tightly grasping her own arm in his anger. His onyx eyes darted this way and that, just daring anyone to say something bad about it all.

"This information does _not_ reach the public, is that clear?" Makarov added warningly, his eyes scanning his "children". Most of them nodded, though a few of them exchanged uneasy looks. "Lucy's already had issues in regards to this, and I don't want her problems increasing. If something happens because you couldn't keep your mouth shut, you'll be answering to Natsu."

Natsu grinned darkly at the thought, and Lucy thought she might have seen just a little bit of smoke escaping his nostrils as he huffed out an eager breath.

It was Cana who rolled her eyes and said, her cheeks flushed from drinking, "Who do you take us for, some darker guild? We're freaking Fairy Tail, old man. Like we'd sell out one of our own."

"Don't worry, Lucy," Mirajane agreed, sending the young blonde a reassuring smile. "Nobody here would intentionally sell you out. You're safe. Make sure you're careful in the future though."

"I'm not the one just spitting the name out all over the place," Lucy muttered with a huff, thought she gave the silver-haired woman a grateful look. She turned back to Scorpio. "So you want a contract?" she questioned, aware of the dragon slayer that still stood close beside her, ready to guard her from any dangers. Not that there were any now. Mirajane was making sure everyone knew better.

And the second she threatened that they'd have to deal with her if they spilled this important information, they rapidly promised not to tell.

"Damn right," Scorpio said with a smirk. "Got one with the last Heartfilia, and she was the best master any of us Spirits ever had. One of the last to hold all twelve of us Zodiac, too." He made a face, as if the memory was a painful one.

Lucy's paused, then said slowly, "You all had a contract with my mother?"

He gave a curt nod. "Yup. Good lady. I'm glad you've inherited her abilities...we were quite worried about the line dying out when your father chose to not involve you in magic when you were young. Anyways, about that contract…"

Lucy straightened, ignoring the curious looks being sent their way until Natsu suddenly spoke up, his voice serious. "Luce's mom couldn't have had all of the keys."

Scorpio eyed Natsu cautiously, and Lucy blinked with shock in her eyes when a nearly scared look crossed Scorpio's face for a moment. "Dunno what you're talking about, kid," he finally said. "Layla Heartfilia was the first and more than likely the last to hold all twelve of the Zodiacs in her possession. She was capable of powers such as Star Dress, an incredibly difficult power to master, and she was particularly close friends with the Spirit King and the leader of the Zodiac. Pretty sure she had all of the keys, mine included."

"I'm with Salamander on this one," Gajeel huffed suddenly, rubbing the back of his head. He wore a slightly defeated look, one of annoyance that more than likely came from losing a portion of his hoard. "Can't have possibly had all of 'em. My old man had that one for a while." He waved at Scorpio's key.

Scorpio snorted. "What, ya think we know everything? Ask Metalicana if you're that curious."

Gajeel fell silent and shoved a screw into his mouth without another word, gaze dark at the name Lucy couldn't remember hearing about any time recently. Lucy opened her mouth to question Natsu about something, but before she could, the Spirit demanded, "Look, can we get a move on? I have business elsewhere. Got a date that I'll be in trouble with if I'm late."

"Right," Lucy muttered, shoving Natsu lightly towards the bar. "Go eat, I'll find you in a bit and we can go get ready for tomorrow."

"I didn't even agree to go," the dragon slayer muttered, making his way over to where Mirajane was watching as she cleaned glasses.

Lucy rolled her eyes at the cranky pink-haired man, then said with a sheepish smile, "Sorry. Let's get started…"

* * *

A grumble left his lips as he ran his hand through his hair, impatiently glaring at the entrance of the cave he found himself in. Piles of gold and other valuables were stacked around him, some piles reaching the ceiling of the massive area. Pain raced through his veins out of nowhere, and he hissed in pain, lifting an arm to study the vibrant red markings that raced up and down his flesh, a reminder of what he wasn't allowed to do.

"Damn curses," he grumbled grouchily before making his way through the cave in favor of hunting down a comfortable chair that had been placed there for "storage".

More like the previous owner of the place had been a "kind" creature that had been more than willing to make him as comfortable as possible before disappearing into thin air.

He rested his chin on his open palm, heart twisting at the thought. He missed the good old days. The days before he'd been imprisoned in this lonely dark cave as punishment for allowing such things to happen. The days when he'd stood beside _her_ as she laughed and allowed him to escort her to and from various parties, where he'd been cooed over by various women. The days when he'd been free to roam the earth as he wanted to.

The days when he wasn't in a cage that was unlocked but unable to open.

He rocked back in his chair, glaring at nothing in particular. The pain increased as he struggled to say simple words that could not and would not come to him. How was he to get out of this mess if he couldn't even _say_ anything?! Just how powerful did they think he was?! Sure, he was damn strong in comparison to a lot of other people, but he wasn't _that_ strong.

He furrowed his brow in thought, setting to work on thinking how to break the curse, just as he'd done for years and years on end. If it wasn't for visitors bringing food and thinking he was some kind of god that they needed to worship, he was pretty sure he'd have starved to death.

Not.

As if he could _starve_.

He didn't even have a truly corporeal body at the moment. The curse blocked him from appearing completely as he wished to do.

He thought about how to break the curse for a couple hours at a time, occasionally shifting, falling into his usual routine with ease. By the end of it, however, he finally gave up, throwing himself to his feet with an enraged roar that had the wildlife just outside of his prison fleeing in terror.

"Damn it!" he roared, kicking the chair over. "How the _hell_ am I supposed to do what you said, you _bitch_! You _said_ it wouldn't take more than a few years! So why am I still HERE?!" He grabbed a beautifully crafted golden crown and hurled it against a wall of the cave, heaving for breath that just didn't seem to come. His voice cracked as he dropped his head into his hand, hiding his eyes. "I don't understand...why me? Why punish me? You _promised_ she'd figure it out sooner, so why hasn't she?"

Silence was his only answer.

Just as it had been for years.

Rubbing his hand down his face to fight back the furious tears that gleamed in his gaze, unshed, he slowly straightened and took a deep breath. How long had it been since he'd seen _anyone_ in person? He thought about that, then sank to his knees with a lonely and mournful groan.

"How much longer do we have to suffer?" he muttered, his fingers reaching up to skim against a beautiful glass case. A single golden object rested among a pillow of soft purple velvet and despite the years of dust that had appeared on the glass, it continued to lay there, untouched.

He gave a tight smile as he glanced up at it, and then sighed heavily.

"Tomorrow," he told himself as he hauled himself to his feet. "Maybe tomorrow."

And as he began to stalk once more among the heaps of gold and precious gems, he began to hum a song under his breath, the words echoing in his mind.

" _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Little one._

 _Forgive me,_

 _For the things,_

 _That so soon,_

 _Must be done…"_

* * *

 _I'm so excited for that last bit! I totally forgot I put it in the chapter and - ughhh. I'm sure most have guessed correctly on who that is. ;)  
_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _I usually tend to update as soon as I wake up, so. I probably do like updating when you do. Lol. Natsu's probably counted every piece of treasure he has in his little hoard. Precious little creature he is. And yes! Yes, I did read it! I about cried at all of the adorable Gajevy before panicking over why we were getting it!  
_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _Stingy Gajeel is adorable, no? Edolas is crazy weird. Not gonna lie. Not my favorite arc that I've written so far, but it had a rather large and important factor that I used it for. ;)_

 ** _Moon Stone Tiger Lily:_** _No Aquarius quite yet. ;) You can expect her eventually though. She's coming up in the next...who knows how many chapters.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _I like Scorpio, though I don't write him very well. He's hilarious when he's with Aquarius. And a little break! I can't wait to start posting it, you guys will love it.  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Welcome back! Jellal will be a curious little creature when he shows up again with a permanent place. I have him planned out.  
_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _Why, of course! :D  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Wendy's the healer, but not of that. Of course, he doesn't think of that, just goes flying at her. Lol. In here? Yes. Be worried. In the actual manga? Yes. Be absolutely freaking scared._

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _Poor Gajeel...have no worries, my little iron mage, things will happen eventually...  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _I feel you about school. I have a paper to write every freaking week and it drives me mad. You'll have to wait and see about that. ;)  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Gajevy banter is a freaking blast to write. Bosco will be coming after the Christmas chapters (which are a freaking delight), so only about twenty chapters to go! :D  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _I agree with you on disgruntled Natsu. He is one adorable little creature.  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Gildarts is always fun. I love him. The question is where the hell is he in the manga at the moment...bastard up and disappearing on us..._

 ** _Shidake:_** _But of course! :D Gotta love gold! And iron in Gajeel's case. And gems in Wendy's. We won't even get started on Sting's and Rogue's.  
_


	46. Chapter 46

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Got him?"

Lucy grinned at Lisanna's question, winking as she supported most of Natsu's weight, one of his arms drawn over her shoulders. "Yeah. Don't worry, I have him. Lead the way." Lisanna only laughed as Natsu moaned pitifully and went to make sure that the others were there and doing well, too.

"You're such a baby," Lucy told her partner affectionately. "Look at you. Natsu Dragneel, capable of taking down one of the most wanted people in the magic community only to be brought down by a train of all things."

Natsu only mumbled incoherently under his breath and leaned heavily against her, looking beyond miserable. Lucy gently patted his shoulder with her free hand, and then hummed and watched as Lisanna checked on who they'd brought with them.

In the end, it had been a good amount of people who'd come with them. Lisanna, her brother Elfman, and then Lucy and Natsu. There was also Gray, Juvia, Levy, Gajeel, Romeo - the son of one of the other guild members who'd stayed behind - and finally, Bickslow, who'd recently returned from a job along with the rest of the Thunder Legion. Lucy had greeted him with a smile, commenting on how it would be nice to work with him again after the whole Deliora affair, and he'd only agreed before turning his attention completely onto a giggling Lisanna.

Lucy tried not to laugh at the sharp looks Elfman gave the mage anytime he went near his youngest sister. The burly man wasn't the only one receiving weird looks as they gathered in a group after getting off the train. Even thought they'd all dressed in normal clothes, most of them were getting strange looks - particularly Gajeel, with all of his piercings, and Bickslow, with the strange tattoo on his face. Natsu got plenty himself. Lucy blamed his hair, scarf, and the green tint on his face for that.

"Lamia Scale said they'd meet us at the village," Lisanna announced, looking pleased that she was in charge. None of them had complained; she was the one who'd accepted the work, after all. "So let's hurry up and get there so that we can help. There's plenty of daylight, and there's more than likely people who need help!"

"We better be walking, woman," Gajeel grumbled, ignoring the jab in his side that Levy gave him.

"Nope," Lisanna said apologetically. "Sorry, you two, we're taking a car. Well, two cars."

"Juvia wants to ride with Gray," Juvia said immediately, earning an eye-roll from said ice-make mage. Lisanna smiled brightly and reassured her that she'd make sure that Juvia and Gray got to ride together.

"I'm thinking we'll put you and Natsu with Juvia, Gray, and Romeo," Lisanna told Lucy. "That way we don't have to worry about having two sick people in the same car."

"That's fine with me," Lucy said with a smile.

"Don't put us in the same vehicle with that pyro," Gray groaned, scowling. "He's just gonna end up puking all over the place."

"Shut up, Ice Queen," Natsu moaned miserably. "S'not my fault."

"You rode on a boat with him," Levy reminded Gray with a slight smirk. "I'm sure you can handle a car ride for…"

"Only half an hour or so," Lisanna finished for the questioning solid-script mage. "He'll be fine. He's lived through worse. C'mon, let's get a move on!" She waved for them all to follow her and the group of Fairy Tail mages set off.

Grunting when Natsu only whined out a wordless sound and leaned even more so on her, Lucy shot Elfman a pleading look. "Hey, could you help me with him? He's not the largest person in the world, but he's got some muscle, and he's freaking _heavy_."

Elfman gave her a friendly grin. "What kind of man would I be if I didn't help?"

Lucy couldn't help but snort at his use of the word "man", more than aware of his love for it. "Thanks, Elfman," she said cheerfully as she shifted Natsu's weight onto the larger man. Free of Natsu, she rolled her shoulders and gave her partner a gentle smile, feeling bad.

She also ignored the dark glares being sent her way by Gajeel, who'd been fairly pissed off with her since the day before, when she'd made a contract with Scorpio. Not that she could blame him. She'd be annoyed if someone won a bet that gave away part of something they'd held possession of for years and years.

It took them no time whatsoever to reach the cars, and when they did, Elfman helped her get the ill Natsu inside before heading over to join his own group.

"Pathetic," Gray huffed as he climbed into the driver's seat of the vehicle. "Absolutely pathetic."

"It's not his fault he can't stand transportation," Romeo argued, scampering into the car. He took the seat between Lucy and Natsu, looking pleased about being able to sit between his "idol" and - according to his father - one of the best-chested girls in the guild.

Not that he'd repeat those choice words around said blonde mage. He'd rather not lose his head to her sharp words or get incinerated by a cranky dragon slayer, who'd been sticking closer than ever since the day before.

"Juvia feels bad for Natsu," Juvia mused, giving a soft sigh. "Juvia understands how he feels. Sometimes Juvia can't help when she melts into a puddle of water."

Lucy sighed softly. "I think we need to teach you how to stop talking in the third person," she muttered so that the water mage couldn't hear her. Gray, who was in front of her, heard, however, and choked on a laugh as he started the car.

* * *

"Freedom!" Natsu wailed as he threw himself out of the car, literally kissing the ground in his excitement. "No more evil moving things!"

"Until it's time to go home," Romeo reminded him with a snicker. Natsu moaned pathetically at the thought - until Lucy rounded the car, her keys jingling in her hand. In a flash, he was on his feet, bouncing over to her. "Why'd ya bring those? We can't use, uh, you know."

"With how valuable my magic seems to be," she replied, "I wanted to be safe rather than sorry. I'd rather they not get stolen, you know? Besides, it's good for an emergency, and I can summon at least Virgo to help us. That way I can train and we can help people at the same time." She smirked. "And you brought those gloves I got you, didn't you?"

Natsu huffed, shoving his glove-clad hands into his pockets. "I like 'em."

"Oi!" Gray shouted as he and Juvia headed for the other Fairy Tail mages that were piling out of their own vehicle. "C'mon, we've got work to do!"

Bickslow smirked. "You just wanna see that adopted sibling of yours."

"Shut up," Gray muttered, "Like I'd wanna see that stripping freak."

"Gray, my dear. Your shirt." Juvia offered the article of clothing to the gawking man, who was quick to yank it back over his head.

Not, apparently, soon enough, though.

"Still stripping like a complete and total moron, I see," someone called. Lucy's head twisted at the unfamiliar voice to see who it was, and she blinked at the sight of a smirking white-haired man. His piercing gaze was locked on Gray and only Gray, his hands shoved into the pockets of a white coat that was lined with a thick fur that brushed against his cheeks. Beside him stood a shyly smiling girl with light pink hair - nowhere near the rose-like color Natsu's was, and Lucy decided that she must have just barely colored - and a rather tall mage that looked older than the rest of them there. There were a few various other people behind them, but most of them were shifting several things aside, or helping people, and Lucy figured that they must have been the other Lamia Scale mages that had come to help.

Gray only glared at the man that had spoken, but Juvia smiled pleasantly and greeted, "Hello, Lyon."

The man - Lyon - turned his gaze on Juvia and his eyes brightened. "Juvia! I didn't know a lovely creature such as yourself was coming!"

"And this must be that celestial mage of yours," the other man mused aloud, his friendly eyes coming to rest on Lucy. The blonde flushed, smiling nervously, and Natsu happily threw his arm around her shoulders, no longer looking sick.

"Yeah," he said cheerfully, "This is Lucy."

Knowing better than to think the dragon slayer would introduce people to his partner, Lisanna smiled brightly and said, "Lucy, these are Lyon Vastia, Chelia Blendy, and Jura Neekis. Lyon is the other student of Gray's master. I think you remember us mentioning him?"

"Right," Lucy confirmed, offering a hand to shake. Lyon was the first to greet her, followed by Jura, and then a cheerful Chelia, who gave a hesitant smile. Lucy glanced at Jura. "And you're one of the Ten Wizard Saints, right?" She remembered reading his name on the offered list, provided by the website that had brought her into all of this mess.

"I have been made one in the last year, yes," Jura agreed with a slight smile on his face. "I see that you've done your research on the world of magic."

"Research is important when you're an author," Lucy said with a simple shrug.

"Enough chit-chat," Gajeel snapped impatiently, as if he was growing tired of having to say it. "Can we get a move on? Probably people around here that need help, and you bastards just wanna talk."

"Gajeel!" Levy huffed, exasperated.

"He's got a point," Lucy admitted, flushing.

"We've been working in teams," Lyon explained to the Fairy Tail mages. So if you all want to pair yourselves up, we can get straight to work. We have a few mages that need partners, too, so if you want to team up with one of Lamia Scale, you're more than welcome to." He beamed at Juvia. "So, Juvia, would you-"

"Gray, my love," Juvia sang, hugging one of his arms to her chest. The blue-haired woman's eyes sparkled excitedly. "Shall we save people together?"

Gray rolled his eyes, attempting to shake her off. "Sure, but ya have to get off of me first…"

"Come on, Shrimp," Gajeel told Levy as he nudged her forwards. "Ain't lettin' ya go with anyone else…" His piercing red eyes shot a challenging look at Lucy, as if _daring_ that she suggest they exchange partners for the day and Lucy shrugged, moving to question Lisanna.

Before she could, however, Natsu's grip tightened around her shoulders. "C'mon, Luce, I wanna see if I can get my fire to work!"

"You know we can't use magic," Lucy scolded with a sigh, allowing him to steer her away from the rest of their group. She heard Romeo team up with Chelia and Elfman with Jura just before they were out of earshot, and she warned, "If I catch you doing it, you'll be getting no cooking from me for the next few weeks, is that clear?"

He waved her concern off without so much as a worried look. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Luce."

She only shook her head.

Together, alongside Gray and Juvia - who reluctantly joined them after Jura suggested it - they went to work on unburying a house. Lucy had, after making sure no non-magic folk were watching, quietly summoned Virgo, who had seemed to know better than to make a bright entrance. The maid Spirit had shown up without the usual light, and in a regular set of clothes rather than her normal maid outfit, had merely greeted Lucy with a cheerful "Hello, Princess!" and then joined she and Natsu in freeing the house.

Lucy was glad they'd chosen this particular house not even half an hour later, when they uncovered a mother and her infant. The mother looked terrified, her face smeared with mud and dirt, and the child was near silent except for the occasional gasp for air.

"Are you hurt?" Lucy asked seriously as Gray carefully entered the destroyed home. The space mother and child had been hiding in was small, barely holding up beneath all of the destructive material above it.

"No," the woman said shakily as she reluctantly handed her baby to Gray. Gray carefully transferred the child into Virgo's arms after the Spirit carefully planted herself half-way between the inside and the outside of the place , and Virgo smiled gently at the baby before handing it to Lucy. "We're...we're alright. M-my husband, though, he was...he was…" Tears flooded her eyes.

"It's alright," Lucy soothed from where she stood at the entrance. Natsu had a hand wrapped around her arm, a soft growl in his throat as he prepared to rip her out of the way, just in case it collapsed. "Let's get you out of there. Now isn't the time for mourning."

"O-okay," she whispered. She suddenly yelped in pain when Gray moved to shove something that had trapped her leg off of her. "It hurts," she groaned, voice cracking.

"Sorry," Gray muttered apologetically. "Natsu, d'ya mind?"

"Sure." The fire mage carefully slid in through the opening after shooting Lucy a look that told her to stay back. Virgo assisted him in sliding down into the tunnel they'd created. He maneuvered into a better position so that he could help Gray, then gave a nod.

"Ready? One...two... _three_!" Both men heaved as hard as they could and a shrill cry of pain left the woman's lips as her mangled leg was freed. She sobbed quietly, stifling her pained cries with her hand.

"We're going to get you out now, be ready for the pain." The ice-make mage ducked down to carefully pick her up bridal style, trying to be as gentle as possible. "Virgo, could you grab her if I hand her up?"

"Of course." Virgo readied herself.

Suddenly, however, things went horribly wrong.

The ground violently shifted beneath their feet, and Virgo cried out in surprise when the young woman slid from her grip, her own feet ripped out from underneath her. Natsu swore loudly, and he and Gray exchanged a look before throwing themselves forward. "Go, go, go!" Gray bellowed as the entire space began to collapse around them.

Realizing they wouldn't make it only a moment later, Natsu narrowed his eyes and threw himself over the screaming woman. Virgo managed to haul herself out of the way, and an instant later, the entire hole and the shelter it had led to vanished as the mud collapsed inward.

Juvia lunged forward with a scream. "Gray!" she wailed, immediately scrabbling desperately at the mud, not hesitating to use her magic to dig at it faster.

"Virgo!" Lucy screeched, her arms full of a wailing baby.

"Right away, Princess!" Virgo said seriously, kneeling beside Juvia as the sound of people running their way was heard.

Lucy only clutched the baby to her chest, near tears as several people came to help, having heard the commotion. Levy was there, her arm going around the blonde with a soothing look as Gajeel went to work on uncovering the two Fairy Tail mages and the woman they'd been rescuing. "Don't worry, they'll be okay," she reassured.

Lucy hugged the baby tighter.

* * *

 _These next few chapters were a blast to write. I loved this mission. And there's a huge surprise coming up. ;) And I'm surprised by how little people figured out that character. Lol._

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _Shidake:_** _Sting and Rogue are adorable. As is Zeref. I don't like Zeref at the same time that I do. It's complicated.  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Gajeel's not the happiest person now, no? I'll cry with you. AND YES! I hopped on the Annalogia train a while back and keep track of a lot of things that pertain to them. Lol._

 ** _Guest:_** _No worries. A lot of people seemed to not figure out my reference. XD_

 ** _jessiek23:_** _I'm glad you enjoy it! Thank you!  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _You'll find out on the fifteenth of this month if my calendar is correct! I was disappointed it wasn't next week. I'd have to put out an extra chapter for that to happen. Perhaps I will.  
_

 ** _Moon Stone Tiger Lily:_** _My lips are sealed. You shall have to wait and see. ;)  
_

 **fanficlove2014:** _You'll have to wait and see about that, 'cause there are answers for you at a later time. :)_

 ** _Astra199:_** _My favorite line of the chapter right there. :D  
_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _You'll get to know soon! I'm so excited to see what you guys think of what I have coming up here in the next few chapters!  
_

 ** _readwithcats:_** _You asked for more Gajevy, and here was your teeny tiny bits of it! ;)  
_

 ** _AngelGurl365:_** _I'm not very good at writing certain characters, so there's a few of 'em that you won't hear from very often. Scorpio is one of them. Lol.  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _Aquarius is a lovely Spirit who will make an appearance eventually. Eventually being the key word there. Situations are always fun when they're mysterious, yes?  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenFlames:_** _As do we all, though I'm really excited now when it comes to her! I can't answer whether or not you're right, but I do agree that it'd be awesome. Lol.  
_

 _ **AngelEmCuti** :_ _I'm glad you enjoyed!  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_**


	47. Chapter 47

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Juvia, you have to move aside."

Lyon's demanding tone startled both she and Lucy, and Juvia bit he lip but did as he ordered. "What are you doing?" the celestial mage demanded as he waved a few other people away from the area, making room for Jura.

"Jura's an earth mage," Lyon explained, his breath puffing out in the chilly air. "He can move the earth, but he'll need to be careful. We don't know precisely where they've been trapped, and if he moves it wrong… We're not supposed to use magic, but in this situation, we have to."

"Right," Lucy muttered. "We'll stay out of the way." The baby in her arms whimpered fearfully, snuggling against her, and Lucy shivered as a breeze swept through. Working beside a fire mage had its perks when it came to the cold, she realized. She hadn't even realized that it was like this with him close by at every moment.

"They'll get them out," Levy said confidently. "Don't worry, Lu. Besides, even if they're hurt, we've got Chelia. She uses magic similar to Wendy's - sky god slayer magic. She'll be able to heal them if they're hurt, I promise."

Silence fell as Jura appeared, focusing on the ground with an intense look on his face. Very carefully, he began to use his magic to move pieces of earth away. Lyon and a few other mages - Gajeel included - kept near the edge, searching for any familiar objects or bodies that were buried beneath it.

Suddenly, one of the other mages that stood there called out, "Jura, stop for a second!" Jura went still, holding a few stones above the ground to avoid crushing the man as he darted forward to investigate. "Here!" he finally shouted. "Right here!"

Lucy shoved the baby at Levy. "Hold him," she ordered. "Virgo, c'mon,!"

"Yes, Princess," the Spirit agreed with a quick bow before darting forward alongside Lucy. The celestial mage threw herself beside the strange mage, recognizing the mud slicked material instantly.

"Natsu," Lucy breathed, silently wondering how it was still muddy in the cold month of November. Shouldn't it have frozen over by this point? Virgo went to work on carefully using her own abilities to dig into the earth, doing so at a fast enough rate that Jura didn't even bother trying to assist her. The Spirit finally stepped back.

"It's safe to remove him, Princess," she reported.

"Let us get Natsu out of the way," Lyon called to Jura. "Then focus on Gray!"

"There's a woman, too," Lucy told them. "She's closer to Natsu than Gray, I think."

Lyon slid into the hole they'd created, ignoring the mud that immediately slicked his clothes and flesh. Carefully, he and Virgo pried the dragon slayer away from the mud that sucked at him, threatening to trap him there. Juvia hurried over to help alongside the rest of them as Lucy and the mage that first spotted Natsu carefully began to haul him up over the edge of the hole. They'd done it in no time once Juvia joined them.

"He shouldn't have any mud in his airways with the way he was facing," Lyon called up to them. "Make sure, just to be safe. Someone go get Chelia!"

"Got it," the mage beside Lucy and Juvia agreed. He tore off in search of the healer, and Lucy went to work on making sure her partner could breath, gently using the sleeve of her jacket to swipe the gooey substance away from his face. "J-Juvia-"

Juvia gave a shaky encouraging smile. "Juvia can see him breathing. Natsu will be okay. Juvia hopes they find Gray soon…"

"Come on," Lucy said firmly, relieved he was alright for the time being, even if he _was_ unconscious. "Let's help them out, you and I can search the area around where Natsu was alongside Virgo. Gray can't be any further than a few feet."

"Okay," Juvia mumbled, clearly relieved that Lucy would help her.

"Virgo," Lucy called as she stood with Juvia, hurrying back to where Natsu had been pulled out. The pink-haired Spirit glanced up, curious. "We need to find Gray. Can you help us? The woman should be okay for them to dig out."

"She is," Lyon called up. "Go on, help them out. Gray's the one in the most danger now."

Virgo heaved herself out of the hole she'd made, scrambling to join the two women. "This way, Princess," she instructed, waving for them to follow her. She led them to a spot not too far away from the others. "I can sense a faint amount of magic here."

"Dig, please," Lucy said, dropping down to start scraping at the mud herself. Juvia scampered to help and between the three of them, they'd soon uncovered a barely wheezing Gray. His hair was slicked against his head, his eyes wide with shock as he sucked in as much air as he could.

"Gray," Juvia whimpered, relieved that he was alive and conscious.

"Shit," was the only word Gray managed to gasp as he began to try and claw himself free. Lucy pressed her lips together worriedly when she noticed red in the mud. The ice-make mage was clearly bleeding, and from the looks of it, from his head.

"Hold still, please, Master Gray," Virgo ordered, her brows drawn downward. "I cannot free you if you're moving. It makes the mud fill in the gaps and restricts you further."

"Right," he grunted, going still. "Hurry up though. Can't... _damn_." A groan left his lips when Juvia gently brushed some hair from his face. She glanced worriedly up at Lucy and Lucy told her, "I'm going to go get Chelia, I think. I hope she's done with the woman we were helping…"

"Hurry," Juvia pleaded, getting back to work on helping Virgo dig their friend out.

Lucy was returning with Chelia when she heard - to her relief - Natsu's voice rise above the commotion. "Where's Lucy?" he was demanding loudly, and Lucy could hear Levy trying to calm him down and keep him where he was so that Chelia could check him over after she'd finished with Gray. "Did she get hurt? Is Luce okay?!"

Touched, Lucy only smiled before continuing on. She'd go to him herself after they'd gotten Gray out.

"Here," Lucy told Chelia, grateful she'd been training so much recently. Virgo would have been gone and off by now if she hadn't have been. As it was, she was having issues keeping her out after more than a few hours of working, and they weren't even fighting. She knelt beside Juvia, rapidly checking their progress.

In the short time they'd been gone, Virgo and Juvia had managed to free the ice-make mage's front half. He was gasping for breath, relieved he could breathe, and he gave Lucy a faint wild grin when she knelt beside the hole that had been created. "They'll need help getting him out," Chelia said seriously. "Go get some more people to help. We can dig him out faster then, too."

"Right," Lucy agreed, scampering right back to her feet. She darted forward, ignoring the occasional shouts as she wove through people, coming to a halt beside the first hole as Lyon hauled himself out. "We've found Gray," she reported, "We need some help."

Lyon's eyes flashed with concern for the other student of the one who'd taught him magic. "Right, I'm coming." He took her hand when Lucy offered it, and she pulled him to his feet before the two sprinted back the short distance to where Gray was. Lyon ordered a few more people to go with them, and by the time they'd reached the hole, Lucy was relieved to see that Chelia had lowered herself into it and was already examining Gray.

"A rock must have struck his head," she was explaining to Juvia, who'd joined her and Virgo. "I can heal the damage for the most part, but he may have a concussion. I'd take him somewhere to rest for a little bit."

"Juvia will make sure he gets rest," Juvia said with a look of relief on her face.

Lyon slid down into the hole with them. "He's okay then?"

"Yeah," Chelia reported with a reassuring smile. "He'll be okay, we just have to get him out of this hole. Then I'll go check on Natsu and we should be okay to get back to work after that."

"I think we should be done for the day. It's going to be getting dark soon, and if this is what happens when it's light out, it wouldn't be smart to continue," one of the Lamia Scale mages said from the top of the hole, kneeling beside Lucy.

"He's right," Lyon agreed reluctantly. He frowned at Gray. "Enjoying yourself? Wasted our time, you know, there's still innocent people trapped and here we are, saving your ass."

Gray only groaned, rolling carefully onto his back and closing his eyes. "Just get me out of all of this stupid mud."

Smiling to herself, Lucy reached down and prepared herself to help them get Gray out. He grunted in pain as he was dragged to freedom, and as soon as he was away from the edge, she went to help Juvia out.

Just as she grasped the water mage's hand, however, she felt the energy leave her, and she groaned in exhaustion, toppling forward as Virgo disappeared in a flash of light. There were cries and shouts of surprise and her name, and Lyon, Chelia, and Juvia struggled to keep her from hitting the ground, somehow managing to catch her before she injured herself or anyone else.

"She's still learning magic," Jura said from where he'd come to stand at the top of the hole. "She's merely tired herself out. A bit of rest will do her good." He gave a jerk of his hand, creating steps of earth, and Chelia and Juvia shifted Lucy into Lyon's grip.

"Go ahead," the ice-make mage told them, "I've got her."

Juvia quickly climbed the created stairs, Chelia close behind, and Lyon followed carefully, saying firmly, "Let's get the three Fairy Tail mages to where we've decided to make base for the time being. They can rest as we gather up the remainder of the people helping out. We'll start again as soon as dawn comes."

"I'll check Natsu over before you bring him," Chelia announced. She hurried off to do just that, and Jura helped Juvia get Gray onto his own two feet. He grimaced, leaning heavily on Juvia's offered shoulder.

"Thanks," he told her.

She smiled brilliantly, her cheeks flushed with the pleasure at receiving such words of gratitude from her beloved. "Anything for you, my love," she said, and Lyon sighed heavily with a mournful look before going to take Lucy back to where they'd set up camp.

* * *

"Natsu, you have to calm down," Levy sighed in annoyance as she watched Chelia inspect a bloodied wound on the dragon slayer's shoulder. She cradled a sleeping baby to her chest, unsure of where to take it for the time being. "Lucy's fine. Chelia said so, remember?"

"Then where is she?" Natsu demanded angrily, trying to shove past Gajeel's pinning hands so that he could sit up. Gajeel glared at him, growling under his breath, but Natsu only pinned an equally irritated glare on Levy.

Chelia sighed softly, shaking her head. Her mud slicked hands pulled away from the injury and she waved Gajeel off, giving the okay. "She used too much of her magic and passed out. She'll be fine, Natsu, she just needs some rest. You can go back to where we've made camp if you want to check on her, Lyon took her back. Juvia and Gray went back already, too. Levy, I'll take you to where that child's mother is…"

Natsu was scrambling away in an instant, shooting a look over his shoulder at Gajeel when the iron dragon slayer muttered something under his breath. He easily made his way through the people around him, annoyed that mud clogged his sense of smell.

When he finally arrived at the dozens of tents, he made himself stop and ask for directions on where the Fairy Tail mages were staying, and then followed those directions until he came to a somewhat large tent. He didn't hesitate to duck inside, and was greeted by several relieved people.

"Natsu!" Lisanna said cheerfully, smiling warmly. "Glad to see you're okay...get hurt anywhere?"

He shook his head. "Where's Lucy?"

Romeo grinned. "Right here," he said with a wink.

Natsu practically vaulted over Elfman and dropped down onto his knees beside the younger fire mage. "Thanks," he muttered, grinning toothily when he recognized the mud-slicked blonde-hair of his partner. He made sure she wasn't injured for himself, then gently patted her hair out of her tired-looking face.

Relieved she was alright and that he'd seen it for himself, Natsu finally relaxed and flopped backwards himself, yawning. He playfully threw his legs over Lucy's knowing it'd piss her off when she woke up...only to notice that the others in the massive tent were staring at him. He glared. "What?"

Lisanna giggled, exchanging a knowing look with Romeo. "Nothing," she said simply, turning back to chat with Elfman and Bickslow.

Natsu grumbled about nosy people and closed his eyes. She was his partner, he thought irritably, like he wouldn't make sure she was okay and keep close to her until she woke up.

With that thought in his head, Natsu made himself comfortable among the blankets that littered the tent floor and drifted off into the world of sleep.

* * *

 _Ah, the worries that Natsu holds for Lucy. He has good reasons with what I have planned._

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Miya:_** _That is Bicksanna that you're seeing. I love that pairing, it's so cute. Not as cute as my precious Nalu, though. ;)  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _I've got crazy stuff in store for you, that's what I've got. Lol.  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Romeo is an adorable little creature. And yay! Everyone's safe! :D_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _But I can leave it like that. It's so much fun. Sneaky dragon boy is right. :D  
_

 ** _Yami-The Lord of Darkness:_** _I'm glad that you do!  
_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _What comes next is a bit of craziness, honestly. Then again, craziness always seems to happen. Lol._ _  
_

 ** _readwithcats:_** _Gajevy is a lovely pairing. Actually writing a new fanfic for them in particular as I work on BTL._

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Lyon is a precious bastard who I like seeing. He's hilarious when it comes to Juvia and her love for Gray, honestly.  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Ideas are good. Always have ideas. Especially like the ideas you have now.  
_

 ** _Typhlosion8:_** _Jura, poor Jura. Elfman can be a bit of a nuisance, as adorable as he is, with all of his "man" stuff. Luckily, Jura came to the rescue though, yes?  
_

 ** _Mia Anime:_** _Thank you! I'm actually still writing this as I update it (I just finished Chapter 96 last night) and yeah. So I have a portion finished. Can't answer that last question though. You'll find out for sure who it is here in three chapters. ;)  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _Insanity is a good word for what happens. And Nalu. Nalu happens. XD_

 ** _Shidake:_** _yes. Yes I did just end right there. It was a lovely cliffhanger! :D  
_

 ** _Knightwalker:_** _Cliffhangers are my specialty. Natsu is adorable when he's protective. Actually, he's adorable all the time.  
_

 ** _shippininjune:_** _Oh, Jellal. You'll be waiting a while for his return. Lol. But his return will be epic. And thank you so much! :)  
_


	48. Chapter 48

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Fingers drummed on his knee impatiently as he watched her shift the child in her arms, a huge smile on her face. He twitched once, twice, and then _finally_ lost patience. "Dammit, woman, you've been sitting there with the brat since we woke up this morning! Can we _go_?"

Smiling at the infant in her arms, Levy ignored her boyfriend's attitude, instead cooing, "Is the scary dragon slayer being mean, little guy?"

From where she was keeping another child occupied, too tired to do anything more than play card games, Lucy grinned and teased, "Jealous, Gajeel?" The mage merely shot her a death glare that her partner snapped a growl at him for.

"Stop givin' Luce dirty looks," he snapped impatiently, glaring at Gajeel from where he was rough housing with a different child. The boy squealed happily as he straightened, holding him upside down by the heel. "She didn't do anything wrong. You're the one who made the bet."

"Shut up, Salamander," Gajeel bit out, looking ready to hurl something at the fire dragon slayer.

"Alright, alright, we're going," Levy grumbled. "I'm sorry for enjoying myself. Lucy, could you take him for me?"

"Sure thing." Lucy held her arms out and Levy handed the infant over to her. Levy then joined Gajeel, scolding him fiercely as they headed back out to join in assisting the others. Lucy smiled at the baby, then said warmly to the child she'd been playing cards with, "Why don't you and your brother head back to your parents now? We have to get back to work. We'll come play with you one more time tomorrow morning, before we leave, I promise."

"Aw," the boy whined. "Okay…" Reluctantly, he waved for the boy that had been playing with Natsu to come with him and together, the pair rushed off to find their parents.

Two days had passed since they'd arrived at the small town that had been buried beneath the mudslide, and while all of the living that could be recovered were free, they were still trying to figure out how such a thing had happened when it was this cold outside. Temperatures had plummeted, and Natsu had commented the night before that he could smell snow on the air. Most water had frozen by this point, so the fact that there was still mud made them wonder if there might be a hot spring or something similar nearby.

Lucy shivered violently as a gust washed over them, and Natsu scampered over with a cheerful grin to sit beside her, not looking the least bit bothered by the cold around them. She leaned into him gratefully, and then smiled brightly at the child she held. He playfully blew out a wisp of fire for the kid to giggle at, and she shook her head in exasperation.

"No magic," she reminded him.

He only blew one in her face.

Since his magic had truly started to come back the day before, he'd used it at every chance he got. Everyone scolded him for it, but he pretended not to hear them, instead going around like he was back at the guildhall, free as a bird.

They'd been told they were free to leave whenever, that Lamia Scale was grateful for their help and would take over, and almost all of the Fairy Tail mages looked forward to getting out of the cold that had fallen on Fiore. Gray and Natsu excluded, of course, since neither were bothered by the low temperatures.

The pair sat there together until the baby's mother came for it, and after returning the child to its parent, Lucy stood and brushed her hair out of her face before tugging her hat firmly down on her head. Her jacket was soon zipped up, and she smiled at her partner. "Come on, let's help the others start packing up."

"Okay," he agreed readily, then hesitantly stopped her, asking cautiously, "Hey, Luce?"

"Hm?" she said curiously.

The fire mage dropped his gaze, shoving his hands into his pockets after nervously tugging his scarf away from his face. "Would it be okay with you if Happy and I did a job by ourselves when we got back?"

She blinked in surprise, then frowned, slightly hurt. Although they'd only known each other for nearly three months now, she considered the dragon slayer to be her closest friend. "Why?" she asked hesitantly, not wanting to be nosy yet wanting to know just that.

Natsu back tracked as quickly as he could upon hearing her tone. "S'not that I don't want to do jobs with you still," he spat out as quickly as he could, his eyes wide horror at the idea. "Just...I owe Happy, and I, uh, you know, gotta do some stuff anyways, get things for my hoard so...don't be mad! I'm sorry, Luce, we can do one when I come back, I promise!"

Relief flooded the celestial mage. So he wasn't deciding he didn't like her anymore… He just wanted to hang out with Happy. She giggled as he continued to spout out random offers, swearing he'd do whatever she'd want to do when he came home and even offering to take her to see his hoard, and she was quick to slap her hand over his mouth. "Natsu, it's fine, I'm not upset. Do whatever you want, okay? Thank you for considering my feelings though, that makes me happy that you'd think to ask if I was okay with it. But you don't have to ask me if you can do every little thing. As long as you're not going around hurting people, it's up to you what you do."

He sighed in relief, simply grinning behind her hand. "Kay," he agreed, voice muffled. Suddenly, a mischievous look entered his gaze. A second later, Lucy felt a sharp pain on her hand and ripped it away with a look of astonishment as she stared at the faint tooth marks that now marred her palm.

"...did you...did you just…" she stammered, shocked. "Did you just...bite me?"

He only whistled and winked before wandering off to see what he could do to help finish up packing, in too good of a mood to take her furious threats seriously. Instead, his head was filled with thoughts of just what he planned to use his prize money on.

He had to give Lucy pieces of gold, after all. He couldn't leave her undecorated if she was to become a part of his hoard. Just like he'd given Happy his own portion before claiming the flying blue cat as a part of it, he had to start building up Lucy's portion.

And that meant secretly doing so. Which meant taking jobs without her.

For now.

* * *

"Lucy!"

The celestial mage glanced up from what she was doing, startled at the sound of her name. She'd been expecting Natsu to come back for some time now, as he'd left an hour or so before to check a few more spots with Jura. "Yes?" she questioned, slightly surprised to see that it was Elfman calling for her. She stood, brushing her knees off with gloved fingers.

Elfman gave a huge grin. "Come look what my little sis found in one of the untouched buildings on the outskirts of the town!" He waited until she'd hurried out of the tent after him, then led her to where Lisanna and Bickslow were bending over something that the young silver-haired woman held in her palm.

Lisanna glanced up when they arrived. "Hey, Lucy," she said excitedly. "Look! We were cleaning up an old orphanage for people to stay in until they can rebuild, and we found this...do you want it?"

Lucy's jaw dropped as she took in the barely gleaming golden key that Lisanna now held. "How the hell did that end up in a place like this?" she breathed, gently taking the key from Lisanna. She couldn't summon it here with the non-magic folk around, but as soon as she could... "This is…" She checked the symbol. "Gemini. I wonder how it ended up in some abandoned building…"

Lisanna shrugged, only smiled and said, "Who knows? Look at that, Lucy, you have...what, nine keys now? That's amazing…"

"I keep getting them one after the other," she admitted sheepishly. "I've been keeping Yukino updated, and she said it's more than likely them _wanting_ to form contracts." The key warmed in her hand, and she could feel it despite wearing gloves. The young blonde smiled gently at the key, and then pulled the others out of her pocket. "I'm glad. It means that when the time comes for me to actually do something, I won't be helpless."

In other words, when the time came for her to go home, she wouldn't be alone.

"Summon it," Lisanna said eagerly. "None of the locals are around here."

Lucy glanced at her in surprise. "Are you sure…?" she said hesitantly. "I don't want to get in trouble with anyone."

"It'll be fine," she reassured. "And we already know what you do, so it's not a big deal. You were pretty cool when you were summoning Scorpio."

Bickslow gave a grin, obviously trying to keep from sticking his tongue out in his usual fashion. "Ya pissed off Gajeel. It'd be awesome if ya did it again, honestly."

"This isn't going to upset Gajeel, I'm not running off with a key he thought I wouldn't get," Lucy reminded, but readied herself to summon Gemini anyways. Grateful she'd thought to study the Zodiac, she held the key out in front of her. "Open! Gate of the Twins! Gemini!"

There was a flash of light, and then two little blue creatures were hopping before the four Fairy Tail mages. "Hello!" they greeted happily together in unison.

"I'm Gemi," the other supplied, and the other finished with, "I'm Mini!"

Lucy had to fight back a smile, her breath coming out in a white cloud as she crouched down to their level. "Hello," she greeted in response. "I'm Lucy, and these are some of my friends. That's Lisanna, that's Elfman, and that's Bickslow."

"We know who you are," Gemi said cheerfully.

"We watch from the stars," Mini added.

"Do you?" Lucy said curiously, then glanced up when she heard the familiar voice of Gray calling, "Hey! What are you guys doing? We have to pack!"

"Sorry, Gray," Lisanna said with flushed cheeks as the ice-make mage approached. She directed her attention elsewhere almost immediately, and Elfman glared furiously at him. Bickslow only shook in his head annoyance.

"Gray, my love," Juvia cried as she came hurrying after him. "You forgot your pants!"

"Wha- shit!" Gray scampered back to Juvia, yanking them from her arms and quickly tugging them on. Once they were on, slung low on his hips, he came back, this time with Juvia at his side. He scowled. "Stupid habit…"

"Anyways…" Lucy smiled up at him. "Sorry, they found a key when they were finishing up in that building over there." She pointed to the orphanage. "It turned out to be one of the Zodiac." Turning back to the Spirits, she waved to the two newcomers. "That's Juvia, and that's Gray. Sorry for Gray's nakedness, it's not his fault. He has a stripping habit."

Gemini glanced at one another. Mini giggled. "It's okay, we understand."

"We understand," Gemi echoed.

"So what can you guys do?" Gray said curiously after watching for a moment. All attention turned on him. The ice-make mage only shrugged before explaining his line of thinking. "I mean, Virgo specializes in things like holes and stuff, right? And one of Yukino's Spirits specializes in gravity magic…"

"We change forms," Gemi offered.

"But we can only go back three!" Mini added.

"Because our magic only goes back that far," they said together.

"Change forms? Like...transformation magic?" Lisanna asked.

"Yes!" they replied, "Like that! Like that!"

"Can you show us?" Juvia requested with a curious look.

"Only if Lucy wants us to!" they answered.

"And then we can form a contract," Mini added excitedly.

Lucy smiled to herself. "Go ahead," she told them with a warm smile on her face. "Show us the last form you took if you don't mind. I'm curious…" She hugged her arms, rubbing them to ward off the cold. "But I think making a contract can wait until we're somewhere warmer. Okay?"

"Of course," they answered. They glanced at each other nervously and then suddenly hugged each other, becoming balls of light as they did so. A moment later, they'd taken a new shape, and Lucy stood swiftly, her lips parting in shock.

A hand rose to cover her mouth in ssurprise and the others all murmured in their confusion. Gemini's form took on a warm and gentle smile. "Forgive us, Lucy," they said in a voice that had her eyes filling with tears. They smoothed their hands down the skirts they wore and then continued.

"But you requested the last form we took, and the last form we took was that of Layla Heartfilia, our previous master, when she requested that we deliver her final message to the Fire Dragon King, Igneel."

* * *

 _To all of you who were suspicious of Layla and the dragons...we can only say now that she knew Igneel! ;)_

* * *

 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _I agree. He does need to understand. And soon, he will begin to. It's quite adorable, the moment that he does. I agree with you on needing a boyfriend like Natsu though. It'd be nice. AND IT DID COME IN AND GRAY WITH HIS LITTLE SNARKY COMMENT THOUGH.  
_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _I agree with you. They are adorable.  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _Protective Natsu is a good Natsu, yes?_

 ** _Winpartium:_** _I'm glad you're enjoying it! :D_ _  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Everyone was adorable last chapter apparently. Romeo is a special kind of cute though. Brave little sucker that he is.  
_

 ** _Haus of Lexy:_** _The way you put that makes me so happy to read. XD  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Lyon is a beautiful and precious little creature. And waiting until he saw her to relax was and is probably my favorite part of that chapter.  
_

 ** _KaUiA:_** _I do have a lot planned...it's distracting sometimes, to be perfectly honest.  
_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _I secretly think that Lisanna is as big on shipping people together as her sister, to be honest. Seems so Lisanna to start pairing people up._

 ** _Miya:_** _Neither do I. Bicksanna kinda just popped up for me and I loved it because it was so strange. They're an adorable little couple. That woman was random though. We don't see her again, lol.  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Thank you! And yes. Lucy might not. Lucy might be tempted to nail him between the legs, honestly.  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _I can't stop laughing now, thank you. XD Several Nalu moments to come. ;)_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _I'm glad because description is a long and hard process for me for some reason. :D_

 ** _Kaze:_** _Lucy doesn't quite know about that yet. I don't remember if I ever actually wrote that part...I'll have to add it in just to make sure. Yes about the Layla and dragons being friends, perhaps about the keys. I've considered putting Anna in, but no for sures on whether or not she'll make an appearance, because I don't know where to fit her in just yet. No worries about all the questions, I like answering what I can! Thank you and welcome to the little readers of BTL! Lol.  
_


	49. Chapter 49

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

 _"But you requested the last form we took, and the last form we took was that of Layla Heartfilia, our previous master, when she requested that we deliver her final message to the Fire Dragon King, Igneel."_

Lucy's jaw dropped, momentarily distracted from the fact that Gemini had taken on her mother's appearance. _Wait...what final message? Igneel? WHAT?_

The others were equally shocked. "You're...you're Lucy's mom?" Gray managed to get out. He studied Gemini for a moment, and then admitted, "She was kind of hot…"

"Gray!" Lisanna screeched. "That is _not_ something you just go and say at a moment like this!"

"It's true," he muttered as Juvia wailed about having another love rival. "Cut it out, woman, geez," he huffed when Juvia latched onto his arm. "Now isn't the time for you to get all clingy!"

"Igneel," Bickslow muttered. "That's Natsu's old man, isn't it?"

Relieved that she wasn't the only one who'd focused on that bit, Lucy questioned hesitantly, "Do you...can you tell me what that final message was, Gemini? The final message you delivered for...for Layla?"

Layla's dark eyes - Gemini's - locked with Lucy's. They're expression was serious as they answered, "We cannot reveal such information to you when others are present. We apologize, Lucy. When we form a contract with you, we will tell you as long as no one else is around."

"Th-that's okay," she stammered. She swallowed thickly. "We'll...we'll speak about that w-when we get to my…" Her knees gave out and a choked sob escaped her, her heart aching at the memories that suddenly tore through her. "Please...I can't...take another form, please."

In an instant, Gemini had returned to their original form. They exchanged guilty looks, and then hopped over to apologetically hug the celestial mage. "We're sorry, we didn't realize it would be so painful for you, Lucy!"

Lucy gave a hiccup, smiling shakily. "It's okay," she mumbled, sniffing softly. Lisanna knelt beside her, gently squeezing her shoulder. "D-don't m-mention this to anyone, please."

"We won't," Elfman promised for the rest of them. "It's not manly to say something that isn't for us to say!"

"Yeah...cut it out with the manly stuff, man," Bickslow told him. "But what he said."

"Juvia won't either," Juvia supplied, no longer clutching at Gray's arm.

"Thank...thank you," Lucy sniffled and then returned the hug Gemini was giving. She hugged them to her tightly, the tears rolling down her cheeks and her mind going a mile a minute.

In what way, exactly, was Layla Heartfilia, the deceased queen of Bosco, connected with a missing dragon?

* * *

"You okay?"

Natsu's concerned question had the quiet woman beside him glancing up in surprise. He still looked ill, she realized, but with Chelia's spell, he didn't look nearly as bad as he had been on the way there. He was certainly well enough to notice that something was off about her behavior.

Lucy gave a faint smile. "Yeah," she replied, patting his arm to show her gratitude. "I'm fine, Natsu." He grumbled, clearly not believing her, but let it go.

When they arrived at the train station in Magnolia a few minutes later, he hurried to drag her to her feet. "Let's get off before Chelia's spell stops," he told her hastily, as he yanked her away from their friends. Lisanna wore an understanding look and waved goodbye while Gray and the others just looked a bit annoyed.

"To the guildhall," Natsu cheered despite Lucy's protests. "I wanna get Happy and then pick out the job we're taking!"

Lucy squeaked as she found herself being dragged through the streets of magnolia. "Natsu!" she cried, "My bag! Let go, I have to go back and get it! It has my laptop-"

"Lis will get it," he said cheerfully, only tightening his grip. "Now hurry up!"

Lucy groaned pitifully and silently thanked the heavens for just one small miracle as he hauled her past a giggling pair of girls, who watched him closely: at least they'd get to warmth faster than if they were walking.

As expected, he got them there very quickly. Within close to ten minutes of leaving the station, Natsu was hauling her through the familiar doors of the guildhall, shouting at the top of his lungs, "We're _back_!"

"Hello, Natsu! Welcome back, Lucy!" Mirajane laughed from where she was standing behind the bar. Her blue eyes sparkled hopefully. "Did everything turn out alright?"

Lucy shook Natsu off _finally_ and went to seat herself at the bar. Before she could answer Mirajane, however, Natsu shouted, "Gildarts! You're back!" She glanced back in surprise - just in time to see Natsu pounce on someone she'd never seen before, his entire body coated with flames.

"Good to see his magic's back to normal," Mirajane mused as they watched Natsu go flying, nearly cracking the wall he hit with the force of it. "Even Master was a bit worried...please be careful, Gildarts!" she added to the strange man. "We don't need to explain to the Magic Council why there's people claiming to see so much damage everywhere…"

"Don't worry, Mira," he laughed in response, shooting the silver-haired transformation mage a grin. "I've got him handled." His dark gaze shifted to Lucy, and he gave a friendly smile. "You must be Lucy, right? Our guild's newest member? Nice to meet ya, I'm Gildarts."

Lucy smiled politely. "Hello. Natsu," she groaned in exasperation when the dragon slayer scampered to his feet and readied himself for another attack, a huge grin on his face. "Can you please stop for a few moments and-"

"Natsu!" a voice barked, startling all of them. From where she'd been sitting, Erza gave him a dark look. "That's enough."

"Sorry!" he squeaked, darting off to find Happy rather than continuing to _try_ and fight with Gildarts. "Welcome back, Gildarts!"

"That kid," Gildarts muttered, reaching for the drink he'd been enjoying before Natsu had interrupted. "Needs to learn what it's like to truly fear for something...hey, Mira," he said suddenly, glancing at the young woman. "Those exams coming up soon?"

"Not quite yet," Mirajane said with a soft sigh. "Sometime in the spring, Master said. Don't let that information get out, though. We don't need Natsu or Gray overhearing such things."

"Exams?" Lucy questioned curiously.

"Oh!" Mirajane turned to Lucy with wide eyes. "I keep forgetting...there are different rankings of mages, remember? I told you about S-Class a while ago. S-Class is the next step up from where Natsu and a few others are at the moment. I myself am considered S-Class, as is Erza, Gildarts, and a few others in the guild. Every year, we have a week of "exams", where those chosen will compete against one another and test their power. The one that wins is moved up a rank, while the others will have to wait to try again. The problem is, we haven't been able to have them the last few years. Something's always come up, you know? So the next exam is going to be a rather important one."

"I don't think I'll be strong enough to be considered for those," Lucy admitted thoughtfully. "Maybe someday I'll be able to compete, too."

"I'm sure you will," Mirajane reassured with a warm smile. "I know that Natsu's finally being considered, so would you mind keeping it from him? We S-Class mages are allowed to help choose who will compete."

"No problem," Lucy promised. She propped her chin on her palm, listening to the cheerful attitude of the guild, falling silently into her thoughts. Her mind was filled with what she'd learned the past few days, and suddenly, she found herself asking, "Mira? Transformation magic...what exactly does it allow you to do?"

Mirajane paused in wiping out a glass, giving her a curious look. "That depends all on what type you use. There's different kinds, you know. I use demon-soul transformation magic, which is way different from Lisanna's animal-soul."

Lucy hesitated, then removed her ring of keys from her pocket, maneuvering them until she was showing Mirajane Gemini's key. "I gained a new key...the Spirit hasn't exactly made a contract with me yet, but it uses transformation magic. I don't think it specified any types…"

"A Spirit's power will probably rely on how strong your magic is," Mirajane mused thoughtfully. She smiled brightly at Lucy, blue eyes amused.

Lucy nodded slowly. "Transformation magic...does it allow you to see the one you're changing into's memories? Gemini...seemed to be able to. Do you know anything else about something like that?" She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Natsu wasn't listening, relieved to see that her friend had tracked down Happy and the two were currently examining the request board. "It said some things that are...concerning."

Mirajane tapped her lower lip with her finger in thought. "I suppose it's possible. I don't usually have issues like that. Neither do my siblings. Then again, we're not taking over someone else's bodies. Lisanna doesn't absorb new forms, but Elfman and I do. I take over those that are considered demonic, and Elfman takes those that are more beast than anything else. And those don't have memories other than killing, really, so when we take them, the memories are more than likely destroyed."

"Oh." Lucy sighed softly, rocking back in her bar stool. She bit her lip and then mumbled, "Thanks for helping in what way you could though. I guess I'll have to talk with Gemini about it."

"What ya talkin' about?"

Lucy screeched and toppled backwards at the breath washing over her ear, crushing the very dragon slayer who'd been standing behind her. "Natsu!" she shrieked.

He gasped for air, wincing when her elbow was suddenly driven into his gut. "Ow, Luce, that hurts!"

"Well don't scare me like that!" she cried, annoyed. She scrambled off of him, giving the pink-haired mage an annoyed look. "Jeez, Natsu." Huffing out a sharp sigh, she rubbed the back of her head. "Did you choose a job with Happy?"

"Aye, sir!" Happy called as he came zipping over with a paper in his paws, wearing a sly look on his face. He smirked at the pair. Lucy only gave him a look that promised death if he wasn't careful with what he said. "We're gonna leave in the morning!" he told Mirajane as he gave it to her.

"Really?" Mirajane said with shock on her face. "The group just got back from helping out with the landslide!"

Natsu grinned up at her. "And I gotta go do some work so I can get more money. Christmas is coming you know!"

Mirajane suddenly glared at him. "What happened last year _will not_ happen again, Natsu Dragneel, is that clear?"

"What happened last year?" Lucy mumbled.

"That isn't something we like to discuss," Gildarts told her from where he was watching with amusement. "But it ended up with the fire department being suspicious on how we managed to get a bonfire big enough to be seen a town over."

"...nothing like last year," Lucy warned her friend.

"Nothing like last year." Natsu's voice was full of reluctance as he agreed, then changed to one of excitement. "We'll be back really fast, kay? Just like I said, Luce. S'a small job just outside of town. We'll be back tomorrow evening!"

Lucy arched an eyebrow. "I told you you don't need my permission for everything, Natsu." Still, a smile appeared on her face, and she gave his shoulder a pat before hauling herself to her feet. She offered a hand to help him up, and he grinned and took it, his grip tight around her's. "Thanks for letting me know, though. Make sure you stop by my place before you leave, okay?"

"'Course," he said happily.

Happy, of course, chose that moment to interrupt.

"Look, Mira," the cat said slyly, "He _likes_ her…"

Lucy whirled on him. "Listen here you _stupid_ cat…"

* * *

The answer struck him like he'd slammed into a wall made of bricks.

His head snapped up, his entire body shooting out of the chair in his excitement. He'd been storing his power for years...how had he not thought of this sooner?! He grinned, showing off fangs that were probably a bit larger than they needed to be. He couldn't help it in his excitement. Such things went unnoticed.

"How stupid am I?" he laughed to the skies. "What the hell have I been doing!? Ha! This is great! This is...maybe you're not such a stupid overgrown lizard after all! Ha! Who would have thought that you could outsmart someone like that? You're awesome, Igneel!" He threw his head back and laughed some more, flopping onto his back and immediately cringing in pain. But he was too happy to care.

The memory of _her_ face flashed through his mind and his expression softened. "That's why you put me here, isn't it?" he said softly, unable to help the warmth in his tone. He'd loved her after all. All of them had. How could they not? She'd been the center of their world for so many years…

But she was gone now. And he felt the loss like a knife in his heart. "Why?" he murmured suddenly, closing his eyes and throwing an arm over them. "Why would you do such a thing? There wasn't...you didn't have to. We could have won and you know it…"

There was a moment of silence as he mourned.

And then he sat up, rolling his eyes at himself. No point in lingering on things that couldn't be fixed.

He had work to do.

And if the happy whispers in his ears were enough to go by, then he wouldn't regret the pain that was soon to come.

* * *

 _More clues as to who we get to see next chapter! I'm so excited. I can't wait, so I'm posting an extra chapter tomorrow for you all to enjoy! ;)_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _Its Jawsie:_** _Dragons having hoards is an adorable idea that I enjoy using, to be honest. Lol.  
_

 ** _AngelGurl365:_** _Cliffhangers though. They're freaking great for making you guys freak out. :D And now you have tomorrow to look forward to as well!  
_

 ** _Haus of Lexy:_** _I read your freaking review in the middle of class and it was the hardest thing I've ever done to not just double over and start laughing so hard I cried. As it was, my friend was giving me weird looks because I couldn't stop grinning. XD_ _  
_

 ** _silver light of:_** _I feel your pain. Not signing in sucks. I don't think I've mentioned it, but yes. Gajeel does consider Levy as a part of his hoard. :)_

 ** _Yami-The Lord of Darkness:_** _Of course!  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Because why not! :D Sneaky dragons are lovely little people, especially when they're Natsu. Lol._ _  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _YES FOR CLIFFHANGERS! Que some evil laughter there...  
_

 _ **LePengwen:** Your wondering about huge things happening will come to an end next chapter! Something big does happen. ;)_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _And now you no longer have to wait! Here you are!_

 ** _Gaia Kame:_** _Noooo dying with anticipation allowed here. Your anticipation doesn't last long, so no dying from it. Lol. Thank you!  
_

 ** _Mia Anime:_** _Changing up plot is the best thing. It's so much fun. As for Loke... ;) You'll have to wait and see._

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _Aquarius is a lovely person. I've been running around the earlier episodes/chapters of the canon series and crying over their happiness because they have no idea of the upcoming misery. Lol.  
_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _Gemini is one of my favorite Spirits, though my zodiac sign is Aquarius (Yay for me!). You won't find out how Layla knew Igneel for a LONG time, my friend. Lol.  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _But this one did come out on Friday. Wait until tomorrow's chapter. You think last chapter's cliffhanger was bad...  
_

 ** _readwithcats:_** _Of course, have a gift! :D  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _Lol. Aquarius has a very special arrival in here. Where she's hiding is something no one's going to expect, I think. Natsu biting her hand was my favorite part, honestly.  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Quite the connection, too. It only gets better. :)_

 ** _Shidake:_** _YAY FOR HER FINAL MESSAGE THAT YOU NOW HAVE TO WAIT FOR! Que some more evil laughter here...  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Natsu is a precious little devil who wants to create the best hoard for his Lucy, yes? But he really should let her know, I agree. No take backs, indeed. You'll find about that message soon. ;)  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Gemini has arrived! You're making me as excited as you are about all of the fluff. XD  
_

 ** _panda123love:_** _Thank you! Protective Natsu is the best. Jellal WILL make a reappearance, though I refuse to say when, and Star Dress is going to be an interesting process to write, because I've never included it in my writing. Lol._ _  
_

 ** _Guest:_** _I'm glad you think so! :D  
_


	50. Chapter 50

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Open! Gate of the Twins! Gemini!"

Her heart was pounding as Lucy opened their gate, her dark eyes serious and focused on what she was doing. It was early in the morning, nearly six thirty, that she summoned them, so she was fairly sure that she had at least a little bit of time before Natsu showed up. And he _would_ show up, Happy in tow, to say goodbye before they left on their little day-long adventure. She knew him.

"Hello, Lucy!" Mini greeted immediately, bouncing up and down.

"Hello," Gemi echoed.

"Hi," Lucy greeted with a gentle smile. She'd steeled herself for this. She _had_ to know what Layla Heartfilia's message to Igneel had been. Perhaps, she thought, it might explain a bit more about how she hadn't come to know about magic before she had. "I apologize if I summoned you at a bad time, I know it's early here."

"Oh, don't worry," Gemi reassured.

"A night in our world…" Mini began.

"Is three months in yours!" they finished together.

"Oh." Lucy blinked. Not bothering to look deeper into that - she was sure it'd kill her head - the celestial mage cocked her head to the side. "Um, would you like to form our contract now? Only if you want to, of course, you don't have to."

"We'd be honored to form a contract," they replied cheerfully. "But first, we have a message to deliver from Ms Layla!"

Lucy blinked. "I thought-" She cut off, gathered her thoughts. "Is this the last message she sent to Igneel?"

Mini shook its head. "Piri!" it mused, as if that was its explanation before continuing. "Allow us to tell!"

"Allow us to tell!" Gemi echoed, and then hugged Mini. Within seconds, Gemini had taken on Layla's form once more. This time, they knelt before Lucy rather than standing. When they spoke again, it was in Layla's voice, a feminine one with a soft lilt that told that she was of a different origin than the country she'd led.

Lucy was grateful she'd readied herself, or she might have cried again.

"The message that was delivered to Igneel, King of the Fire Dragons. These were the last words Layla Heartfilia spoke to Igneel, said before her demise," they reported before taking on a regal look. A look that Lucy recognized well. This was the look Layla had worn when discussing anything that put her daughter's life at risk, whether it be marriage or otherwise. "Igneel," they began. "In exchange for accomplishing what you've requested, I have a request of my own. Take him. Do as his king commands, but please. Make it so that he is protected and has an escape. He does not deserve the punishment that I should be taking." The look vanished. "Those were the last words that Ms Layla had us deliver to Igneel, Lucy!"

Lucy's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she bit her thumb. "What," she wondered aloud, "Did he request from my mother? How did they even know each other, for heaven's sakes?!" She cocked her head. "And who is "he"? Are you able to tell me?"

Gemini shook its head. "We apologize, Lucy, that is not information we are allowed to give you. Ms Layla ordered that we only give you that information and her message as her last. And we will not break our previous master's wishes!"

"I understand," Lucy reassured with a warm smile. "Go ahead, tell me that other message, if you don't mind."

Gemini pushed its shoulders back and took on the regal look once more. "Lucy," they began. "I will not be alive to tell you this myself, so I will present it to you through one of my beloved Spirits. This is Gemini. I know that they take on my appearance, but please, do not be frightened. I don't know if you're even aware of magic at this point, but...listen closely to what I have to say.

"There is something I wish for you to obtain, hidden within the Heartfilia Estate. My diary. In it you will perhaps find answers to many questions you may have. If you have more after reading it, then you should seek the guidance of Gemini and any other Spirit you might have come across at this point. They will assist you.

"I have one final request to ask of you, though I doubt I deserve it. I request that you watch for a good friend of mine. I am not permitted to tell you who he is or where you will find him, but I am quite certain that you will cross paths with him at some point in time. More than likely, it will be you who discovers him, if not that boy.

"I must end this now. My strength is wavering. My Spirits worry for me...they are able to feel the love you hold for them. Did you know that? It is through this connection that your magic will grow, my dear. If one of them offers you advice, do not ignore it. Instead, listen, and think over it, as they only seek to help you. Be a good master to them, for they deserve nothing but the best. I have already sent the others away to what I hope are safe locations. I pray that you find them all. I love you, my dear. Farewell."

A tear fell, followed by another, and then several more as Lucy comprehended what had been said. She remembered her mother, and she remembered her mother well.

And this was definitely something her mother would have said.

"Thank you," Lucy murmured, giving the Celestial Spirit a warm smile. "Thank you a ton, Gemini. That's something I needed to hear."

In a flash, they'd popped out of Layla's form, both hopping and down in front of her. "You're welcome! Piri!" they called happily.

"Now!" Mini cried.

"Let us form a contract," Gemi finished.

"Let us," Lucy echoed, smiling down at the two before settling in and wiping her tears away.

 _Looks like I have some things to do, don't I, Mother?_

* * *

Lucy had just finished forming a contract with Gemini when Natsu showed up at around nine o' clock.

The Spirit disappeared in a flash of light just as her window slid open and a grinning dragon slayer slid through, calling, "Hi, Luce!"

"You couldn't use the door?" she snapped, puffing up slightly in annoyance. She climbed to her feet, brushing her jean-clad legs free of any imaginary dust. "Jeez, Natsu."

Happy peeked out from where he'd been hidden in Natsu's scarf. "Hi, Lucy!"

"Hello," she sighed, shaking her head and going to hunt down the tea she'd made earlier in the morning. Used to their strange habits, she only warned Natsu away from her fridge before tiredly flopping onto her couch to drink her cold tea. "Anyways...what job did you take?"

Natsu, an apple stuffed into his mouth, mumbled around his mouthful, "Monster one!"

"Uh…" Lucy glanced to Happy for an explanation, then glared at him when she discovered he'd found a fish in her fridge and dragged it out. It had been for him, of course, but still! He didn't have to go digging through her fridge!

"Sometimes," Happy said around his fish, "There's some big scary thing that needs to be taken down before they reveal magic! We've told you about them before, remember? That's what we're gonna go do."

"Mm," Lucy hummed in response, then looked at Natsu with a frown on her face. "Don't overdo it, Natsu. We don't know how much your magic has recovered."

"I know," he said cheerfully, showing her his glove-covered hands. "I have these still, too. That way, even if it's not at a hundred percent, I'll still have enough power to take on whatever kind of monster it is!"

"Good." The celestial mage cracked a yawn, not missing the concerned look that flashed across her friend's face.

"Are you okay?" he said anxiously. "I know you were really upset about something that happened at that volunteer thingy we went on, even if nobody will tell me what…" He huffed at that, but seemed to know better than to push it. "We can wait if you don't feel okay."

"Natsu," Lucy said firmly, twisting in her seat to give him a look. "I'm not an invalid. And while I enjoy our time together, I can't have you around at every minute, now can I? Just go do your job, okay? Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I lived for nineteen years without magic, I'm sure I can survive a day without it. Besides. I was just finishing making a new contract when you showed up. That's why I'm tired. No need to worry, right?"

He puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. "I guess…" He glanced at Happy after finishing his apple with a belch. "You ready to go, little buddy?"

"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered, taking one final bite out of his fish and swallowing before shooting excitedly into the air. "Let's go!"

"Just call if ya need me," Natsu told his partner, affectionately ruffling her hair. He gave her his signature grin, onyx eyes nervously searching her face for any sign of _something_.

Lucy smiled to herself, touched by his concern despite her annoyance at it. She climbed to her feet, and then, seeing his reluctance despite her small speech, drew him in for a quick small hug. He returned it tightly, grumbling about how she got herself into way too much trouble whenever he turned his back on her, and Lucy only laughed before pushing him back. " _Go_ ," she urged gently, pushing him in the direction of the door. "I'll be fine. I'll see you when you guys get back, okay? I'll even make some dinner so we can celebrate your success."

"Okay!" Natsu cheered. "C'mon, Happy!" He paused at the door despite his determination, however. He glanced back. "You sure you'll be okay?" He wrinkled his nose. "Thought I smelled something funny when I came in. Might have been you though, so I ain't too worried about it."

" _Goodbye_ , Natsu," Lucy gritted out, holding her teacup up warningly.

He grinned, gave a final wave, and then stepped out, closing the door behind him.

"Dear heavens," Lucy growled to herself as she went to the sink, fully intending to rinse her cup out. She paused to check her phone, and then stuck it into her pocket, her keys jingling as she did so. "I know I have issues protecting myself, but I'm not _that_ incapable...besides, I have a hell of a lot more Spirits than I used to. I don't need him by my side at _every_ single second."

Lucy began to hum softly as she cleaned the teacup along with the kettle and the teapot she'd used, gently setting it aside to dry before leaning back against the counter with a soft yawn. Maybe she'd take a nap, she considered, enjoying the peace of her home. A nap would be good, and in the afternoon, she'd run to the guildhall to say hello before coming back to make that dinner she'd promised…

Wrinkling her nose, Lucy shoved a hand into her pocket and brushed her fingers along the golden and silver keys there. She was pretty sure that if she asked, Virgo wouldn't mind helping her...she'd gotten to know the maid pretty well recently, and Lucy liked to think that they were close.

A thought suddenly struck her.

"I guess I might not be feeling so tired if I'd eaten before summoning Gemini," she grumbled to herself, turning back around. She opened a cabinet, reaching for a plate.

Before she could grab it, however, she found herself caged against the counter, and she gave a yelp of surprise at the warmth that suddenly flooded her, the plate falling from her fingers to shatter loudly on the floor. She went still, bewildered. _When did Natsu-_

A ragged gasp, one that sounded to be full of pain and suffering, escaped the person behind her. "Found you, Princess."

She tensed up in terror and rage, horror flooding her. Her eyes darted down to study the hands that rested on either side of her, clutching the edge of the counter with white knuckles. Strange red symbols seemed to hover just above their flesh, fading in and out and shimmering in the dim light of her kitchen.

She opened her mouth to scream, hoping that she'd be heard by her neighbors at least since she doubted that she'd be able to reach for her keys fast enough, but a hand slapped over her mouth. Cold golden rings pressed against her lips.

"Sorry," the person muttered.

And then she saw and felt nothing but warm light that was far more gold than any of the lights her Spirits gave off.

* * *

 _So I may have lied a little. We don't get to find the name of that person for sure until next chapter, but I'm hoping it was a clue enough at the end to confirm or deny your guesses. And what did you think of Gemini's message? ;)_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _readwithcats:_** _Her is more than likely Layla. Possibly most definitely Layla. Aquarius' entrance is probably one of my favorites in BTL. Outside of Loke, of course, Loke's is my favorite entrance. ;)  
_

 ** _BlueEyesWhiteDragonSlayerxx:_** _Thank you! Interesting user you have. I'm gonna take a guess and say it's based on Sting? Lol._

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _You thought I was cruel last chapter...XD  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Perhaps. Perhaps not. You'll find out for certain next chapter. The next update is gonna be great though, I agree.  
_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _I've read the entire series once, though I read it again as I collect more volumes in physical form. I got to just before Tartaros in the anime before starting over. :P_

 ** _Uchida Akira:_** _I'm glad!_ _  
_

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _No more going nuts after next chapter! Next chapter for certain is when you find out. I forget when things happen sometimes. Lol._

 ** _Haus of Lexy:_** _Damn right he did. He gets that a lot it seems. It makes me laugh. XD  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _So many guesses, and only one more chapter until you find out. Lol. XD_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _Aw, I'm glad! :)  
_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _No worries, you're not alone. I'm really surprised that so many people have yet to figure it out. My editor figured it out almost immediately, but then again. It's my editor, who knows all of my plans and is the only person to get chapters before they come out, so that doesn't count. Lol. I like Leo the best (thanks, FT) but my own sign is Aquarius. ;)  
_

 ** _Guest kosmo:_** _Yep! The whip is actually coming into play pretty soon. I'm honored you liked it enough to read it that fast, thank you. XD  
_

 ** _panda123love:_** _I don't write Gildarts in very much, I should probably get some more of him. No worries, when Tenrou pops up, he'll be around. Thank you!  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Lucy never does. It's quite adorable when Natsu has to step in though, 'cause all the Nalu stuff comes into play. AND PERHAPS. WHO KNOWS. ;)  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _I've been watching the newer episodes lately, and Lucy is definitely way more mature in BTL then she was at the beginning of FT, though she does improve throughout the series, doesn't she? Lol._ _  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Yay! I'm glad! :D  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _PUNS. I love puns. They are the best. All over the place reviews are fun, lol._

 ** _Guest:_** _I forgot about that chapter! Poor precious Natsu, losing his little hoard. I felt horrible for them all after those seven years.  
_


	51. Chapter 51

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

When color flooded her vision, she did the first thing that came to mind.

"OW!" her captor yelped, ripping his hand away and stumbling back. "What the hell...did you just...you bit me!" he cried accusingly.

"And you _kidnapped_ me!" Lucy shrieked back, whirling around to face him. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she took in his appearance, but the anger quickly turned to a reluctant concern and confusion.

He was clearly in pain. Sweat dotted his forehead, and he trembled as he fought to remain standing. He wore a suit that must have once been carefully cared for along with a tie that hung loosely around his neck - though his hands did move to fix it, so she assumed that was her fault. Orange hair was spiked around his head, and green eyes were hidden by a pair of dirtied shades that did nothing to hide the exhaustion on his face.

What shocked her, however, were the red symbols that swirled around his skin, as if branded there. Each symbol shifted and churned, gleamed and sparkled in the dim light of the cave they suddenly found themselves in.

Clearly, this man was not well. And, for some strange reason, she felt sympathy for him.

He seemed to consider her words. "I suppose I did," he admitted. "I have my reasons though." He glanced sharply at her, and she froze beneath a hard gaze. "What do you have with you? Do you have your keys?"

Lucy chose not to answer that aloud, but the jingle was heard as she pushed her hand into her pocket was enough. She clenched her jaw.

"Honestly," he muttered, "What the hell do you think I'd be able to do with them? I can't summon your Spirits. Only the celestial mage they have a contract with is able to do that." He muttered an apology as he grabbed her by the arm, roughly shoving his hand into her pocket and yanking out the keys alongside her phone. "Jeez."

"Give those back!" Lucy snapped.

"Sorry, Princess." He flashed her a quick grin that was a bit strained as he pocketed her possessions. "Can't have that dragon slayer of yours coming in and wrecking this place, now can we?"

Lucy's cheeks puffed up as she fought to figure out what to do. Even in his condition, he was clearly stronger than her. And there wasn't much she could do now that he had her keys. Her attention focused on one word, and she became wary. "What do you want with me?"

"...can't exactly tell you that," he admitted, pushing up the sunglasses he wore. "All I can really tell you is that I go by Loke, and until you can do what I need you to do...well, let's just say I think you're going to be here a while."

* * *

Lucy cautiously made her way around the cave she found herself in, taking in the mounds of gold and the glorious treasures it held. She didn't dare touch anything. One, she wasn't into taking things that didn't belong to her and two? She'd left this kind of thing behind. Like she'd willingly go back to it.

She paused to glance back at where Loke was carefully sitting at the entrance to the cave, leaning back against a rocky wall with a sharp look on his face, as if he was some kind of guardian that made sure nobody came in or out without his permission. He looked a hell of a lot better than he had looked three days before when she'd first arrived, though he was still sleeping a lot. He no longer trembled with the simple effort of moving, and he attempted to be friendly though Lucy wasn't really having any of it.

Like she'd befriend someone who wouldn't even give her her things back.

Okay, so maybe that was a lie. He'd given her her keys back, warning her that if she summoned more than Plue - how he knew about Plue was a mystery in itself, and she found herself silently wondering if he'd been stalking her - then he'd take the keys again.

At least she had Plue to keep her company and train with. She'd summoned the little Spirit in a flash and now cradled him to her chest.

Grumbling, Lucy shot Loke a glare. "Do you have _anything_ entertaining in here? If you're going to kidnap someone and decide not to kill them, then I'd recommend you have some form of entertainment."

Rather than looking annoyed with her for her complaining like she'd hoped, he only looked amused. "What do you think I am, some kind of magician?" Loke snorted. "There's plenty for you to do in here. Go sort gold."

"Are you-" She cut herself off, throwing an arm in the air. "Is _that_ what I'm here for? To sort your money?"

"It's not mine," Loke snipped back, "And I'm not lazy enough that I'd have someone else count gold for me. Damn, woman, what do you take me for?" He grumbled about something under his breath, something that Lucy didn't quite catch and was more than likely something she would have tried to beat him for.

While Loke wasn't anywhere near at his full strength - something he openly admitted - he wasn't entirely incapable. The curse, as he called it, did nothing to keep him from easily overpowering her when she tried to push past him and leave the cave.

When she'd asked him about the curse, he'd grown quiet, the marks on his skin glowing brighter than normal. He'd taken on a pained expression before silently turning away. Lucy had watched after him curiously before shrugging and going to explore some more.

But now...she was done exploring.

Lucy glanced over her shoulder, reaching into the pocket of the jacket she wore. At least he'd been considerate enough to find a jacket for her, she thought, picking at the white fluff that lined the hood. She removed the keys from her pocket, still holding Plue in one arm. She studied them for a moment, contemplating who would be the best to summon just to piss Loke off.

It was Plue who stopped her, surprisingly enough, looking up at her as he smacked at her hand with a scolding "Pun!"

"Yeah," Lucy sighed, tightening her grip around them for comfort. "You're right...let's go see if we can at least call the others and let them know we're okay, hm?"

"Pun!" Plue agreed happily.

Hugging the small Spirit to her chest and grateful it no longer exhausted her to summon him, Lucy stalked back in the direction of the "guardian" of the cave. "Loke," she began carefully, doing her best not to spit his name out like poison in her annoyance. She was sure she'd snap if he refused her request. "Would you please let me-"

"No."

The fact that he'd cut her off before she could even finish pissed her off even more than saying no after waiting would have. "Listen here, you selfish bastard," she began, only to be interrupted again.

"You may not call your friends," Loke said thoughtfully, tapping a ringed finger on his knee. Green eyes turned on her, and she narrowed her own irritably. "Not because I don't want to know you're fine. But because it'd interrupt what I'm trying to do. Have no fears, Princess, I don't want them hurting or you, but the fact that they'd come and drag you away would do nothing for anyone - especially you and I."

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't tell Natsu to kick your ass when he comes," she warned. "Or better yet, why I shouldn't have my Spirits do it now."

"Because they wouldn't," he said with a simple shrug. "One, Natsu wouldn't think to look here. He isn't exactly the smartest cookie in the cookie jar. If anyone, the lovely Lady Erza would be the one to think of such a thing, or even Miss Strauss. Don't get me wrong, Natsu's not stupid, but…"

"...that's true," Lucy reluctantly agreed. She adored her friend, but _damn_ those bright moments of his were rare.

He held up a finger to keep her from speaking further. "And two, Princess, your Spirits wouldn't _dare_ to try and lay a hand on me." His eyes gleamed as he said this.

And then his expression crumbled into one of pain, and he grunted as he fought back what was more than likely a scream. Lucy's eyes widened and she hesitantly dropped to her knees beside him as he screwed his eyes shut and tensed up. She set Plue aside, dismissing her Spirit with a wave of her hand. Plue left as ordered. "Are you...are you alright?"

He gave it a moment, letting the pain fade away before answering. "No," Loke admitted, voice hoarse. "Stupid curse."

It suddenly struck her. "Oh, my - what the hell have I been doing?! I'm such an idiot! It took me three freaking _days_ to-" She groaned slapping her hand to her forehead. "You didn't kidnap me just to be a jerk, you need help with this curse don't you?"

He gave a choked laugh. "Finally getting somewhere, are we? 'Bout damn time, Princess."

Lucy tapped her lip in thought, still not moving any closer than necessary. "Okay… from the sound of it, you need me to do something, but you can't tell me what?" A nod. "Damn, this is going to be a pain...not a bad idea for a novel though, bet you this could get me some serious attention…" Moving on from that when Loke shot her a glare, Lucy smiled brightly. "I'll help you, I promise... but seriously...did you have to kidnap me?"

Loke grumbled. "I can't exactly just outright ask for help, now can I?" She smiled sheepishly at that, understanding. "Here." He flung something at her and she just barely nabbed it before it struck the ground. "I can't take you anywhere and the magic interferes too much to let you use it. Head down to the town. Just follow the path...take some gold with you, get things you might need. One piece of gold should be enough to get everything as long as you stick with one store."

Lucy stared at the phone in her hand. "...you don't think I'm going to run off and abandon you to rot here?"

"You're a celestial mage," Loke said simply, resting his head back and closing his eyes. "One thing about your kind is that you don't break promises. Particularly you, Princess."

"Uh...thanks? I think?" Lucy shrugged to herself, shoved her phone into her pocket alongside her keys and then stood. "Do you need anything from town?"

He shook his head. "No. Thanks for the offer though. I just need some sleep."

"...okay." Feeling awkward now, Lucy stepped through the entrance to the cave that he'd trapped her in for three days, feeling a hell of a lot better about the situation.

She felt bad for Loke, she realized. He'd been under a curse for who knew how long, and, not able to simply ask for help, he'd resorted to kidnapping to try and get it that way. Not that she could blame him. He must have been desperate to do such a thing.

So, as Lucy made her way towards the town he'd mentioned, a single gold coin in her pocket, she began to plan her explanation to her guildmates.

* * *

If someone had told him that being the partner of a mage born with celestial magic was going to be so stressful, Natsu would have probably reconsidered agreeing to Makarov's request. _Honestly_ , he thought as he glared holes into Lucy's table - literally. _Where the hell could she have gone?!_

There were a lot of weird things that came with magic. He knew that, Happy knew that, _everyone_ knew that.

But there was one thing that _didn't_ happen, and that was the fact that mages didn't just disappear into thin air. He'd hunted down her scent from the second he'd seen the shattered plate, knowing immediately that Lucy wouldn't have left something like that. He hadn't been able to find anything, and Natsu had quickly become frantic.

He'd kept quiet about the matter when Mirajane had asked, saying that Lucy simply wasn't feeling well. Natsu didn't want the guild to panic so soon after Lucy had gotten into trouble at the Tower of Heaven, terrified that they'd tell him he wasn't qualified enough to protect such a valuable mage and couldn't be her partner anymore. Happy had reluctantly agreed to keep quiet, too, promising that he'd keep an eye out for Lucy.

His heart twisted and he felt sick. He was running out of time. The others would realize something was wrong soon, and then he'd have to explain to them that he'd been lying. And he just wasn't ready for that. He didn't want to lose his partner.

Suddenly, his phone went off in his pocket.

Natsu blinked in surprise, then searched his pockets until he found which one held his phone. He answered without looking, giving a soft yawn. "Hello?"

"Natsu?" came a familiar voice. "Natsu, can you hear me?"

He nearly tipped the table over in his excitement as he rocketed to his face. "Lucy?!" he demanded into the phone, his grip tightening around it. He made himself calm down when he began to just barely smell the scent of melting things. He didn't want to ruin the phone when he was in the middle of such an important conversation.

"Oh, good! You can hear me!" Relief colored her tone. "Sorry, I'm-"

"Where the hell are you?" he barked into his phone. Natsu was suddenly furious, and he huffed out a wisp of flames in his frustration. "I've been looking like crazy, woman!"

She sounded guilty as she spoke. "Sorry, sorry, I know. Something came up. Someone needed some help and they couldn't exactly _ask_ for it, so they kind of kidnapped me, but we're okay now."

Natsu tried to comprehend this for a moment, but gave up. "What?"

Lucy giggled softly at her partner's attempt to understand what she was trying to say. "I'm okay," she said gently. "So stop freaking out, okay? I don't know when I'll be coming back, but I'm with someone who needs my help."

"Where are you?" the dragon slayer growled, temper flaring again. "I want to-"

"I've got this handled," Lucy said hastily, cutting him off. "My phone's about to die, I'll see if I can find a way to get it charged so I can check in again. Take a job or something, okay? I'll talk to you later."

"Wait-"

"Bye, Natsu!"

 _Click_!

Natsu glared at his phone and then, in a flash of rage, hurled it across the room. "What the hell?!" he snarled, then scowled angrily. "Damn it, Lucy!"

... _shoot!_

He scrambled to pick up the pieces of the phone, giving a dry laugh when he realized that while he could do that, he couldn't pick up the shattered fragments of his mind.

* * *

 _To those who guessed Loke/Leo... Congrats! There were some interesting guesses out there. Igneel and Zeref among the most curious ones._

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _I do believe our lovely Lucy will be alright, yes? And I agree. She does get into trouble often.  
_

 ** _Moon Stone Tiger Lily:_** _Don't we all? Lol. XD_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _Nah. Natsu's a quick little bastard. At least he knows she's alright though, yes?_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _It is indeed Loke! I mentioned the golden rings on purpose, to try and get people to notice. And same here, no words. Speechless. Can't believe what's happening to poor Laxus._

 ** _readwithcats:_** _Nah, no worries. You're not alone. ;)_

 ** _Its Jawsie:_** _He got close, that's for sure!  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Thank you! :D_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _Of course!  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _I TOTALLY AGREE. Perhaps the boy is Natsu, perhaps he isn't...as for the kidnapper...hello our little precious male Loke. Lol._

 ** _panda123love:_** _Natsu is indeed a silly little bunny. And pissed is a nice way of putting it. XD_

 ** _OgaxHilda:_** _It is indeed Loke! And possibly on the jealous dragon. Quite possibly._

 ** _Haus of Lexy:_** _That made me laugh for some reason. I love it._

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _There are always more questions than answers. It creates unending wildness, yes?  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Sadness is a specialty of mine. Loke for sure. Definitely Loke. I'm not good with stars, and I didn't even know that there was a constellation called Draco, honestly. Lol. XD_

 ** _See you:_** _Confirmed! Nalu moments are great and (late) Happy Valentine's Day to you as well!_

 ** _Vaneles:_** _Fate is a good thing sometimes. Que some cackling there..._

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _Loke! Gotta love Loke and his "people skills", which appear to be quite rusty. We'll start a counter for how many people get beat up though. ;)  
_

 ** _Uchida Akira:_** _You wish! Nah, I was just celebrating the fiftieth chapter. We're back to a normal schedule now. And you were correct!  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _That is usually me with normal FT chapters, to be perfectly honest._

 ** _Person:_** _I'm glad that you chose to read! Thank you for your kind review! :)_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Yes. Yes I am. Because cliffies are the best place to end a chapter in my eyes.  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _Cleverness is a good thing, because I don't usually create clever things. Gemini's message was an interesting thing to come up with, let me tell you. Natsu is anything but pleased, I think. Lol.  
_

 _ **Knightwalker:** Loke's smart to wait until Natsu's gone. I don't think Natsu would have put up with him running off with her. Lol. More questions than answers is always a good thing.  
_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _It is a lion! Cute worrying Natsu is absolutely freaking adorable.  
_


	52. Chapter 52

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy hummed to herself as she played with the keys in her hands, her dark eyes darting up every few moments, as if contemplating whether or not she could get away with summoning anything other than silver keys she had when Loke's sharp eyes were on her with every movement she made. His gaze followed the keys as she swung them back and forth, like a cat watching its prey, and she grumbled at the attentiveness with which he made sure none of the Zodiac were summoned.

He'd loosened up in the four days since she'd called Natsu. He'd let her summon the other Spirits that she had so long as the keys were silver and not golden. She'd mostly summoned Crux in search of information on the area and what she might be able to do to figure out what kind of help Loke needed and Lyra, who'd been more than happy to provide entertainment in the form of softly sung music.

Neither had been of very much help in her situation though. For the most part, she really just wanted to summon Virgo, Aries, or Gemini. Particularly Gemini, who she felt would be able to help her out a lot at the moment.

But no such luck.

Lucy fumbled with the keys, her eyes narrowing in thought, and Plue made a sound from where he was sitting beside her.

The bright side to all of this was that she barely felt the drain Plue had on her magic. Crux and Lyra had tugged at it, but nowhere near as much as they once had. At least she was getting the time to train.

Lucy glanced at Loke.

The two of them had become fairly decent friends in the span of time since she'd been "kidnapped". He'd even seemed to take on a bit of spunk, going so far as to playfully flirt with her when they ate dinner in the surprisingly warm cave. He never went too far though, and that was something Lucy gratefully appreciated.

... _to hell with it. What's the worst he could do? Take them away? He needs_ my _help, not the other way around._

Her fingers wrapped around Gemini's key, but before she could call for the Spirit, ringed fingers were suddenly plucking the key ring from her own. "Hey!" she whined, pathetically swiping at Loke as she tried to get them back. Not that she'd actually manage to get them back.

"I told you," he warned, his voice gentle yet chiding. "No Zodiacs, Lucy. Besides. It's not like you're going to need them. I've got your back if anyone we don't like shows up."

"How else am I going to train while I'm here?" she challenged. "There's only so much I can do without pushing myself that far!"

Loke pressed his lips together. "...how about if I taught you something?"

Her attention was effectively caught. "You know celestial magic?"

The orange-haired man shook his head, adjusting the tie that apparently was too tight. He chose his next few words carefully, and Lucy listened closely when she realized he was speaking about something that might result in him incapable of doing anything but sleeping for the next few days. "I'm a mage myself, you know. I use a type of magic called regulus. It's a light magic, fairly similar to your own. I learned of a spell celestial mages can learn, thinking I might be able to use it, but it turned out I can't. I can teach it to you if you want."

Lucy studied him closely. "...can you even leave this cave? I doubt we should be in here if you're going to be teaching me a spell."

He gave her a look, as if he was amazed that someone could be as blind as she was. "Lucy. Just because I'm cursed doesn't mean I can't leave the cave. It just...takes a bit more out of me than teaching you inside would."

"Okay, okay, just making sure," she muttered, eyeing the red marks that swirled along his face, as if warning them to be careful of what they did. "Let's go then, I want to take advantage of all this free time we appear to have."

Loke huffed. "If you'd think, we wouldn't have so much free time."

"I don't see you thinking on how to get around it," Lucy muttered under her breath.

He shot her a look, his face grim as he straightened, offering a hand to help her to her feet. She grudgingly accepted it and went to find the coat he'd let her borrow for the time being. "I've had more time than you could imagine to think about it," he told her, watching her warily. "And believe me, Lucy, I've done all that can be done from my side of this."

She shot him an apologetic look, feeling slightly guilty about what she'd said. She scooped up the green coat from where she'd set it with her possessions, tugging it on as quickly as she could after giving her long-dead phone a look of longing. Loke had made sure to tell her that the magic that came with his curse would keep anyone from tracking her through it.

It was as she was fixing her coat that she saw something that caught her attention. She glanced back at Loke, who was studying the red marks on his hands thoughtfully, then looked back at it, not hesitating to pick it up in her hands.

It was a rather large book, she noted curiously, with beautifully crafted leather. Gold lettering was embedded on the front and the spine of it, and she studied it for a few more moments before shrugging her shoulders and gently putting it back.

For all she knew, Loke had written a diary, and she wasn't the kind of person to look at things like that.

Lucy tucked her hands into her pocket, grumbling about the fact that he'd taken her keys as she made her way back to him. "Okay," she said with fake cheer. "Let's go." He waved for her to follow him, and Lucy sighed as they stepped out of the cave. He'd told her once that it was comfortably warm in there due to the magic of the owner of the cave. When she'd asked about the owner, he'd become quiet, and she'd realized it was something else she couldn't ask about.

They walked for a little bit, just until they'd come across what must have been a beautiful clearing in the summer. For now, it was surrounded by dead trees, the yellow grass crunching beneath their feet. "Here," Loke said, stopping in the middle of it. He sucked in a deep breath, as if enjoying the fresh air. "I don't usually come outside," he explained to Lucy when she glanced curiously at him. "It's a waste of my time...not that I've really had anything to do in the cave."

Lucy studied him with a frown. "Aren't you cold?"

"Nope. Thanks for the concern though, Princess." He gave a wink.

"No flirting," Lucy said warningly, glaring at him until he shrugged and relaxed into an easy pose. "Can we get started before I freeze to death? Unlike you, I'm freezing cold. It's gotta be in the negatives to be this cold."

Loke thoughtfully poked his tongue out, as if that would help determine out how cold it was. "Nah, it's only nineteen degrees out."

"Thanks," Lucy said sarcastically. "Because that's any better."

"Whatever you say, Princess." Loke gave her a playful grin before focusing on what he was trying to do. "This spell is going to be hell for you the first dozen times you use it, just warning you now. It'll push you to the point that it'll be like you've summoned your strongest Spirit for longer than you should be able to. You're more than likely going to pass out afterwards."

"Got it." Lucy cracked her knuckles, then shook out her hand. "Does this spell have a name?"

Loke gave a wistful smile, as if he regretted not being able to use it himself. "Urano Metria."

* * *

 _Wham!_

"Okay, Natsu," Erza growled as she leaned on the table the sulking fire mage was sitting at with his blue cat. "Enough of your lies. Lucy is _not_ sick. I stopped by her apartment earlier and nobody was home. Where is she?"

Natsu flinched, seeming to hunker down. "...not here," he finally admitted, not looking her in the eye.

"Where is she then?" Erza questioned with narrowed eyes. "She can't have gone home to Bosco. We would have heard about that, as it would have been all over the news. She hasn't come by the guildhall, and she hasn't been signed out for any jobs as of recently. So care to explain where she went so unannounced?"

Natsu scowled darkly, glancing pleadingly at Happy, but he was wisely keeping his mouth shut and full of fish. "...I don't know," he muttered. "She disappeared when I was on my job, and I haven't been able to find her - _OW_!" He clutched his head, wincing as Erza glared at him with an armored fist. "What was that for?!"

"Natsu Dragneel," Erza gritted out, her scolding tone making the fire mage cringe away in fear. "Do you mean to say that our nakama has been missing for nearly a week, and you've kept it to yourself?!"

He huffed. "It's not like I just sat back and didn't do anything. I didn't want everyone freaking out, so I looked for her myself, with Happy." The murderous look on Erza's face had him leaning away from the requip mage. "Besides. It's not like she isn't okay. I talked to her a few days ago, she said that she was okay and helping someone."

"Are you sure?" Erza demanded, no longer enraged with him. "Are you certain that she said that? Or was someone forcing her to?"

Natsu rubbed the sore part on his head with a thoughtful look. "She seemed truthful, but she wouldn't tell me where she was so that we could go help. S'why I've been looking for her. She's not in Magnolia, Hargeon, or any of the surrounding areas. I even checked near my hoard."

"Natsu," Erza sighed in exasperation, "Nobody but possibly Gajeel would want anything to do with your hoard."

He shrugged. "Sometimes people get too close and get caught up in the traps I have. Gotta let 'em go if they haven't touched anything." A pause. "Guess Lucy could have been digging in it and it would have been okay, though."

Erza rolled her eyes, and then thoughtfully tucked some scarlet hair behind her ear. "Perhaps Lucy is truly helping someone...I'm sure she'll return on her own time if that's the case. In the future, I'd prefer if you didn't keep something like this from the guild." She began to gently scold him, noticing the guilt and worry on his face. "I know she's your partner, Natsu, but this is a serious matter that all of the guild should be involved in, okay?"

"Whatever," he muttered, rolling his eyes with puffed cheeks. He tugged the scarf away from his face, his fingers tight around the material. He studied the scales for a few moments, then mumbled something that Erza wasn't expecting. "Igneel would know what to do. He always knew what to do. Was always helping lost kids and stuff."

"I'm sure he would," Erza said with a warm smile. "But you're not Igneel. And none of us are him either, so we'll have to do the next best thing and set up a search team. I'm sure Lucy has whatever she's doing handled, but it'd be best to know where she is in case something happens. I'll speak with Master in secret about the matter, and we'll see what he says."

"No," Natsu snapped. "I'll find her. Like I said, I don't want the whole guild losing their minds over this if she's okay." The pink-haired mage yanked sharply on a lock of his hair, onyx eyes ablaze. "I'll find her."

Erza studied the worried fire mage with careful dark eyes before sighing softly. "Alright. I'll give you one more week of looking before I bring in the guild. Is that understood? If anyone asks, Lucy's visiting a friend in Crocus. Happy, you, too."

"Aye, sir!" the cat mumbled around his food.

Natsu opened his mouth to agree, relieved, but was cut off when something sharply tugged on their senses. His head snapped around as the guild fell silent in confusion, trying to figure out what exactly they'd just felt. "...the hell?" he muttered. "That was-"

"Magic," Erza finished, eyes wary. "And whatever it was is big and from the north...we'll have to keep an eye out." She sighed, shaking her head. "I might go check the area out, just to be certain...Gildarts!" she called over her shoulder, searching for the stronger mage.

"Erza," Gildarts greeted, climbing to his feet from where he'd been drinking with Cana. Natsu silently complimented him on not drinking against her. Cana was really hard to say no to when she wanted a drinking contest. Mostly because she just shoved the alcohol into your mouth until you agreed willingly. "Let's go."

"Be safe," Mirajane called nervously. "I don't like the feeling of whatever that was…"

Erza turned back to Natsu. "Keep an eye out for Lucy. You have a week."

And then the requip mage left with Gildarts, leaving Natsu to narrow his eyes and contemplate just where he might find his partner and best friend.

* * *

"It's almost over!"

"Almost time?" a second person questioned eagerly.

"Yes!" cried the first in unison.

A third person snorted irritably. "Good. Been long enough."

"I'm sorry! You know she can't help it." a fourth said nervously, shying away when the third person glared furiously at them.

"Sure she can. They're just being a pair of idiots. Honestly, how long does it take for Layla Heartfilia's daughter to realize who she's hanging with?"

"Give her some time," a fifth person sighed. "She's starting to piece it together. He's given her as many clues as he can without the curse tearing him apart."

The third person only scowled at the rest of the ones gathered around her. "This brat is as slow as molasses. At his rate, I won't be summoned for another year!"

"Give Princess some credit," a sixth murmured. "She works very hard. She will realize soon. She just wasn't raised with magic. She wasn't raised with the legends of our leader, that's all. Even if her mother tried."

The others fell silent, unable to prove her wrong.

* * *

 _Yay for Loke's success at distracting Lucy, yes? Poor bastard's never gonna get himself out of that curse. Lol._

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _Moon Stone Tiger Lily:_** _I agree. Natsu truly does need to get it together, doesn't he?  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Don't worry, I feel your pain. Cliffies are a pain yet lovely. Many people thought it was Igneel, but nope! No Igneel.  
_

 ** _Astra199:_** _Natsu and his constant worries...he's got damn good reason why. She disappears a lot. Lol. Thank you!_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _Natsu needs to learn some patience, lol. And yes, I do. Takes me a good hour in the mornings, to be perfectly honest. I'm glad you appreciate it though, it makes me happy I didn't stop responding like this! :D_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Nooks are lovely things. I have on myself. No gold ring quite yet, that'll be in about ten chapters. Lol. Yesss I did and I'm screaming!_

 ** _silver light of:_** _As do I. XD  
_

 ** _readwithcats:_** _We needed something special for Loke and a mini-arc is just what the poor bastard needed. Lol._ _  
_

 ** _pilotrose:_** _Fifty chapters seems like nothing to me, but that might be because I'm focusing on the end game, lol. Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean a lot!_ _  
_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _Lucy's a bit slow about helping him. I think he's helping her more than she's helping him at the moment, yes?_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _I agree! Lucy Bite would be great. Poor Natsu is definitely worried._

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _Natsu will hopefully have a brighter moment, yes? I think he's going to throw a fit if he doesn't! Thank you so much!_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _I'd be getting more anxiety over Erza's little attacking there. Lol. The curse details are going to be coming out in little bits for a LONG time. ;)  
_

 ** _AngelGurl365:_** _Same here. Such a kind person, our Lucy.  
_

 ** _See you:_** _Yeah...Lucy needs to learn how to put the phone down better. Angry Natsu is nothing to Furious Natsu though. Just wait._

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _I agree. Suffering from a curse really must suck. Especially when it's as taxing as Loke's._

 ** _Haus of Lexy:_** _Every goddamn time... I nearly burst into giggles in the middle of class! My goodness. XD Thank you for your successful attempts to make me laugh, it makes me very happy._

 ** _Miya:_** _I don't know why I like Loke as much as I do. He's just a strange little bastard. Poor Natsu getting "rejected". Happy Valentine's Day to you as well! Although I'm a couple days late on the matter..._

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Loke never gets a break, especially when he has to protect Lucy. But as have I. I'll have to look into it, because I've used another random constellation in later chapters...  
_

 ** _OgaxHilda:_** _Yeah...Natsu's going to be PISSED. Incineration incoming, lol.  
_

 ** _Kaze:_** _A thought he may actually go through with, too! That was actually Loke making comments in a cave! ;) He was preparing to snatch up Lucy.  
_

 ** _Uchida Akira:_** _Just wait for when she goes home. That's a huge mini-arc in itself. Lol.  
_

 ** _NynaeveAl'Mera:_** _Congrats on your correct guessing! And perhaps on Lucy seeing Natsu's hoard, though you'll have to wait and see. ;)  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps not Natsu's hoard. Perhaps not anyody's hoard. In any case, you'll be finding out soon!_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _The problematic fave has indeed showed up! Ideal situations are ideal._


	53. Chapter 53

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy groaned as she opened her eyes, realizing within moments that she was too sore to move. Exhaustion lined every single inch of her body, and she nearly went back to sleep right there. Rather than doing just that, however, the celestial mage forced herself to her feet. She staggered, flailing her arms to keep her balance when she nearly tripped over her own feet, and then glanced around.

She was back in the cave, she realized, wondering how she'd gotten there. _Hm...Loke must have carried me, because I sure as hell wasn't awake to walk_.

The way Loke had described how she'd feel after trying the spell wasn't anywhere near how it had really been. Then again, he couldn't use the spell and probably didn't realize how trying it was on one's body. She was fairly sure that if she'd had someone who knew more about celestial magic, like Levy or Yukino, with her, it wouldn't have been anywhere near as bad.

Then again, Loke seemed to know a lot more than she gave him credit for.

She stumbled through the cave, wishing for her keys - and then stopped at the entrance to the cave in confusion. "Loke?" she called out hesitantly, frowning when she found that he was nowhere to be found. "...huh, I wonder where he went…"

Lucy wandered back over to where she'd made herself a private little area, sitting carefully among the blankets she'd purchased in town. Her hand reached for the long dead phone, and a look of misery appeared on her face. She'd agreed to help Loke, yes, but she still missed her friends back in Magnolia.

Lucy began to scold herself immediately. _I went for three years with no people to enjoy myself with. I'm pretty sure I can survive a little longer without them. Besides, it's not like I'm completely alone. I'm in a pretty good situation considering the fact that I was kidnapped._

Lucy was _not_ about to drop that.

 _Jerk could have asked me to come…_

Noise caught her attention and she hopped to her feet, ignoring the sore cries of her muscles. "Loke?" she called, hurrying forward to greet him at the entrance to the cave. "Where were- _oh_."

She stopped dead in her tracks as she locked eyes with a creature that gave her the chills. It was monstrous, and that was putting it lightly. It towered above her, its back brushing the top of the cave. It looked like some kind of bear-like creature, with a long tail that ended in barbs and claws that were nearly as long as she was tall. Piercing red eyes flashed with a dangerous rage.

"This isn't good," Lucy said faintly. How had it gotten in? Loke had told her that nothing dangerous could get into the cave!

The creature opened its mouth, showing sharp fangs and saliva that dribbled to the ground, melting the earth beneath it. And then it _roared_.

Lucy screamed, diving out of the way as it lunged for her. Gold and other precious objects went flying all over the place, and Lucy ignored the sting of hard metal striking her flesh, instead scrambling over a pile to try and get to safety. Her hand delved into her pocket, seeking her keys, but her blood ran cold when she realized that Loke still had them.

" _It's not like you're going to need them. I've got your back if anyone we don't like shows up."_

"You _ass_ ," Lucy hissed as she threw herself out of the way of the creature's tail, her muscles screaming in protest. She heaved for air, her blonde hair flying around her face as she half-slid down the gold she'd scampered over. "You don't claim to have someone's back, then disappear into thin air!"

Her words were met by another roar. The creature lunged for her, with snapping jaws, and she heard something shatter against the hard rock floor of the cave as it slammed into a chair that Loke had taken to making himself comfortable in recently. The chair splintered beneath its weight, and Lucy bit back a cry of pain when a piece went flying, skimming across her cheek.

Ignoring the blood that trickled from the wound, Lucy took a deep breath, trying to focus. She had to figure something out, she told herself, she _had_ to…

Instinct kicked in when the barbed tail came again, aimed for her head. Lucy shrieked, ignoring the sting of one of the barbs nicking her arm when she threw it up to protect her face. Scrambling to her feet, the celestial mage set to work on gauging just how much magic she could use.

Somehow, she knew immediately that she had nowhere near the amount she needed to be able to use the new spell Loke had taught her.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought she felt a pressure. An urge. _Remember,_ a voice urged, encouraging her to do just that.

"Remember what?!" Lucy cried as she yanked herself out of the way of another attack. She tripped over her own feet, however, and grunted as she hit the ground, narrowly avoiding impaling herself upon a piece of Loke's chair. She stared at the wood, then quickly rolled onto the stomach when the tail descended, attempting to smash her again.

A gasp left her lips, and she went still as something cold touched her cheek.

Words suddenly flashed through her mind, and she pulled back, her gaze coming to rest upon the object.

" _In exchange for accomplishing what you've requested, I have a request of my own. Take him. Do as his king commands, but please. Make it so that he is protected and has an escape. He does not deserve the punishment that I should be taking."_

 _"I request that you watch for a good friend of mine. I am not permitted to tell you who he is or where you will find him, but I am quite certain that you will cross paths with him at some point in time."_

Lucy's eyes widened fractionally as she skimmed her finger over the metal, momentarily forgetting the situation she was in.

 _He held up a finger to keep her from speaking further. "And two, Princess, your Spirits wouldn't_ dare _to try and lay a hand on me."_

" _Oh_ ," Lucy breathed.

Loke's knowledge of celestial magic and its spells made quite a bit of sense now.

Lucy snatched up the key without hesitation, grinning as she studied the glowing red marks. She didn't know why Loke had been put under a curse, and she wouldn't ask. It wasn't any of her concern. If he wanted her to know, then he would tell her.

But first…

Lucy had to break it.

The celestial mage hopped out of the way of another attack and slashed the key through the air, the words falling from her lips with ease. "Open!" she said hastily, focusing her magic into the key. "Gate of the Lion!" The red marks began to glow brilliantly, cracking. "Leo!"

The red marks shattered as there was a bright flash of light.

Loke materialized before her, a stunned look on his face. He stared at her for a second, as if comprehending what had just happened, and then muttered, "Holy _hell_ woman, what the hell were you digging through to find-"

"Not now!" Lucy squealed as a clawed paw struck out. Loke hopped back to avoid the blow, the confusion turning into a look of excitement and pure joy. The grin that appeared on his face wasn't tinged with sadness, instead simply bright happiness. "Do something!"

"Right!" Loke planted his feet, a soft glow around his ringed fingers as he readied himself. "Look away, Princess," he ordered as the glow increased. "Things are about go get a little bright…"

Lucy did as told, whipping around and closing her eyes just as a blast of light exploded from the Spirit, washing through the entire cave with the force of power that had been contained for far too long. Loke only laughed despite the fact that he'd quite literally obliterated something to the point that nothing remained, ecstatic as he let the light fade away.

The second Lucy had straightened, rubbing furiously at her eyes to try and get rid of the burning, she was dragged into a side hug, Loke's arm hooked around her shoulders. His eyes gleamed happily. "Seriously though," he muttered, suddenly frowning. "How the hell did you find my key?"

Lucy snorted. "I don't know. I fell?" She swatted him off of her, rolling her eyes. "Jeez, get off of me."

"You sure you want me to?" he teased, flirtatiously smiling at her. She squeaked in surprise as he playfully grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Seriously, get off, or I'll call in Natsu," Lucy warned, though the threat was destroyed by a slight smile that flashed across her face. It was nice to see him in a mood that wasn't underlined by grief and depression. For the first time since she'd arrived to this cave a week ago, Loke was carefree and happy.

"Eh, he wouldn't," Loke said, waving her words off without even a hint of concern. "Besides, even if he was to find his way here, he'd be too distracted by the magic."

Lucy blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"I can tell you now, just who this cave belonged to. I think you've probably figured it out yourself, anyways." Loke shrugged, waving at the scattered piles of gold and treasures around them. "My key was given to someone Layla trusted above all others, who bartered my punishment with the Spirit King when Layla could not. This is the hoard of the Fire Dragon King, Lucy. This is the home of Igneel."

* * *

"Nothing," Erza said as she looked out around the curious faces that had turned her way when she and Gildarts had entered the guildhall. A few days had passed since the strange wave of magic had washed over them, and she and the crash mage had returned after the search to discover what it had been. "We searched the entire area and came up with nothing."

Natsu huffed, wrinkling his nose. There was something about the way Erza's eyes were darting around this way and that, never locking with another's, that made him not believe her.

And his sharp nose told him the opposite of what they were saying.

The rest of the guild simply shrugged and moved on, though Asuka gave them suspicious looks.

Gildarts went to find Cana, looking thoughtful when he found her - as usual - half-drunk at the bar, pausing to pat Natsu playfully on the head, messing up his pink hair. "Trust me. It wasn't enough to cause any concern, Natsu."

"So you did find something." He narrowed his eyes, glancing over when Happy said around his fish, "Did you find Lucy?"

"She missing?" Gildarts said, frowning. Natsu glared irritably at his friend for that before grumbling out a garbled "Sort of."

"That's the thing," Erza said as she came over, her dark eyes thoughtful. She swept her hair over her shoulder, dropping into a seat beside Natsu. She glanced at him. "That was Lucy's magic. It was a bit different from this distance, but once we got to the area...I could feel traces of her magic in it. Like someone had guided her through whatever happened. We couldn't look around too much, though. Some kind of magic was burning us. It nearly melted a set of my armor when I stepped in the wrong direction."

Natsu's attention was caught. "...what kind of magic?" he demanded, mind racing. The direction the magic had come from was right, and if what they said was true…

"We aren't sure, but it was something strong," Gildarts told him. "There was a barrier around a certain area that we couldn't get through. Erza tried, and it nearly threw her across town. We left after that, because we were starting to get weird looks from the locals.'

Natsu snorted. Gildarts _did_ get weird looks wherever he went, though he usually was able to tone it down some. "Did you try your magic on it?"

The older mage shook his head.

Natsu grinned, shooting to his feet. "It was near Mount Hakobe, right? And there wasn't any snow in that area in particular?"

Erza blinked. "Yes. How did you-"

"I gotta go...see ya!" Natsu bolted out of the doors of the guildhall, Happy just barely managing to grab onto the mage's scarf as he did so. The two S-Class mages were left to stare after him in an equally stunned silence. They exchanged alarmed looks.

"...huh," Gildarts muttered, "Guess we'll leave it to him to try and figure out since he seems to know enough about it."

"He couldn't tell us whatever he knows before we left?" Erza mumbled, fairly annoyed.

"Eh, give the boy some credit," Gildarts said cheerfully, smacking her shoulder in a friendly motion. She cringed as her body snapped forward, head slamming into the table. "He knows what he's doing."

Erza gritted her teeth. "I'm not sure that that's the best way to put it…"

"Oi!" came the call of Gray's voice as he strolled in, completely oblivious to the groans that met his appearance. "Where's the pyro going?"

"Gray, my love," Juvia called as she hurried in after him. "Your clothes!"

* * *

 _And Lucy's figured it out! :D Gray really needs to wear some clothes... And holy cow! We've reached 700 reviews! Thank you all so much!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _Haus of Lexy:_** _Every goddamn time! Goodness. XD Like that thought of Peter Pan though. Made me snort root beer out of my nose.  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Of course! Lucy was practicing Urano Metria, so. They wouldn't recognize that spell just yet. Also, congrats, you guessed correctly on Igneel's hoard! ;)_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _You did figure it out. Lol. XD  
_

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _Aquarius for certain. Can't remember who one or two of the Spirits in the end were, to be honest. Most of 'em I know. And she wasn't actually that close; she was up in the area around Mt. Hakobe, but the power was strong enough that they felt it down in Magnolia. Your wish came true though, she figured Loke out. ;)_

 ** _Vaneles:_** _You think this is exciting, wait 'til the Fairy Tail Snowball Fight. You were correct as well! Igneel's hoard! And look how quickly our sneaky little dragon slayer figured it out! ;)_ _  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _I agree with everything stated. Virgo is an understanding person for certain. Moreso than Natsu, who is always confused. Lol.  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _She hasn't used it much up to the point where I've written, but I do intend to get her to work on it here in the next few chapters (the ones that have yet to be written, mind you)._

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _Ooh indeed. :D  
_

 ** _Uchida Akira:_** _Happy birthday! I was going to update earlier, but I got out of school early so I decided to wait until I got home. Lol. Not natsu's hoard quite yet, but that'll be coming up eventually. Lol._

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _I agree. Poor Loke, though things are finally turning around for him, yes? :D_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _I love Aquarius (mostly 'cause she's my zodiac sign). Snarkiness is great. And she certainly pieced it together quickly, lol.  
_

 ** _readwithcats:_** _Sh, my friend. You are the only one to have noticed that little portion. Everything will become clear at a later time. Perhaps it is the master of demons. Perhaps it's Layla's diary, shifted there instead of where it was supposed to be. Who knows? ;)  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Love Urano Metria. It is indeed a badass spell. And perhaps. You'll have to wait and see how Natsu reacts. ;)  
_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _The author permits his release. Sort of. Lol.  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _Information is always important. Speak your theories! I want to hear them! XD  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Thank you! :)  
_

 ** _Guest:_** _Perhaps...yes. Yes they are. Lol._

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Correct about Igneel's place! Correct about the Spirits! And correct about the magic from the north! You notice everything, don't you. XD_

 ** _Miya:_** _Yep! Urano Metria is what it was. The Spirits see everything. ;)_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Confirmed magic of Lucy's! Mira didn't like the feeling of it because she didn't recognize it. As Erza stated in this chapter, it was twisted because of Loke's assistance, making it unrecognizable to those back at Fairy Tail!  
_

 ** _SakuraIsMe:_** _And have some more to read, my friend! The hoard is a fun little included thing. Have no worries, I update three times a week so you don't sit there forever. ;) Thank you!  
_


	54. Chapter 54

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Like this?"

Loke grinned as he watched Lucy strike out with a determined look, the whip in her hands snapping around a tree branch dozens of feet away and giving a sharp crack as it came off. The branch clattered to the ground. "Good job, Princess," he praised, giving a nod of approval.

"Well done," Virgo agreed, her eyes calculating each movement Lucy made. "Next time, move faster, or you'll be caught in an enemy's clutches, though."

"Got it," Lucy murmured, nodding to herself as she contemplated just how to do what she was told.

It had been three days since she'd managed to break Loke's curse, and she found herself eager to go home to Magnolia. Yet the leader of the Zodiac had convinced her otherwise. _"This is a decently safe place, Lucy,"_ he'd told her, looking thoughtful as he studied Igneel's hoarding cave, taking in the mess they'd made out of it. _"It's a good place to train. Use it to your advantage for at least a few days. Work yourself to the bone. No one can get to this area, Igneel's magic doesn't allow it. Summon your strongest Spirit outside of me, I'll keep my gate open so it doesn't use your magic."_

While Lucy had agreed that it was a smart thing to do, she found herself incredibly frustrated. Her phone was destroyed, crushed beneath the monster's paws, and she had no way of getting a message through to her friends back in Magnolia. The nearby town didn't have any post offices that would get her letters to where they needed to be, and while they had the money for her to purchase a new phone, Lucy wasn't eager to steal from the hoard of Natsu's parent.

She faltered, biting her lip at the thought of her partner. She would be in trouble with him when she got back, there was no doubt about that. He would be angry that she'd just left without a word on top of not coming back or telling him where she was. But hopefully he'd forgive her. As would everyone else when she explained what happened.

"Again, please, Princess," Virgo said cheerfully. She waved at Loke, however, rather than a new tree, eyes gleaming slightly. "This time, I believe you should go after a moving target."

Lucy's eyes went wide. "Um, Virgo," she said shakily, glancing at an amused Loke. "I don't think-"

"No worries, Princess," Loke said with a wink. "You can't hurt me. Even if you do, all that happens is that I end up back in the Celestial Realm. Don't worry about it so much. Just trust us. You need to be able to, you know, it'll help you a hell of a lot more than if you don't."

"Okay, okay," the celestial mage grumbled, reeling her arm back.

After deciding to remain a few days to try and train, Loke had made her choose a weapon that she could learn to use, claiming it would help her until she was strong enough to learn how to use other techniques. She had agreed, and between she and Virgo, they'd decided that the whip was the best weapon for her to use. Virgo had retrieved one for her from the Celestial Realm after receiving permission from Loke, and then had returned with one that Lucy had been told was named Fleuve d'étoiles.

 _...wait a second, why is she so good at using a whip?_ Lucy silently questioned, watching as Virgo used the one she'd brought for herself to show Lucy what she needed to do. Lucy's dark eyes followed the maid Spirit's actions with care as Loke leaped into action, grinning as he avoided the whip with ease until a twitch of Virgo's hand had him crashing into the dirt.

He hopped back to his feet, coughing awkwardly and pushing his shades up after fixing them. Lucy giggled at the annoyed look on his face. "I'll have to wash this suit," he grumbled.

A thought popped into her head.

 _"Strike when they least expect it,"_ Loke had told her when they'd first started with the whip.

As the Spirit brushed himself off, grumbling all the while, Lucy's arm snapped up. He caught the movement out of the corner of his eye - but not in time for him to completely avoid the whip that wrapped itself tightly around his arm and dragged him to the ground. "Damn it, woman!"

Lucy grinned proudly. " _Strike when they least expect it,_ " she recited with a smirk on her face.

His annoyed look transformed into an amused smile. "Yeah, yeah." Suddenly, he was there, in her face, green eyes only inches from hers, and Lucy squeaked, reeling back, nearly tripping over her feet in her haste. "But remember, Princess, the same applies for the other side."

Lucy's grip tightened on her whip, and she drew it back again, this time catching the end with the ease. "Okay, okay, you win for now," she reluctantly sighed. Her arm felt like it was on fire from using it as much as she had. Both of them did, in fact, thanks to Virgo insisting it would benefit her to be ambidextrous in such a matter. "I need a break. And my magic's running out," she added with a yawn.

"We'll end there today then," Loke decided, giving Virgo a small nod.

Virgo bowed to Lucy. "Summon me when I am needed, Princess. I await my punishment."

Lucy stared at where the pink-haired Spirit had stood for a few moments. "She just...did she just say…?"

Loke sighed heavily. "She's fond of such things. Always has been and more than likely always will be - unless she suddenly decides she likes to do such things herself." Lucy shivered at the thought, then put the whip at her hip, hooking it onto a special belt Virgo had given her.

"Please don't give me such images," Lucy muttered, "I'd like to sleep tonight." _In a real bed…_

Her heart twisted at the thought of waking up to someone breaking into her room.

 _Damn_ she missed her friends.

But she _had_ to get better, so things like the Tower of Heaven didn't happen again. She couldn't afford to waste time that could be spent getting tougher, _especially_ if it meant keeping her out of trouble and in a safe position that wouldn't get her friends into serious trouble every few minutes.

Another yawn escaped her, and Loke chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Come on, let's get you inside. You're going to lose your fingers if you're out here for much longer."

"It's not _that_ cold around this area," Lucy grumbled, but agreed, and tucked her hands into her pockets before following the Spirit in the direction of the cave, where she knew it would be perfectly heated thanks to the magic of a dragon that had vanished off of the face of the planet.

* * *

When she opened her eyes the next morning, she couldn't help the ear-piercing scream that left her lips.

Seriously.

Who wouldn't scream upon waking up to discover a beady-eyed mouse staring into their eyes.

She scrambled back, squealing in disgust, and then pressed a hand over her rapidly beating heart to calm it as the mouse scrambled away with a squeak. Lucy groaned, resting her head back to calm herself. Finally, she sighed and opened her eyes before climbing to her feet, stretching. She snatched up the green coat along with the rest of her possessions.

She doubted she'd stay if one of her friends caught her in town. She'd already warned her Spirits of it. So she brought all of it with her, just in case.

Lucy shrugged the coat on, and then headed out of the cave, pausing to examine the outside world. It was fairly warm where she was now, and she silently thanked Igneel for the lingering magic that created the warmth around her. It was only a few feet from the cave that the warmth began to fade, and as she left it, she hugged the coat tighter around her, her nose wrinkling as the icy weather began to wash over her.

She thought about it for a moment, then dug her keys out, slashing a key through the air. "Open! Gate of the Ram! Aries!"

There was a small flash of light as Aries appeared before her, looking startled by the sudden summoning. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted. Lucy didn't hesitate to greet her though. "Hello, Aries," she said warmly, breath coming out in small white puffs. "Care to join me for a while? You might want to put on something a little warmer though."

Aries flushed, and light shimmered around her body for a moment. When it faded, the Spirit wore clothes that were similar to Lucy's, and she was quick to say, "Sorry! I don't normally wear clothes that go with what you wear in your world!"

"Don't worry about it," Lucy reassured, patting her shoulder with an amused look. "It's fine." She waved for Aries to follow and the two set off, the Ram hiding her face in her sleeve. "Is everything alright?" Lucy said after a moment.

"Oh! Yes, everything's okay," Aries quickly reassured, giving her a faint smile. "It's just...it's been a long time since Leo was allowed back into our Realm, and we're so grateful…" Tears threatened to roll down her cheeks as she smiled brightly. "Thank you, Lucy."

Lucy merely winked. "No problem."

The two arrived at the town a short time later, and Lucy said farewell to Aries before sending her back to the Celestial Realm and stepping into the town itself. She made her way with ease through the town's streets, her gaze darting over around every now and then, aware of the strange looks people gave her when they saw the whip at her hip.

Not that she cared about what they thought. She mostly ignored them.

Lucy was inspecting something through the window of a shop when she heard a surprised cry of her name. Her head snapped around, blonde hair tumbling around her face as dark eyes went wide.

She'd know that voice anywhere.

Natsu was in town. Grinning and relieved that he'd somehow - miraculously - figured out where she was, Lucy opened her mouth to give a shout in return, to go hunt in him down herself and explain what had happened.

A hand over her mouth put a stop to that.

Immediately, Lucy reacted.

"Ow, woman!" Loke cried, shaking his hand out. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Me?!" Lucy bit out irritably, making a face and sticking her tongue out at the fact that she'd bitten someone again. "What are _you_ doing?! You scared me half to death!"

"You're doing stuff you shouldn't be," he accused in response, and Lucy threw her hands up in the air.

"What do you mean?" she snapped irritably. "Natsu's here-"

"And? You said you'd be staying here to train," Loke pointed out.

Lucy studied the Spirit for a moment, taking his tensed form in. She narrowed her eyes. "What do you have against Natsu?" she demanded, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks up. "He's my partner. You said you knew who he was. So what's wrong with him that you don't want anything to do with him?"

Loke shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his head. "It's not that. I don't have an issue with _Natsu_ so to say…"

"Good," Lucy retorted, hands on her hips. "Then I'm going to track him down and go home. It's not like we can't practice back home. The guildhall has some space I could practice in. Plus, there's forests around Magnolia. Plenty of space for something like my whip. I just won't be able to practice Urano Metria."

"I highly recommend you master that spell," Loke said quietly, his eyes searching hers. Lucy frowned as his sudden serious attitude. "It could save your life at some point, Lucy. At least master it before you go home. You've performed it once, and it greatly expanded your magical capabilities, but it's not mastered. Please. I won't stop you after that. But Natsu cannot know you're here. He'll drag you back immediately"

Lucy frowned, annoyed by this. "But he could help-"

"Lucy."

"...fine. I want this done within the next week though," Lucy warned. "I miss my friends. They've become family, you know, and I'm sure they're worried. Natsu especially." She paused. "...can't you even go and talk to him? Please, Loke…"

The Lion took a look at her pleading face and then sighed heavily.

"Summon Virgo and take her with you back to Igneel's cave," Loke muttered. "Don't let them catch you...I'll go speak with Natsu."

* * *

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted at the top of his lungs, ignoring the strange looks the strangers passing by sent him. "Lucy! _Luce_! You here?!"

"Natsu," Happy mumbled sleepily from the bag on Natsu's back, exhausted from flying almost nonstop over the past few days to get Natsu to where he needed to be. "Maybe she's not here…"

"Maybe," Natsu answered, ignoring how strange he must have looked, talking to no one. "Then she might be near Igneel's hoard. He showed me it once, before he disappeared. Said that only a select few people could pass through the barrier he'd put up around it. The closer you get to it, the hotter it gets - but _only_ if you're not supposed to be there. You might feel it, but I won't, 'cause I'm his son."

The dragon slayer inhaled sharply. His head snapped around with a grin. "She's here," he said eagerly, "I caught her scent, she's over there-"

"Not anymore."

Natsu jerked in surprise, turning on his heel to glare furiously at the person that had spoken. An awkward looking man in a suit with spiked orange hair and sunglasses stood there, studying Natsu carefully. Natsu narrowed his eyes at him, and he gave a wry smile. "I'm Loke...otherwise known as Leo, the leader of the Zodiac, and Lucy Heartfilia's newest Celestial Spirit."

"Oh, good," Natsu said, relaxing. "So where's she at? I gotta talk with her, 'cause we have stuff to do back home. Snow's gonna come in the next few weeks, and she said she'd never really gotten to have fun in it. Gotta include her in the guild's annual Fairy Tail Snowball Fight."

Loke sighed, unable to help the grin that appeared on his face. While Natsu wasn't exactly his favorite person on the planet - did anyone _honestly_ expect the Spirits that protected the celestial mage to like the dragon slayer who was clearly closer to her than either thought? - he wasn't a bad person.

Loke merely had reasons he hadn't spoken about in years.

The Spirit cautiously spoke. "I apologize, but I will not allow you to see her. Not for a while, at least, as she's busy at the moment. We - and that means all of Lucy's Spirits - have a request. Leave Lucy alone. She's training. It wouldn't benefit anyone if she was to go home just yet."

"So what?"

Natsu's words were cold. His onyx eyes, eager only moments ago, had become as icy as the ice Gray created. His entire demeanor towards the Spirit had changed and Loke nervously shifted back, wary of someone for the first time in a long time.

"Natsu," Happy said nervously, cautiously shifting in the bag he was in.

Natsu pretended not to notice. "Lucy's fine the way she is. She doesn't need to train as hard as you're probably makin' her think. Whatever's she's learned up to this point is fine. Fairy Tail takes care of its own, and we can handle it from here. So go get her."

Loke opened his mouth to speak, but Natsu's next words cut him off.

"Lucy is mine to protect. I won't hesitate to destroy for her, Loke...Leo...whatever the hell your name is. So bring her back. _Now_."

* * *

 _I just read the new chapter and I LITERALLY CANNOT STOP SCREAMING IN EXCITEMENT. ABOUT DAMN TIME. Anyhow. Hope you enjoyed._

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _I think Natsu's more pissed off than freaked out at this point. Lol.  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _For the most part it's gone right, lol. Erza flying across town would be hilarious.  
_

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _For real. Igneel's hoard. Natsu's hoard doesn't show up for a bit. ;) A fit? Maybe, maybe not. Lol._ _  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _A lot of people thought that, apparently. I never even considered it. Probably 'cause I'm thinking about things in the long run rather than what's going on now. Interesting meeting, no?_

 ** _SakuraIsMe:_** _That was probably the most strangest yet amusing review I've ever seen. XD Thank you!_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _I think he does as well.  
_

 ** _Knightwalker:_** _Curve balls are great. Particularly when I get to write them. :D_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _Apparently he's more concerned about Lucy. Lol. Cookies and cupcakes and hugs would be lovely. I am a fan of all of them.  
_

 ** _Vaneles:_** _He does seem to get more needy depending on what's happened, eh? Lol.  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _You, my friend, find everything I post. Thank you for your kind words!  
_

 ** _Haus of Lexy:_** _Dammit, I was in the middle of freaking class and just started cackling like a mad woman. XD  
_

 ** _Uchida Akira:_** _Ah, Aquarius will come eventually, the precious.  
_

 _ **Nekokittygirl:** Lucy's not quite in Natsu's hoard. They're currently at Igneel's, and Loke had a curse on him that basically put him on lock down, so. :)  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Freedom for the Lion!  
_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _Loke is indeed back to his wonderful self. Natsu is a determined little bastard, that's for sure.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Damn right Natsu knows where she is and he's not exactly happy with Loke, is he? Lol.  
_

 ** _uzumaki Naho:_** _Natsu and his rare bright moments are lovely.  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _Well. I think at this point he just wants to obliterate Loke for getting in his way, so. XD  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Igneel's precious hoard...ah, the beautiful snow-less location._ _  
_


	55. Chapter 55

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy nibbled thoughtfully at a piece of jerky, her dark eyes searching the trees nearby for Loke. Despite him not using his magic to open his gate, she could still feel the fact that he was out and about. And she knew without a doubt that he'd come check in with her before he went back to the Celestial Realm. She trusted him to do so, at least, that didn't mean he actually would.

Lucy tore a piece off, chewing with a frown on her face. Her heart hurt at the thought of not seeing her friend after being gone for almost two weeks, but she supposed Loke did have a point...she had to get stronger. And if that meant staying where they were, then...so be it.

Suddenly, she choked on her jerky, however, when something small and blue smacked into her chest with a shriek of "LUCY!" Coughing harshly and wheezing for air, Lucy gawked. "Happy?"

"Luce!" Happy was, a moment later, followed up by an overheated dragon slayer slamming into her at full force, and Lucy yelped as she was knocked to the ground. Natsu grinned, hugging her tightly and Lucy blinked a few times before smiling softly and returning the hug just as tightly, eagerly wrapping her arms around him.

"Natsu!" she said happily, affectionately kissing Happy on the head when the poor cat wailed that he couldn't breathe when he was being squashed between them. Tears rose to her eyes, but she held them back as she tightened her grip further and pressed her face into his shoulder.

She didn't know why she suddenly wanted to cry, but she sure as hell was determined to not do so. She pulled back finally and smiled brilliantly at the grinning fire mage, relieved that he didn't seem to be upset what so ever. He scampered back after a moment, realizing Happy still couldn't breathe, and then gently pulled Lucy upright, not hesitating to snatch a piece of the jerky she'd been eating, popping it into his mouth and crunching down as he said, "Knew ya would be around here."

Lucy arched an eyebrow. "Oh?" Before he could answer, though, Loke cleared his throat from where he was standing a few feet away, looking at Natsu suspiciously.

"I'll be off, Princess," he said stiffly, shooting Natsu a small glare. "Make sure to speak with Natsu on threats, however. I don't appreciate him threatening to tear down towns if he doesn't get what he wants."

 _Ah. So that's why Loke conveniently changed his mind…_ Lucy scowled in annoyance at Natsu, smacking the back of his head, and the dragon slayer yelped, clutching it. "Stupid," she scolded, "There was no reason for that. I'll talk to you later, Loke." He merely waved and disappeared. "Did you seriously threaten to tear down the town?"

Natsu grumbled, rubbing where she'd smacked. "He was being stupid and wouldn't tell me where you were, what else was I going to do?"

"Uh, do what he said?" Lucy huffed.

He glared at her for that, a growl leaving his lips. "You disappeared on us, and you think I'm going to trust a phone call after you mentioned that you were kidnapped?"

"...yes?" Lucy shrugged, flushing. "I would hope so." She frowned as she cradled Happy to her chest, tossing another piece of jerky into her mouth with a huff. "Do you not trust me? I told you it was fine. Loke just needed some help. There was a curse on him. He said it made it so that he couldn't return to the Celestial Realm until a celestial mage found his key, and even then he couldn't tell me where it was. He couldn't tell me what he was, or why he needed help. His kidnapping me was a last resort, and it worked, even if it did tire him out a bit."

Natsu scowled irritably. "You could have called again."

"Uh, yeah, my phone was dead." Lucy gave him a sheepish smile. "I couldn't find anywhere that sold the right charger, and then I didn't want to steal out of the gold in here."

Natsu cranked his head back to look into the cave, not looking bothered when Happy's wings appeared and the curious little cat flew off to inspect the inside of it excitedly. "Why not? Igneel wouldn't mind. He'll like you when we find him." Natsu grinned at the thought, his annoyance with his partner gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. "Besides, I could have replaced whatever gold you used. My hoard's nearly as big as his," he added proudly. "A hell of a lot bigger than Wendy's for sure."

"That's...great?" Lucy gave him a look, then wrapped her arms around her knees thoughtfully, a smile playing lightly along her lips. "I see where your fondness for gold things came from."

Natsu looked like he was ready to explode with pride as he told her, "Igneel liked gold, too. So he showed me the best places to get it."

She giggled. "I see." Lucy glanced at the sky, calculating how much time they had before the sun went down. "It's still early in the day...but what do you think of us staying here overnight and heading back in the morning? I can show you what Loke's been teaching me."

The dragon slayer grumbled at the mention of the Spirit. "I don't like him, he's an ass."

"You can be one, too, and I like you just fine," she pointed out. Lucy gave him a firm look. "There's no reason for you and Loke to hate each other as much as you seem to think you do...though I do remember Yukino mentioning that the Spirits hate dragon slayers for the most part, so I guess it's not too surprising. I think Virgo's the only Zodiac Spirit who will even talk to you willingly."

Natsu muttered something under his breath, then eyed her curiously. "He's been teaching you?"

"Both him and Virgo." The celestial mage hopped to her feet, excitement pulsing through her as she said, "Want to see?"

"..sure?" Natsu studied her with a confused look. A look that quickly turned to alarm and shock as he dove out of the way to avoid the whip that had suddenly appeared in her hand. She flicked her wrist, excitement flooding through her when she caught her friend by the ankle and slammed him to the ground. "Oi! Woman!" he shouted, scrambling to try and unwrap the whip.

Lucy giggled, and Happy joined her after coming to see what had happened to cause such a commotion. "You wanted to see!"

"I didn't want you to throw me around!" he whined in response, freeing himself. Lucy reeled her arm back, catching the end of the whip with ease. He darted back over to stand beside her, and she offered it to him for inspection. "Why a whip?"

Lucy shrugged. "Virgo said it would be the best weapon for me. I like it, it allows me to fight beside my Spirits, not just stand behind them and watch as they fight for me. And since my magic isn't exactly the most combative kind…"

"Oh, wow," Happy gasped in approval, curiously studying the texture of the whip.

"It's smart," Natsu admitted, trailing his fingers over it. His calloused touch brushed lightly over her fingers, and Lucy fought back the shiver that went down her spine at the softness of it. A thought suddenly ran through his mind, and his onyx eyes took on a mischievous look as he said hopefully, "Hey, Luce, do you think you could try it on Gray…?"

Lucy sighed heavily. "Natsu. I'm not going to go around use it on innocent people who've done nothing wrong."

"...not even a little?"

"No!"

Happy only cackled and fluttered his little white wings as he hovered beside his friend. "You could use it on Natsu, Lucy...I'm sure he'd like it a _lot_."

Happy wouldn't regret those words, not even after Natsu had snatched him out of the air with a mortified look and Lucy and beat him to hell and back, threatening to fry him like the fish he enjoyed so much.

The looks on their face were _priceless_.

* * *

"Ready, Luce?"

Lucy glanced over her shoulder, looking back at the cave that held Igneel's hoard with a reluctant look. She liked it there, even if she was eager to return to Magnolia. At least she could return if she wanted though, she supposed… She turned her attention on a grinning Natsu. His onyx eyes were sharp, studying her with care to make sure she was okay.

"Yeah," Lucy replied with a hum, her fingers wrapping around the keys in her pocket. "Let's go." They set off, Happy already hidden away in Natsu's bag. They chatted about random things as they made their way through the forest that rested between the cave and the town, and when they reached the town, Lucy went to rent a car that they wouldn't have to worry about returning.

By ten o'clock in the morning, they were driving. Or, at least, Lucy was. Natsu was hanging partially out the window of the passenger seat, trying to make himself feel better while a cheerful looking Happy yowled along with the music Lucy blared to drown out the sound of Natsu's retching.

They were about an hour into their two day trip back to Magnolia when Happy suddenly scampered up into the front seat, lowering the volume of the music to turn and ask Lucy carefully, "Hey, Lucy?"

"Yes?" she mused, glancing down at him before returning her gaze to the road.

"You aren't gonna disappear again, right?"

Aware that despite his illness, Natsu was listening in, Lucy chose her words carefully. "Hopefully not. And even if I do, I won't be gone forever, Happy. I'll always comes back to Fairy Tail. It's my home." She cast him a gentle smile, reaching out with her free hand to run her hand over his blue fur. "Trust me, Happy. I will _never_ leave you willingly for good."

She had to return home for a bit after Christmas, after all.

Lucy fell into silent thought as Happy, satisfied with her answer, turned the music back up and began to sing along again. She bit her lip, her thoughts becoming dark. She'd have to leave a note or something for them when she went home, and she needed to make sure that there was no way that her father could immediately push her into a marriage deal. She had an idea to stop that, but there was no way to know if it would work for certain.

So she'd have to just pray and hope to the celestial beings she had contracts with that she would get through the interaction without anything going wrong.

Lucy tapped her lip thoughtfully as she glanced over at Natsu. She couldn't bring her partner, that was for sure. His tendency to leap before he thought and his love for destruction completely ruined those chances. Of course, she didn't expect him to remain quiet when he learned of what she was doing. Happy, too, as they were two peas in a pod.

And then there was the rest of the guild. What was she going to do about them? The fiercely protective Erza would more than likely demand the guild storm the Heartfilia Estate to help her. Wendy would be worried, Levy frantic. Gray would be concerned, as would Juvia - even if the water mage had labeled her a love rival. Makarov would be looking for her as well, she realized.

The entire guild would be running around like a chicken with their head cut off.

And while that was kind of them...she couldn't have that happening. She needed to fetch the diary that her mother had wanted her to read, and she needed to deal with the issue that was her father. She couldn't relax until he understood that she wasn't his pawn. Until she was certain he wouldn't come after her or harm her friends.

Lucy frowned to herself...and then smiled.

The answer was right there under her nose.

Loke.

The Spirit wouldn't mind helping her out. He'd said that she was welcome to summon him for anything at any time. Their contract had no limitations. His only request had been that she give him time off when he asked for it, and she'd agreed willingly.

There was also the "bonus" of her asking him to play as her fiancé for who the hell knew how long. Which meant he'd get to flirt with her without her ordering him to cut it out.

She sighed softly.

Yep. Loke was going to have a field day with this. As if reading her thoughts, his key warmed in her pocket, and she grumbled aloud until Natsu weakly asked what she was going on about.

She simply told him to shut up and keep his ill head out the window so that the icy wind could help him feel better.

Natsu couldn't know about her trip to Bosco.

If he knew, she wouldn't be able to go at all. And the same went for the rest of her nakama. They'd all try to stop her.

She still had a month, though, so she wouldn't worry about it. If she worried about it, people would notice her worrying, and then they'd ask questions, and things would go the completely opposite of how she wanted them to go.

So Lucy joined Happy in singing along, unaware of the heated iron ring that rested beside her keys, alerting them that someone that wasn't supposed to be there was nearby.

A young woman watched the car zip past, her dark hair flying around her head and a sly smirk on her face.

* * *

 _Strange people are strange. But yay! Lucy's heading back to Magnolia at last! :D_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _OgaxHilda:_** _And now that you've seen it...what do you think? Lol.  
_

 ** _silver light of:_** _I try not to trick, but it is somewhat fun. But no worries, a lot of people did. Lol.  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Natsu turns into an evil little bastard when it comes to Lucy. Loke's a bit pissed off, yes?_

 ** _NaluLuva23:_** _Natsu is a badass. I love him for being one. Thank you for the cookie!  
_

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _Natsu would throw down with freaking Acnologia to get Lucy back, I think. Input some evil laughter there...temper tantrum barely avoided!_

 ** _Haus of Lexy:_** _You're so freaking crafty with these! I appreciate it.  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _Natsu definitely be getting a bit possessive. Lol.  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _Loving such a thing is good. And definitely did find Lucy despite Loke's demands. He needs to learn that throwing a fit and threatening to destroy things is not a good idea, yes? XD_

 ** _Moon Stone Tiger Lily:_** _He's gotta be possessive when there's a kidnapper telling him to go away. Lol.  
_

 ** _iBook Keeper:_** _That side of Natsu is rarely seen and precious when it appears.  
_

 ** _MehKitty:_** _No more waiting needed!  
_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _Ah, the heroic Natsu. ;)_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _Updates for everyone!  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGolenStars:_** _Lucy is definitely fab. As is Natsu. Lol.  
_

 ** _readwithcats:_** _Intense is one word for it. Foreshadowing is for me to foreshadow and for you to wait and see. Lol._

 ** _NaLu and InuKag:_** _Thank you and no waiting necessary!  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _Yes I do and here you are. I agree. Aries is adorable. Such a kind Spirit. And lol, Natsu and Loke arguments are the best._

 ** _shipipnginjune:_** _Loke decided that he had no choice but to follow through with Natsu's demands and ha! Here we are! :D  
_

 ** _SophieUZB:_** _Nah...no worries. Natsu DID have a key in his possession at one point: Virgo. As for a time skip, there are plenty of those. Which one are you asking about specifically?  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Definitely not. Thanks!  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _I believe it is. And Happy agrees with you. Lol.  
_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _Sadly, she wasn't there to hear it. Loke does need to learn that Natsu is serious when it comes to Lucy, yes?_

 ** _niyah606:_** _Squealing in delight is delightful!  
_

 ** _The Age of Awesomeness:_** _Why, of course! Have an update! :D  
_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _He's a selfish little dragon, isn't he? But he's just worried about Lucy. I'd be worried, too, if someone told me they were kidnapped but okay. He didn't know if Lucy was really okay, hence his little selfish self.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Leo vs. Natsu period, apparently. Lol. He really doesn't like Natsu.  
_

 ** _3NatsuxLucy3:_** _Believe me when I say there's a lot more to come. I just started chapter one hundred!  
_


	56. Chapter 56

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

When Lucy looked out the window just over a week after returning from her adventure with Loke, she just about lost it from the excitement that flooded her. She shrieked, a smile lighting up her face. "Oh, my - _snow_!"

She'd been waiting for snow since she'd joined Fairy Tail. She hadn't been able to have fun in it since before her mother's death, as her father hadn't allowed it during her time in the Heartfilia Estate and she'd had no one to enjoy it with over the years she'd been gone.

Now, however, she had Natsu. And other friends, of course, but Natsu was probably her closest friend at the moment. She didn't hesitate to snatch up her phone, breathless as she called him.

Natsu, not one for sleeping in, simply answered with an equally excited tone. "Snow! About damn time, it's late this year!"

"Snow," Lucy agreed, giggling as he shouted at Happy to hurry up and finish his fish. "What are we doing today? You promised fun in the snow, so it better include that."

"You'll see," he answered. "Meet me at the guildhall as soon as possible, we have to beat the popsicle there, 'cause he has an advantage over us. Kay? And don't drive," he added suddenly. "Walk. S'kinda icy out there today. I'll run through and melt the route to the guildhall for ya later."

"You don't have to do that," Lucy protested, but he only laughed childishly and said bye before hanging up. "Idiot," she muttered affectionately before darting around her apartment to fetch her coat and the woolen accessories. In no time, she was darting out the door, keys, re-charged phone, and wallet in her pocket.

She sprinted through the snow-filled streets of Magnolia, slipping and sliding every now and then, but eager to get to her second home. She passed children that were playing in the streets, building snowmen and hurling snow at each other, and even a few adults that were doing the same. There were little to no cars out and about; as Natsu had mentioned, it was too slick for people to drive, so Lucy didn't bother to look before crossing the street.

She reached the guildhall just as Bisca and Alzack were entering it with their daughter. Bisca gave her a warm smile. "Hello, Lucy."

"Hi!" Lucy said with a grin, cooing at how adorable Asuka looked in a warm penguin hat. The little girl beamed at the praise, then asked, "Lucy? Are you gonna fight in the snowball fight, too?"

"Snowball fight?" Lucy questioned, glancing curiously at her parents for an explanation as they entered the guildhall. Mirajane called out a greeting, waving cheerfully. Almost all of the guild was there at the moment, all clothed in warm clothing.

Alzack scooped his daughter up with a grin, adjusting his own scarf. "This is your first winter with the guild, so I guess someone better explain before Natsu does. We have our annual Fairy Tail Snowball Fight when the first snow comes. Sometimes we have to wait for more snow to come, but this year we won't. There's a few inches, so it should work. The guild splits into two teams and we build up massive forts with Gray's help out in the forest around Magnolia. Then we can amplify our attacks with our magic as long as we're careful."

"Too bad the Thunder Legion isn't around," Bisca sighed. "Freed's runes are interesting."

"Who do you think will win this year?" her husband asked thoughtfully. "Last year Gray won, but only because Juvia wormed her way onto his team. The pair of them are pain in the-" He cut off, glancing at his daughter, then smiled sheepishly. "Well, you know."

"Juvia and Gray do well together," Bisca agreed, explaining to Lucy.

"Water and ice," Lucy murmured in understanding. "She makes the water, he freezes it, that could be an issue…" She scanned through her Spirits, grinning. Virgo or Loke would be great for this...but there magic didn't exactly help… "Oh!" she said suddenly, grinning. She knew _exactly_ who she was summoning.

She was so going to cheat if this is what they were doing.

An arm was suddenly thrown around her shoulders, and Lucy smiled as a playful looking Gray spoke, using his other hand to gently ruffle her hair beneath her hat. "Doubt I'll get you on my team, so no hard feelings. Okay? We're gonna kick your ass."

"You can try," Lucy giggled, pretending she couldn't feel the rageful glare on her. "I have my own thoughts on how we can beat you, though, so I don't know if you're going to win."

His eyes gleamed with a challenging excitement. "Oh, really?"

She winked. "Really."

Erza called him away fairly quickly after that, lecturing him about having to wear a coat until they got out of town, and Lucy laughed, the cheerful atmosphere making her happy.

"YO!" a familiar voice suddenly bellowed over the noise of the guild members gathering. "I'M HERE!"

"Natsu!" Mirajane laughed, amused by the fire mage's noisiness. "I'm glad you could make it...since you and Gray are in charge of teams again this year, how do you want to do it? Everyone's here, I think. Master's joining in, too."

Lucy squirmed through the people gathering around him and Gray as he answered. "I'm gonna take Luce. The other team can have Gramps. We're sticking to the same teams as last year, just without the Thunder Legion and a few others."

"We're going to need a few referees again," Lisanna reminded.

"I'll be in charge of that," Levy offered from where she was tucked under a snickering Gajeel's arm. But he told her she wasn't, that she was with him, and another mage offered to take up the position.

Lucy stopped beside Wendy at the front of the group, winking playfully at Natsu. The dragon slayer grinned brightly at her, practically bouncing on his feet in his eagerness to get a move on.

"We're leaving the cats at home," Wendy explained when Lucy questioned her about where Charle was. "They don't really enjoy getting wet when they don't have to...even Lily doesn't like it." She giggled excitedly. "I'm on your team, Lucy!"

"I'm glad, that means I won't have to control him alone." Lucy smiled slightly.

"It also means we go up against Erza, though," Wendy sighed regretfully. Then she smiled again. "On the bright side, we have Mira." The small sky mage gave a delicate shudder, whispering, "She and Erza used to be rivals...it gets scary when they spar."

Remembering the conversation about S-Class mages, Lucy shivered, too. "Lovely."

It took a bit of time, but soon, the entire guild was trampling down the street, Mirajane putting a sign up on the door to let anyone who stopped by know where they were. People stared as the large amount of people walked, but no one stayed to watch for them too long.

Lucy walked eagerly beside Natsu, and the fire mage grinned, his arm draped over his shoulders. He wore a coat for show - she knew it'd be off when they got to where they were going - and she was grateful for his natural body heat as they walked. It kept her warm, even as she saw her breath.

"Our goal," Natsu was telling her under his breath, his mouth close to her ear so that they wouldn't be overheard. "Is to take out Gray first."

She nodded. "Got it." She winked. "Don't worry, Natsu, I've got him handled. You put your rivalry aside for a bit, kay? I'll take care of him."

He blinked. "The hell are you doing, woman? No one else can even think about winning against Gray when there's snow and ice everywhere."

"Don't worry," she repeated. "I've got it. You focus on helping Mira with Erza, okay?" She affectionately kissed him on the cheek to shut him up before going to join Mirajane, who was silently figuring out just how she was going to demolish Erza this year.

Natsu touched his cheek with wide eyes, his cheek nearly burning from where her lips had touched. "...huh," he huffed, unable to believe what had happened. His onyx eyes darted to Lucy, taking in the way she smiled when Mirajane curiously questioned about what the blonde had planned, and he couldn't take them away after that.

By the time Gray had dropped back to mock him, smoke was leaking out of the corners of his mouth. The dragon slayer was nearly unable to control his excitement over what had happened, and he was beyond relieved when they arrived.

Time to go all out, he thought with an excited grin.

The teams split apart, and he didn't hesitate to slip closer to Lucy then he probably should have done in front of Mirajane, who was staring openly at the pair. One of the referees, a Fairy Tail mage by the name of Max, called for them to prepare their "bases" and ready their magic.

"You mentioned a plan," Mirajane said immediately, looking at Lucy. "You want to explain now?"

Lucy smiled smugly, pulling her keys out. "Since magic's allowed…" She slashed the key through the air, calling out Gemini, who hopped around in front of her, not seeming to feel the icy cold of the air. "Hello," she said cheerfully, "Would you like to help us out with our snowball fight, Gemini? I can't keep you out for all of it because I'll get too tired, but we need some help getting started."

Natsu, one of the few in tune with her magic, exchanged a look with Wendy, his eyes gleaming. "I can't wait to see the look on that jerk's face," he said excitedly, nearly hopping up and down.

"Natsu?" questioned Lisanna, who was also on their team.

"Aw," Asuka cooed, her eyes sparkling. "They're cute!"

Gemini excitedly hopped.

"Of course, Lucy!" Gemi cried.

"We'd love to," added Mini.

"Good," Lucy said smugly. She knelt before them, pointing across the clearing at Gray, who was getting to work on building a solid-looking wall of ice. "You know Gray. Could you transform into him for me? You said you could use the magic of the people you turn into. We're going to need some help building up our little base."

"Of course!" Gemini hugged each other, and within seconds, there was another copy of Gray before them. Lucy could barely tell the difference, she realized, glancing over her shoulder as Gemini went to work. Even the way Gemini held itself was like the real Gray.

Lucy hummed. "There we go. I'm gonna see if I can get Loke out to join us, I'm sure he wouldn't mind. And maybe he can get Virgo to step out on her own power to join in, too. I think they'd enjoy it."

"Your magic has improved so much," Mirajane told her with a proud look. "Good job, Lucy."

Lucy beamed. "Thanks."

Natsu hooked an arm around her, pinning her against him as he used his other hand to affectionately tug at one of the pigtails she'd tied her hair into. "She's great, ain't she? Glad she's on our team, she'd be a pain in the ass to go up against."

Lucy flushed proudly at that.

"We're against Bisca," Alzack sighed, capturing their attention. "But we have Jet, so Asuka, why don't you make snowballs for him?"

"Okay!" the little girl said cheerfully, smiling cheekily at her father. Alzack handed her off to Jet, who smiled playfully at her.

Lucy laughed, then wondered a few steps away as the others went to work on preparing themselves. "Loke?" she called hesitantly. He had said to simply call for him if she was unable to use her keys. "Can you hear me?"

There was a flash of light and a grinning Spirit stood there, bowing playfully. "What can I help you with, Princess?"

Lucy smiled in relief, amused. "Hello. How do you feel about helping us out with our snowball fight? And maybe some of the other Spirits if they want to?" She hopefully smiled at him.

Loke chuckled. "I'd be honored to help you out, Princess. I don't believe the others are able to join us, though. As leader of the Zodiac, only I am able to travel freely back and forth as I please so long as you allow it."

Lucy bit back a sigh of disappointment, instead simply beaming excitedly at him. "Great! Too bad about everyone else though...maybe someday I'll be able to summon all of you and we can do something fun together, hm?" She gave him a happy look, and then waved at his outfit. "Do you have something that'll fit in a little better? No offense, but I think you're frightening Asuka a little…"

Loke only smirked. "What? Do you think I have only one suit? I have dozens of lovely outfits, Princess, although I think you'd enjoy one a bit more than the rest, as it's merely one pair of-"

"Oi!" Natsu's voice cut them off, earning him a scowl from the Lion. The dragon slayer was standing on top of a newly crafted tower - and Lucy could only gawk at the beautifully crafted and literal fortresses that towered near the top of the large trees around them.

And they were all made of ice, so everyone was laughing as they tried to not slip and bust their ass.

"Let's go!" Natsu shouted, "It's almost time!"

"Okay, okay," Lucy giggled, turning back to Loke. She blinked. In the time she'd looked up, the Spirit had changed clothes. He still wore the shades that were perched on his nose, but rather than a fancy looking suit, he was clothed in jeans and the green coat he'd lent her. A grin crossed his face.

"Shall we?" he said mockingly. "Apparently the princess wants to join the dragon instead of letting her prince slay it."

Lucy only laughed. "Sorry, Loke," she said, taking his arm and starting for their little ice fortress as Max shouted for them to take their places.

 _I'd take the dragon over the prince any day._

* * *

 _Sorry about the wait, guys! I had a rather eventful day (my riding lesson along with my grandpa is in surgery for a lung transplant and I've been worried), but here you are!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _Of course! :D_ _  
_

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _I agree. He totally would throw down with Acnologia. Loke and his flirting will be a bit of an issue for her, yes? And actually, not that far off. Christmas is in the next few chapters. ;)  
_

 ** _AngelGurl365:_** _Just personalities. Sting and Rogue mentioned that they hadn't had any keys to hand over to Yukino at some point, and they probably would have. Gajeel's just Gajeel and Natsu's stingy. :p  
_

 ** _Haus of Lexy:_** _May I just state that I appreciate your creativity with this? XD  
_

 ** _OgaxHilda:_** _The temper tantrum of a lifetime, eh? Wait til after my Edolas arc. That tantrum is interesting._ _  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Always. I always read the chapters. I just about fucking lost it. I'm so glad about a certain character's return. Now we wait for that bastard Gildarts to show up and scare the hell out of us. :D_

 ** _Moon Stone Tiger Lily:_** _Everything is always true. Lol._

 ** _Miya:_** _I hate Minerva. Minerva is my least favorite of all Sabertooth guild members. Possibly 'cause she tortured my favorite Sabertooth member with Lector's captivity. But perhaps. No promises.  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _Natsu will indeed be confused. Drama senses tingling are a good sign. ;) Although sometimes not for the characters. Lol.  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Oh, you have no idea. I'm writing chapter one hundred as we speak (actually almost finished with it). I loved writing that whip part. And I think a lot of us would prefer Natsu, but you'll see why Loke's the better choice soon. ;)  
_

 ** _Vaneles:_** _Ah...that drama will be starting soon. :D_

 ** _MehKitty:_** _Protective Natsu is a beautiful Natsu.  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _That is my favorite sentence in that chapter. That whip comment was totally random, it just popped into my head and I was cackling when I wrote it out._

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _I agree. It will be hilarious. And perhaps. Perhaps not. ;)  
_

 ** _NaluLuva23:_** _Cookies are my all time favorite food. I'm literally eating a box of girl scout cookies as I update. Lol.  
_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _Reuniting is lovely, is it not? And everyone wants Natsu as the fake, but you guys don't know what my editor and I know, and we're cackling in our chairs. And she is Natsu's to the end. :D  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Confusion is good though, because that means more answers to be given. :D  
_

 ** _Uchida Akira:_** _PFT if I did that, I'd have to speed write. Fifty chapters ahead in writing is good enough for me. Lucy needs some more Spirits, eh?_ _  
_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _Loke gets threatened a lot in BTL, to be honest. He can be an idiot. The possibilities are endless.  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _I make a lot of those mistakes, and usually my editor and I catch them, but that one must have slipped through! I'm too lazy to change it at the moment, but thank you for noting it for me! :D  
_

 ** _OrangeFanatic:_** _You'll have to wait and see about who the woman is and all of that other stuff. Lol. :D  
_

 ** _Guest:_** _Thank you! :)  
_

 ** _kosmokittyrawr:_** _Lucy gets kidnapped all the time, yes? You'll have to wait and see! Thank you!  
_


	57. Chapter 57

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Go!"

The second that word was said, the annual Fairy Tail Snowball Fight began.

Lucy laughed as almost immediately, Natsu was sent crashing off of his tower by a massive looking snowball that looked as if it belonged on the bottom of a snowman. Snowballs zipped past her head as Jet began to fire them off, his magic letting him act like a machine gun when it came to getting the snowballs thrown. Screams and laughter filled the air as Mirajane and Erza went at it, and Gemini grinned before disappearing.

Lucy, Loke, and Wendy worked together to take down a giggling Levy and a surprisingly competitive Gajeel. The iron dragon slayer was lacing his snowballs with iron, so he made sure to simply throw them at Loke rather than Wendy and Lucy and when he did throw them at the girls, they were regular ones.

She only laughed when she got one in the face and toppled over.

The war waged between Natsu and Gray was quite possibly one of the craziest things she'd ever seen. Natsu had figured how to hurl snowballs fast enough that he could light them on fire and get them to Gray's head. In return, Gray's were made of purely ice and probably large enough to kill any normal person. They were screaming insults at each other and not even Erza was putting a stop to them.

Makarov may or may not have been helping Gray out a little bit, not daring to throw any snowballs at Mirajane.

"LUCY!" Natsu suddenly wailed, hurtling off of the tower again to snatch her up by the waist and haul her away. "Help me!"

"No!" Lucy cried in response, laughter escaping her as she ducked behind him to avoid one of Juvia's carefully aimed snowballs. Natsu sputtered, scrubbing at his eyes, and Gray used the moment of distraction to throw a massive snowball at the dragon slayer. They both went sprawling, and Alzack grinned at the pair before using his gun magic to fire off a round of them at the other team.

The celestial mage scrambled to escape her friend's grip while he was down, narrowly avoiding being smashed by another snowball. Giggling, she returned to her station beside Loke and Wendy, snow covering her from head to toe. "Sorry about that," she told them, throwing a snowball that slammed straight into a smirking Gajeel's face. The iron dragon slayer toppled backwards with a strangled yelp, making Levy giggle.

The war went on for what seemed like hours until Max finally called out that for the first time in years, Gray's team had lost due to Gray being nearly knocked out by a snowball of flames that Natsu had thrown. Lucy had peered curiously at the excited girl that had bounced up and down on the balls of her bare feet beside him, her green eyes sparkling.

After the snowball fight finally ended, the guild headed back to their guildhall. Spirits were high with happy excitement, and Lucy laughed when, upon reaching it, most of the people gathered around Natsu to dry off. The fire mage had lit himself on fire, and the sheer heat he gave off helped them warm up before going to get something to drink from Mirajane and one of the girls who helped her, an amused girl by the name of Kinana.

Once he'd helped everyone dry off, Natsu came to sit on a bench beside Lucy and Happy, who'd immediately tracked down the celestial mage for a second by second retelling of how the fight had gone. She sat beside Erza, who looked amused, and across from a grinning Gray and thoughtful Wendy.

"I wish it wasn't snow," Happy sighed after she'd finished. "Then I could join in. It's too gross and wet though."

Lucy giggled, rubbing his head affectionately. "Maybe we can find a way to make it so that we can have a fake snowball fight, hm?" She glanced at Natsu, amused. "So. Have you guys done your Christmas shopping yet?"

"Ugh," Gray moaned. "Don't mention Christmas when Juvia's around, I'd rather not be overwhelmed by candy and gifts of clothing that really shouldn't be made for men to wear."

Natsu shuddered, and Erza gave a smirk before replying to the question. "I have nearly finished my own shopping. I've tried to get something for everyone in the guild."

Lucy awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. "I don't think I'll be able to get that much this year...I'm kind of broke. I'll see if I can get something for as many people as possible though, especially you five, Charle, Levy, and Mira. I owe all of you so much, so...it's the least I can do." She smiled hugely at them. And she did owe them. They'd saved her life, helped her, and without Mirajane and Levy, Lucy wouldn't have even been there in Fairy Tail.

She owed them a lot.

"What about you, Natsu?" Wendy asked politely after admitting she had nothing purchased yet. "Who's going to be the special person this year?"

"Luce," he said immediately, rolling his eyes. "'Course. She's my partner, and Happy had his turn."

Lucy blinked in confusion, and Gray grinned, explaining, "Pyro here likes to choose one person every Christmas and practically worship the ground they walk on. He does pretty good with the girls. Get's 'em whatever jewelry they like, that kinda stuff."

Natsu spit out a small fireball at the ice-make mage, looking annoyed at him. "Shut up. I don't worship the ground they work on!"

Gray scowled back. "Then what the hell do you call it, huh?"

"I'm nice."

"Like you know how to be _nice_."

"I think Natsu's plenty nice," Wendy tried to input hesitantly only to be interrupted as Natsu hurtled himself over the table at Gray.

Lucy groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. _These idiots…_ she thought as Gray and Natsu wrestled in an attempt to beat the hell out of each other, both of them spouting insult after insult at each other.

"Everything alright, Princess?" a familiar voice drawled as an arm draped playfully over her shoulders. Lucy grumbled, used to her Spirit's actions.

"Fine. Sorry, Loke," she apologized, glancing up at him. His green eyes gleamed behind his sunglasses, amused. "I forgot you were out and about...you can go back if you want. I'm sure you have work to do."

"I've been swamped with it since my return," he replied. "I'm quite content to remain here in the mortal world for the time being, if you don't mind. It's nice to have a break and explore more of the world I usually remain in for only minutes."

Erza peered curiously at him. "You're the Spirit Lucy acquired recently?"

"Oh!" Lucy flushed. "I forgot, I didn't introduce you...we were busy with the snowball fight. Erza and-" She glanced at Gray - and yanked her gaze away when she saw that he was stark naked. "Erza," she began again, "This is Leo, though he goes by Loke. He's the leader of the Zodiac, and the reason I disappeared for a few weeks."

"Hello," Erza said pleasantly, and something about the way she studied him kept him from flirting with her like he did to most people. "Lucy mentioned that you had been cursed... may I ask how? And why?"

Lucy blinked, listening closely to his answer. She hadn't asked why he'd been cursed; that was his business. Not her's.

Loke frowned in thought. "The curse was one that was meant to trap me in the cave that held the Fire Dragon King's hoard. Igneel himself bargained for me with the Spirit King to get a lacking punishment like that after Layla gave him my key. Honestly, I should have been banished and just faded away. I was told I couldn't return to the Celestial Realm until the daughter of my previous master found me. I couldn't tell her who or what I was, though, so it was a pain in the ass." He wrinkled his nose, glancing over when he realized Natsu was scurrying back to listen, having heard his father's name.

"As for why…" Loke trailed off, carefully meeting Lucy's gaze. "I have my reasons. I hope it doesn't offend you that I don't feel as if it would be a smart thing to share them, Lucy."

"I'm not upset," Lucy reassured quickly, smiling gently. "If you ever want to, though, I'd be more than willing to hear why."

"Igneel bartered for ya?" Natsu demanded suddenly. "So do you know where he went?"

"No." Loke shook his head. "I don't."

Lucy felt a strange twist that made her flinch, as if someone had taken her magic and given it a sharp jerk. Her hand rose to rub at her chest, and she frowned. Loke's gaze darted to her for a brief moment, his eyes wide, and she understood in an instant.

Huh. Apparently their ties went both ways. They could sense her feelings, and she could tell when they were lying.

Not that she'd demand the truth. She'd expected that he knew where the dragons had gone. She didn't feel the need to demand he tell them though.

Loke would talk in his own time. Besides. She wasn't a tyrant like her father.

"Luce?" Apparently Natsu had seen her flinch, too, because she suddenly found him staring at her, his onyx eyes studying her carefully. She merely waved his concern off and smiled reassuringly; she was completely and utterly fine.

Damn, she'd have to be careful when it came time to go home.

He saw _everything_.

Lucy smiled at Loke, climbing to her feet with a cheerful Happy tucked under her arm. "Stay here as long as you want, Loke, just make sure you don't stay for too long, okay? Get to know the guild. I'm heading back to my apartment. I want to check my e-mail, see if my editor's done going through my first draft of my new novel." He gave a nod, hesitantly sliding into the spot she'd been sitting in as Gray came back. "You coming, too, Natsu?"

"Nah, I'm gonna stay here." He flashed her a huge grin. "I'll stop by to pick up Happy later."

Lucy snorted. He'd stop by to eat her food, not to take Happy back.

"I'm sure you will, you jerk." She kicked him lightly. "Better be by to grab him by six o'clock, you hear me? Or you can kiss those gloves of yours goodbye." He'd left her gift to him for her to carefully clean, and she, knowing he loved them, was immediately successful in frightening her friend into submission.

"Right!" he yelped, hopping up and down.

Mirajane watched closely from where she was preparing some hot chocolate for Romeo, her blue eyes missing none of this interactions.

"Oh, Lisanna," she called, glancing at her sister with sparkling eyes. Lisanna had been watching the pair as well, as she glanced over with a huge smile. "Do we still have that mistletoe?"

* * *

Time flew by after that. Fairy Tail's guild hall was decorated beautifully as Christmas came closer, and Lucy was pleased to tell Natsu that she'd picked out some presents for the very people she'd mentioned.

She was positive he'd like what she'd commissioned for him.

"This is ridiculous," he told her nearly a week after the snowball fight. He stared at the massive tree that Mirajane had requested for Bickslow to put up. He'd used his magic to do so, and now he was simply standing there as different ornaments flew this way and that, seemingly flying up to their places on the tree. "The hell do we need this big a tree for?"

"Fairy Tail's hosting the Mages of Fiore Christmas Party this year," Freed reminded him from where he was setting up a ruin that would hopefully keep Natsu from accidentally burning the tree down. "Sabertooth, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and some of the other guilds are sending representatives."

"...I hope Sting comes," Natsu mused. "I want to kick his ass for last year."

Lucy, familiar with the story now, giggled. "You're apparently the one who started it, Natsu, stop threatening to beat him."

The dragon slayer only beamed at her, and Gray, who was seated beside a cheerful Juvia, muttered about being disgusted by the "gooey" eyes that Natsu was giving her. "Tone it down, you two, I'm trying to eat."

Lucy flushed a brilliant red. "Shut up," she whined, turning away from Natsu almost immediately to go and join Levy and Gajeel at the bar. The iron dragon slayer grunted in greeting, and Levy immediately asked her about her novel.

She didn't seem to notice a beaming Mirajane bustle past her to hang something above a table that Natsu and Lucy often occupied before hurrying over to Freed. She whispered into his ear, and when he protested, she smiled and threatened to go to Laxus, who was watching her warily from where he was silently enjoying a beer.

Freed went to do as she said.

* * *

 _Ah, Christmas is coming near two months late for Natsu and Lucy, eh? Anyways! Thank you all for the well wishes for my grandfather! He's doing well and is awake, along with having walked by himself once or twice! See you on Wednesday!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _The fluff moments are lovely, are they not? Fun chapters are fun. Wait for the next arc, when all of the fun is gone. ;)_ _  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _AH! The new FT chapter, am I right? Fangirling is good. Same goes for snowball fights.  
_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _Everyone panicked over that kiss on the cheek. XD Dragons are better than princes, eh?  
_

 ** _mebassett99:_** _Evil Lucy is terrifying Lucy. In most cases.  
_

 ** _ERebellion:_** _Nah, I knew they were dangerous. But he's doing well and breathing on his own and what not, so. :D Thank you!_

 ** _panda123love:_** _Juvia going psycho is normal for Juvia, yes? And meh, Gemini didn't stay very long, did they? Lol.  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _I agree, it is very happy. Perhaps on the kidnapping bit. Perhaps not. ;)  
_

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _FT Christmas incoming! I might do a remake of something like Mashima's last Christmas special if we get to December again in this fanfic. Just for the hell of it.  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _If you thought that was pure gold, wait til we get to the end of the next arc. It's my favorite line in BTL that I've written so far, to be honest, and I'm one hundred and two chapters in. :P  
_

 ** _Haus of Lexy:_** _I think we all internally screamed at that moment. Lol._

 ** _MehKitty:_** _Suspense is good. Really good. I love reading all of the reviews several times. :D_

 ** _NaluLuva23:_** _Running in circles can be dangerous. Watch where you step, you may trip over the incoming fluff of the Christmas chapters. Thin mints and lemonade cookies are the best. I love 'em.  
_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _Fluffy is damn good, and thank you! He's doing very well! :)  
_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _Cute chapters are the best. Wait for Christmas and New Years in BTL though. ;)_

 ** _Uchida Akira:_** _No thinking of bad scenarios. Only I get to do that, and those get put in BTL. Lol. You'll have to wait and see about that little theory of yours._

 ** _BlueEyesWhiteDragonSlayerxx:_** _Ah, the adorable kiss. I love how everyone is freaking out about it. XD_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _Of course!  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _And more amazing fluff incoming, my friend. Lol._

 ** _Yami-The Lord of Darkness:_** _Natsu's reaction to being cold and wet is adorable as well, yes?  
_

 ** _The Age of Awesomeness:_** _I believe Natsu will win. ;) Although you just gave me an idea for later...  
_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _Mixing things up is a good idea. And thank you!  
_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _Relationship goals for days. The battle royale winner won for the first time in years, eh?  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _Mm, focusing more on Lucy for the time being. Gray is a precious stripper though, isn't he?  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Love writing fun chapters. They're so much fun.  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Snowball fight was interesting, eh? And I'm with you there. Lucy's only love shall remain Natsu.  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _I've never actually had a real snowball fight. I wish I had. It looks like fun, particularly the Fairy Tail Snowball Fight._ _  
_


	58. Chapter 58

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Levy?" Lucy nervously swept her hands down the red dress she wore. A ribbon was tied around her waist, and the front of it showed off quite a bit of skin. Not that she wasn't used to such revealing dresses.

It was just weird to be so dressed up and not have to flirt with potential suitors, or the man her father had his mind set on.

Lucy bit her lip as her fingers brushed over the silk material, glancing at her friend. Levy looked beautiful, of course, her own form clad in a dressy orange dress that showed off her blue hair quite well. It hung loosely for once, no headband in sight, and Lucy admired the way her bangs hung stylishly in her eyes. Levy only smiled warmly. "You look amazing," the solid-script mage promised. "And believe me when I say everyone else will say the same."

It was Christmas Eve, and it was time for the Mages of Fiore Christmas Party. Mirajane was nervous, meaning the rest of the guild was nervous, due to Makarov taking off for a few days to speak with his old friend Bob, the guild master of Blue Pegasus, upon their arrival. She'd been put in charge of the guild for this time, and she was determined to make sure everything went beautifully.

Lucy reached for a shawl that she'd purchased to go with the dress, wrapping it around her and smiling. A bag was soon swung over her shoulder - filled with her keys, wallet, and phone, which she used to quickly text Natsu that she was on her way.

They left after that.

Lucy drove them to the guild in her car, parking alongside the building, where several other vehicles were. It was far too cold to walk there, after all.

Not that the ice-make mages speaking just outside the door looked like they cared. They were already shedding their shirts, giving a very happy looking Juvia a look at her beloved.

Not that she didn't see it all the time.

"Gray," Lucy chided with a laugh as she made her way into the guild hall, arm in arm with Levy. "Your clothes!"

He blinked, looked down, looked at Lyon, and then promptly swore and went back to work on yanking them on before Erza found him like this. Lyon looked just as rushed, a slight blush on his cheeks, as if he was unused to the habit. Lucy mused that it must only happen when he was around Gray despite previous mentions that they'd learned it from Ur.

"Lucy, Levy!" Mirajane greeted as soon as they stepped inside. The silver-haired woman looked splendid in a flowing black dress that brought out the blue in her eyes. She held a tray aloft, and was glancing towards a group of mages that Lucy recognized with ease.

"I'll take it to them," Lucy laughed, taking the tray so that Mirajane could tend to someone else. "I'll talk to you later, Levy. I need to talk with Yukino, as I haven't really seen her in a while."

Levy winked. "I'll send Natsu your way if I see him...damn it, Gajeel, I just fixed my hair!" she whined suddenly. She glared at the smirking man that towered above her. Lucy silently complimented him. He looked fairly nice, with his hair pulled back and wearing a suit.

Clearly, Mirajane had decided this was a formal event.

Lucy couldn't wait to see just how good Natsu looked dressed up in formal attire.

She immediately scolded herself for such thoughts. _Bad Lucy_ , she told herself, and then smiled when Yukino caught sight of her. "Hi, guys," she greeted warmly, amused when Sting gave a huge grin and raised a hand in greeting, gaze eagerly sweeping across her form.

Rogue hit him on the back of the head for her, and she shot him a grateful look for that. She set the drinks down in front of them and they all grabbed their respectful ones. It was then that Lucy noticed two cats much like Happy and the other two of Fairy Tail. One was a cat with red-colored fur, wearing a violet vest, and the other was...well, Lucy wanted to cry over his cute appearance. How could one not love a cat dressed as a frog?

"These are Lector," Sting introduced, ruffling his own cat's ears affectionately. "And Frosch."

"Hello," Frosch greeted, sipping happily at his apple juice while Rogue took a drink of his alcohol.

"Nice to meet you," Lucy giggled, pulling up a chair to sit next to Yukino. "It's been a while," she said to the other celestial mage, eyes sparkling. "How have you been?"

"Good," Yukino answered with a warm smile. "I heard you had...what was it, ten Spirits that you have contracts with now? Including the leader." Lucy nodded, looking worried that she might be irritated, but Yukino only patted her on the arm and laughed. "Good job, Lucy. I knew you'd end up with more contracts than I. Being born with magic makes it easier."

"Thank you," Lucy said with a soft sigh. She frowned to herself. "What interests me is that three of them were in the hoards of the dragons that trained our dragon slayers…"

"I have none in my hoard," Sting said, surprising them. "I checked, and Rogue said he did, too. Too bad. They would have been great. But they're not as badass as my rubies." They stared at him for a moment, and he shrugged. "I like 'em more than anything. Better than Rogue's diamond addiction. Don't know how he can afford to feed himself."

"You're an idiot," Rogue sighed in exasperation.

"Don't worry," Lucy giggled. "Natsu's beyond picky when it comes to gold."

"Oi!" a familiar voice protested, "You don't go around spitting out information about my hoard, woman!"

Lucy's head snapped around, her carefully curled blonde hair falling around her shoulders. "Natsu!" she greeted eagerly, eyes lighting up at the sight of him. She rose to greet her partner.

Natsu, on the other hand, simply stared at her, mind blank.

He knew she was attractive. He'd always been aware of the fact. She'd been pretty even when she'd been slicked red with her own blood back in the prison-like building that had belonged to Phantom Lord, barely conscious.

This was ridiculous, though.

Swallowing thickly and shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Natsu hesitantly gave a grin. "Hey, Luce." He glared over her head at a snickering Sting. _Shut it, you bastard._

Her hair looked like spun gold in the light of the guild hall, and Natsu wanted to hide her away in the very hoard she'd mentioned. The need was overwhelming for a moment, to the point that when she skipped over to smile up at him, he glared viciously at the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth for even daring to go near her.

But then he shook those thoughts off. Who was he kidding? Lucy wasn't like that with him. And he yelled at himself for even thinking like that.

"Where's Happy?" she asked. She frowned. "You were supposed to bring him…"

Natsu shook off the tension in his shoulders and playfully smirked at her. "He's flirting with Charle again. Not doing so well."

"Poor guy," Lucy cooed sympathetically. "Excuse me, Yukino," she added over her shoulder, waving. "I'll be off, I guess. I'll make sure to catch you guys before you leave though.'

"No problem," Yukino replied, winking in response before turning back to the two men and two cats before her, scolding Sting for his bad manners.

Erza swept past the pair as they made their way towards the bar, arm in arm with a girl that Lucy recognized almost instantly. She beamed. It looked like Millianna had gone and joined a guild, and she looked perfectly happy there, too.

She and Natsu took her time weaving through people and socializing, Lucy keeping close to him throughout the entire process. Lucy tipped Mirajane very well after the celestial mage noticed just how hard she was working, and Lisanna made sure to thank her for her sister before saying she'd get their drinks and food quickly.

"Go sit down," Natsu ordered, giving his signature grin. "I'll get our stuff."

"You sure?" Lucy asked, eyeing him with care. "You promise you won't eat all of my food before you bring it?"

He scoffed. "I don't eat _all_ the time, Luce!"

"Liar," she accused.

"...I won't eat your damn food, go sit down." He nudged her, and she kicked him in the shin with her heel-clad foot before going to do as he said, humming under her breath. A few mages from the other guilds and a few from her own glanced her way as she slid past them, flopping at the only empty table left.

She only ignored them, making herself comfortable.

She was completely unaware of the excited look Mirajane cast in her direction.

Natsu didn't take very long hauling their meal back. He'd reluctantly agreed to go with a normal-sized meal upon realizing that there wasn't enough to fully feed five dragon slayers at the moment. Well, he hadn't exactly realized it. Lisanna had cheerfully threatened to make him starve if he didn't go with a normal-sized meal, so he'd been quick to say he would take it.

Natsu had been quickly making his way back to where his partner was sitting - what? Those shoes of hers looked uncomfortable and an uncomfortable Lucy meant death for him and Happy. He'd been on his way there when Mirajane had come rushing past him, face tight with panic as she called for Lisanna. Whispers filled the room, and his eyes narrowed as his ears easily caught them.

"-not good-"

"-hope the place doesn't end up in flames."

Even Wendy was quivering, looking anxiously at Romeo as he mused, "Well, he's gonna be pissed."

Natsu frowned and was quick to find out what was going on.

Lucy, to begin with, looked beyond annoyed as she stood before a table, her hands propped on her hips. She was glaring up at a faded wall that stood between her and freedom. Sitting with his feet propped on the table was a snickering Sting, not looking anywhere near as concerned as she did.

"It's not that hard," he drawled. "Besides. I'm not that bad a kisser. Not according to a few of the women back home."

"Oh, shut it," Lucy huffed. "It's your fault that it's like this."

Natsu shoved their food and drinks at a curiously watching Blue Pegasus, demanding, "What happened?"

Lucy looked beyond relieved to see him, her slim fingers tapping against the faded wall thoughtfully. "Mira," she said simply. "She had Freed set up some runes to trap two people here until they went through with the mistletoe." She pointed up to the plant that hung above she and Sting.

"I'm sorry!" Mirajane wailed as she came back, Lisanna at her side. "Freed left!"

Lucy sighed heavily, her cheeks tinged with pink. "It's not...it's not that big a deal, I guess."

Natsu was puzzled. "What's not a big deal?"

Lucy's eyes darted over his shoulder to the dozens of people waiting to see what would happen. "I, um, you know. When y-you live where I lived, there isn't m-much kissing done."

Natsu blinked, trying to figure out what she meant - Natsu _hated_ when she didn't speak clearly, and she was doing it right now - and then stared at her with wide eyes when it struck him. She glared at him, daring him to say it aloud, and he hastily clenched his lips together to avoid doing so.

Lucy, in all of her proud and royal glory, had not been kissed before.

So _that_ was the current issue with the mistletoe. Mirajane hadn't even considered that when she'd had Freed put the runes up. "And Freed's gone?" he said, glancing at the blushing transformation-mage.

"I suppose he was worried about something like this," drawled Evergreen from where she was standing beside Elfman, her hands planted on her hips. She eyed the rune expertly, and Lucy supposed that it came with being on a team with the one who'd made it. "There isn't much you can do about this one. It's absolute."

"Well, damn," Lucy huffed. She glared over her shoulder at a fairly unconcerned Sting. "You happy now?"

"Not really," he mused. "I don't usually kiss on the first date."

"It's not a date, I didn't agree," Lucy retorted, looking ready to throttle the white dragon slayer.

Natsu's expression darkened hatefully at the words and he glared a look that promised violent death by his hands when Sting glanced his way. The dragon slayer, despite his easy-going attitude towards the matter, flinched, immediately deciding he'd made a mistake.

While other mages weren't aware, Sting knew better than to mess with someone a dragon slayer was fond of, who was more than likely a portion of Natsu's hoard if the glare he was getting was anything to go by.

"Well, I fucked up," he muttered, sitting up. "I apologize."

He meant that to both of them, by the way.

To Natsu, because he figured it might lessen the pain that might come.

To Lucy, because he honestly felt a little bad about how the situation had turned out. His request had been more of a playful and teasing one, not meant to be taken seriously.

And maybe he meant it to Yukino, too, because his friend was sitting there beside Rogue, looking a little upset by what was happening. He'd apologize to her later, he decided. The gift he'd gotten her for Christmas would hopefully help that along.

"Too bad we didn't bring Rufus," he grumbled, climbing to his feet. "Probably could have figured something out...c'mon, Lucy, the longer you wait, the worse it is."

She puffed her cheeks up angrily, glaring at him. "I'd rather wait til morning at this rate," she retorted, then looked pleadingly at her partner, as if he might be able to get her out of the situation. Natsu was still giving Sting looks that made her nervous, though, so she grumbled and said, "Come anywhere near my lips, Sting Eucliffe, and I will tear certain portions of your body off, is that clear?"

He rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'm not _that_ bad," he muttered, and promptly pressed a kiss to her cheek.

* * *

Lucy was in tears nearly ten minutes later, but not out of embarrassment or despair as one might have expected.

She was in tears from the hysterical laughter that escaped her as Sting raced around the guildhall trying to escape a bellowing Natsu, who had gone after him after scrubbing the spot that had been kissed with his sleeve, as if hoping to wipe it away from her soft cheek.

Mirajane sighed from where she sighed. "Too bad," she mused, shaking her head. "Clearly there's something there...I should have been more specific with Freed…" She paused. Laxus might know where he was. She beamed, sidling off to where the lightning mage was seated, tugging her dress down a little more.

Laxus wouldn't refuse to give her the needed knowledge.

Not if he didn't want to sleep in the streets, anyways.

* * *

 _Mira's scheme was a failure, much to the disappointment of many of you! Ha! And Christmas chapters have arrived, yay! :D_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _Expecting something that you're not expecting is difficult, yes? Lol.  
_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _Mashed potato fights is an interesting idea. I should put a food fight in at a later point. I assume that Natsu would just devour anything thrown his way, but it'd be fun._

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Same here. I thought that WAS Mira for a moment and had to backtrack, lol. You'll be seeing that special preview here in three chapters, so expect the ring soon! ;)  
_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _Thank you! And probably a lot more than everyone thinks. Loke is very sneaky. Lol.  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _Juvia is a bit mental when it comes to presents...but I think her present will turn out well. Not that we see it. Gray is precious. And agreed, that would be hilarious. We know who he's choosing next Christmas now. XD  
_

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _Sadly, the mistletoe didn't happen for the right couple. Mira's scheming failed. Poor Mira. Lol.  
_

 ** _The Age of Awesomeness:_** _Shipping is a lovely thing. And neither of your suggestions, but a crazy Sting-kun instead! My precious child that he is. Thank you!  
_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _BUT it didn't work. Mira should have been a bit more specific, yes? Maybe then we would have gotten our kiss. On the bright side...Natsu's noticing. ;)  
_

 ** _KaUiA:_** _Thank you! You'll have to wait and see about what happens there, I think it'll surprise a lot of people. :D_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _And at this point, I'm planning way more because I've decided to include the whole current arc in the manga. I'm freaking mental. Silly Freed needs to come back and fix his little ruins.  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Your commands did not work. Lol. Mira's plan failed, much to everyone's disappointment!  
_

 ** _Vaneles:_** _Sadly, they did not. Thank you! :D_

 ** _MehKitty:_** _I absolutely adore writing the cute chapters. Fluff is so much fun to write. Almost as fun as cliff hangers.  
_

 ** _Yami-The Lord of Darkness:_** _Nah. They're just all as blind as a bat. Lol.  
_

 ** _NaluLuva23:_** _Falling in fluff is the best experience in the world.  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Something that was supposed to be good, yes. Something that was successfully good, no. XD  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Cheeky Mira is a scary Mira. Love Mira and her determination to ship people though._

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Thank you! And Mira's scheming didn't go through sadly. Lol.  
_

 ** _SnowHaven:_** _I love that everyone's using the word scheme, to be honest, it makes me laugh. NaLu has occurred despite Mira's failure, yes?  
_

 ** _NynaeveAl'Mera:_** _I'm glad you enjoyed it, thank you! Mira's planning was brilliant, but sadly unsuccessful. Someday it will be successful.  
_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _I agree with all. And trust me, I feel your pain. My editor yelled at me because I came up with another idea and told me I couldn't do it until I finished the fifty projects I'm working on. :P  
_


	59. Chapter 59

**. Between the lines .**

* * *

It wasn't until the moment that he saw Sting's lips press against her cheek that Natsu grudgingly admitted that he may or may not have felt something more than friendship for Lucy. Not that he'd say it aloud. As far as he knew, she considered him to be her closest friend and nothing more than that.

He wouldn't necessarily call it anything akin to love, of course. He loved her to begin with. It was something that happened the second that anyone joined the guild. He loved her like he loved Happy, but he wasn't _in_ love with her.

Not that he knew what being in love felt like, but he couldn't exactly go to anyone in the guild for help on the matter. They'd mock him, laugh at him. They'd tease both he _and_ Lucy, and he didn't want to bring that down on her. She had enough problems as it was.

Still.

He felt strongly for the blonde, more so than he felt for anyone in the guild. She was _his_ to protect. Just the thought of someone hurting her and placing scars on her soft-looking flesh threatened to bring out parts of him that he tried to avoid.

He'd never wanted to kill as much as he'd wanted to when he'd come across the woman in Jellal's Tower of Heaven. He'd desperately wanted to rip out the man's throat and watch him slowly burn to a crisp.

Just like he'd wanted to do when Sting had kissed Lucy. Of course, he'd only kissed her cheek, but try telling that to the envy and jealous greed that raced through his veins, threatening to consume him and make him drag her away to where no one would ever lay eyes on her again.

That intense and fierce protectiveness he'd felt in the first few weeks of knowing her, when he'd worried that the rest of the magic community would decide he wasn't able to handle such important duties? _Nothing_ compared to what he felt now.

It honestly scared him.

But Lucy didn't know any of this as she scolded him, her shawl wrapped tightly around her shivering shoulders. They stood just outside of the guild hall. Natsu had been banished to the outside for precisely half an hour after nearly burning Erza's clothes off of her body in his attempt to tear apart Sting, who'd only roared with laughter at the look on the dragon slayer's face when he'd realized what he'd done.

Lucy, being her kind and benevolent self (or as she'd called herself) had decided to take a break from the party and join him, and he found himself perfectly content to let her lean silently into his shoulder.

They'd known each other for going on four months by this point.

He felt as if she'd been by his side from the day he'd been born.

"You didn't have to get so angry," Lucy sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. She glanced at him, her dark gaze curious. "Care to explain _why_ you were so mad?"

He blew out a wisp of fire in frustration; Lucy didn't bother to tell him not to. The wards around the building would hide them from view. As far as the non-magics were concerned, there was simply a blank space between two buildings. "No."

"Jerk," she retorted with a sigh, pressing into him again for warmth. He absentmindedly shook her off and then draped his arm around her shoulders, tucking him into his side. She muttered under her breath, but gave him a grateful look and blew out a breath, watching as it became a cloud in the chilly air.

They remained like this for a bit longer, until Lucy mumbled, "I used to hate Christmas."

"Huh?" he mumbled, peering at her curiously.

"I used to hate Christmas," she repeated, glancing up at him. Her brown eyes were thoughtful as they searched his, and then returned to looking away. She gnawed on her lip for a moment before continuing. "My father…" She gave a sharp laugh. "The jerk ruined it for me for years. After my mother died, the parties that were once fun became a reason for him to see if he could get suitors for me. He wanted to ship me off as soon as he could."

"No one's shipping you off," Natsu promised, tugging on a lock of her golden hair. She swatted his fingers away with a slight smile. "I won't let them, Lucy."

"Thanks." She smiled warmly at him, rubbing an arm in thought. Her attention returned to her friend, however, when he spoke again.

"What are ya doing tomorrow, Luce?"

Lucy wrinkled her nose and tilted her head. "Coming to the guild hall in the morning to add my presents for everyone under the tree. But other than that, I don't think I really had anything planned. Why?"

Natsu was hesitant to tell her, but made himself do so anyways. He just hoped she would be happy with what he was planning. "My gift for ya is about an hour away from Magnolia on foot...I wanted to make sure you could go."

Lucy beamed. "Of course I can," she told him. "Even if I didn't, I'd make sure that I'd be able to go. I'll bring your gift to the guild hall, so you can open it before we go, okay?"

"Yeah," he agreed warily. "Sure." Nervous anxiety twisted his stomach.

 _I hope she likes it_.

* * *

By the time they'd rejoined the party, a little bit later than planned, Natsu was excited to see that most of the mages there were drunk. Lucy was devastated, complaining about it as she hurried to avoid hands that curiously tried to grope her. They made it to the safety of the bar within moments thanks to the dragon slayer.

Cana sat there with her barrel of alcohol despite being looking pretty in a dress of gold. "Yo," she drawled, eyes gleaming.

Lucy eyed the barrel, and then shook her head as she took a seat, draping her shawl across the back of her bar stool. "Hi, Cana. You sure you should be drinking that much?"

"You don't get through these kind of things without alcohol, particularly the hard liquor," Cana replied with a grin. "Have some."

She took a glass from the bar and poured some into it before promptly shoving half of the substance down Lucy's throat. Lucy squealed, choking as it burned its way down. Natsu merely grinned, watching on in amusement before snatching up the glass she handed him, eagerly downing it.

"Disgusting," Lucy spat, clawing for a non-alcoholic beverage that might be on the other side of the bar. She coughed, wailing when there was nothing, "Damn it, Cana! We're not even legally old enough-"

"Nah," Cana drawled, winking, "But we don't care about that here. Even little Asuka has the weakest of drinks for events like this." She pointed to where Asuka was indeed sipping at a cup of very watered down wine. "She likes it. You need to like it."

"She's drinking a drink that's definitely not gonna incinerate your throat while it goes down," Lucy replied firmly. She hit the back of Natsu's head when he snickered. "Jerk! Don't laugh at me!"

He yelped. "I didn't," he muttered, giving her an accusing look as he took another sip of his drink. Lucy narrowed his eyes. How the hell had he managed to already have three empty glasses in front of him?! He was fast. His cheeks had a slight flush, and his onyx eyes were suspiciously bright.

"Huh," Lucy muttered. _I would've thought it'd be harder to get a dragon slayer drunk...guess not. Stupid._

"Lucy!" Happy was suddenly there, purring and rubbing his cheek against hers. She giggled and hugged him, happy to see the blue cat for the first time that night.

"Hi, Happy," she greeted with a giggle. "What are you doing?"

"I had to come warn you 'cause Charle said I did before I went home with her and Wendy," Happy told her. "Natsu's weird when he's drunk. S'why I'm going with them."

Lucy arched an eyebrow and glanced at her friend, who simply smirked at her and drained another glass. "You're getting drunk on purpose," Lucy realized a split second before Happy squirmed out of her grasp and went to escape with Charle and a flushed looking Wendy, who bid farewell over the crowd before leaving. Lucy struggled to reach for the drink and get it away from him. "No! You are so not doing that to me, put it down!"

Cana cackled. "Don't be mean, Lucy," she slurred, "Have some for yourself!"

And then she dumped another glass' contents down Lucy's throat.

By the time an amused looking Lisanna came to Lucy's rescue, the card mage was trying to force her to drink the entire barrel, and Natsu was nearly six glasses in. "Oh, dear," she laughed, cringing in sympathy for Lucy as the blonde wept against her, grateful for the other Fairy Tail mage saving her from "Cana's evil clutches". "I'm sorry, Lucy, I should have warned you against sitting beside Cana…"

"S'fun," Natsu retorted.

"You have no reason to do anything but get Lucy home," Lisanna told him, exasperated with her friend. "And I can't even ask you that, because you're half-drunk!"

"He hasn't even been drinking for more than ten minutes!" Lucy cried.

"Welcome," Lisanna replied, "To the world of alcohol laced with bits of magic."

* * *

It was close to two hours later, just past midnight, that Lucy managed to get a drunken dragon slayer into her apartment. It was a miracle in itself that he hadn't started spitting fire everywhere after they'd walked back. Lucy hadn't been able to drive thanks to certain brunettes in the guild, but she wasn't one to name names.

 _CANA._ she snarled silently.

She was pretty sure he'd feel that blow to his jaw when he woke up in the morning though. He deserved it after acting as bad as one of the perverted older men of the guild. Damn, he should have known better than do playfully drop his hand lower than the small of her back when he'd decided they needed to dance around the room with a couple others.

Erza had helped her upon hearing Lucy's enraged shouting.

Natsu grinned as he staggered over to her bed and Lucy groaned in exasperation. "Can't you sleep on the couch? You've done enough damage tonight, I don't need you burning my sheets by accident!"

"Nah," he purred, burying his face into one of the pillows contently. Within seconds, Natsu was passed out in _her_ bed, drooling on _her_ pillow.

"Ugh!" Lucy wailed. She kicked off her heels, leaving him to snore away as she went to change into some comfortable pajamas.

By the time she'd come back from doing so, she'd already accepted the situation. She sighed, shaking her head again and studying the room once before shutting the lights off. She reluctantly climbed into the bed, making sure to slip under the covers so that there was at least some kind of barrier between she and her friend.

Natsu mumbled in his sleep, but didn't wake, too drunk to care.

"Idiot," she muttered aloud into the darkness, pretending that his proximity didn't bother her when he rolled over and snuggled up against her side. She squirmed so that there was a little space between them, not exactly eager to have Natsu's crazy body heat on top of warm blankets surrounding her despite the chill of her apartment.

Lucy fell into thought as she closed her eyes, contemplating just what Natsu might have for her that was an hour away from Magnolia. While she looked forward to seeing just what he'd decided to give her, she was nervous, too. It was Natsu, after all, and he wasn't exactly eager to deal with his crazy ideas of fun when the time to go home was looming over her head.

 _I need to talk with Loke about that_ , she mused, sighing and rolling onto her side, curling up into a ball with her back to Natsu. _Gotta get ready to deal with that…_

Lucy grumbled quietly to herself.

Just a matter of days and she'd be leaving Magnolia, maybe for the last time if things went badly.

She just hoped her friends could forgive her.

* * *

 _Drunk Natsu! He's such a cute little drunk. I love writing him that way. ANYHOW! I hope you enjoyed!_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _Someday, her plans will work. But today is not that day. His thoughts certainly came back though, did they not?_

 ** _NaluLuva23:_** _Tricking is so much fun. Over protective Natsu is adorable. And he said even better things in this chapter, yes? Well...he thought them. :P  
_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _Of course! :D_

 ** _mariahcarmichael3:_** _Well you'll get to find out in the next few chapters. ;)_ _  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Romeo is lovely. In another fanfic I'm writing, he's had only a few lines, but they're beautiful. Sting was smart to only kiss her on the cheek. Lol.  
_

 ** _ilftnatsu:_** _Poor Sting indeed. And poor Natsu, too, having to witness such a thing. XD_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _Miraxus is definitely one of the best things ever. Not as good as Nalu of course, but it's awesome._

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _I love angry Natsu. His iritable moods are the best.  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _After this chapter...yes. He definitely does. As for Laxus counting...I'm not really sure. As bad as it is, I forget he's a dragon slayer half the time. Probably not, though, because he wouldn't have been taught the habit. The dragons would have probably taught them to hoard, lol.  
_

 ** _MehKitty:_** _Ah, I just added the Alvarez stuff to my plans so. We're looking at more than two hundred chapters. Lol.  
_

 ** _The Age of Awesomeness:_** _Some day. Some day your ship will come true. ;)  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Oh, yes. Which is funny, because I actually have an earth mage OC, who I pair up with Laxus. Most of the time, I ship Miraxus though. I want it to be canon, damn it. :D_

 ** _overpricedsanity:_** _I'm glad you're enjoying it!_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _Ah, the unending ideas. Yes, I do have a lot of AU ideas. I was really hesitant to write AUs with FT at first, but now I'm just throwing them into random things. Lol.  
_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _Evil authors are the best authors though. Look at the Divergent trilogy (and not the movies, mind you). XD I think Erza got a hold of him before he could get to Sting, sadly.  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _I think we're all disappointed in the loss of our kiss scene, but have no fear. The kiss scene I'm planning will be epic. And a fucking long time from where we are now. Maybe. ;)_ _  
_

 ** _MocMoc'sDream:_** _Jealous Natsu is a terrifying Natsu. ;)_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Plot twists are so much fun. Mistletoes are, too. Perhaps the next go around with a mistletoe will go right, eh?  
_

 ** _Yami-The Lord of Darkness:_** _Oh, my. That makes me happy. :D  
_

 ** _Blacky2010:_** _I'm certainly happy that you're enjoying it! I do agree with you; Lucy is a magnet for trouble. And don't worry, your English is beautiful. :D  
_

 ** _Sylver:_** _Thank you! Wait no longer!_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _We will hopefully never know. Hopefully being a key word there. Because instead of seeing someone else, it'll be him receiving the kiss. Hopefully. :P  
_


	60. Chapter 60

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The next morning found Lucy cooking a quick breakfast as she bounced up and down on excited feet and Natsu moaning miserably at the table, his head hidden in his arms. The celestial mage kept glancing back at him with a smirk on her face despite her own faint headache, chiding, "You shouldn't have drank so much if you were planning on going out today, Natsu."

"Shush, woman," he whispered hoarsely, glaring at her with irritable onyx eyes. "You're too loud."

"...are you certain you're not partially drunk still?"

"Shush," he repeated, and then hid his eyes again.

Lucy set a plate of eggs in front of him with a smirk, giggling as he groaned and reluctantly lifted his head. Even feeling as sick as he did, he practically inhaled his breakfast, devouring it within moments. Lucy sat down beside him, eating her own at a normal pace. "So here's the plan for today," she said. "We'll finish here, get ready - I should have some clothes that you left here from last time you came over, and I think I washed them, so they should be fine. But we'll get ready, go to the guild hall, have Wendy deal with you, stay for a while and do the gift thing, and then after lunch, you can show me whatever it is you were going to show me. Deal?"

He gave a curt nod that made his head throb with pain. "Yeah," Natsu muttered, heart pounding nervously at the thought of showing Lucy just what he'd done. "Let's hurry and go, I wanna get rid of this _fucking_ headache."

"Language, Natsu," Lucy chided.

They finished breakfast soon after that, and Lucy left him alone with his thoughts so that she could change. He didn't exactly enjoy that time, as it was filled with pain and anxiety that he was nowhere near used to. Still, he went over what he planned to do as he yanked on his pants, smirking at the way he knew people would stare when they saw how they puffed out halfway down his calf. And they would look at his one-armed coat in confusion.

Not that anyone would be out and about Christmas morning.

He was dressed by the time Lucy came back out, puffing her blonde hair up to try and give it some more volume. "What do you think?" she asked proudly, hands on her hips. "Do I look okay?"

Natsu had to make himself _not_ sputtered in surprise at the question. He _hated_ questions like this for a reason, damn it! Lucy arched an eyebrow, waiting, and he looked away, folding his hands behind his head. "Yes?"

Lucy fought back the laughter that threatened to escape her, smoothing her hands down her jean-clad thighs, enjoying the fact that she could wear them for the time being. It would be horrible when she got back to Bosco and was forced to wear huge puffy dresses that were anything but comfortable. She'd pulled on a pink woolen sweater that was soft, nearly as soft as the wool Aries produced, too, and she found herself happy with it.

"Ready to go?" she asked after grabbing her usual possessions and yanking on a pair of brown leather boots that reached just about halfway up her thigh.

"Yeah!" he said, looking like he felt a bit better after eating and getting dressed. He glanced at his dirty clothes. "Can I-"

"I'll wash them," she sighed. "You'll probably just ruin the suit if I leave it for you to take care of. So don't worry about it." She zipped up her coat, and then smiled, looping her arm through his. "Let's go!" she said, reaching for a rather large backpack full of gifts she couldn't wait to put beneath the large Fairy Tail Christmas tree.

Natsu plucked the bag from her hands and swung it over his own shoulder, playfully tugging on a lock of her hair with the arm that wasn't touching hers. "Yeah."

The two set off, and Natsu smirked as he heard the excited squeals of a child in their apartment beside hers.

When they arrived at the guildhall, the few members already there were already handing out gifts. Happy zipped up to Lucy, and hugged her in greeting when he saw she and Natsu before going right back to trying to convince Charle to accept his gift, which had been wrapped in the obvious shape of a fish.

Natsu grinned and hooked an arm around her shoulders just as she was trying to remove her coat. He called loudly, "WE'RE HERE!"

Gray, who was trying to keep an ecstatic Juvia off of him, lifted a hand in greeting before gently pushing her off of him. It looked like he'd gotten her a gift in the form of a carefully crafted broach that he'd made with his own magic, and Lucy smiled as she watched Juvia cradle it against her with an excited look.

She'd have to convince Mirajane to set them up on a date, and soon.

"Hi, Natsu!" Asuka called excitedly as she waved a toy she'd gotten in the air. Bisca and Alzack laughed as she ran over to throw her arms around the dragon slayer's legs in happiness. "Thank you!"

Natsu's lips spread into a large smile as he crouched to ruffle her hair affectionately. "You're welcome, Asuka."

Lucy cast him a curious look and he shrugged. "I get one person stuff, and then her."

She giggled, and then examined who was in the building at the moment, making a mental list and excluding herself. _Natsu, Gray, Juvia, Alzack, Bisca, Asuka, Wendy, Happy, Charle, and Pantherlily._ She paused. _...why aren't Levy and Gajeel here?_

When she voiced her question out loud to the cat, he gave her a look. "Gajeel and Levy are in the middle of something I wouldn't want to interrupt," he told her with a heavy sigh.

"Oh," Lucy realized, flushing at the realization. Ignoring her partner's questioning glance, she laughed at Happy's excitement when Charle finally grudgingly accepted the present he'd given her.

As Natsu went to mess with Wendy and playfully ruffle her hair, Lucy took the chance to approach Gray and Juvia, reaching into the bag that Natsu had given back to her. "I brought gifts for you two," she said with a faint smile.

Gray grinned. "You didn't have to, Lucy."

Juvia merely narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but Lucy ignored it and pulled the proper gifts out of the bag, gently placing the smallest box in Juvia's hand before placing one that was a bit larger in Gray's. "Here," she told them, stepping back and waiting nervously for them to open them.

Gray tore his open first, simply tossing the wrapping paper over his shoulder. They'd all agreed to pick it up after the unwrapping was done because it would be stupid otherwise. Lucy would have thought the opposite, and that it was better to pick it up as you went, but obviously, that wasn't the way Fairy Tail worked.

"Huh," Gray muttered, studying the keychain she'd purchased for him with curiosity. It was a fairly nice one, with a pocketknife on the other end. He flipped it open with a curious look, and grinned when he saw the Fairy Tail symbol embedded in the metal. "Thanks, Lucy. I've been needing one of these."

Lucy giggled. "I heard you complaining to Erza a few weeks back and thought it would be a good idea."

"Oh!" Juvia suddenly gasped, staring at the small box in her hands. She'd opened it in the small amount of time she and Gray had been talking, revealing a beautiful necklace with a raindrop-shaped stone hanging from the chain. It looked like it was made of sapphire, but Lucy would admit to it _not_ being that precious. She graced Lucy with a fairly rare smile. "Thank you, Lucy."

The celestial mage laughed. "Of course," she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

Bisca called her name, surprising Lucy, and she bid the pair of them farewell before going to see what the older woman wanted. "Hello," Lucy laughed as she watched Alzack scoop his daughter up, playfully scolding her for trying to hide in the wrapping paper on the ground.

Bisca smiled warmly. "I'm sorry, Lucy, I didn't want to bother you on Christmas, but I thought it would be better to ask before we forgot. Would you watch Asuka for us on New Year's Eve? I'll pay you and everything. Alzack and I want to go on a date, but…"

"Don't worry," the celestial mage promised, "I'll take care of it."

She didn't think she'd ever seen Bisca look more relieved.

It went on like that for a while, all of them enjoying each other's company, and Lucy was excited when Gajeel and Levy along with the Strauss siblings joined them. Eventually, she _finally_ got to Natsu's gift. There were others still in there, but she'd give them out at a later time, as lunch was nearing and it was almost time for them to leave.

"Natsu," Lucy called, wading her way through wrapping paper that was still lying everywhere. She tripped over some and laughed when Natsu spun around at her squeak of surprise to catch her.

"Damn, you're clumsy," he scolded with a grin on his face.

Lucy responded by holding out his wrapped present with a gentle smile on her face. "Here."

His eyes went wide as he took it from her. "Lucy," he whined, "You can't get me stuff, I burn it by accident all the time!"

"Then we'll just keep it in my apartment for you." Lucy bounced eagerly on the balls of her feet. "Now stop being a baby and open it already!"

"Okay, okay," Natsu muttered, "Calm down!"

He ripped the paper off, letting it fall away as soon as it had been undone. Lucy watched as he studied what she'd gotten for him, and then giggled as his entire face lit up. Fire flickered up and down his arms, showing just how excited he was about the matter, and he lunged at his partner, knocking her down as he hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Luce!" he cried as the other Fairy Tail mages watched with laughter in their eyes.

It wasn't anything big, and while she wouldn't tell him just how much it had cost, it _had_ been fairly expensive. It wasn't exactly gold, but it looked like it had been carved out of it. It was a simple ring, a heavy one, meant for male fingers. A section of it had been flattened, and that section held a carefully carved dragon head. It had been carefully made, with each scale engraved, the teeth of its opened mouth sharp enough to look like they could cut through anything.

Natsu couldn't take his eyes off of it. "...is it fireproof?"

Lucy laughed. "Sorry, I had to get it from someone who has no idea that magic exists. I'm glad you like it, though."

He searched her gaze for a brief moment, and then grabbed her wrist, calling over his shoulder, "We'll be back!"

Mirajane, who'd set to work on cleaning up the mess of wrapping paper all over the ground, glanced up and gave a small wave. "Don't forget about dinner later!"

"We'll be back for that," Lucy promised, then winced as Natsu tugged impatiently at her wrist. "Bye!"

He was finally able to yank her out of the guild hall, and Mirajane shook her head in amusement as Gray folded his hands behind his head, the keychain Lucy had given him already attached to his belt loop. "Idiot," the ice-make mage muttered. "What the hell is he doing?"

"Who cares?" Lisanna replied, moving to assist her sister with sparkling eyes. "Seriously though, if Lucy's a princess, he needs to get a move on. That kind of thing doesn't stay secret forever and I can promise you that a lot of guys find princesses interesting."

"That's not nice, Lisanna," Bisca scolded, though her lips were threatening to curve into a smile. "Lucy wouldn't fall low enough to accept that kind of relationship with a man who cares only for status."

"No, she wouldn't," Mirajane giggled, "But Natsu doesn't need to know that!"

* * *

A growl rumbled deep within his throat as he listened in silence.

Voices echoed throughout his mind, informing him of what was happening, and while he hated the method of communication, he realized it was the only way. It wasn't like his informant could appear in person. That was just physically impossible for even one of his kind.

 _Soon,_ the Spirit whispered to his mind, _Soon. Everything's falling into place, just as you expected...are you sure this is the right way to go around it though? What if things go wrong?_

He snorted. As if things would go wrong! He'd planned all of this _very_ carefully, considering every single possibility possible. Nothing would go wrong. He had trust in those who were involved.

 _They don't even know...how are they going to know what to do?_

Another growl, and the Spirit rolled his eyes from where he was standing, looking down into a clear pool of celestial water that showed him everything he needed to see. he could practically feel the burning gaze of the being he spoke to. "Okay, okay," he grudgingly muttered. "I know, you set up clues, but seriously!"

Silence, and then a deep voice muttered back, _Perhaps he is not the smartest of people, but I trust the girl._

The Spirit rubbed the back of his head. "Lucy? Yeah...guess she's a hell of a lot smarter than that idiot, but she's only human. There's only so much she can do though. The keys-"

 _Have faith, Spirit. Everything will turn out as planned. The girl will not be harmed._

He sighed heavily. "I guess so…though I don't really believe you on that last bit. They're far from being done, and there's no way in _hell_ that he can protect her from everything. She's going to get hurt, and in the next few weeks, too."

 _...they're on the move._ It was a statement, not a question.

"Yeah. Aquarius saw it the other day. It won't be until after she comes back, but...there's no avoiding it." The Spirit sucked in a sharp breath and then sighed heavily. "These people are more powerful than we thought. It's very possible that she won't come out of this alive. We'll have to be ready to move on to Plan B if things don't come out right."

 _Have faith, you stupid Spirit. Trust us, we know what we're doing._

"Do you _really_ think this will put a stop to what's coming?"

 _Perhaps._

"If she gets killed because of your stupid plan…I won't hold back this time. I will not lie to the Spirit King a second time, do you understand me? Look where it got me. I lied the first time, and I won't do it again. I won't."

 _Would you rather the world be destroyed by this creature?_

"Screw the world," the Spirit snarled. "She needs to be safe, because believe me. The destruction will be nothing in comparison to what happens if she isn't there. If she's dead, it won't just be destruction. It will be the end of any living being in existence, and that includes himself."

 _...I am aware of this. And it won't happen._

There was a beat of silence between the two.

 _I will not let that monster live long enough to do any sort of destruction. Even if it means killing him._

* * *

 _Sorry about the late update! I forgot it was Monday! And because I'm freaking exhausted, I won't be responding to reviews for this chapter, but thank you all so much for them! They mean the world to me! :D_


	61. Chapter 61

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Please tell me we're almost there," Lucy pleaded as Natsu waited impatiently for her to reach the top of the hill he stood on. It was rocky, and for normal people, ridiculously difficult to climb, but Natsu, being the person that he was, had found no issue with climbing to the top.

He reached down to help her the rest of the way up. "If you'd get up here, then we'd be there. Jeez, you're slow."

"Thanks," Lucy said sarcastically, accepting the help and grunting as he hauled her up. He kept a grip on her hand as he began to lead her through the trees of the forest around Magnolia. They were deep enough in it that Lucy knew that if he decided to leave her there, she was screwed. But he wouldn't do that she knew, so she let him do what he wanted.

"Here," he said proudly a few minutes later, hand still gripping hers tightly. They stopped in front of a small entrance that led into a dark tunnel. The outside was made of hard stone that had strange symbols carved into the rock, and Lucy curiously studied them. Noticing her looking, he explained, "They're of the language of the dragons. Igneel taught the language to me before he left."

Lucy blinked, then tripped after him as he pulled her into the dark tunnel, lighting himself on fire so that he could be a walking torch. They descended down the winding path that was provided until they came to another open arch that led into a massive cavern.

Lucy's lips parted in shock, recognizing the set up immediately. "Is this-"

"My hoard," Natsu said proudly, seeming to puff up. He spat bits of fire at a few torches that lined the walls, and the fire caught instantly. He'd put them there for his own benefit, as even he wasn't too good at seeing in the pitch black. "What do ya think?"

She gawked at the endless piles of gold, gently pulling away to curiously pick up a piece. "...this is almost as large as Igneel's…"

Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "That's 'cause it's a portion of his. His hoard used to be a lot bigger, but a few weeks before he left, he said I could have about half of it. I didn't take it until I found Fairy Tail, and then spent a while transporting all of it. It was a pain in the ass." He grinned hugely and threw his arms out, the gold ring she'd purchased for him glinting on his finger as he did so. "S'my present for ya. You can have whatever you want out of it."

Lucy's jaw dropped. "...I can't do that," she protested, "I know how much you weirdos like your hoards, and this was Igneel's at one point-"

He shrugged, tugging the scarf away from his mouth. "What the hell am I gonna do with all of this? I don't want to share it with Happy 'cause he'll just spend it all on fish." He loved his little buddy, but he wasn't kidding. Happy would abuse the gift, but he trusted Lucy not to. "Besides. You gave me something to add to it, so it's not like you're just taking. Think of it like a trade, Luce. Then you can get rid of that weird iron ring Gajeel gave you and we can take it to Freed so it can do the same thing."

Lucy touched the ring she'd taken to wearing again recently, her eyes thoughtful. "I won't get rid of it, but maybe. Are you sure?"

He gave a nod. "I wouldn't be offering otherwise, woman."

"Okay, okay." Lucy began to make her way around the piles of gold and objects that were made of the same material, more than aware of the sharp onyx eyes that followed her with every step she took. As she looked, she asked, "What are the dragonic symbols out there for?"

Natsu wrinkled his nose. "They're magic, Luce. They keep out people who want to steal. They try to get close to my hoard and they burst into flames. It's worked so far. Only Gray tried to find it and he hasn't tried since."

"That's mean," Lucy scolded, but couldn't help but giggle as she came to a stop. She knelt, picking up a small golden bracelet. It was a chain, meant to hold charms of some kind, and she shook her head before moving on, carefully putting it back where she'd found it. She finally came across a simple necklace, stooping to pluck it from its place.

It was a choker, one made to hug the neck closely. The cord the pendant hung from was one that was unlikely to break unless someone was determined to do so, and a golden winged dragon hung from it. The dragon pendant was only an inch or so in size. Ruby eyes glinted daringly.

And she liked it almost immediately. The simplicity of it was great, and she wouldn't have to worry about losing it from the looks of the clasp that would keep it around her neck. She headed back to where Natsu waited, and showed it to him. "Is this okay?"

"Yep!" the dragon slayer plucked it from her grip, using his shirt to try and clean the slightly dirtied gold off before handing it back to her. "Put it on."

He looked almost more excited about the entire thing then she was. "Calm down," she laughed, moving her hair out of the way so that she could do so. She clasped it, and blinked when she realized it was too big. As she was about to voice that she would take it into a shop that would hopefully fix that, the cord tightened, shifting until it hung where it was supposed to.

"Sweet!" Natsu cheered, "It's magic! Didn't know that...huh. Hope it isn't cursed."

"What?!" Lucy hit him as hard as she could on the shoulder. "Damn it, Natsu!"

"Kidding, kidding." Natsu ruffled her hair excitedly. "Come on, let's get back to the guildhall...there's gonna be food, Luce!"

"You and food," she sighed in exasperation, taking one more curious look around the cave. _So this is where Virgo was hidden for a while, eh? Interesting…_

She shrugged and followed Natsu out, letting him take her hand as he extinguished the lights.

* * *

Mirajane complemented Lucy on her necklace the second they returned to the guildhall a few hours later, and Lucy beamed, thanking her without telling her just where they'd been. Natsu seemed happy about that and made sure she would be good by herself before going to confront a smug looking Sting. When Lucy cast Mirajane a curious look, she explained, "Sabertooth, Blue Pegasus, and Lamia Scale, our closest allies, are hanging around until after New years."

"Huh," Lucy mused, and then grinned when Levy came to sit beside her. "Hi, Levy."

"Hi," Levy laughed in response, sighing when she heard Gajeel's voice join in with the commotion of the argument that was beginning to form behind them. "I hope they stop soon...it's giving me a headache and the last time they all brawled, Asuka nearly got pulled in…"

"I'll protect Asuka," Lisanna sighed, "Bisca asked if we'd watch her for an hour or two, while they went shopping for groceries. We can't just leave her to be pulled in." She stood up from her spot, winked at Lucy, and then went to fetch the child, who was playing with a new toy at a nearby table.

Lucy scrubbed a hand down her face, making sure to let her gaze dart upwards and check for more mistletoe. Noticing, Mirajane blushed and told her, "I, um, took it down after last night. I'm sorry again, Lucy."

"Don't worry about it," Lucy reassured, and then thoughtfully touched the golden pendant at her throat, messing with it. "I'm over it. It was a stupid thing to get so upset over, you know?"

"Why _were_ you so upset?" Levy asked curiously, propping her chin up on her palm and gratefully taking the glass of water Mirajane slid her. She sipped at it, then mused, "I mean, it's just a kiss."

Lucy blushed a brilliant red, one that rivaled the color of their favorite requip mage's hair. "Yes, well. Some of us haven't exactly had too many of those, now have we? I was a princess. I didn't get to just...run around with men. I was to stand beside my father and look pretty as he decided on a husband for me."

"...huh," Levy said, looking stunned. "I didn't even think of that."

"I'm glad you didn't," Lucy admitted with a sigh. "It's a pain in the ass. People want to be pretty princesses when they're younger...ugh. Trust me. It's a living hell. There's a reason there's a lot of books on princesses looking to escape that life."

Mirajane gave a cry of despair. "That's even worse! Oh, no, your first kiss, and it was like _that_ -"

"It's not like it was on the lips," Levy reassured. "It was just one on the cheek. Those don't count."

"Oh, thank the heavens," Mirajane gasped, pressing a hand over her heart. "I was fearful that Natsu would lose his chance."

"...uh," Lucy mumbled. "What?"

Mirajane gave a sly smile, leaning on the bar so that she was practically draped over it. "Not just anyone gets to see a dragon's hoard, Lucy, my dear. Not even Levy has seen Gajeel's." The blue-haired woman shrugged to show that it was true, her cheeks flushing. "So. Just how close are you and Natsu? Has he slept in your bed again recently?"

Lucy's face turned even more red if possible, and Mirajane beamed in excitement, clapping excitedly. "That's great!"

"He didn't," Lucy whined. "Come on, guys, cut it out. I didn't come here to be...interrogated!"

"Okay, okay," Levy laughed, affectionately nudging her friend with her shoulder. "Then how's your new book coming, Lucy?"

"I should be getting a call from my editor any day now," Lucy told her in response, relieved to be off the topic. "A few more back and forths and hopefully it'll be on shelves for everyone to read."

"I can't wait," Levy sighed, eyes sparkling. "I've been waiting since forever."

"I'm sure you have," Mirajane teased, then bid them farewell, going to tend to someone else who'd come to sit at the bar.

Lucy wanted to cry when Cana decided to join them. She edged closer to Levy, and the snickering dark-haired mage teased, "Ready for some more drinks?"

"I dare you to give me more alcohol," Lucy growled, "I'll set Loke on you."

"I wouldn't mind," Cana drawled. "He's not a bad looking guy...probably tastes good."

"Oh, my-" Lucy covered her face with her hands. "Levy," she wailed, "Make her _stop_."

"Come on, Cana," Levy giggled, "Stop teasing her. She was nice enough to get you a lot of that expensive stuff you like."

"Oh, alright," Cana sighed, tipping back the bottle in her hand to down a swig of it. "Nice necklace, Lucy. Natsu?" She nodded and the card mage smirked. "Thought as much. Anyways, I didn't come over here just to talk. There's a guy from the Magic Council here looking for ya, Lucy."

Lucy tensed, looking nervous at the thought. "Really? Where is he?"

Cana jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "He's waiting just outside...asked if I would send you out to him. He knows who you really are, so...didn't think there was really any point in sending him away."

"No, no, not smart to do that," Lucy agreed, hopping to her feet. "I'll go see what he wants. Thanks, Cana. Could you guys make sure Natsu doesn't come hunting me down? I don't think it's smart for him to interrupt."

"Oh, don't worry." Levy shot her a quick smile. "Natsu's already on their bad side. He wouldn't want to drag your reputation with them down, so even if he did hunt you down, he wouldn't interrupt."

"Okay." Lucy gave a quick wave, then hurried for the doors of the guildhall. She stepped outside, carefully composing herself so that she was polite and hopefully decently prepared when she truly wasn't. She didn't want to meet with the Magic Council at all...what if they sent her back?!

Not that the guild would let them.

The thought of that reassuring her, Lucy found herself able to smile pleasantly upon discovering the rather short and older looking man that greeted her. "Hello," she said hesitantly, "I'm Lucy Heartfilia...I heard you were looking for me?"

"Ah, yes, Miss Heartfilia," he greeted with a warm smile. Lucy was relieved that he didn't refer to her by "Princess" anything. She relaxed, crossing her arms against the chill of the day. "I apologize for disrupting your Christmas fun with your guild, but I was asked to deliver something to you on this day several years ago."

"Oh?" Lucy cocked her head curiously. "By who? What'd they send?"

The man's gaze saddened just barely as he retrieved a carefully wrapped package from the large pocket of the coat he wore, gently pressing it into her hands. "Queen Layla Heartfilia requested that I give this to you as a Christmas gift, a few months before her death. She said that she wanted to make sure that it in particular was given to you, as it was one of her most loyal friends."

Lucy's eyes went wide as she unwrapped what he'd given her. "...Capricorn," she realized aloud. Her eyes narrowed in thought. Supposedly, she realized, a hell of a lot of Zodiacs had been stolen from the Heartfilia Estate over the years, even with she, her father, and several hundred guards and servants living there. Yet, she'd never seen them in her exploration of the building. Two had ended up with Yukino, three in the care of dragons, one cursed to be trapped in Igneel's hoard, and this one, which had been given to someone she trusted with the task of returning to her daughter.

The keys hadn't been stolen at all.

Layla Heartfilia, along with the help of a few others, had placed them in spots that she knew her daughter or someone like Yukino, would find.

The village that had held Gemini was known for the natural disasters that plagued it. And the only other key that had been in a semi-weird space, Cancer, had been with someone that Layla had met.

Lucy pressed her lips together.

Something wasn't right about this.

But she only smiled faintly at the man before her, bowing her head in gratitude. "Thank you, for bringing this to me, sir," she said softly. "I'll make sure to form a contract with this Spirit as soon as possible."

It was no longer a matter of choice. Even with Gemini giving such information about Layla, Lucy hadn't wanted to go home, yet was forcing herself to do so.

Something had happened before her mother had perished. Something involving what could be dozens of people. Something her father had no idea about.

And Lucy was going to find out.

* * *

 _Whew! Remember the Christmas preview? Here you go! Lol. Thank you all for your lovely words. Some of you have noticed my later updates (more like all of you). I get up at six a.m. for school every day of the week and as of late, I have meetings on Monday mornings for some stuff, and Fridays I wear contacts which take me forever to get in, so that's why. This morning I was just too tired. Lol._

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _XxNatsuxLucyxX:_** _Thank you! And sorry for the wait!  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Sixty chapters is rather big, isn't it? I've written up through one hundred five, so. :D Expect a lot more._

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _It'll be quite some time before you find out! Lol. I think I'm going to start sleeping more. S'why I haven't posted chapters so early, 'cause I'm tired._

 ** _MehKitty:_** _Cute chapters are awesome!  
_

 ** _SunflowerChrysalis:_** _Cliffhangers are fun! And I wonder who! ;)  
_

 ** _Guest:_** _You'll have to wait and see if your guess is correct! Thank you!  
_

 ** _Blacky2010:_** _More trouble incoming! Deaths would not be good for you guys. Maybe for me, 'cause you know. Drama to write. Lol.  
_

 ** _serioushugsies:_** _And waiting is no longer necessary!_ _  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Natsu is always adorable. Why a British accent though? Such an interesting idea that I can't stop thinking of now! XD_

 ** _The Age of Awesomeness:_** _Thank you! No worries about the wait now, eh? Just gotta wait til Friday!_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Always end with a bang. ;)  
_

 ** _NaluLuva23:_** _Lol. Of course you're right! Natsu was so happy to give her her gift, eh?  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Being a cruel writer is my specialty. I agree. Not a good plan, Luce. AND YES I DID AND I BAWLED MY POOR BABIES._ _  
_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _Perhaps it is, perhaps it is not. You'll have to wait and see about who it is! ;)  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _Never worry unless I disappear for over one day, 'cause then that's concerning. Same here about the headcanon. You'll have to wait about the Spirit thought! Lol.  
_


	62. Chapter 62

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Like this?"

"Yes! Good job, Asuka, just like that!"

The small girl beamed with pride as she stepped away from the counter, scooting the step stool she'd been using out of the way. "Yay!" she cried cheerfully. "Look, Natsu, did you see?!"

Natsu grinned from where he and Happy were sprawled out on the couch. "Good job, Asuka," he praised with a yawn. He sniffed the air with a hopeful look, and Lucy rolled her eyes. "They done yet?"

"I literally just put them in," Lucy scolded as she closed the oven door, scooping up Asuka with a playful smile. Despite being nearly eight years old, Asuka was light enough for her to manage until she got to the couch. The girl burst into giggles when she dropped her on Natsu, however, and the dragon slayer yelped and moaned in pain.

"Ow," Happy whined, "My tail!"

"Sorry, Happy!" Lucy laughed, ruffling Natsu's hair playfully as he tried to yank her down with the rest of them. She stepped out of the way and headed back into the kitchen, tying her blonde hair out of her face as her smile disappeared.

As he played with Asuka, helping Lucy watch her for the night, he wasn't aware of the flight she'd be taking in the morning; he was clueless about the suitcase, packed and ready, beneath her bed.

Natsu had no idea in less than twenty four hours, Lucy would be making her way to Bosco, fully intending to return to the place she'd run away from three years and two months ago.

She'd already made a contract with Capricorn. She'd gotten what information she could about if Layla had done anything strange before her death, the likes, and Capricorn had been a kind Spirit, adopting the same contract Loke had. Anytime she needed him, he'd be there. Lucy had been disappointed, however. Capricorn hadn't come up with anything to help her solve the mystery of what had happened.

Loke had monitored, aware that she was in need of him anyways. He'd arrived on his own abilities, something she was grateful for. She wouldn't have been waking up for a long time if she'd summoned both Spirits, one after the other. She'd informed him of her plans, and, to her surprise, he'd agreed.

" _I don't want you going there,"_ he'd admitted quietly, _"That place...it holds great memories for all of us Spirits, but I don't want you going there. While it was fun for us, it's one you hate. And there's a good chance you may not be able to escape again...but I'll do it. Fiancé, right? Easy enough."_

Lucy just had to give the word and he'd be there. Lucy had asked him about staying out for so long, and was relieved that he'd said with a simple shrug, _"Spirit King says I can stay out as long as necessary on such matters…"_

"Ha!"

Lucy glanced over her shoulder at where Natsu had trapped Asuka down with one arm, his onyx eyes gleaming playfully. Her heart twisted, and a hand rose to touch the golden dragon that hung at her throat.

Damn, she'd miss Natsu and Happy while she was gone.

She had faith in them though. They'd make sure she came home, whether it be the second she left or fifty years later.

She _would_ come home.

She was sure of it.

* * *

"Ooh!" Asuka squealed, her dark eyes sparkling as she looked to the sky, where dozens of fireworks had gone off. "Look, Lucy! Natsu! The fireworks!"

Natsu grinned and, glancing around, quickly spit a massive ball of fire into the sky that exploded into beautiful patterns. "Ha!" he crowed. "Bet you the bastard can't-" He cut off with a horrified look when an equally as beautiful firework-like explosion went off not too far away. Lucy recognized it immediately as Gray's magic.

Mages all over Magnolia seemed to go with the idea, and Lucy laughed when Asuka squealed over one set off by her parents, recognizable by the sound of a canon going off. The four of them now found themselves under the midnight sky. They were laying on a blanket just beside the canal in front of Lucy's apartment, and Natsu had melted off the snow around them so they wouldn't get wet. They'd wrapped themselves in warm clothing, and Natsu was more than willing to offer his natural body heat for them. Asuka, used to such things, had curled up under his arm to look up at the fireworks, and Happy on his chest.

Lucy had sprawled out with them, too, wishing that she could summon her Spirits to watch. Her head rested lightly on Natsu's stomach, as if it was a normal thing to do, and she could feel his hand resting lightly on her hair, messing with the golden strands.

The dragon slayer suddenly huffed. "You're acting funny, Luce."

She arched an eyebrow that he couldn't see. "What do you mean? I'm acting fine, jerk."

"No you're not, you're not kicking me for touching and screwing up your hair."

Lucy grimaced. "Do you _want_ me to beat the hell out of you for screwing up my hair? Just shut up already, I'm enjoying myself."

"..weirdo," he muttered.

"Look who's talking," she retorted with a sigh, closing her eyes briefly as his hand came to rest on top of her forehead. He muttered about checking for a fever before going back to stroking her hair.

There was a brief moment of silence interrupted only by the sounds of fireworks exploding above their heads and Happy purring his heart out.

"...Natsu?" Asuka suddenly asked sweetly, rolling to look at him with wide brown eyes. "Do you and Lucy ever kiss like my parents?"

"Oof!" Natsu gasped for air as Lucy drove her elbow into his gut in her rush to sit up.

"What?!" Lucy looked astonished by the small girl's question. " _No_ , Asuka, that's...we're not...oh my goodness…"

"They like each other though," Happy purred unhelpfully.

"They do?!" Asuka sat up, clasping her hands over her cheeks excitedly. "Really?"

"Well, yeah," Natsu grumbled, folding his arms behind his head. "We're partners…"

"She doesn't mean like that!" Lucy buried her face in her hands, her face flushed. "We're not like that, Asuka. We're just friends."

Natsu's eyes snapped wide. _Oh_.

Asuka wrinkled her nose, and then pointed at Lucy with fierce eyes. "Kiss him."

Lucy gawked at the child with a horrified gaze. "What?!"

"Kiss him," Asuka said firmly, "Or I'll tell my momma that you weren't very nice to me."

"...you're threatening me?" Lucy blinked a few times, as if she couldn't believe this, and then whimpered, "C-come on, Asuka, there's no need for-"

"Scared to kiss me, Luce?" Natsu taunted teasingly. His onyx eyes glinted challengingly as she glared down at him, as if daring her to look away. "I'm not that bad…"

"How would you know?" Happy asked curiously, "You haven't ever kissed anyone before. We should go get Sting, Asuka, he said he's kissed people before, it'd be more interesting to watch…"

Lucy made a sound of disapproval while Natsu gave a growl that had the squeaking blue cat racing back inside. "Stupid cat," he muttered, glaring after Happy. "Skin him alive if he does that…"

Asuka giggled at Natsu's comments, then repeated, "Kiss! Please?"

"C'mon, Luce," Natsu muttered, "It's not like it'll kill us." He moved to grab her wrist and pull her closer, his eyes gleaming with amusement, but she ripped free and scampered to her feet, her entire face red.

"Um, I'm not feeling so well," she muttered, tripping over her words as she headed for the building. "Excuse me…"

Asuka pouted. "Aw...oh, well. If Lucy doesn't feel good, guess I can not tell my momma…" She glanced at a slightly disappointed Natsu. "Do you _want_ to kiss her? I can bring her back…"

"Nah." Natsu gave a playful grin and ruffled the small girl's hair. "We're not like that. I was just gonna mess with her a little bit." He glanced up, and then nudged her, pointing to a rather large firework that went off. "Look, Asuka. That's a Fairy Tail one."

"How d'ya know?"

"'Cause I do." Natsu swished some flames in his mouth for a second, and then shot another one in the air, grinning when it formed in the shape of the Fairy Tail emblem. A second later, Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, and Blue Pegasus joined them, and Asuka cried out in excitement. "We'll stay out for a while, kay? Let's let Lucy be by herself."

Asuka shrugged and looked back to the sky.

* * *

"Lucy? Where are you going?"

Lucy, who'd decided to clean up the apartment while Asuka and Natsu stayed outside, stopped in what she was doing, her shoulders tensing. "What do you mean? I'm here, aren't I? I'm not going anywhere, Happy."

"You're lying," the blue cat accused. Lucy glanced over her shoulder at him, surprised to see him wearing an angry expression. He glared furiously up at her, tail lashing back and forth. "I saw your suitcase, Lucy. When I fell off the bed. And you printed out a ticket for a plane."

Lucy's eyebrow twitched. "The hell are you doing digging around in my things, cat?"

"Are you leaving?"

She sighed heavily, glaring at him as she crossed her arms. "Yes. What of it? I'll be back. I'm going to Crocus for a day or two to speak with my editor." _Not_. "She wanted to tell me a few things in person."

Happy studied her, then frowned. "Why didn't you tell us, then? You said you'd tell us when you went to places…"

Lucy bit her lip, then sighed softly. "I don't want Natsu coming along...that's all. I adore the two of you, don't get me wrong, but this is my work, and I need to be able to focus." _Lies,_ she cried silently, _All lies!_

Happy fell for it immediately. "Oh!" he said, smiling hugely at her. She returned it faintly, scooping him up to cuddle him. "Okay then. I thought you were leaving us for good or something!"

"Never," Lucy said firmly. "I promised, remember?"

"Yeah…" Happy purred and rubbed his face against hers. "Kay then! I won't tell Natsu until after you're gone then...when are you leaving?"

Lucy hardened her gaze, finding herself lying again. "Not until noon...why don't you guys meet me at the guildhall? About ten o'clock? I'll say goodbye and we can tell Natsu together."

"Okay," he agreed. "Can I help you clean up, Lucy?"

"Of course."

The two set to work on finishing cleaning up. By the time Natsu brought Asuka inside, her cheeks flushed from the cold, she and Happy had curled up on the couch together and were dozing. Asuka didn't hesitate to join them, as Lucy had agreed to take the girl for the night. New Years was an all night event, after all.

Asuka yawned, and Lucy shifted, tiredly moving so that Asuka could curl up against her chest with a content sigh. Natsu smirked as he watched, pink hair long since fallen out of his usual style to hang in his eyes. He pushed it aside impatiently as he crouched beside them, waiting until Lucy had settled down again to gently flick her forehead. He did it softly so she wouldn't wake. "Stupid," was all he said before throwing himself down to sleep on the floor.

Like he'd let them sleep alone.

She was his to protect, after all, and he'd make sure she was never alone again.

* * *

 _And...things get serious next chapter, do they not? I love this chapter. This was one of my favorites to write, maybe one of the ones I enjoyed most in the one hundred plus written so far. ;)_

 _Also. Never get too fucking creative and bored with everything because songs are not easy to freaking write. Lyrics are difficult. Particularly when writing a song for BTL._

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _SunflowerChrysalis:_** _Sweet moments galore in this chapter, eh? You'll have to wait and see about your guess at the chatting people in chapter sixty though. ;)  
_

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _My cruelty to you guys knows no bounds! I don't usually write that late at night. If I'm up that late, I'm playing Civilization V. No joke, that is what made me procrastinate on posting last weeks chapters. Lol.  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _I love all of the dragon slayers. They are all precious creatures. Even that bastard Acnologia. He's precious, too, so long as he leaves the others be. Which I doubt will happen, damn it. I agree with you on the fight and god keys, though, that'd be freaking badass...could you imagine a god's Star Dress form?  
_

 ** _:_** _Ah...moments of realization. The focus of an upcoming arc. Someday, it will happen. Lol.  
_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _Perhaps, perhaps not. I have no answers for you in that area. ;)  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _I agree. Fetus Nalu is adorable but infuriating. I love Cana as well. And DAMN IT GAJEEL. HE MUST TAKE HER, YES? Layla is always a character shrouded in mystery. :p  
_

 ** _The Age of Awesomeness:_** _Lol. Waking up early sucks. I hate homework, particularly from honors classes. Apparently honors means unending hours of work. Thank you!  
_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _I really want that choker. I wish I could freaking make jewelry. I totally would have made one by now. :D  
_

 ** _NaLu and InuKag:_** _Wait no longer!  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Movies are always a good place for good lines. Detective Lucy is on the move. ;)_ _  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Thank you! :D  
_

 ** _NaluLuva23:_** _Because it is necessary and a whole little thing that will shock the hell out of you guys. :D  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _Thank you! I like describing mini-interactions. It's fun to see how the characters interact with one another, it's always been one of my favorite things for some reason.  
_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _Yep! Chapter sixty-one was the preview I gave as a Christmas present since Christmas hadn't arrived for BTL in time. Lol. I always see the latest chapter. I obsess over the day it comes out. I bawl my eyes out every fucking week lately. :D_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _More keys! Not that half of them are ever used, lol. Love Natsu's cute moments.  
_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _Interesting is a word for it. Lol.  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _Mysteries are always involved with the Zodiac. ;)  
_


	63. Chapter 63

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she stepped onto the plane, terror making her tremble. Her hand was clasped lightly in a serious looking Loke's, and when she glanced back at him, over his shoulder at the town of Magnolia in Fiore, she wanted to cry.

She didn't want to go.

Loke squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, Lucy," he said, leaning so that the words were in her ear rather than ones to be heard by everyone. "I won't let anything happen."

"I know," Lucy said quietly. She continued forward, searching for her seat, one hand gripping the dragon pendant around her throat. It was warm beneath her touch, and Lucy silently wondered if the magic within it was something far more powerful than they'd thought it to be.

She flopped into the window seat with a sigh of relief, shooting her Spirit a faint smile as he settled beside her. "Have you ever been on a plane?"

"No," Loke admitted with a smile. "I've never been on one...Layla meant to take me on a few trips with her, but she couldn't. Not in this way anyways. Your father wouldn't allow it...which brings me to another point. Jude Heartfilia will recognize this appearance. I may need to change it a little."

Lucy peered curiously at him. "You can do that?"

"Not a lot," he admitted. Loke adjusted his tie thoughtfully. "Just a little. I can change my hair, lighten the color of it a little. It's my shades that give me away. And this suit. A few minor changes and I can look like a completely different, Princess."

"Oh. Well...make sure you do it when we get there, where no one's watching us." Lucy paused when her phone went off, buzzing in her pocket since she'd shut the ringer off. She pulled it out, her keys jingling softly as she did so, and studied the screen. "...damn."

 _Yo! Luce! Where are you? You said you were gonna be here at ten._

Loke, with no care for her privacy, read the message over her shoulder. "What are you going to tell him? You said you didn't want them knowing."

Lucy sighed heavily. "Not until they can't do anything. They'll know when the news reaches the newspapers and television…" She texted him back, her fingers typing the letters in quickly.

 _Sorry! I ended up running later than planned and had to leave without stopping at the guildhall. Happy will tell you where I'm heading. I'll be back in a few days. I'll talk to you later, okay?_

"Not that I care about what that fool thinks," Loke drawled, "But you're gonna piss him off, Princess."

Deciding she didn't feel like going into that conversation, Lucy began a different one instead. "Loke. Why don't you Spirits like the dragon slayers? I remember back when I first met Yukino, she mentioned that you all hate them pretty much…"

Loke fell quiet for a few moments, his green eyes thoughtful. "Ah, well. We have our reasons for that. You see, dragons pissed us off some time ago when they demanded something we didn't want to give. They took it anyways. Nasty bastards. I won't forgive them."

"What did they take?"

Loke gave her a playful poke on the cheek. "A cursed object that we'd been protecting. They didn't think we were capable enough to protect it. Anyways, when we get there, perhaps you'd like for me to assist you in looking for Layla's diary? I believe it will be something I can sense."

"Yes, please," Lucy said with a sigh. "I'll summon Virgo, too, I think. They won't think much of a maid running around, even if she has pink hair. She can help you." She rested her head on the window, looking out even as her phone buzzed again. She lifted it, smiling faintly when she realized Natsu had attached a picture.

She felt tears burning at the back of her eyes when she saw it.

It was of most of the guild, all of them grinning at the camera as they held their hands up in a symbol she recognized as Fairy Tail's, one finger and their thumb extended. The rest of their fingers were curled towards their palm.

 _Hurry up then. We're waiting on ya!_

Loke peered over her shoulder at it, and then reassuringly ruffled her hair, the rings that decorated his fingers cold against her scalp. "Don't worry, Lucy," he said gently, "You'll come back. I'll make sure of it. Even if I have to drag you through our Realm." He paused. "Of course, that may take three months of your time here, but it's better than being trapped in the Heartfilia Estate forever."

Lucy giggled softly. "Thank you, Loke." She put her phone away, getting ready to sleep for the few hours it would take to get back to the country she'd originally come from.

Loke settled back to protect Lucy from the dangers of a world he wasn't familiar with.

* * *

Lucy hummed as she stepped off of the plane, Loke close behind her. His hand rested gently on the small of her back, urging her forward and carefully keeping people out of her path with glares that made people nervous.

Lucy was too busy nervously glancing this way and that to care.

But still, she made herself shove her shoulders back as she'd been taught when she was younger. She lifted her chin and strode with confidence through the airport, shaking her blonde hair out so that it fell around her shoulders in soft waves. There was no way she wouldn't be recognized, she mused as people glanced curiously at her.

The Heartfilia family was the only one in Bosco with such fair hair, as strange as it sounded.

And that had been brought in with Layla's blood.

Of course, there were the occasional visitors who had light hair, but none had hair quite as golden as Lucy's. And the fact that she wore such a large golden dragon at her throat didn't help keep attention off of them.

As they walked, Loke changed his appearance bit by bit. First his hair began to change, just as he'd promised. It was still that spiked orange hair she recognized, but it was shorter, cropped closer to his head, and didn't give the distinct impression that there were ears one could see. The glasses dissolved into nothing, leaving his face bare. It made her uncomfortable for some reason, seeing his green eyes without dark glasses to tint the piercing look they gave. His suit changed a bit, too, lightening to a gray color though his red tie remained.

Noticing her startled look, Loke flashed her a grin. "He won't recognize my name, either. I went by Leo when Layla was alive, you see. I had to use a different name when I was under that curse." He lifted a hand to show her the rings that still decorated his fingers. "Sorry about these, though. They help direct my magic."

"That's alright," Lucy laughed softly, tugging at her warm jacket.

They took their time getting her luggage, and Lucy kept close to Loke as more and more people began to glance their way. She pretended not to notice them, instead conversing lightly with Loke as she grabbed her bag. "We're in the capital of Bosco," she explained to him, leading him to the doors of the airport. "So we shouldn't be too far…"

"Of course not." Loke snorted. "We're not far at all."

Lucy took out her phone, dialing a number hesitantly. Her face hardened as she lifted it to her ear. A voice answered curiously, asking who she was and how she'd gotten such a number. Her answer was clipped and firm. "This is Lucy Heartfilia, the princess of Bosco. I'd be extremely grateful if you didn't question me from here on." She narrowed her eyes as the man sputtered on the other end in shock. "I need a ride back to the Heartfilia Estate. You have ten minutes to get a car to Bosco International, is that clear? Good." She hung up. "I hate talking like that."

Loke gave her a nervous look. "I don't appreciate it either."

Lucy smiled at him. "Don't worry, Loke. I'd never use that kind of voice with you guys. You're friends. The people I have to deal with here are certainly not." She playfully hooked her arm through his, and he narrowed his eyes when he felt her tremble.

For all of the cheerfulness she was putting out, Lucy was anything but happy. And it angered him that she was forced to go back. _Damn it, Layla...the hell were you thinking? You knew this would happen…_

When the car arrived, Lucy resumed her irritable appearance, and Loke had to admit that she played it very well. If the man had any doubts that she was who she'd said she was, then they were gone now. "M-Miss Heartfilia," he stammered, "I m-mean, your Highness-"

"Can we go?" Lucy said, arching an eyebrow. "I have business at the estate, and I have no wish to wait longer than necessary."

"Of course!" He sprang to open the door and she slid inside, waving for Loke to join her. The second he was in the vehicle, he casually nudged her arm, reassuring her that he wasn't going anywhere. While he hated Natsu - okay, so maybe hatred wasn't the word. He disliked him. Strongly. But he didn't hate him. But while he disliked the dragon slayer, he knew she would have preferred to have him there. So Loke would just have to do his best in the situation.

The door closed behind him. Loke gave a soft growl-like sound as the car lurched forward, the man eager to do as he was told in fear of the punishment that would come should he not.

"With the traffic the way it is, ma'am," the man said nervously, "We should be there within half an hour."

"Good."

Thirty minutes to prepare herself for the restrictions that would soon come, for confronting her father.

She could do this.

Lucy took a deep breath and closed her eyes, determined to stay calm until this was over.

She couldn't cry, not while she was in Bosco.

No. That could wait until she got home.

* * *

"Why don't you take a job?"

Onyx eyes darted up in surprise at the suggestion, and Mirajane only giggled at the wide-eyed look Natsu gave her as she waved towards the overflowing request board. "Take a job while Lucy's gone. She'll be gone for a few days, right? Take one that's just a town over or something, one that can be done quickly. There's no reason for you to hang around and mope."

"Yeah," muttered Gray from where he was sitting a seat over at the bar. Natsu glared at the ice-make mage, daring him to say something else. And he did. "Ya know, you've stopped taking so many since Lucy showed up. How the hell are you supposed to look for that dragon of yours if you're cooped up here?"

Natsu went still at that thought. He _had_ stopped looking for Igneel so much. He'd only taken a job or two since he'd become Lucy's partner, because he hadn't felt the need to go and look. He was happy, he realized. He was perfectly happy to stay with Lucy. She was all he needed.

And that thought made his heart twist with guilt, especially when another one entered his mind.

Igneel had abandoned him, just like Metalicana had abandoned Gajeel and Grandeeney had left Wendy behind. He was no different. Even if his father was one of the most powerful dragons in existence, Igneel had left him.

So why should he look for him? All that would happen if he found Igneel...would more than likely be him getting abandoned a second time. So why even bother?

Before he could respond, Gajeel's voice shocked them all. "Finally giving up, eh, Salamander?"

"I'm not giving up," Natsu protested, glaring over his shoulder at the iron dragon slayer. "I'm just not going to actively look for him. I've got the guild and Happy and Lucy."

"Aw," Mirajane said happily, reaching out to pat his cheek in an affectionate gesture. "I'm happy you think that way, Natsu. Here, have some fire whiskey on the house…" She went to get the drink, beaming excitedly as she did so.

Natsu shot another glare at Gajeel, who met his gaze with a surprisingly hard look. "What?" he demanded.

"You said Bunny Girl was going to Crocus, right?" Gajeel demanded. "To meet with that editor of hers?"

"Yeah." Natsu cocked his head to the side like a curious puppy. "Why?"

Gajeel glanced at the phone in his hands, his red eyes studying the picture that decorated the screen. "...no reason," he finally muttered, turning away and reading the headline with a frown.

 _ **MISSING PRINCESS SUPPOSEDLY SPOTTED IN BOSCO AIRPORT**_

There were only so many blondes who were accompanied by the Spirit Leo, after all. Gajeel would recognize him anywhere, with that somewhat naturally arrogant expression that cats often wore. He'd seen Loke once or twice, and he knew it was him despite the changes.

 _The hell are you up to, Bunny Girl?_

* * *

 _And so it begins. ;)  
_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _The Age of Awesomeness:_** _Asuka is absolutely adorable. No matter where she is, I love her. Thank you!  
_

 ** _OgaxHilda:_** _Sweet is definitely a word for it. Lol.  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Perhaps. But perhaps not. We shall have to see. ;)  
_

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _Mehhh I disagree with that. Acnologia is certainly badass though. You'll have to wait and see if your little theories come true though. Cue some evil laughter right there...  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _I totally agree! Be prepared for the feels. They shall strike hard.  
_

 ** _Moon Stone Tiger Lily:_** _Yes. Yes, they will. Preferably before it's too late. ;)  
_

 ** _AngelEmCuti:_** _Well that's a strong way to describe feelings, yet an accurate one at that. Lol. Thank you!_

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _Ah, she was just nervous. Poor child. Soon she will no longer cower away from such lovely things.  
_

 ** _SunflowerChrysalis:_** _The Nalu feels are strong here, yes? Thank you so much for your kind words!  
_

 ** _Shidake:_** _I believe that to be one of the cutest things I've ever written, honestly. But that little reminder does kind of ruin happy moods, eh?  
_

 ** _MehKitty:_** _The poor clueless little bastard. XD  
_

 ** _ThatOneTroubleMaker:_** _I'm glad you think so! :D  
_

 ** _SingingAngel327:_** _She's just worried for the poor little guy. Don't worry, all will be well eventually. :D_ _  
_

 ** _Uchida Akira:_** _Perhaps for you. Lol, for me, I've just drifted the updating time from mornings to evenings because I'm too lazy in the morning. You'll have to wait and see about Aquarius. ;)  
_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _Lucy shall definitely feel guilt. Poor little Happy and Natsu have no idea on what's to come, do they?_

 ** _Mechanical-Rose-Sama:_** _I have grown fond of Happy lately. He is a smart little cookie, I think. ;)  
_

 ** _NaluLuva23:_** _Cue some cackling right there, 'cause you'll see just what he does..._ _  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _I agree. Poor Lucy. Just tryin' to protect her beloved family, yes? I AGREE THOUGH, GAJEEL DOES NEED TO GET HIS ACT TOGETHER.  
_

 ** _Sassybratt:_** _My goodness, such a long review! Rarely get them this long! You do have a lot to make up for though, eh? I write two chapters of BTL for every one of Paranormal, so. I get a LOT of BTL written over the week. Lol.  
_

 ** _Guest:_** _Probably. If anyone decides to let him know. Lol.  
_

 ** _Kitty Klaw:_** _Ah, but your wait is now over! I agree though, three days does seem like a long time for things we like, doesn't it? But I wouldn't expect much prettiness coming from the damage that will be caused. Lol.  
_

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _As do I. Though I know what happens, so I cannot hope with you in the same way. Input more evil cackling right there... Tumblr is a very good distraction._

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _I put that moment in specifically because I thought of it at the exact moment it began and knew it to be perfect. Everyone's going to be sad though, eh?  
_

 ** _NaLu and InuKag:_** _Thank you so much! :D  
_

 ** _RavensWillow:_** _Thank you! And I agree, Asuka is adorable. ;)_ _  
_

 ** _AJDrakes:_** _Lucy's going to break a lot of hearts before this arc is over. ;)  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _As was everyone else. Believe me when I say their first kiss will be absolutely beautiful. I don't think any of us appreciate when they're separated, no worries. Lol.  
_


	64. Chapter 64

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy tried not to shake as she made her way through the familiar cold halls of the Heartfilia Estate, her blonde hair piled atop of her head in a sophisticated messy bun and her body clothed in a ridiculously large dress. It was made of violet silk and billowed out at her waist, making her look like some fairy tale princess.

Unlike those princesses, though, she wasn't waiting on her prince charming. She'd prefer the dragon any day.

Loke walked close beside her, gently grasping her elbow and giving dirty looks to anyone that got close to the celestial mage he protected. He'd been forced to change as well, dressed in a different suit than he'd been wearing.

They'd been in the country of Bosco for less than two hours, and already she was ready to leave. Then again, she'd been ready to leave from the moment they'd arrived. She wanted sleep first, though. Loke had informed me that they'd flown right through the night, arriving early the next morning.

Lucy sighed softly as they turned a sharp corner, nearly tripping over her skirts. Loke caught her before she hit the ground, and she shot him a grateful look. There was a reason she preferred skin-tight jeans over skirts. She gathered the skirts off the ground in one hand, her knuckles white.

They were going to see her father now, and she was utterly terrified, longing for the soothing presence of a fire-wielding mage beside her.

"Don't worry," Loke reassured lowly in her ear as they approached a massive set of double doors. "I've got your back, no matter what they say. If all else fails, I use my magic and get us the hell out of here."

Lucy relaxed. "That sounds nice," she murmured. "But we can't leave. I have to find my mother's diary...I should be able to begin looking after this. I'll be confined to at least the estate. If I'm really unlucky...well. You'll be the only one searching, and only when you can. We may have to send out Gemini, dressed as a maid...too bad I can summon two Spirits at once. I'm going to work on that while we're here, at night."

"Smart," he complimented playfully, affectionately squeezing her arm.

The servant guiding them knocked loudly on the double doors. "King Heartfilia?" he called, voice quivering. Lucy narrowed her eyes; the people who served their family should not be scared to approach them. Then again, she hadn't helped. Neither had Loke. "The princess is here to see you as you requested. Her fiancé is with her."

"Send Lucy in. Without the other one."

Lucy tensed at the sound of her father's voice, and Loke gave her a reassuring look as he gently pushed her towards the doors. "You'll be fine," he told her. "Just remember that you're a mage of Fairy Tail now, alright?"

"Right." Lucy squared her shoulders. "I'm not a push over. Got it." She shot Loke a final look, and he grinned.

The moment she stepped through the double doors, however, she felt like the little girl she'd been seven years ago, when her mother had died. She felt like she twelve all over again, lonely and missing her mother as her father turned his back and ordered her away.

After this was over, she decided. She was going to see her mother's grave. Besides. For all she knew, it could be the place her mother had hidden the diary.

She strode through the room, approaching the large desk her father sat behind. How was it that facing Phantom Lord, or the Tower of Heaven, or even Deliora, one of Zeref's many demons, wasn't anywhere near as frightening as this experience?!

She came to a halt a few steps away, her dark eyes cautious. "Father," she greeted tightly, taking in his appearance carefully. He looked older, she realized. There was none of his original hair color left, only gray. Lines that hadn't been there three years before lined his face, giving him a look of exhaustion.

His eyes, however, were hard with the irritation and rage she remembered easily. While his body had aged, Jude Heartfilia's soul had not. "Lucy," he gritted out. "It's about damn time you regained your senses and came back."

Lucy kept quiet, waiting for him to continue. And continue he did.

"I was preparing to send someone," he mused, coming out from behind the desk. "Your mother participated in such activities...like hell I'll allow you to." Lucy opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, he spoke again. "I've heard you brought a fiancé with you? More than likely someone who can offer nothing to the country. Have you no shame, Lucy? You're the heir to this throne. You should know better."

"Your point?" Lucy said fiercely, angry. How dare he put down someone he hadn't even seen yet? Loke's-"

"Ah, Leo." Lucy tensed in shock. _He said he wouldn't know who he was!_ "What, did you think I was oblivious to what you were doing? I have eyes everywhere. You should know this by now. One of your mother's beloved Spirits...ugh." He spat in disgust, crossing his arms with a curled lip. "I should have known you'd have magic in your blood."

Lucy raised her chin. "Better than to not have it. My magic has given me things you never could, things that being the princess of this place didn't."

"Things you won't have again." Jude looked fairly unconcerned as he turned away, motioning for a servant to approach. The servant looked somewhat scared as Jude ordered, "Search her. I want the keys."

"Y-yes, sir," the servant stammered, hurrying over to Lucy. The blonde panicked and snatched them up, summoning the first Zodiac her hand wrapped around. She didn't even get the words out before a somewhat annoyed looking Scorpio appeared, his eyes narrowed into irritable slits.

The servant looked stunned, backing away immediately as he took in the rather nasty scorpion-like tail that curved over Scorpio's head, the metal glinting in the dim light of the room.

"Aquarius will be pissed," he muttered, readying himself to attack if necessary. "You interrupted our date."

"Sorry, sorry," Lucy muttered, backtracking towards the doors. "I know I'm breaking the contract that we came up with. I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

And then the keys were plucked out of her hands.

Lucy gave a panicked cry as her father pocketed them, and Scorpio gave a fairly irritated growl as he turned on Jude. "Return them. Now," the Spirit demanded, furious. They didn't just give their keys to anyone, of course, and he didn't appreciate this one bit!

"Scorpio," came Loke's calm voice as he entered, his green eyes looking furiously at Jude. Lucy's head snapped around, and horror flooded her at the sight of a gun pressed up against her friend's head. "Return to your date. Make sure you tell Aquarius about all of this...the angrier she is the better."

Scorpio hesitated. "You sure, Leo?" The anger on his face only grew at the sight of the gun.

"Go," Loke ordered. He'd locked gazes with Jude, and his hands were glowing lightly. He'd reverted back to his original appearance, Lucy noted dully, head spinning. "You'll just drain Lucy's magic at this rate."

"Right," he muttered. "Sorry, Miss Lucy." Scorpio disappeared in a flash of light, and the servant and guard with the gun to Loke's head exchanged wide-eyed looks.

"Not your fault," Lucy whispered, somehow knowing that her Spirit would hear her. She clenched her hands into fists, clenching her jaw. She glared furiously at her father, her entire body trembling with the anger she felt towards him. "Leave Loke alone. Release him. Now. Don't you dare hurt him."

Jude snorted. "As if they can feel pain." He waved for the guard and he glanced at the king. "Execute him."

"What?" the guard demanded, astonished. "But...that's-"

"He's not human," Jude snapped. "He'll be fine. Shoot him."

"Don't," Lucy pleaded, tears burning in the back of her eyes. Sure, it wouldn't kill the Spirit, but it would hurt like hell. That she was certain of. "Don't hurt him. Please...don't hurt him. Loke, go back. _Please_."

"We need more of a reason for him to piss of the Spirit King," Loke said with a shrug. "If this'll do it, then fine. I'll be back in a few days, don't worry." Despite his words, Loke wore a nervous look now, his eyes tight with an emotion she couldn't place. There was a hint of fear in his green eyes, as if he wasn't sure that he'd be able to come back.

The guard glanced nervously at the princess of Bosco, hesitating. "Sir...can't you just-"

" _Shoot him!_ "

The guard pulled the trigger and Lucy shrieked in horror at the sound of the gun going off. Loke disappeared in a flash of light, and the guard looked terrified.

Jude didn't bat an eye. "Take her to her room," he ordered the servant who was watching everything happen, his entire body shaking violently. "Don't let her out. She's not to leave."

"Right," the servant managed to choke out, stumbling forward. "C-come with me, your Highness," he rasped.

Lucy followed him, her eyes hollow.

 _I shouldn't have come back._

* * *

She felt it on the air.

And it scared her.

Wendy shifted uneasily in her seat, looking ready to bolt at any second. Her expression was one of terror, and her body kept trembling every now and then despite Charle's reassurance that she hadn't seen anything.

"Honestly, child," the white cat scolded. "What could possibly make you so fearful? Nothing's wrong!"

"There _is_ ," Wendy insisted, her voice quivering. "There's something wrong, Charle, I just can't figure out what it is!"

"Calm down." Charle sighed. "Do you want to talk to the master of the guild? I'm sure he'll help you figure it out if you truly want to know."

"What's going on?"

"Gajeel!" Wendy squeaked in surprise. Her eyes went wide as she looked up at the grumpy dragon slayer. "What are you-"

"Wendy feels as if something is wrong," Charle huffed. "I insist you tell her that everything is fine."

"Eh." Gajeel came to stand beside Wendy, shoving his hands into the pockets of the sleeveless jacket he wore. It was the middle of January, Wendy thought with amusement, and here were the mages of Fairy Tail, not running around with proper coats. "Nothing new. C'mon, might as well tell the old man about it. I'm going there anyway."

Wendy blinked. "Okay? I'll be back Charle."

She followed Gajeel towards the office that Makarov had long ago claimed, and stood patiently beside him, shifting every now and then when she felt that strange tension in the air. Gajeel knocked, giving it a moment before throwing the door open as soon as Makarov told them to enter. "Yo, old man," Gajeel greeted casually.

"Gajeel," Makarov sighed, then peered at Wendy. "Wendy. What can I do for you two?"

"Dunno if what I'm here for is the same as her," Gajeel drawled, jerking a thumb in Wendy's direction, "But thought I should show ya. Noticed it yesterday." He took his phone out, messing around with it for a few seconds. He cursed the wards around the guildhall, and then finally handed it over.

Makarov's gaze sharpened. "Lucy went back?"

"S'what it looks like," Gajeel said with a shrug. "Thinkin' she lied to Salamander and his cat to keep 'em off of her tail."

"That's more than likely," he admitted before frowning. "This concerns me...I want you to keep an eye on this situation, Gajeel. Wendy can assist you. What can I do for you Wendy?"

Wendy rubbed her arms, silent for a moment. "Perhaps...I think what I'm feeling… Something's wrong." She lifted her gaze, searching Makarov's kind eyes. "I can feel it in the air, Master, something's terribly wrong. It's like the heavens themselves are angry and I can feel the shifts in the air. I think it may have to do with Lucy if what Gajeel said was right."

"Interesting…" Makarov narrowed his eyes. "I'll contact an associate of mine. She's close with Princess Hisui and her father. I want to see if they know anything about strange happenings in Bosco. I won't have Natsu knowing about this just yet either, is that clear?"

"Right," Wendy agreed and Gajeel just grunted in response.

Makarov watched as the two exited his office, and then whooshed out a soft sigh. "Lucy, my dear," he muttered, shaking his head in exasperation. "What on earth are you planning?"

His answer came in the form of silence.

An eerie silence that promised nothing but darkness.

* * *

 _Ha! I was so excited to release this chapter! Warning you all now...Jude is going to be one brutal bastard from here on out. ;)_

* * *

 ** _Reviews_**

 ** _TigerArrowgirl:_** _YES i did read the new update! I kind of love the scar, honestly. AND ALL OF THE NALU. Happy's snide little comment cracked em though. Lol.  
_

 ** _Moon Stone Tiger Lily:_** _Mm, wouldn't that be a lovely rescue. Lol. XD  
_

 ** _:_** _I agree. Natsu will definitely be pissed. Especially when he realizes what Jude's done to poor Lucy, eh?  
_

 ** _Nekokittygirl:_** _Of course! :D_ _  
_

 ** _PinkFireandGoldenStars:_** _Tremble in fear before what I have planned! AND YES i HAVE IT WAS GLORIOUS!  
_

 ** _ThatOneTroubleMaker:_** _And now so does Wendy! Lol. I'd say she's in for a lot of trouble. Poor precious Loke.  
_

 ** _heyitsmogan:_** _I don't know if you want to continue seeing what I have up my sleeve 'cause it's a bunch of plans that make me laugh and you guys cry. Lol.  
_

 ** _SunflowerChrysalis:_** _Poor Natsu, eh? Precious child that he is. The magical first kiss will be magical. ;) And not anytime soon, much to all of your disappointment. I don't think that horrible even begins to cover it.  
_

 ** _MehKitty:_** _Puppy Natsu would be absolutely adorable.  
_

 ** _Dragondancer81:_** _Thank you! And you shall not have to wait long!  
_

 ** _Ruine420:_** _Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoy it so much! :D_

 ** _ckc14:_** _Jason honestly frightened me a few times. He's a bit strange, yes? And I'm glad I made that day a bit better, lol.  
_

 ** _LePengwen:_** _Natsu's like a faithful dog waiting for his master to come back. In this case, he's very similar to a faithful dragon waiting for the chance to figure out where the fuck his hoard went. Lol.  
_

 _ **The Age of Awesomeness:** Natsu will not be pleased, will he? Definitely not a good day for the guild. Thank you!  
_

 ** _NaluLuva:_** _That is a lovely face that portrays your emotions. XD  
_

 ** _Mia Anime:_** _Cliffhangers are a beautiful creation. Giving off vibes like that is a good thing. Hope you enjoyed! :D  
_

 ** _NaLu and InuKag:_** _Wait no longer! ;)  
_

 ** _fanficlove2014:_** _Shivering is a good thing to do when thinking such dangerous thoughts, eh?  
_

 ** _Uzumaki Naho:_** _Doesn't want to disrupt the "peace" in the guild (what Gajeel's doing, anyhow). Although that won't keep up for long. Lol.  
_

 ** _Typhlosion8:_** _Not necessarily a very good exciting though, eh? Kinda that bad one that gets you eager to see more but makes you freak out. ;)  
_

 ** _Guest:_** _Have no worries, I have my superglue to piece your fragile self back together after the angst arrives. :D_

 ** _shippinginjune:_** _Gajeel the smart cookie! :D_ ** _  
_**

 ** _Sara lovelymusic:_** _Indeed. Though perhaps not soon. Lol.  
_

 ** _Miya:_** _Ah, the lengths of my chapters. They're the perfect size for me. I want certain things to happen, and I begin to run out of ideas after about 2500 words, so it's just right. :D_

 ** _Aya Rose:_** _Oh, my goodness. Thank you so much! Confusion over the connections is perfectly fine, 'cause that will all straighten out with time. :D And the update is sooner than soon, it is now. Lol.  
_


	65. Chapter 65

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy skimmed her fingers over the spines of the heavy leather books that lined the shelves in the room she found herself trapped in. It was her own bedroom, still decorated in various shades of pink. It would have been a beautiful room.

Had it not been her prison.

There was a pair of massive bookshelves made of beautifully shined mahogany wood. The white walls practically glowed in the light of the afternoon that radiated from a window covered by flowing curtains. A fuzzy pink rug was placed before a chest full of fancy and expensive clothing, and the chest itself rested in front of a massive king-sized bed. A couple thick blankets were piled on top of it and while Lucy knew it was far more comfortable then her bed back home, she wanted nothing to do with it.

In fact, she wanted nothing to do with any of the beautiful objects in the room.

Still, bored out of her mind and desperate to distract herself from the worry that came with thinking about her precious Spirits, Lucy plucked a leather book out of its place and made her way over to the chest She swept her skirts out of the way, sitting on it silently and placing the book on her lap.

She opened the cover, recognizing the old pages with a faint smile. One hand rose to grip the dragon at her throat for comfort as she began to read.

Lucy had no doubt in her mind that her father would publicly announce her return. And when he did, the news would spread like wildfire throughout the nearby countries - including Fiore. And when that happened...she was certain Natsu would hunt her down. He and Happy both knew just how much she hated it here, and how much she loved the guild.

They'd make sure she got home.

She hoped.

Lucy bit her lip, forcing her attention back on the book. Her fingers traced the page with each word she read, and she expertly lost herself within the story she'd read thousands of times. She was good at that; she could lose herself in a story if she truly wanted to.

It came with needing to get away from reality.

By the time evening finally came around, and a nervous looking servant came whisking through the door without even bothering to knock, Lucy was on a second book, the candles in her room lit to provide a gentle light. The servant - a man in his late fifties - held a platter of admittedly delicious looking food. "Don't bother," Lucy said tightly without looking up. "I don't want it."

"You need to eat, your Highness," he insisted, giving her a gentle and pleading look that she ignored. "It won't do well for you to starve yourself."

"Then bring me a loaf of bread or some other smaller food that doesn't cost so much. I don't want something that rich. It'll just make me sick." Lucy turned the page of her book, finally lifting her gaze. The servant met her brown eyes evenly. "Please."

"...yes, ma'am," he muttered, turning away.

An idea struck the blonde suddenly, and she lifted a hand as she requested, "Is there any way you could bring me paper and a pen? I'd like to write a letter. Without my father knowing, if possible. I'm sure he's told all of you to search every little thing I touch. I just want to let my editor know that I'll be late on my book's deadline."

The servant's lips twitched into a smile. "Of course, Princess Lucy," he said with a simple shrug of his shoulders. "I'd be more than willing to fetch such supplies for you. I am going into the city at nine to visit an ill friend. Would you like me to deliver it at the post office while I'm out? Without King Jude's knowledge?"

Lucy decided then and there that she liked the man before her, and she gave him a bright smile. "If you wouldn't mind. That'd be wonderful."

Perhaps there were still a few good people in this cold and heartless place. Then again, he was new. She didn't remember him from before her time in the Heartfilia Estate. So it might have had something to do with that.

When he'd returned with a plate of simpler food - a sandwich that actually looked pretty good - Lucy took it and tore a bite out before setting to work on writing a letter with the supplies he'd given her. "Please stop here on you're way out," she instructed. "And thank you."

"Of course."

She went back to work when he'd left, taking a second bite as her pen scrawled across the computer paper with ease. She'd seated herself on the rug, using the chest as a writing surface, and her gorgeous and uncomfortable dress had pooled around her.

At least her hair was up. She wouldn't have to worry about it falling in her face.

She couldn't do much without her Spirits, but she could still do something.

And something she would do. Like hell she'd sit around like a useless lump!

Lucy studied the letter when she was done, making sure it was just right before folding it up and putting it in the envelope. She sealed the envelope, glancing at the clock. Any minute now, the servant would be coming back, and when he did, Lucy would be ready.

Tomorrow, she was sure her father would call on her, force her to do something that had to do with his reassurance to the kingdom that she was home safe and everything would return to how it had been three years before. Knowing him, it'd be a speech in the nearby city, with her on display like some kind of caged animal. If not tomorrow, then within the next few days.

Not too long after that, he would pawn her off to the prince of the Pergrande Kingdom.

So Lucy was willing to bet that she was on limited time. Her father would try to rush through things so she had no chance of escape.

Hence the reason for her letter.

She had faith that it would set things up for if something went wrong with her current plan.

A knock on her door was heard, and Lucy hid the letter behind her back as she called for the knocker to enter, just in case it was someone she didn't want seeing it.

It was just the servant helping her, though. He smiled kindly, and Lucy returned it as she handed the letter to him. She'd written the address and whatnot on there, so she felt confident that it would arrive at its destination soon. "Tell them that this is official business from Lucy Heartfilia, the princess of Bosco. I want it delivered within the next twenty four hours."

"Yes, your Highness," the servant promised, bowing his head in respect before tucking the letter away in the jacket he'd tugged over his uniform. He winked and Lucy giggled, watching as he turned and hurried away, closing and locking the door of her room behind him.

There was only so much he could do, after all. It wouldn't work for him to be fired after helping her thus far.

After he'd left, Lucy took a deep breath and then rushed over to the window, studying just how far she'd have to drop to get out. In case of an emergency, of course.

Four stories was a little bit higher than she could easily survive though, so she sighed in disappointment. The tree she'd used the last time she'd run away had been cut down, too, so that didn't help her at all.

"Damn," the celestial mage muttered. "Too bad the Spirits can't just appear anywhere...that would be helpful."

Really helpful.

Grumbling, she turned away.

How the hell was she supposed to search the Heartfilia Estate when she was locked in a tower like Rapunzel?

* * *

The next morning found Lucy allowing one of the Estate's maids to help her do her hair. She'd been dressed in a long gown that was white at her chest and gradually gradiated into a deep blue towards her feet. It was thick, made for the cold, which made her aware of the fact that she was definitely going outside. It was strapless, and a blue shawl was drawn around her shoulders to keep her warm.

"Thanks," Lucy murmured as the maid stepped back. She studied her appearance in the mirror, taking in the extravagant style her hair had been fixed in. The maid bowed and then hurried back out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Lucy smirked.

She'd had a few victories today; only two, but they were victories, and she was about to have one more.

The first was her Fairy Tail emblem. The maid had covered it with makeup to try and hide it like Lucy's father had requested, but the celestial mage had scrubbed it off within moments, hiding it as best as she could behind her back. Like hell she'd let them "get rid" of it! It was the mark that showed she was a mage in a guild that held all of her friends. And it wasn't like they could get rid of it permanently either. Only Makarov could do that. He'd told her as much.

The second victory had been the necklace that was still clasped around her throat, the golden dragon gleaming in the light the open window brought. No matter how hard she had tried, the maid had been unable to take the choker off. Lucy hadn't bothered to try and help her.

Natsu would be pleased, she hoped.

Maybe it would even make up for her lying to him.

Lucy sighed. "There's no way I'm going to escape Erza's temper, let alone his…"

There was a sharp rap on the door. "Your Highness? The king is requesting that we take our leave now." A guard opened the door, clothed in a professional looking suit with a gun shoved into a holster at his hip.

"Right," Lucy agreed aloud, hurrying over to the door and tightening the shawl around her shoulders. She stepped outside, chin held high in pride as she let the guard guide her through the halls of her old home.

She couldn't wait to get back to her apartment, but first…

Every time they passed an open door, Lucy glanced through, searching for places her mother had hidden something.

It was when they were passing a familiar door that she decided it would be the first place she looked for her mother's diary when possible. Her father's study. The room she'd been brought to. The room that Loke had been shot in.

Her heart twisted at the thought of her Spirit, and she found herself desperately hoping that he was okay. "Loke," she murmured under her breath, "I hope you know what you're doing…"

He wanted the Spirit King mad at her father...why? Just how powerful was this Spirit?

The thought made her shiver.

Lucy forced the emotion from her face as they exited the building, her fingers clutching the skirts of her dress tightly enough that her knuckles were white. She'd have to hope that she didn't throttle Jude in the car she had to take with him into the city for the very speech she'd known he'd make. He was going to announce her return, soothe any issues with the local people, and then go back to dealing with making alliances.

She had to find her way into his study. _How?!_

* * *

The car ride with her father was more than just a little tiresome.

Lucy somehow managed to get through it, however. Jude's voice was harsh as he warned her about what would happen if she didn't do as he said. She listened in silence, pretending that she'd do as she was told. She already knew what she planned on saying, as she was now aware that it _would_ be a speech that was happening.

She pressed her shaking hands against her lap.

The celestial mage hoped that her letter had reached the designated destination by this point. If it hadn't...then there was no saying what would happen in regards to her partner. Natsu would storm the castle in an instant the second he caught sight of her dressed so formally.

Her fingers brushed against the golden dragon at her throat.

If her letter reached them in time, they'd keep him from coming. It'd give her a significant amount of time to search, and then ensured that someone would help her get out.

As the car came to a halt, Lucy clenched her jaw and allowed herself to be helped out of the car. Immediately, she was confronted by cameras flashing and eager reporters shoving microphones in her face.

She pushed past them, used to such things. It had happened all the time years before, when she'd been compliant to Jude's demands.

Not anymore.

Lucy squared her shoulders, preparing herself.

 _Time to show the people of Bosco who I really am._

* * *

 _I am utterly speechless. Cue some happy sobbing right here because...BTL reached 1,000 reviews! I can't thank you all enough! And, as a gift, instead or responding to reviews today, I will be releasing a preview of chapter one hundred! I know the number doesn't mean much to some people, but to me...thank you guys so, so much, and I hope you enjoy the preview!_

* * *

 _ **Sneak Peek of Chapter One Hundred!**  
_

 _They'd been planning this for years._

 _A shiver ran through her as Angel flipped something between her fingers, a cruel smile on her lips. Lucy watched; it was a coin of some sorts, older looking. "Cobra," she trilled with a sly smirk, "Come out, it's time for the party to start."_

 _Lucy jumped, whirling around so that her back was to Jellal's when feet hit the ground behind her. A grinning man was there, dark eyes piercing as he mused, "About damn time. Was fallin' asleep up there, waiting."_

 _Lucy took a deep breath as she tightened her grip on Virgo's key. Somehow, she felt as if there were about to be a fight. And she was proved right when Cobra launched himself at her, a laugh escaping him._

 _The princess slashed her key through the air. "Open! Gate of the Virgin! Virgo!"_

 _Virgo appeared beside her, thrusting the whip into her hands before setting to work on defending the blonde. Her eyes actually looked angry as she used her magic to create a wall of earth that protected Lucy from a venomous blow._

 _At the same time, Angel began her own attack. She threw a set of gold coins into the air and then giggled as a massive creature appeared, its head brushing the ceiling hundreds of feet above. It was stone in appearance, with a hammer in its hands and Jellal barely had enough time to throw up an attack of his own to deflect its own. He gritted his teeth at the effort it took, and silently prayed that the secret of magic wasn't revealed because of his blindness._

 _Lucy's whip snaked out to join her Spirit's attack and Cobra hissed in frustration when it caught him by the ankle, yanking his feet from underneath him. He hit the ground hard, rolling out of the way and spinning around at the same time so that he faced them on his stomach. Smirking, the next words he hissed made Lucy freeze in her tracks._

 _"Venom Dragon's Roar."_


	66. Chapter 66

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Something wrong?"

Mirajane glanced up from the envelope she held in her hands, looking troubled. "...yes," she said finally, answering her brother's question and her sister's curious look. As usual, they were the first ones at the guildhall. It was still dark out, nearly five in the morning. Elfman didn't always come in with she and Lisanna, preferring to get more sleep, but he'd agree to help them finish taking down the Christmas decorations. "It's just...we received a letter this morning, quite early considering the mailman doesn't come around until noon."

"Really?" Lisanna hung up her coat, rubbing her arms as she turned on the heating for the building. It would warm up soon, she hoped. "From who?"

"That's just the thing." Mirajane held the letter up, showing them. Both gawked at the scarlet seal that decorated it;one name written in beautiful calligraphy on the front of the letter: Makarov. "It's for Master, but...it looks like...well, you know."

"When will Master be in?" Lisanna mused.

"Soon, I hope...he usually comes in just a few minutes before the usual stream of people looking for breakfast comes. Natsu will be here bright and early, too, looking for Lucy. He said she should be coming back soon."

"Don't worry about it, Mira," Elfman told her as he rolled up his sleeves, struggling due to the massive muscles he supported. "Master will be here eventually. There's no rush."

"I suppose you're right…" Mirajane tucked the letter nervously into her dress, and then hurried to help start taking down decorations.

* * *

The second Makarov arrived at precisely eight o'clock in the morning, Mirajane hurried over to him, blue eyes wide. There were a few people in the guildhall by this point - Natsu included, looking disappointed that Lucy wasn't there despite Happy's attempts to cheer him up - and it made her nervous for some reason. "Master," she said quietly upon reaching him.

Makarov paused in taking his coat off. "Yes? What is it?"

She brushed some silver hair out of her face. "A letter arrived at our home early this morning...it's meant for you, I believe." She withdrew the letter and offered it to him. "I wouldn't normally be worried, but look at the crest."

"...Bosco's royal family's," he recognized. His gaze became serious. "Come with me, please." Makarov searched the guildhall, landing upon a grumpy looking Gajeel, who was watching his girlfriend search for a job to take with her team. Pantherlily sat on the table beside him. "Gajeel," he called. "Come here for a moment."

The iron dragon slayer narrowed his eyes suspiciously, his piercings glinting in the light of the guildhall. But he hauled himself up from his seat and came over with a huff, crossing his arms. "The hell do you want?"

Makarov said nothing, merely waved for both to follow him. They all felt the curious stares of their nakama as Makarov guided the two into his office. When Mirajane had closed the door behind them, Makarov went to work on opening the letter, skimming through it quickly. He frowned, brow furrowing with each word.

 _Dear Master Makarov,_

 _If you are not aware by this point, I've returned to Bosco for the time being due to personal reasons. There is the possibility that I may or may not discover more about my mother and her connections. I don't wish to say more than that._

 _I doubt it'll be long before Natsu realizes that something's wrong. Or someone else, I guess. Some people have probably already seen things on me being back. Don't let him leave yet._

 _My father, the king of Bosco, Jude Heartfilia, will undoubtedly force me into the public's eye to announce my official return. He'll make some kind of speech. His next aim after that will be to try and marry me off._

 _Here's the issue: he's taken my keys. And my phone, but my keys are more important. It was the first thing he did upon my arrival at the Estate. Loke, who changed his appearance and was known as Leo in his time with my mother, has been forced back to the Celestial Realm, leaving me with only my two hands. I have no way of fending off such things. It will, however, take time to arrange marriages with whoever decides to strike up an alliance with Bosco._

 _Again, don't let Natsu leave yet. Knowing him, he'll try to rush to drag me back, but I need a little bit of time to search for those things that have to do with my mother. Of course, first I have to get out of a locked room...I should have brought Happy. A four story jump out a window wouldn't be so bad then. Returning to important matters, I need at least a week or two._

 _So here's a request. Give me that time to search. If I haven't returned to Magnolia by then, could you send some kind of help? I can't get out of here again. Not by myself. My father has blocked off my previous escape route, so…I know it's a lot to ask and I haven't been in the guild for too long. But please. I can't do this alone._

 _~Lucy_

Makarov looked troubled as he handed the letter to Mirajane for her to read, and then said to Gajeel, "Lucy had indeed gone back to Bosco, just as you suspected."

Gajeel scowled. "Great. What the fuck is Bunny Girl thinking? Does she want Salamander to go in there and start a war with an entire country?"

"She's there on personal business," Mirajane murmured, narrowing her eyes in thought. "I'll go if she's not back in a week, Master. A lot of us would go if you let us."

"Keeping Natsu here will be quite the problem," Makarov sighed. "He already is worried that he'll be told he isn't responsible enough to be her partner…"

Mirajane's eyes sparkled slightly as she told him, "I'm pretty sure they're a bit closer than friends, even if neither of them doesn't know just yet."

The iron dragon slayer grunted, annoyed with their "ridiculous" comments. "He's probably including her as a part of his hoard. Salamander's a fan of gold. Why the hell wouldn't he? Haven't exactly seen anyone with hair as golden as Bunny Girl's. Trust me, it's not what you're thinking, lady."

"The point is," Makarov cut in, "Lucy isn't here. She's currently in a situation that could end badly for everyone. So I want you two to keep an eye on him. As long as he doesn't find out that Lucy has gone back to Bosco until it's time for her to come back-"

A commotion outside interrupted him and the trio exchanged looks before Mirajane hurried out of the office, Makarov and Gajeel close behind with curious looks on their faces. Well, Makarov looked curious. Gajeel looked as grumpy as always, his red eyes narrowed into slits as he went to find Levy.

None other than Romeo was the cause of the commotion. His eyes were wide as he shouted for someone to pull out the large multi-use lacrima. Everyone was scrambling to their feet in bewilderment, a few mages hurrying to do just that.

"Well," Mirajane murmured to the master of the guild. "I believe Lucy's about to be announced."

Makarov only nodded, his eyes darting to the fire mage who only watched in silence. His onyx eyes followed the movement of his guildmates, his chin resting on arms that had been folded on top of a table. His usually spiked hair hung in his eyes.

But the menacing aura about him kept everyone - even Happy - away from him. He was clearly unhappy, and just daring someone to piss him off further.

Makarov smiled slightly. He missed Lucy. Never had Makarov thought he'd see this brat in particular so attached to anyone but Happy.

So when the missing celestial mage's voice rang out from the lacrima, it wasn't surprising to see Natsu hurtling over the table to get a look.

* * *

Natsu had been at the guildhall all morning, moping - though he'd say otherwise of course. He wasn't one to mope. He was usually a busybody, up and moving constantly, unable to sit still.

Without Lucy there, though, there really wasn't a point to running around and being crazy destructive like usual. Who would threaten to not cook him meals and whatnot? He hoped she came back from visiting her editor soon...he wanted to hear her shout at him and then get exasperated when he countered her words with something playful.

He missed Lucy.

But she'd be back soon, so there was nothing to worry about.

Until Romeo came flying into the guildhall, shouting at them to yank out the giant lacrima they sometimes watched movies or the news on. Levy, who was closest, went to work on yanking it out with a confused look on her face. Others climbed to their feet. In mere moments Levy had turned the giant lacrima on, and Romeo was turning the channels on it to find the right one.

Natsu glanced over when Makarov left his office with Gajeel and Mirajane to see what was going on. His gaze followed the iron dragon slayer as he went to stand beside Levy. He was silent, standing there with his arms crossed, but Levy didn't seem to notice, instead staring at the lacrima.

When Lucy's voice filled the air, Natsu vaulted over the table to get to the lacrima. He stopped before it, staring in surprise as Happy hovered beside him.

She was standing on a beautiful balcony several feet above the massive crowd of people gathered around her. Her face was set in a stony look, her long dress brushing her ankles. She tightened the shawl she wore uneasily around her, and Natsu glared suspiciously at the older man behind her, who was giving her a look that just dared her to go against him.

 _"I am Lucy Heartfilia,"_ she was saying. _"The princess of Bosco. And I have returned momentarily to my home country."_

She was clearly used to public speaking. She spoke loudly in a strong voice that rang out over the people gathered, and she held herself in a way that was nearly defiant. She kept shooting small glares at the man behind her. Applause rang out, and Lucy's lips twitched into a smile before she raised a hand to stop it, waiting until there was silence before continuing.

Natsu listened intently, ignoring the whispers of the guild around them.

 _"Many of you have questions on where I've been for the past three years. I've been living in Fiore as a normal citizen, not some visiting guest of higher power. I've been working as an author by the name of Layla Cor - some of you have read the books I wrote, I'm sure. I've payed rent, just like any of you. I have a car that's currently falling apart and didn't have the money to get a new one. I've learned what it's like to live as you do, without the benefits of endless money._

 _"And you want to know something?"_ Lucy smiled hugely on the screen, her dark eyes glittering with barely concealed triumph as her father snarled something behind her. _"It sucks. I've been in situations that most people wouldn't have found themselves in, and I've learned from all of this. I don't intend to stay, either. I fully intend to return to where I've made myself a home in Fiore. I'll take over the throne here when it's time for me to do so, of course. I wouldn't abandon you all to the chaos that sometimes occurs._

 _"Here's the thing. Just like any of you, I've made friends, who mean the world to me. I hope they feel the same way about me, though I can't exactly clarify that, now can I? You can't read someone's mind, after all. And I'm going to go back to them. I've probably scared a few of them, pissed them off a bit. Hopefully they'll forgive me._

 _"Anyways...back onto original plans. I've been through what many of you struggle with. I want you to know that."_

Natsu's eyes watched as the older man, who he assumed to be Lucy's father, the king of Bosco and the one who was probably enraged with what she was saying if his face was anything to go by, stepped forward and grabbed her wrist to drag her away. People were cheering and applauding and practically screaming their approval, but none of them noticed the pain that flashed across her face, the way her face flinched as pain raced through her.

His eyes became angry slits as a soft growl escaped him, smoke leaking out of the corners of his mouth in his anger. A fire burned at the back of his throat and he wanted to _destroy_ , truly _destroy_. He wanted to tear the world apart simply because Jude Heartfilia had hurt his Lucy's wrist.

Before Lucy could be dragged out of sight, however, she ripped herself free, squared her shoulders.

And then she threw her arm up as high as she could, showing off the back of her right hand. The Fairy Tail emblem seemed to glow in the light of the day. Her thumb and finger were extended, the rest of her fingers curled towards her palm.

And then she was hauled away, leaving an excited crowd to mutter to each other.

The entire guild was silent for a second, and then Levy burst into hysterical laughter. Her hands rose to cover her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles. "Oh, my-" She cut off again, unable to stop the laughter.

"She's one of our mages, that's for sure," Macao muttered to the man beside him. Wakaba nodded thoughtfully without saying anything.

Erza, who'd arrived only moments before they'd pulled the lacrima out alongside Gray and Juvia, looked proud. "Lucy is strong; even if she has gone home for the time being, she'll be back before we know it."

Happy looked anxious as he flew over to sit on her shoulder. His tail twitched back and forth in anxiety. "She didn't want to go back though...I hope she's okay…"

"She'll be fine." Makarov's voice surprised them, and they all looked over at him. Their guildmaster was standing beside Mirajane, wearing an amused look. He held a letter above his head, and Natsu recognized the fancy writing on it instantly. "A letter from Lucy arrived this morning. She requires time to search for something that may have connections to her mother. She has asked for one week, maybe two. I fully intend to give her that time before sending one or two of you hooligans after her. So, _Natsu_." He turned a fierce look on the dragon slayer, who scowled back at him. "Do _not_ sneak off. is that clear? I will consider allowing you to be the one to fetch her if you behave."

Natsu grumpily spat a small flame at his feet. "Whatever," he snarled, clearly not in a good mood. His gaze darkened hatefully as he pictured the tight grip Jude had had on his daughter. "But don't bother sending anyone with me when I go get her. I want to do it alone."

"Natsu," Erza began irritably, clearly disapproving of the way he was talking to their master, but Makarov interrupted.

"I wouldn't expect less. She's your partner. Don't be too harsh when you go to get her though." Makarov tossed the letter at him, and Natsu caught it, reading over the words carefully. "She's there for reasons and it'll be punishment enough for running off without a word of warning. Now. Back to your daily whatevers, brats. I've got some paperwork to do."

Natsu felt a flash of frustration as Happy mournfully draped himself on his pink-haired head. Anger and rage filled him, followed by betrayal at the fact that she'd left them behind without so much as a word of warning.

 _Dammit, Lucy! Why'd you lie?_

* * *

 _And...they've found out! Natsu's not happy, eh? Hope you enjoyed! And, due to the massive amounts of reviews I've been receiving, I'm going to end my response section. I will still thank you all (similar to as I do with Paranormal) and answer any questions here, so make sure to keep an eye out! I do read all of your reviews, but it's begun to take up too much time for me to do, so...forgive me?_

 _Thanks to all who reviewed (Guest, Shidake, SunflowerChrysalis, TigerArrowgirl, Nekokittygirl, heyitsmogan, ThatOneTroubleMaker, shippinginjune, Aya Rose, NaLu and InuKag, The Age of Awesomeness, AJDrakes, Uchida Akira, PinkFireandGoldenStars, MehKitty, zzMiya-chanzz, Treblemkr, Knightwalker, MandDsGirl, SingingAngel327, Dragondancer81, Sara lovelymusic, PuckSabrinaDaphne, and AngelEmCuti!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	67. Chapter 67

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy wore a stony look on her face as she tightened her shawl around her shoulders, shivering slightly from the chill of the day that she'd been standing in. She'd been in the car for going on twenty minutes now, as her father finished up his own speaking, and she was _still_ cold.

That might have been because she was expecting severe scolding and possibly worse though.

Lucy checked the bruise on her wrist, which had begun to form fairly quickly in the time she'd been sitting in the car. She'd always been quick to bruise, so it wasn't a surprise, but it hurt her to think that it had likely been seen on public television. If what she thought was right, her guild would have seen.

She hoped nobody - particularly a certain dragon slayer - threw a fit.

The celestial mage felt a pang of loneliness as she traced the Fairy Tail emblem, longing for the guild and her Spirits. She missed all of them desperately.

Damn, she'd forgotten how truly horrible this place was to her.

She'd seen the truth in the words Amelia Swanson had spoken so long ago. _"The country is falling into ruins,"_ the snobby girl had told them. _"The king is spending all of the country's money on searching for her, and it's ruining the lives of those that live there."_

Lucy had seen the way the clothes clung to some of the citizens' bodies, the slim look of the children's faces despite their brilliant smiles and excitement at seeing their royal family. It made her sick to think that all of the money that had been taken from them when the taxes had been raised was because she'd been on the run.

She rested her head back, closing her eyes. She couldn't even get out of the car and leave, because it was a car specially designed to only unlock from the button the driver controlled. What the hell was she supposed to do?

A knock on the window made her jump.

The face on the other side of the glass had her gawking in absolute shock.

" _Loke_?" she breathed, pressing her hands and face against the glass. The Spirit only grinned broadly at her, showing off canine teeth that rivaled the sharpness of Natsu's as he winked.

"See you in a bit," was all he said, his voice muffled. He disappeared in a flash of light.

A few minutes later, her father slid into the car. His gaze was hard, and rather than greeting her or telling her that everything had been finished and figured out, he snarled, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Lucy raised her chin, clenching her jaw and not saying a single word. If he was going to make this difficult, she'd respond in turn. So she turned her face away towards the window, just as she'd done on the way to the capital of Bosco.

Jude lost his temper.

He grabbed Lucy by the chin, forcing her to look at him. She glared defiantly into his eyes as he spat, "Do you think you're little speech will do anything for you? It changes _nothing_. You will _not_ return to that damn guild of yours. Is that clear? I will tear it to the ground."

Lucy finally spoke, and her voice was dark with rage at the threat. "Go ahead," she bit out. "Try it. I _dare_ you. Do you really think you can take down Fairy Tail? Fairy Tail is a guild of mages, people who have powers that you don't. And not only that, but there are several allies who would be quick to come to their aid if you tried anything. I'm pretty sure the Magic Council and the Celestial Realm wouldn't approve either." Jude's eyes flashed with anger, but Lucy kept going. "Yeah. I've learned about all of it since you sent Phantom Lord to retrieve me. They weren't going to bring me back, by the way. They actually nearly killed me. Without Fairy Tail, you wouldn't have an heir to your throne. I hope you know that."

"Better dead then doing whatever you were doing. This country doesn't need a leader who will run rather than face their problems head on." Jude sat back, not looking the least bit bothered by his daughter's horrified look. He called for the driver to go, and Lucy shivered slightly as she hugged herself.

She wanted to go home more than ever.

At least Loke was running around somewhere...right?

* * *

Nearly an hour later found Lucy stepping into her room. Her legs shook with each step, and she nearly collapsed there in the doorway. The door slammed shut behind her, locking her in. She bit the back of her hand sharply to keep herself from crying.

She hadn't cried yet. She refused to do so over such a ridiculous matter. Makarov would receive her letter and she'd go home within the slotted time she'd given them. Hopefully.

The tired celestial mage dropped her hand and moved to stagger over to the bed, deciding it would be better to sleep then to stay awake at the moment.

And then a hand suddenly slapped over her mouth, another grabbing her shoulder to trap her where she stood.

Her instincts kicked in. Lucy bit down as hard as she could just a split second before she recognized the cool metal pressed against her skin.

"Shit, Lucy!" Loke swore as he ripped his hand away, looking at it with a shocked expression. "I'm bleeding...what the hell! Do you have a fetish for biting or something?!"

Lucy's face flushed at his choice of words. "No! You scared me, okay?!" She took a moment to compose herself, adjusting the ridiculously long dress she wore and longing for her jeans before blinking. "...how are you here? I don't have my keys-"

"Now you do." Loke winked, twirling a familiar ring of keys around his finger. Lucy's face lit up as he tossed the to her followed by her phone. "I nabbed them after I reappeared last night. Had to hide in the shadows of your father's room. Things work differently in my realm, remember?"

Lucy's gaze darkened as her keys warmed, their metal heated in her hand. The sensation was comforting, but she simply tossed them onto her bed with her phone and reached up to pull his head down with gentle hands. She searched him for injuries, her brown drawn downward. "...are you okay?" she finally asked. "I was so worried…"

Loke flashed her a reassuring smile. "Just fine," he promised. "I actually managed to get out of there before the bullet hit. We can thank the Spirit King for that. He'd like to meet with you in person, actually, but now's not the time for that. When things calm down I'll take you to see him."

Lucy sighed in relief. "Thank goodness…" She released him and made her way over to her keys, picking them up again and hugging them to her chest. "Can you keep them with you since I can't?" she asked cautiously. "He'll find them again if they're on me. My phone, too."

"Sure thing. It's a special occasion, so the Spirit King said I could." The Spirit thoughtfully looked around the room for a moment before drawling, "The phone's charged by the way. I used some magic from our world to do it...you won't have to worry about charging it ever again, actually. Was kinda hard...magic's hard to work into things like that."

Lucy's eyes glowed with her happiness. "Thank you, Loke," she told him. She scooped the device up as she sat on her bed, checking the time. She searched her text messages, checking each one with care. Her gaze softened at the worried ones she'd received from Natsu and a few other friends from the past day or two, asking if she was okay and how she was doing.

And then there was the newest text.

Tears filled her eyes and she gave a choked laugh. "Natsu must have seen or heard about the speech I made," she told Loke as he dropped onto the bed beside her. She showed her phone to him. "He sent it only an hour or so ago, just after I finished talking…"

 _One week. Got it?_

Loke chuckled. "That's Natsu, alright…"

Lucy smiled warmly at the screen, and then carefully typed in her response, glad the connection worked despite the distance. She wrote it carefully, murmuring each word aloud as she typed it, _Yep. Sorry. Clean out my fridge for me, would you? The milk spoils soon._

It wasn't even a few minutes later that a phone call came. Lucy grinned; he must have been away from the guildhall at the moment. Otherwise he wouldn't have ever responded back that quickly. She answered the phone immediately. "Hello?"

"What the hell are you thinking, Luce?"

She grimaced at his angry tone. She could hear the underlying betrayal evident in his tone with ease. "I know, I know," she said quietly. She was grateful that the walls around her were practically soundproof. "I'm sorry. I had to come here, okay? I knew you wouldn't have let me and I couldn't let you or any of the other mages come. He had Loke shot as it is."

"He _what_?"

"I'm fine," Loke muttered into the phone, plucking it from her fingers and putting it on speaker, turning the volume down. "I've got the situation handled, dragon slayer. Don't go about thinking you can just waltz in here. Not even you can take a bullet to the brain and live."

Natsu gave a sharp growl in response. "Obviously. I'm not stupid, Loke."

"I dunno," he drawled in response. "After Christmas and your lack of comprehension…"

"Loke," Lucy gritted out. "Shut up." She snatched the phone back and said firmly into it, "Natsu. I'm your partner, right?"

"Yes," he answered immediately. He sounded confused, and Lucy grinned. There was her Natsu, the utterly lost and confused dragon slayer who had no idea what was going on half the time.

"And you trust me?"

"Completely."

"Then believe me when I say that I will be fine and back in one week, okay?" Lucy bit her lip. That all depended on how long it took her father to realize that something was amiss. But she could try. "And trust Loke. He can protect me just fine."

"It's not him I'm worried about," Natsu huffed in response, sounding miserable. "What if _you_ get shot?"

"He wouldn't dare." Not entirely true. For all she knew, Jude would be more than willing to shoot her if she didn't cooperate. He was only so patient. Most of the time, it was get it done and get it done now in the way he wanted.

Lucy didn't exactly fall into that routine with ease.

"He needs an heir to the throne after all, and my death would piss the country off after my speech today. I hope." Lucy smiled at her lap, ignoring the annoyed muttering Loke was doing beside her. "You can come barging in after one week, okay? I'll even let you burn a few things. But I have to find something first."

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu gave a huge sigh. "Happy says hello by the way. He says he wants to claw you, too."

"I'll yank his tail off."

"...crazy woman."

"Says the one who can't stop burning things," Lucy retorted playfully. "Thank you, Natsu. I'll owe you one."

"Yeah. A big freaking dinner with desert."

"Sure, sure. But that means we'll have to take a couple jobs first, because I don't have the money to pay rent and pay for that at the same time."

"Works for me!" Natsu sounded a bit happier despite the fact that he was still upset about the situation. "Send me a text if you need anything." He was suddenly serious again, his voice quiet as he spoke. " _Anything_ , Luce. Ya hear me?"

"I hear you." Her own voice was full of affection and gratitude. "Bye."

"Yeah. Bye."

She hung up and then handed her phone to Loke, who was watching with a somewhat grumpy look on his face. "One day," she mused, "I'll get you to tell me why you don't like Natsu. But until then, hold onto this, would you? Don't want my father taking it...and could you come back at around eleven? We can get out the window with your help now, and then climb through another open window to search the Estate."

Loke snorted. "Sure." He unhooked a key, placing it in her palm. "It's mine. It has to be nearby in order for me to come on my own magic. I'll have Virgo give me a whip you can use when it comes time for Natsu to show up. I'll keep it with your things."

"Thanks, Loke. Now leave before someone sees you, okay?" She smiled warmly, patting the Spirit's arm and watching as he winked. He disappeared in a flash of light, and Lucy turned away, shoving the golden key into the front of her dress.

At least she wouldn't have to worry about Jude ordering a man to shove his hand down her dress in search of it.

* * *

 _Loke's back and Lucy apparently likes biting everyone! Lol. Silly Lucy._

 _Thanks to reviewers (MehKitty, CharonteQueen, Sunflower Chrysalis, TigerArrowgirl, NaLu and InuKag, The Age of Awesomeness, Dragondancer81, AngelEmCuti, shippinginjune, Luci, niyah606, zzMiya-chanzz, SingingAngel327, PinkFireandGoldenStars, mysticmuse31, OgaxHilda, heyitsmogan, Guest, Shidake, Uzumaki Naho, Nekokittygirl, misssbehavin, and ThatOneTroubleMaker!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	68. Chapter 68

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy slid her shoes from her feet, drawing a robe around her form for warmth as she glanced at the clock on her wall.

Almost time.

Loke would be there at any moment to get them into the main part of the castle, and the first place she'd search was her father's study.

She'd abandoned the long dress from earlier hours before. While she still hated dresses for the most part - well, dresses when she was forced to wear them - it was easier to run in the thin night dress she wore then in a full length dress made for warmth and parties.

Despite expecting him at any moment, Lucy still squeaked when his elbow descended on her head. The Spirit leaned heavily against her, his eyes hidden by the shades he wore. "You need to be more careful, Lucy," he told her with a grin. "It's not good for you to not look over your shoulder. People could be after you from any direction."

"Noted," Lucy said firmly. "Thank you, for the tip, Loke. Let's go. If everything goes well, we can get out of here sooner rather than later."

"I agree with that plan." Loke carefully picked her up, scooping her into his arms gently. Lucy's arms went around for balance, and she nodded towards the already open window. "Four stories down. And then we need to find a way back in. Getting out will be easier than getting in."

Loke gave a curt nod and then moved towards the window.

He didn't hesitate to step out of it.

Lucy gasped as they fell through the air, but Loke wasn't the least bit bothered as he landed lightly in the snowy grass below the window. He gave her a moment, and then started forward, searching for an open window. "Should have grabbed you some shoes…"

"How are we going to get back up there?" Lucy mused to herself. "We'll be seen if we get back in through the inside of the building. There's a guard posted at my door."

"Don't worry," Loke mused, grinning as he suddenly crouched, his eyes locked on an open window. "I can jump pretty damn high…"

Lucy's eyes went wide. "Are you freaking - gah!" She squeaked when he threw himself high into the air, darting a hand out to catch the top of the window frame before they could fall back to the earth. She clutched to his suit with terrified eyes, unable to help herself as he expertly twisted them inside again.

"There!" Loke said cheerfully as he put her down. "Done. See? Your window will be no - _ow_!"

"Jerk," Lucy seethed. She glared at him for a moment as he nursed the arm he'd smacked dramatically, then turned and studied the room they were in, carefully figuring out where they were in the Estate. "Let's see...I want to check my father's study first. That'll be a flight up from here and a few doors down...come on, this way."

Lucy tiptoed out of the room with Loke close behind her, guiding the Spirit despite knowing he knew his way around. She could feel the heat of his key against her flesh, the metal pressing into it. She'd managed to safely tuck it in her dress again, and she could sense the difference; the key felt empty, as if its presence had been erased since Loke was out and about.

"Loke," Lucy said suddenly as an idea struck her. Her voice was hushed, a whisper as she glanced curiously at him. "Can you sense the other Spirits' keys? The ones I don't have?"

"I can sense them." Loke studied her as he picked his words with care. "But I can't tell you when one's around. The curse won't let me. You broke most of it, but there's still bits and pieces left. The Spirit King can't just let me get away with murder you know…"

"Point taken," she murmured, coming to a stop before the doors to her father's study. She quietly listened to make sure no one was inside, and then tested the heavy doors. "Damn. Locked."

"Move aside, Princess," the Lion said with a smug little look. "I have this handled."

He placed a hand on one of the doors' handles, his eyes focused as he stood there. There was a moment of silence, followed by a soft click. Lucy gawked as he pushed the door open. "I'll teach you how to manipulate your magic in a more physical way when you're stronger," he promised with a small laugh, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Until then, you have yet to practice your spell."

Lucy huffed. "I can't just practice that one in the middle of Magnolia, you know, there are too many people around."

Loke looked annoyed as he said it, but he said it anyways. "Just have Natsu and Happy fly you somewhere into the forest. At the most, the people without magic will think an earthquake's happened."

"Got it." She stepped into the room, looking around. It was just as it had been, with books piling a shelf on every wall. Lucy made a face. "So many…"

"Layla's diary will be hard to find," Loke agreed, rubbing his chin as he studied the books. "But I've seen what it looks like, so that'll help...find one of the plainest most boring of leather-bound books, Princess...here. Summon one of the others to help." He tossed a familiar set of keys to her and Lucy studied the golden ones carefully before deciding.

Soon, the two of them and Virgo were searching through the books. Lucy grimaced as Virgo scolded her for losing their keys in her monotone voice, but the three enjoyed themselves.

It was hours into their search that Lucy began to lose strength, exhaustion sweeping over her. Both Spirits sensed it, and Virgo gave a rare smile as she bowed to Lucy, chiming, "I apologize, Princess. Perhaps it is time you returned to your room? I will help you search again tomorrow evening if that's what you wish."

Lucy sighed heavily, clearly not wanting to return to her room, where she'd be alone for hours and hours; she couldn't ask Loke to say, as there would be a risk to someone coming in and seeing him. So she nodded curtly and carefully placed a book back on the shelf. "Alright," she muttered. "See you later, Virgo."

Virgo simply disappeared in a flash of light.

"Ready to go?" Loke offered his arms to pick her up again and Lucy reluctantly let him.

"Try anything," she said tiredly, "And you'll end up with Natsu pounding your face in."

"Ah, the beloved dragon slayer," Loke mumbled sarcastically, "My heart bleeds, Princess. How could you choose such an unsophisticated person over me?"

Lucy flushed a brilliant red and smacked his chest as he made his way through the doors, pausing to lock them again before darting for a window. "Shut up."

* * *

The next morning found Lucy hauling herself out of bed at the request of a maid. She shooed the maid out, telling her she'd dress herself, and was _very_ careful as she shoved Loke's key down into the front of the dress the maid had pulled out for her. She didn't want to lose the only key she had of course.

The key warmed reassuringly against her skin as she learned that her father needed to have a word for her.

 _This isn't good,_ Lucy fretted as she was led down a corridor by the maid. _Did he find out that my keys and phone are gone…?_

When she saw the look on his face, Lucy knew it was just that. He looked furious, but Lucy simply pushed her shoulders back and looked him in the eye. She had Loke's key, but it should have been safe where it was.

Hopefully.

"Where are they?" Jude growled, looking enraged from where he stood, his arms crossed. His entire body was tensed with rage.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about, Father."

"Lies," he barked. "Where are the keys, Lucy? I'm having a few guards search your room even as we speak. Speak now and I'll consider letting you walk around for a few minutes each day."

"I don't know," Lucy said simply. The hidden key was practically searing into her chest and she nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice hissed into her mind, _"Don't worry, we're watching over you. If he tries anything, I'll be there."_

Huh. Well that was new...and kind of freaky if Lucy was being perfectly honest. But she ignored Loke as best as she could while smirking at her father. "Sorry to disappoint you, Father, I don't have a single clue as to where my keys are...I can promise you that I'll get them back soon enough though, I'm sure. The Spirits they belong to don't appreciate being taken from their master, you see."

"Are you threatening the king of Bosco, Lucy?" Jude said irritably, not looking away when she met his gaze. "That is considered treason."

"Consider it however you want," Lucy said simply, waving the words off without concern. "I don't really care. I got my point across to the world when I gave my little speech the other day. Just how hard would it be to protect yourself against a mob of people?" She cocked her head mockingly. "I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate their princess, who relates with them on a completely new level, being declared a traitor."

"...get out of my sight," he spat bitterly.

"Gladly." Lucy huffed out a soft sigh of relief as she turned away and Loke silently congratulated her on getting through the conversation before his presence disappeared from her head, returning to how he'd been lately: quiet, but present.

A guard escorted her towards the door rather than a maid, and Lucy suddenly paused to mutter over her shoulder, her gaze piercing, "Mother would be ashamed of you, treating her daughter in such a way. Remember that when you realize you've long since driven away the last family you have."

Lucy didn't glance back again.

* * *

" _...Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Forgive me,_

 _Gentle one._

 _The darkness,_

 _Will soon be gone,_

 _And shine bright,_

 _Will your sun…"_

The celestial mage glanced over at her Spirit in surprise as he brushed past her, singing the song softly under his breath. He reached over her head for a book, flipping through the pages before moving onto a different one.

Finally, she interrupted. "Loke...where'd you learn that song? Mother used to sing it."

He glanced at her in surprise, and then grinned, waving for Aries to continue searching through the books. Lucy had brought her out this time to assist them, and the shy Ram was more than willing to do so. "Layla. She sang it a lot when we were around...I thought she wanted us to catch on, so we memorized it for the most part."

Lucy tucked a lock of hair behind her ear in thought. "Hm...Mother used to sing it to me all the time. It was her favorite...every time I was near her, it seemed like she was singing it…" She slammed her book shut and shoved it back onto the shelf of the Estate's library. "I doubt it's here...we'll have to try somewhere new tomorrow evening."

Loke made a soft sound of agreement. "Lucy, we're running out of time...if you don't find it tomorrow evening, then you're not going to find it period. Natsu should be coming the day after tomorrow."

Lucy snorted, suddenly shifting uncomfortably. "...honestly? I don't think he is." The blonde looked over her shoulder at the curiously listening Aries with a gentle smile. "He wouldn't answer his phone or any of the texts I've sent...I wonder if Master's confiscated it? But then he would have been running around using other people's phones…"

"It's possible." Loke shrugged. "I knew Igneel for quite some time before he disappeared on everyone. And I met with Natsu once or twice when he was a child." Loke paused, gaze thunderous for the briefest of moments. "Neither were very good at planning things through. While I don't like that idiot a single bit, I doubt he'll let you stay here. If that necklace of yours isn't proof enough, then I don't know what is. But Natsu thinks of you as someone very close to him. He'll be here." Loke patted his master on the head affectionately. "Now...let's go back, shall we? Don't want someone figuring out that you've gotten out now…"

"Right." Lucy bit her lip, turning to Aries and smiling at her. "Thank you, Aries. You can go back though...do you want to help some more tomorrow evening?"

Aries smiled hesitantly. "If you don't mind."

"Of course not. I'll summon you when we're ready." Lucy waved and Aries bowed her head before vanishing.

Lucy sighed softly as she swept her hands down her dress, unable to get her mind off of the dragon slayer who had yet to respond to her. _Idiot! What the hell are you doing, shouting at me and then doing this? How am I supposed to know when to be ready?_

"I'll just have to put my faith in him," Lucy finally relented.

"I wouldn't," Loke said with a huff as he scooped her up, preparing to jump out of the room's window. Luckily, it wasn't too far of a drop, only one story compared to the four he'd have to hop momentarily. "I'll give you a piece of advice, Princess. Don't put your faith into someone who hasn't given you everything."

Lucy only smiled. "Then who would I have to put my faith in?"

Loke couldn't answer that.

* * *

 _And...a rather small and uneventful chapter. Things will pick up soon!_

 _Thanks to those who reviewed (The Age of Awesomeness, TigerArrowgirl, Typhlosion8, SunflowerChrysalis, , Tobias97, MehKitty, Sara lovelymusic, Uzumaki Naho, Amerigo, mariahcarmichael3, heyitsmogan, SingingAngel327, ThatOneTroubleMaker, UchidaAkira, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Luci, Dragondancer81, niyah606, zzMiya-chanzz, shippinginjune, Sassybratt, Guest #1, ILoveAnime2010, Aya Rose, Guest #2, AngelEmCuti, celestialbookworm, KittyKlaw, PuckSabrinaDaphne, Sam, Shidake, and Naluforever!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	69. Chapter 69

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy paced her room, skirts swirling around her ankles as she contemplated what to do, nearly in a panic over the matter.

One day.

She had one day to find her mother's diary before she lost the chance forever. Because coming back to the Heartfilia Estate after this would mean the end of her freedom. And more than likely her friendships with the mages back home, because she knew they wouldn't appreciate constant attempts at throwing one's self into danger.

"Damn it," she seethed, ignoring the reassuring warmth of Loke's key against her flesh.

It was on her tenth round of walking in circles around her room that she stopped dead in her tracks, noticing the fact for the first time since arriving to the Estate. Lucy's brown eyes went wide as she stared.

... _oh._

There was a massive shelf of perfectly interesting leather-bound books, right in front of her. Excitement flooded her, and Lucy threw herself at the shelf to start searching, but before she could grab even one off of the shelf, there was a sharp knock on her door. A maid entered a brief moment later, and Lucy wondered about the man who'd helped her deliver her letter to Fairy Tail. "Excuse me, your Highness," the maid murmured, bowing her head respectfully. Lucy nervously rubbed the bruise that still decorated her wrist. "Your father asked that I bring you to speak with him."

"...do you know why?" Lucy asked, immediately suspicious. Why would he want her _now_?

The maid shook her head. "No. I would not dare inquire as to why, either...it...it appears he's in a rather bad mood." The poor woman looked so nervous that Lucy smiled kindly at her and waved in indication that she would follow the maid.

Just because she was willing to fight against her father's controlling hand didn't mean other people were. And she didn't want to force them into that if they weren't willing to.

Lucy swept past the guard at her door, following the maid through the halls of the estate, silently listening in on any conversation they passed.

"Did you hear?"

"Unnatural…"

"Hotter than normal for this time of year, ain't it?"

"Snow's beginning to melt off…"

Lucy's lips spread into a relieved smile. Natsu must have come to town at last. While that much heat meant he was probably fairly angry with her, she hoped it meant he'd come to her rescue.

They arrived quickly at her father's study - the very one Lucy had searched through not too long before. Lucy sent the maid away before entering the room, chin up and ready to face whatever hell awaited her in the room.

Her father's piercing gaze locked on her the second she appeared, like a predator onto its prey. "Lucy," he greeted coldly. He didn't give her a single chance to return the greeting before launching into the topic he'd clearly brought her there for. "As you've ruined the alliance with the Pergrande Kingdom," he drawled, crossing his arms and leaning back on his desk. "I've contacted one of the higher up families in Minstrel. You're to be wed to their eldest son. You leave for the country tomorrow, early in the evening."

Panic flooded Lucy almost instantly. _Natsu won't be here before then! He'll wait until night if he's smart!_

...then again, it was Natsu. Lucy had no doubt in her mind that he'd be anything but that smart about the matter.

Lucy took a deep breath, her stomach twisting with fear. If anything went wrong...it was very likely she'd be gone for good. "I see. Thank you for informing me." Loke's key was searing her again. The metal was hot, and Lucy thought it would smolder right out of her dress. He wasn't pleased, that was for sure. She gathered her skirts in her hands and sarcastically curtsied, smirking. Loke had promised that she wouldn't stay so she trusted him to get her out if Natsu couldn't.

She wouldn't stay.

Lucy took a deep breath and then turned away. She hurried out of the study without a glance over her shoulder, her hands trembling. It was only near noon; she couldn't even think about contacting Loke for her phone just yet. Tears threatened to rise as she was guided back to her room by a quiet maid.

She had to get the information through to Natsu. He'd promised he'd come for her. So where was he?!

The second she was in her room and the door had closed, a hand wrapped around her mouth, cool rings pressing against her lips. "Princess," Loke began, "We have no time to continue searching-"

"I know." Lucy shoved his hand away, darting for the bookshelf. She began tearing through the books, tossing them over her shoulder. He wasn't supposed to be there just yet, but since he was… "Help me. Get me my keys and I need my phone." She paused. "Is my magic strong enough to summon more than one Spirit, Loke?"

Loke looked stunned as he handed her what she asked for, gently pushing her away from the book shelf. "Don't, Lucy. That's harder than Urano Metria…"

"We don't have time," the celestial mage bit out. "Can I, or can't I?"

"...you can try, but don't do more than two silver keys." Loke gritted his teeth warily. "If you try to do it with the Zodiac, you'll get yourself killed. You haven't prepared enough to summon two of us at once."

"Right." Lucy searched through the silver keys, trying to figure out which ones she needed. "...Lyra," she murmured, summoning the harpist, and then added, "Crux."

Both appeared, equally as confused as the other.

"Lucy?" Lyra said hesitantly, startled. The blonde princess felt the drain immediately, but ignored it in favor of dialing Natsu's number furiously, ordering them as she went, "Lyra, search the shelves for anything to do with my mother. Crux, see if you can find where my mother might have put her diary. Loke, can you sense Natsu's or anyone else's magic nearby?"

The Spirits went to work. Lyra hurried to assist Lucy and Crux fell silent as he searched for the information their master needed. Loke pressed his lips into a hard line. "Yes. I can sense two sources of magic. One belongs to someone I don't recognize...a mage in hiding? A loner that works under the Magic Council of Bosco? I don't know. The second is clearly Natsu."

"Good, he's here already." Lucy scowled, throwing her phone over her shoulder when said dragon slayer didn't pick up. "Loke. Can you go to him? Deliver a message?"

Loke looked uneasy now as he flipped through the pages of a book. "Princess…"

"Can you or can't you?"

"Yes."

"Tell him what's going on," Lucy ordered, chucking another book. "I want him here tomorrow at noon. No one else is with him?"

"Maybe the cat," Loke muttered thoughtfully. "There's a smaller magic signature."

"Then both of them need to know. Go."

Loke bowed his head, looking amused. "As you wish, Princess."

And then he quite promptly threw himself out the window. Lucy didn't take notice, instead dropping to her knees to dig through the books.

"Come on," she muttered as Lyra knelt beside her.

 _Where is it?!_

* * *

"Natsu?"

Happy's anxious voice dragged him out of the depths of his thoughts. The dragon slayer glanced over at the blue cat, who was watching him carefully. "What?" he demanded. "What is it Happy?"

"I know you're upset that Erza smashed your phone," Happy began, "But shouldn't we have waited-"

"No. Lucy hated it here." Natsu shoved his pink bangs out of his face. Usually, he would have shoved them out of his eyes and spiked them, but not today. He was in too much of a bad mood to even consider it. He wanted Lucy, his partner and his closest friend outside of Happy, back. "We'll get her back tomorrow, just like I said. I don't give a damn what Erza said."

Heaven forbid Jude Heartfilia, king of Bosco, keep her from him.

Jude had lost his claim on her the second he chose to make Lucy into someone she didn't want to be. Natsu clenched his jaw, trying to fight back the angry flames that threatened to explode from him. He would scold Lucy rather sharply when he was sure she was safe and sound. How dare she make him worry?

"Natsu…" Happy sighed and shook his head.

And then shrieked in terror when he found a slyly smirking man peeking in the window he'd been sitting by. Natsu's head snapped around, but he relaxed when he recognized who it was. He vaulted over the couch he'd been sitting on, throwing the window open.

"Damn it, Natsu," Loke growled as he hauled himself in. "Three stories up and you couldn't be more careful?"

Natsu glared at him. He may have tried to have thrown Loke all the way down to the ground on purpose, but…

Lucy didn't need to know that.

"Where's Luce? She with you?" he demanded after letting the Spirit in. "I thought you freaks couldn't get far from her."

Loke rolled his eyes. "She's having a dilemma," he replied. The Lion crossed his arms across his chest after pushing his shades up. "You see, Jude's decided he wants to marry her into some high family down in Minstrel."

Natsu's eyes narrowed dangerously. " _What_?"

Loke held a hand up to silence him. "Princess...she's been searching for her mother's diary, but so far we haven't found it. She's summoned two of her silver keys to help her while I deliver this message. She wants you at the Estate at noon sharp. If you don't show up at that time, I'll take her to through my Realm to get her to safety. The issue is...well. I can't exactly say when we'll reappear if we do that."

"Your Realm runs on different time," Natsu realized. He huffed. "We'll be there."

"You better be." Loke turned to leave. "Oh, by the way. Why haven't you answered your phone?"

Natsu squirmed anxiously. "Uh...Erza heard that I'd gotten through to Luce and destroyed my phone. I left for here after that. Master's gonna beat me to hell and back when we get home, but I didn't want to leave her alone. I know she hates it there, she told me as much…"

"Natsu was worried," Happy supplied.

Loke searched his gaze after looking back at them for a few moments and then sighed, shaking his head with just a hint of a smile on his face. "I'll let her know you're coming. But Natsu? You better protect her when you come. Her father had a guard put a gun to my head and fire. I got out of it, but you won't be able to."

Natsu took a moment to consider this. "Got it. I'll protect her. Bullets can't get close to me, I stop them before they do with my fire. But I'll watch out for them."

"Yeah...for some reason, you're like an unstoppable little demon, aren't you?" Loke laughed harshly at that and then was gone in a flash of light.

Natsu and Happy exchanged equally confused looks. "Loke's weird," Happy finally decided.

"Yeah, but he warned us to be careful." Natsu scooped his little friend up and grinned at him. "So we'll trust him."

"We'll trust him," Happy echoed confidently. The two exchanged a grin, and then went to relax on the bed of the room they'd rented. Natsu tugged the scarf away from his face as they did so, his fingers clutching the scaled material.

Somehow, Lucy had become the one he constantly looked for, not his father.

Natsu could really care less about the change.

It was Lucy after all.

* * *

 _It's almost time for their reunion! Ha! Loke is weird though, seriously._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Shidake, heyitsmogan, TigerArrowgirl, MehKitty, Sara lovelymusic, PuckSabrinaDaphne, Uchida Akira, PinkFireandGoldenStars, SunflowerChrysalis, shippinginjune, niyah606, Dragondancer81, The Age of Awesomeness, AJDrakes, ThatOneTroubleMaker, zzMiya-chanzz, luckylucy77, AngelEmCuti, Uzumaki Naho, Naluforever, missbehavin, Rica Di Angelo, beachgirl5647) and those who favorited and followed!_


	70. Chapter 70

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Her hands trembled as she ran her fingers over the writing on the leather cover, exhaustion lining her every move as she did so. She couldn't believe it. They'd found it. They'd finally found Layla Heartfilia's diary!

It hadn't been easy to find.

Upon Loke's return, they'd continued searching the shelves for hours. Lucy had eventually sent back her two summoned Spirits when she'd become too tired to be able to keep them there, and she and Loke had searched well into the night.

It had been about dawn when they'd found the diary, hidden in another book. Lucy could still remember the sound of it thudding to the floor. She could remember the moment of shock as she and Loke stared at it. And then she'd dived forward, swiping it up and flipping it open.

Despite her wish to read it then and there, Loke had sent her to bed, taking the diary into safekeeping. He'd stopped with her upon her waking up only half an hour or so before and was currently sitting beside her, looking over her shoulder at it with a gentle look on his face, as if she was cradling a child.

 _Property of Layla Heartfilia_ had been carved into the cover, and Lucy smiled gently as she opened to the first page. "I'll read this page," Lucy decided aloud, blinking when she realized it was addressed to her. "But then I have to get ready. I have some words I need to share with my father."

"Be careful, Princess," Loke warned her. "We don't know what Jude might do…"

"I know." Lucy smiled at him. "Thank you for worrying, Loke."

She took a deep breath, and then began to read to herself.

 _Dear Lucy,_

 _If you've found this diary by this point, then you're clearly tall enough to have reached it. I'm going to assume that you're much older than when I left you, and I will assume that the reason you've looked for it is because you've found Gemini, a very good friend of mine. Leo as well? Oh, I can't help but worry about all of them…_

 _Anyhow. It means you will have learned about magic. You, as you hopefully know, are a celestial mage. You showed signs of it from an early age, and Leo always used to comment that he could sense much strength from your tiny body. Oh! There I go again...I apologize, dear. I have been troubled about his punishment recently, it seemed quite harsh, but I trust Igneel to lessen that burden._

 _If you've found Leo, then you've somehow either been very lucky to have not been killed by the magic that protects a dragon's hoard, or you've met his son, Natsu. Yes, I'm assuming you're surprised to hear that name. I've never met him, but I know who he is. I'll leave it to you to figure out how I know Igneel...you'll read my journal anyways!_

 _Lucy. I won't be alive to tell you this myself, so I thought I'd leave you this letter. You are my daughter. I'm proud to call you such, as I'm sure the Spirits are proud to call you their master. Your father...he's not the best at expressing his feelings. He never has been. Forgive him. He's upset by what's happened. I doubt he'll ever forgive me, or the Spirits, or Igneel. I pray that he doesn't meet with that creature...the fight that will break out! Wouldn't that be entertaining?_

 _I have a selfish request for you. Protect your Spirits...protect your loved ones with all of your heart. Please? The pain you'll go through for them will nearly destroy you, I'm sure, but protect them. And remember what I've taught you, as little as it is. I've hidden my precious friends' keys throughout a country that is not my own...well, I asked Igneel and a few of his dragon friends to do it. Grandeeney and Metalicana along with the other two will see to it that it's done if Igneel doesn't. I trust them. You'll find them if you look._

 _Ah, I find myself tiring again...the spell I performed was far more exhausting than I thought it would. Who would have thought it'd do this to me? I can't help but laugh! I must stop writing now. Some of what you find in this journal may trouble you, but...it's important._

 _I love you, Lucy. You are my one and only precious daughter._

 _How does the song put it? Ah, yes._

 _Forgive me for the things that so soon must be done._

 _Goodbye, Lucy._

 _~Layla Heartfilia, Queen of Bosco and Celestial Mage_

Lucy took a deep breath, fighting back the tears for a few moments before she closed the diary and hugged it to her chest. "Here," she finally murmured when she'd gotten a handle on her emotions. She climbed to her feet, and Loke was silent as he did the same. She pushed the journal into his hands with a gentle hand. "Keep it safe for me? I don't know how this will turn out, so I'm going to entrust it to you. Don't read it though!"

Loke chuckled, gently placing his hand on her head. "Here," he told her after a moment, withdrawing in favor of tossing a familiar key ring to her. "Keep it now. You'll need it if you have to fight your way out. I'll know, so if I have to, I'll show up by myself."

"Thanks," she murmured, taking a deep breath and then letting it whoosh out. She kissed the keys after hooking Loke's back onto it, and then sent him off. She proceeded to set the keys gently upon her bed. _Maybe I should look into learning how to Requip them? That would be helpful, but is it possible is the question…_

She'd ask Erza upon her return.

 _Erza's going to kill me._

On second thought...maybe not.

Lucy shivered as she shed the dress she wore in favor of one that wasn't as fancy. She dug through the chest full of dresses until she found one that easily ripped. She had a plan for what was going to happen, and she would make damn sure it happened.

She managed to button the loose dress up herself, smoothing her hands thoughtfully down the front of it before grabbing her keys and gripping them tightly. She glanced at the sky, and then nodded to herself.

It was time.

Lucy quickly approached her door before she lost her nerve and knocked sharply on it. "Guard, take me to my father, please. I need to speak with him. It's an urgent matter that he'll want to hear about."

"He asked not to be bothered," the guard tried to protest, but Lucy cut him off.

"Take me to my father," she ordered. "Now."

"...yes, your Highness," the guard relented nervously. He opened the door and Lucy stepped out with a gentle smile. She ignored the fear that the guard clearly felt, terrified of bothering her father, even if she felt guilty for it. She knew he could easily lose the job he'd worked so hard for. He tugged anxiously at his tie as he guided her through the corridors.

Lucy swallowed thickly when the guard knocked and her father called for them to enter.

She held her chin up high as she stormed into the room, her blonde hair wild around her shoulders. She looked like hell had frozen over, she knew, with bags under her eyes from searching for her mother's diary, and she could care less.

The worse she looked the better.

Jude, sensing that this would be no ordinary conversation, straightened and sat back in the chair he sat in. "Lucy. What do you want."

A statement, rather than a question.

Lucy smiled brilliantly, though the smile held no warmth. It was as icy as the words she began to say.

"I apologize, Father, but there appears to be a misunderstanding...you seem to think that I'll be leaving Bosco for Minstral on a mission to marry into one of their families? I wanted to clarify something. I'm not leaving Bosco for Minstral…I'm going home to Fiore. In...what, ten minutes?"

Lucy had calculated her plans with care, something she prided herself on.

A ten minute conversation and then Natsu would be there.

Her heart warmed at the thought and she was grateful Loke had confirmed his conversation with the dragon slayer.

Jude shot to his feet, slamming a hand on his desk. The guard who'd brought Lucy in looked uneasy. "Like hell you are! The plane you'll be taking leaves in precisely six hours. You best be packed and prepared for the trip, Lucy, or-"

"Or what?" Lucy threw her hands out with a scowl. "You'll imprison me? Kill me? Torture me even? How low would you fall to harm your own daughter because you've tried to hard to push her away? Mother...she would hate who you've become."

Jude gritted his teeth. "You know nothing of what your mother would have thought!"

"Funny enough...Mother wanted me to find her keys." Lucy twirled them around her finger, just to piss him off. She wanted him to know that she was done following his orders. "I had them the entire time, by the way. You see...Loke - well, to you he's Leo - wasn't shot dead. He escaped before hand. He brought them and my phone to me. And I called my friend and partner. He'll be here soon. I'm sure you've heard of Igneel and his son?"

"You...you _bitch_ ," Jude seethed. "After everything I've done for you…"

"Like?" Lucy smirked. "What have you done for me exactly? Hurt me? Made me lonely? Trapped me like I was some kind of prisoner?" Lucy scoffed. "I don't care, Father, I'm done."

Jude bristled at that, and Lucy only grinned. "Let me tell you something," she said calmly. "I'm not the weak and defenseless princess you take me for, Father. I'm not a lonely person who has nothing left to live for but marrying people at your convenience. I'm a proud mage of Fairy Tail. Maybe I'm not the best at what I do, and maybe I'm not the most well-liked person in the guild, but I do my damn hardest to make sure that I work for my place. You don't do that. You take advantage of the position you've been put in. You take advantage of your rank as king of this country.

"And you know what?" Lucy rolled her eyes. "That's not something you should do as king." She glanced at the clock on the wall. A few more minutes. Just three more. She turned her attention back on Jude. Making sure he was watching every move she made, she grabbed the front of her dress and in one smooth motion had ripped it from her body so that the top half of her body was bare. The dress fell carelessly from her hips, but she didn't care. She stood there proudly, completely naked.

She had to make a statement, and if this was how she had to make it, then so be it.

"I didn't come back to be the pretty little princess you thought I was," she bit out. "I came here because Mother would have wanted me to at least make sure our family didn't break apart completely. But I can see that isn't going to happen, so I'm going to leave, and you aren't going to stop me."

She could feel heat beginning to rise, and Jude's head snapped over his shoulder towards the window at the sound of cries and commotion. Her hands barely trembled, her keys clicking softly. Natsu was here, she told herself. Everything would be okay.

Ignoring the chill of a cool breeze on her naked flesh, Lucy smirked at her father. The cries of surprise and the heat waves coming in under the door were making this a lot more dramatic than she'd originally thought.

She didn't mind if it branded it into her father's thick skull.

"I may be the princess," Lucy warned, her eyes hard.

Loud noises from the hall made her raise her voice for the next words. Her eyes were firm with determination now as she finished.

"But I sure as hell didn't fall in love with the prince!"

The doors suddenly burst open and in strolled a careless looking Natsu. There was a broad grin on his face as he swiped his hands against one another, as if brushing the dust from them. Then he folded them behind his head, where Happy comfortably rested, not looking bothered by the smoke and flames surrounding them. He paused, catching sight of Lucy, and then waved. "Hi, Luce!"

Lucy flushed, crossing her arms tightly across her chest as if just realizing she was completely and utterly naked. "...took you long enough," she mumbled, though she wore a warm smile on her face. Her cheeks were a brilliant red and Happy hissed something to Natsu.

"What...what the hell is this?" Jude demanded angrily as Natsu's face turned red and he scampered over to wrap the coat he'd shed around Lucy's shoulders. He was silent as he buttoned it up, ignoring Lucy's protest in favor of doing it. He took Happy, placing him in Lucy's arms and then ruffled Lucy's hair affectionately. "Who the hell do you think you are? End this madness, Lucy, immediately! You have a flight to meet your fiancé in Minstral-"

If she hadn't seen it, Lucy could feel the underlying rage Natsu felt when he ruffled her hair. His fingers were hot, nearly singing her hair. "Natsu," she warned, but he turned away before she could finish.

The grin he gave Jude was malicious and just daring him to say anything against him. Even Lucy looked slightly frightened by the dangerous tone he used.

"My name's Natsu Dragneel, and I'm the son of the Fire Dragon King Igneel. What was that you were saying about sending my treasure off to Minstral?"

* * *

 _I'm currently flailing in excitement! The "I may be a princess, but I sure as hell didn't fall in love with the prince!" line is the best thing I've ever written I think! I love it!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (SunflowerChrysalis, luckylucy77, zzMiya-chanzz, missbehavin, heyitsmogan, Yami-The Lord of Darkness, TigerArrowgirl, Mia Anime, Uchida Akira, Sara lovelymusic, The Star Demon, The Age of Awesomeness, Sam, ThatOneTroubleMaker, Knightwalker, shippinginjune, pucksabrinadaphne, PinkFireandGoldenStars, rachil, niyah606, Uzumaki Naho, ClosetFangirl-chan, Dragondancer81, Meadow-of-the-Fox, Shidake, fanficlove2014, and Naluforever!) and those who favorited and followed!_


	71. Chapter 71

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Natsu's angry," Happy noted aloud in a whisper to the celestial mage that held him. Happy was watching the entire situation with care, ready to fly and get Lucy out of the way should Natsu explode. "I mean, I know he's usually like this, but do you see the flames?"

Lucy focused on the flames that were flickering along her partner's arms and blinked. Were there...there were! Black flecks had begun to swallow the usual orange and yellow, becoming darker than she was used to seeing. "At me, too," Lucy sighed softly into the blue cat's ear.

"Yeah," Happy agreed mournfully. "You upset him." Happy looked up at her anxiously. "You really scared us, Lucy. Are you okay now?"

She smiled warmly and kissed him on the head. "Yeah. And I promise you...I swear on my life that this time, I won't leave without another word. It's something I had to do." Her gaze hardened as she focused on the situation at hand. _The hell does he mean "treasure"...?_

Natsu, clearly eavesdropping on their conversation, shot an annoyed look over his shoulder at her that she flinched and smiled sheepishly at. They'd have their conversation at a later time. Then he focused on Jude again, his eyes narrowing into slits in his anger. "Try and send Luce away. I dare you."

Jude opened his mouth to protest, then snapped it shut with a sneer. "Igneel's brat...huh. Has to take away both of them, does he? Fine. Have her. I don't care." Jude turned away. "Get out. Don't come back. I will have you executed if I see any of your faces here again."

There was a brief moment of confused silence. Then-

"You're not going to fight me for her?" Natsu demanded in bewilderment. "The hell, man! I was ready to fight my way out of here!"

Lucy fought the urge to drop Happy and throw her hands in the air in exasperation. He wasn't another mage! Her father was simply human!

Jude gave a harsh laugh. "You'll throw her away someday, too, just you wait. You don't think it'll happen, but believe me. It will. The Heartfilia family's bloodline has always been in contact with the dragons...but this! You'll hate her. And then I'll be free to expand our country without a care in the world." He waved them away with a wry smirk. "Now get out. Before I have my guards come in."

Lucy didn't need to be told anything else. She grabbed Natsu by the wrist, fingers trembling at the heat that still surrounded him as she clutched Happy to her. "Let's go. I need to see Mother before we leave."

Natsu let her haul him through the doors, ignoring the people that cringed away from them. His sharp onyx eyes glared at every person they walked past, and eventually he shook free of Lucy's grip in favor of throwing an arm around her shoulders, trapping her close to him. Even if he was angry, he wasn't going to let her have the chance to escape again. Lucy silently leaned into the comforting touch, looking relieved.

 _At least he doesn't hate me._

Lucy led him through the corridors until they reached her room, and then handed Happy to him. "Hold him, I'll be right back. I need to get some clothes on." She made a face. "I'll have to wear something fancy until we get home…"

Natsu hesitated, carefully propping his foot up so that the door couldn't shut before she did so. "You won't go anywhere?"

Lucy shook her head. "No. I just need to get a few things from Loke and get changed. That's all." She smiled hesitantly at him. "So long as you won't leave, I'll be right out. I'll let you in before I summon Loke if you want."

"...okay." As upset and angry as he was with her, and as much as he wanted to have a "conversation" with her about leaving and lying about where she was going, that could wait. He wanted to make sure she didn't leave again. The idea terrified him, and he wasn't ashamed to admit it.

He didn't want to lose a portion of his hoard, after all.

... _damn it. I'll have to explain that to her now…she'll have noticed it. Luce notices everything..._

Natsu playfully ruffled Happy's ears, grateful his little cat friend had accompanied him on the mission to save Lucy. Happy glanced up at him with a small grin. "That was easier than we thought," he mused.

"Yeah," Natsu agreed. "Way easier...which is annoying as hell. I kinda wanted a fight...we'll just have to make her go on a job with us."

"A monster one." Happy's suggestion made Natsu grin evilly, onyx eyes sparkling at the thought of the look on her face when she realized what they had to do. But his thoughts were quickly diverted away from that, turned onto something that suddenly shot through his mind like a bullet.

" _You'll throw her away someday, too, just you wait."_

Natsu huffed. What had Jude meant? Like he'd throw Lucy away after working so hard to get her back. And she wasn't exactly his enemy; she was the complete opposite. She was his partner in crime, the one he trusted to guard his back. So saying that he'd someday throw Lucy aside was ridiculous.

Natsu rolled his eyes.

He'd never let that happen.

Lucy finally opened the door again and his eyes widened fractionally at the sight of her. She looked annoyed to be dressed as she was, in a fancy dress that hugged her chest and waist tightly before puffing out slightly to create a massive amount of skirts. She maneuvered around them expertly as she handed his jacket back to him, her cheeks flushing red. "Thanks, Natsu. I, uh, don't have a coat, so...I may have to borrow it again."

Natsu tore his gaze away and shrugged it on. "Whatever." Damn, it was weird to see Lucy in such clothes… Pretending he didn't notice because it really was hard not to when the dress hugged her in such a way. "What are we doing now?"

Lucy lifted her keys. "I have to call Loke...he has my phone, and my mother's diary."

"Got it." Natsu shifted Happy so that he was on his pink-haired head rather than in his arms. "Let's get a move on then. I want to go home...this place smells funny. Old and smells really cold, like no one's lived here in forever."

Lucy gave a wry smile. "Welcome to the Heartfilia Estate, Natsu." She dragged him into her room, kicking the door shut behind her before locating Loke's key and slashing it through the air. "Open! Gate of the Lion! Leo!"

A flash of light later, Loke was there, something dangling from his fingers. His green eyes darted to Natsu briefly as he playfully bowed. "Glad to see you survived, Princess. No lasting injuries?"

"No injuries at all," Lucy said firmly. She smiled brightly at him. "I just needed my things back, if that's alright."

"Of course." He held up what he'd been holding; it was a simple leather bag that Lucy could throw over her shoulder, but even Lucy could feel how embedded it was with magic. "Virgo prepared this for you. It has the diary, your phone, and a new whip that she believes will be to your liking if your other one breaks or something."

"Thanks!" Lucy accepted with a huge smile, hugging it to her chest. "Tell Virgo I said thanks, too."

Loke grinned, then added, "There's a better pair of clothes in there for you, too. More to your liking than what you're wearing. They amplify your magic, too, so make sure you keep them when you get back to your place."

Again, Lucy thanked him gratefully and then sent him back to his own Realm. She dug in the bag, Natsu and Happy peering curiously over her shoulder as she withdrew a few pieces of clothing. Lucy beamed as she took in the fashionably designed jeans. "I like these...out again!" She shoved her friends towards the door. "Give me a moment please!"

When they were out, Lucy stripped and tugged on the jeans and the shirt that had been put in there as well. It was a beautiful shade of violet, rich and dark, with a golden pattern stitched in. The neckline dropped low, but not too low, and there was a pair of heels added into the mix.

Lucy wasn't as fond of the heels, but she pulled them on anyways, grateful they gave her the much needed boost to her height. She'd still need Natsu's jacket, but at least she wasn't in skirts. She used a hair tie and a brush that were in the bag to pull her hair out of her face, and then shouldered it, making a beeline for the door.

Natsu blinked when the door flew open. "...looks more like you," he commented but said nothing else.

Together, the trio of Fairy Tail mages set off. "We'll head to my mother's grave," Lucy said, her voice warm with love at the thought of her mother. Natsu kept close to her, Happy still on his head. She bit her lip. "I want to say goodbye to her, and then we can head _home_."

The simple word had her heart swelling with excitement. She loved Magnolia, where her friends and those she considered her new family lived. If there was anything to state that Jude Heartfilia was her family, then it was paperwork only, because in no way did she feel loved in this place anymore.

Natsu, despite telling himself that he'd wait until later for the conversation, couldn't help himself. "Then what the hell were you thinking? Coming back here? You said you hated it, Luce!" Her cheeks flushed, and she ducked her head as they walked. "Damn it, woman, Happy and I were worried sick! So was everyone else when they heard you on the lacrima! Wendy was almost crying!"

Lucy hugged herself, mumbling, "Gemini...when I found their key, Natsu, they gave me a message. It was a final message from my mother." She contemplated for a moment, then decided against telling Natsu that her mother had known Igneel. Lucy wanted to figure out the connection first. "Mother wanted me to come back and find her diary. It has information that she thinks I should know. And I've been meaning to come back and do this." Lucy laughed faintly; there was no humor whatsoever in her voice. "I needed to show my father that I'm not some pawn for him to push around, Natsu."

He glared at her out of the corner of his eye. She shivered slightly at the rage behind it. "You could have told me!"

"I thought I'd be fine," Lucy reminded him. "Loke was supposed to be there with me the entire time. I didn't think he would be recognized when he changed his appearance. I sure as hell didn't think he'd have Loke shot. Besides, I thought you'd be going on a job by yourself, with Happy again. You mentioned the idea a few days before I left since you and Happy had such a good time back before I was kidnapped by Loke. I was going to be back before you were." Her fingers messed thoughtfully with the golden dragon pendant that hung at her throat, and she smiled when she realized he was wearing the ring she'd gotten him. "I was sure I'd be back before then."

Natsu grumbled under his breath, and Lucy grimaced at the heat that was rising around him. He was furious, truly angry with her for the first time that she could remember. Happy simply remained quiet, quickly changing to Lucy's shoulder. He didn't want to be burned, after all. Natsu's onyx eyes were as hard as obsidian as he spat, "Yeah, well, you weren't! What if you hadn't been able to get a letter to Gramps or appeared on the news, Lucy? Then you would be on your way to Minstral!" His gaze took on an accusing look. "Or did you want to go?"

Lucy's own gaze flashed with annoyance. "Damn it, Natsu! I know I screwed up, okay? Just because my plans didn't go like I thought doesn't mean I wanted to go and do everything my father told me to do!"

Flames flickered along his arms as he snarled, "Then maybe you shouldn't have come up with a plan on your own!"

The furious celestial mage stopped dead in her tracks, propping her hands on her hips. A maid that had been cleaning further down the corridor fled in fear of the dragon slayer that looked ready to burst into flames. He stopped to glower at her.

"You know what, Natsu?" Lucy snarled. "I'm not a freaking helpless lump of earth! I can do things on my own! Maybe not things in regards to magic, because I _know_ I can't handle it, but I dealt with this kind of situation _before_ you and every other person in Fairy Tail came into the picture! So excuse me for thinking I could handle it on my own again! Do you not get that?! I was here for sixteen years of my freaking life, four of which was without even my mother to protect me from this kind of thing! I was _alone_! So go to hell if you think you can butt into this kind of thing and expect me to apologize and act like you're some kind of flaming god that saved me, because I've saved myself and I would have done it again! Loke and I had a goddamn plan for if you didn't show, did you know that? I was ready! I don't have to apologize for _anything_! I did _nothing_ wrong!"

The tears brimmed up and then fell down her cheeks in an endless torrent, and Happy, who was sitting nervously on top of Lucy's head, was quivering slightly. He looked partially terrified, not that he could have said of which person in particular was the most scary.

Natsu was starting to look a bit uncertain himself.

"I'll tell you here and now that I _am_ the princess of Bosco, Natsu," she said threateningly, biting her lip. She hated using such things, but at times like this, it was necessary to get her point across. "I could _very_ easily leave Fairy Tail if I think that you're going to be constantly accusing me of such things. I won't have you saying things like that about me. Is that clear?"

Natsu gave a hesitant nod. The flames had long since died out, and he looked fairly guilty and upset now. "Yeah...sorry, Luce."

Her gaze softened, the anger vanishing almost immediately. Reaching up to pull Happy into her arms for a tight hug, she lightly grabbed Natsu by the scarf and pulled him in to kiss him gently on the cheek. His face turned red afterwards, and she gave a gentle smile. "And I'm sorry for making you guys worry. Believe me when I say I won't intentionally do something like that again. Now. Since we're done with that…"

She released his scarf and took on a determined look.

"Let's go see Mother."

* * *

 _Bit of an argument, but not too concerning, eh? And on top of that...a challenge!  
_

 _If you guys can figure out who my editor is before the month of April is over, there will be a special bonus chapter to BTL that we are currently thinking over! And, to top it off, she'll answer one free for all question! The first to figure her out gets to ask ANYTHING except for a few exceptions! It can pertain to any of the fanfics we work on, future ones, or even a curious question about our lives! So have at it! She'll be reviewing a few times (not very often though!)._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Tobias97, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, iBook Keeper, Nekokittygirl, SunflowerChrysalis, niyah606, Risa98, Ikityan, Typhlosion8, ilftnatsu, Yoko Takara, silver light of dawn, The Age of Awesomeness, luckylucy77, MehKitty, Treblemkr, OgaxHilda, AlexiaCiel, MissExtremis, zzMiya-chanzz, valnamoon, fanficlove2014, The Star Demon, AngelEmCuti, UzumakiNaho, CharonteQueen, Rhianna Park, PinkFireandGoldenStars, ckc14, heythereitsshelby, AIRbooks, NaLu and InuKag, pucksabrinadaphne, Uchida Akira, Sanspree, Yami-The Lord of Darkness, shippininjune, AJDrakes, Meadow-of-the-Fox, Zawness, Dragondancer81, heyitsmogan, Shidake, Guest, Bookworm19810, LittleOwl15, and Sara lovelymusic!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	72. Chapter 72

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The grave was a beautiful one.

Natsu studied it as he stood awkwardly behind Lucy, who'd knelt before it with a gentle smile to touch the plaque beneath the obelisk, her fingers skimming over words that read:

 _ **LAYLA HEARTFILIA**_

 _ **QUEEN OF BOSCO**_

 _ **X743 - X777**_

It was clear, he realized as he studied the obsidian structure towering over them, that at least one Spirit had made sure to have a hand in the design. A beautiful little patch of flowers would have surrounded them had it been spring, he realized, and the obelisk itself was a massive column that reached near ten feet tall. The signs of the Zodiac had been carved into it along with the names beneath each sign, and at the very top was a small spire that suddenly bent and curved in a golden swirl down the small tower.

No money had been saved when creating the grave. Natsu silently decided that it must have been an expensive endeavor, and he hesitantly moved closer to examine the materials. While he only collected gold, he knew such things well. And he recognized immediately what the gold engravings rested against.

"...this is hardened ash?" he said in a question, bewildered. "This is...Lucy, this is Igneel's ash. The ash he creates when he burns things down."

Lucy looked up at him in surprise. "...what?"

"Yeah, Natsu," Happy huffed, confused. "What are you talking about? Ash is ash. Nothing to make sure you can tell any differences…"

Natsu rolled his eyes, touching the hard material gently as Lucy came to join him. He huffed. "I know what Igneel's ash feels like. And I can feel the magic in it."

"I don't feel any magic," Lucy mumbled, annoyed with herself. _I'll have some of the others teach me how to do something about that…_ "But I guess it could be if you really think it is…"

Lucy said nothing about how it was definitely more than likely Igneel's ash. Apparently he and her mother had been good friends, after all… She grinned, cautiously deciding to suggest the idea. "Maybe they knew each other before Igneel disappeared and Mother got sick? I don't know...it'd be interesting though, don't you think?"

Natsu grinned at the thought, entertained. "Yeah, but it couldn't have happened. Igneel rarely left his hoard alone before he disappeared. Even with the traps, he doesn't trust Metalicana. Metalicana's a sneaky little bastard that likes to see how far he can get when it comes to thieving from Igneel."

"...does Gajeel try to do the same?" Happy asked, as if he thought the idea was beyond hilarious.

"...no," Natsu replied. "If he did, I'd kill him."

"Okay," Lucy said, recognizing the dangerous tone Natsu was using. If they didn't move on to a different subject, things would start burning down. "Anyways, this is where my mother was buried, Natsu...she was actually cremated. Her ashes are inside this obelisk here." She tapped the hardened ash with a smile. "So I guess she wasn't exactly buried, but…what are you doing?"

Natsu winked, onyx eyes amused as he playfully bowed his head to the obelisk. "Thanking your mother for entrusting ya to Fairy Tail? I dunno."

"...idiot," she muttered, shaking her head. She smiled to herself, digging her hands into her pockets in search of her keys. "Actually…one moment, I think I want Loke to - ouch!"

Natsu peered over, exchanging a curious look with Happy when she ripped her hand out of her pocket, her fingers aching from being burned. "Loke?" she huffed. "What the- He freaking burned me!"

The dragon slayer beside her growled. "I'll turn him to ash."

"You can't do that," she protested, "He'll just go back to the other Realm...I guess Virgo, maybe? Or Scorpio or Cancer? Does _anyone_ want to see this thing?" Each key heated up when she tried to touch it, warning her off, and she scowled angrily. "What the hell! I thought they'd like to pay their respects to my mother!"

Natsu watched in confusion for a moment before suggesting, "What about the sheep one? Or the goat?"

"Aries? Capricorn?" Lucy tried, touching each of their keys. Capricorn warned her off as well, shocking her. Usually, Capricorn was one of the first to offer his help. Aries, however, heated, but wasn't nearly as hot as the others, not wanting to burn her.

So, without further hesitation, Lucy summoned her. "Open!" she ordered, "Gate of the Ram! Aries!"

"I'm sorry!" cried Aries as soon as she'd appeared before them. She looked horrified. "We didn't want to be summoned, but I didn't want to burn you! Sorry!"

"Why not?" the celestial mage demanded.

"Yeah, you guys never hurt Lucy," Happy mused, curious.

Aries shifted uncomfortably. "...um, you've kind of upset one of the Zodiac, and she's threatened to beat us. Sorry!"

"I...who? Which one? Not any of you, who I have contracts with?" Lucy was immediately worried, and Aries smiled gently at the fact.

"No, not us. You've kind of upset Aquarius."

"...Aquarius?" Lucy was intrigued. "How did I upset Aquarius? I haven't met them before…"

Aries flinched, as if she'd heard something Lucy couldn't. "Aquarius wishes for a contract with you, but you have yet to find her key...she's angry that you haven't even considered that a key was in the Heartfilia Estate."

"There's a-" Lucy threw her hands in the air. "When Loke mentioned...Aries! Aries, you can sense the keys, right?"

"Yes...sorry!"

"I want you to track down Aquarius' key for me," Lucy ordered, giving the Ram a huge smile. Aries hesitantly returned it, nervous.

"...do you want our help?" Natsu offered, slightly insulted that Lucy had forgotten he was there. After all he'd gone through with Happy to find her again, and here they were, being forgotten in her eagerness to find Aquarius' key!

"Of course." Lucy threw him an excited smile, and he couldn't help but return the grin. "You can come with me, Happy-"

"There's no need to go anywhere, Lucy," Aries cut in hesitantly, apologetic for doing so. "You see...Aquarius is up there." Lucy followed to where Aries had pointed, and then blinked.

She hadn't noticed it before. It was hard to notice when everything was gleaming and shining in the sun. But there, at the top of her mother's obelisk, was a golden key, the golden spires that swirled around the entire monument surrounding it.

" _Oh_ ," Lucy muttered. That explained a bit.

"I've got it!" Happy cheered. He leaped into the air, wings snapping into existence. He flew to the top of the obelisk and snatched up the golden key, dropping it when he'd moved away. Lucy caught it with ease.

The metal heated fiercely beneath her touch and she sighed heavily. "You can go back, Aries."

"Aquarius needs water to be summoned! Sorry!" Aries mumbled, though she gave a hesitant smile before disappearing in a flash of light. Lucy felt the tug on her magic vanish and studied the golden key in her hand.

"Do we summon her here?" Lucy mused in thought, "Or do we summon her when I get home…?"

"Here," Natsu decided for her, grabbing her arm and hauling her towards the gardens of the Estate. "Thought I saw a pond from a window…"

"You did," Lucy confirmed, waving for Happy to follow them. He did, keeping close to their heads rather than soaring around as he would have preferred. Lucy smiled to herself as Natsu's grip loosened slightly so that he was simply leading her rather than dragging her.

Now that the explosion of anger that he'd had was gone - alongside her own anger - he was being kind and back to his normal overprotective dragon slaying self.

It took them only a few minutes to reach the pond. It was beautiful, with snow surrounding the frozen water. Natsu glanced around before stepping forward to melt the ice. He waited until it was nearly boiling before stepping back, waving for Lucy to do her thing.

Happy landed on his head. "I'm glad you guys aren't fighting anymore. It didn't feel right."

"You think _you're_ glad," Natsu muttered, watching Lucy's every move as she knelt in the snow, hesitantly sticking the key into the water. He cocked his head as the words left her lips.

"Open!" she ordered cautiously, "Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"

Rather than receiving a flash of light like Lucy expected, all three of them were suddenly smacked with a wall of water. Natsu sputtered in shock, immediately lighting himself on fire to dry himself and Happy off, but Lucy began to shiver, hugging her arms in surprise as she used one hand to push her soaked hair out of her face.

"Tch! You're Layla's brat? Pathetic."

Lucy's jaw dropped when the mermaid before them spoke. Her blue eyes glared at them, her hair glistening from the water that she seemed to rest on top of. Drops cascaded off of her, sparkling in the light. "I...what?"

"And who's this then?" Aquarius' gaze turned on Natsu, who recoiled away with an accusing look, expecting more water to be thrown at him. "Your boyfriend?"

"N-no!" Lucy stammered in shock, flushing crimson at the suggestion. "He's my partner! I'm-"

"I know who _you_ are." Aquarius looked at her again, clearly not amused. "As I said, Layla's brat." She squinted at Lucy with a sharp look. "Can't even do Urano Metria yet? Ugh. I don't know why Leo thought you could. You can't even summon us Zodiac for an hour."

Lucy was speechless. What the hell had she done to deserve this kind of insulting?! To her surprise, it wasn't she or Natsu who started speaking, but Happy.

"It's not Lucy's fault," the cat huffed, looking furious at the fact that he'd gotten wet. Lucy shivered violently, biting her lip. "She hasn't had time to train. She's been doing stuff. Like saving Loke and helping with the guild. I thought she was doing really good since she only started in August."

Touched, Lucy gave him a grateful look. "Thank you, Happy."

"...tch." Aquarius sniffed, turning her face away. "Not good enough. You aren't getting anywhere." Her gaze slid to stare at them out of the corner of her eye, piercing and deadly. Her next words chilled even Natsu to the bone.

"You'll all be dead within a year if you don't hurry it up, girl. Darkness is coming, and you better be ready to meet it."

* * *

The next morning found the trio of Fairy Tail mages on a train. They'd gotten up early to catch it after staying the night in the room Natsu had been renting - the innkeeper had gushed over being allowed to house her country's princess and had looked ready to cry out of happiness when Lucy had tipped her well. While normally they would have taken a plane to get there faster, Natsu had pointed out that it would be hard to get Happy through security and they'd all agreed that the train was the best way - even if Natsu had agreed somewhat reluctantly.

Lucy sighed heavily in exasperation as she ran her fingers soothingly through her partner's hair. Happy was in her bag, curled up asleep, and Natsu was sprawled out, doing his best to sleep the illness away yet not doing so well.

About an hour into the trip, Lucy had felt sympathy and had cautiously pulled his head into her lap. He didn't seem to mind and actually seemed to sleep better. She shook her head in remembrance of their staying up all night simply so that they could sleep on their way home.

The celestial mage gently swept his hair out of his eyes. He'd been too tired in the morning to fix his hair into his usual style and had simply eaten, put his scarf around his neck, and had demanded they leave and get the train ride over with. So his bangs hung in his eyes, tickling his face every now and then in a way that had his nose scrunching up.

"Idiot," she scolded affectionately, relieved that she wasn't in trouble with Natsu in particular anymore. She'd known he was angry, but certainly hadn't expected _that_. And she'd been angry with herself, though she hadn't meant to take it out on him.

It was one thing to see Natsu being his overly protective self, defending his nakama against whatever was attacking, whether it be Jellal, Deliora, or Phantom Lord.

To have his anger directed towards you…

Lucy would admit that she'd been scared of him for a few seconds.

How people could keep up their cocky front and not walk the other way out of terror, she had no idea. And that hadn't even been all of the rage he could have held. He'd been far more angrier when Jellal had fought against them.

This?

It had been _nothing_ in comparison to what it could have been.

Lucy turned her attention onto other thoughts: Aquarius and the words she'd spoken. They'd gotten a contract made between insults and careless taunts towards Natsu, who'd eventually looked ready to burst into flames out of annoyance. The jibes about not having a boyfriend had bothered her the most, but she hadn't said anything in return.

" _You'll all be dead within a year if you don't hurry it up, girl. Darkness is coming, and you better be ready to meet it."_

What had Aquarius meant by such words? Lucy supposed it meant that something dangerous was coming...something that might get them all killed. Not that it wasn't normal. She was getting quite used to the dangers of living as a mage alongside her friends.

The celestial mage bit her lip and gave another sigh, tangling her fingers lightly in Natsu's hair for comfort.

Whatever it was...Lucy was sure that it was going to be _bad_.

* * *

 _Aquarius is here! Yay! I love her, she's badass. And...I'M SCREAMING. ANYONE READ THE NEW CHAPTER?! MY POOR PRECIOUS SABERTOOTH MAGES._

 _Also! Remember! Look for my editor among the reviews and...I guess I'll call it "unlock" a certain special chapter to BTL as well as a free unedited question that can be answered by both of us! If you think you know who she is, then mention it in your review or send me a PM! You have until the end of the month! ;)_

 _Thanks to all reviewers (Moon Stone Tiger Lily, ilftnatsu, Ikityan, SunflowerChrysalis, Shidake, AngelEmCuti, The Age of Awesomeness, niyah606, MehKitty, TigerArrowgirl, Sara lovelymusic, NighttimeWonder, Nekokittygirl, allieflavored, PinkFireandGoldenStars, zzMiya-chanzz, Dragondancer81, heyitsmogan, Uzumaki Naho, Naluforever, Uchida Akira, pucksabrinadaphne, SingingAngel327, Guest, and sadmythic!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	73. Chapter 73

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Are you kidding me?" Lucy whined as she reached a hand out over the side of her - incredibly comfortable - bed and grabbed her phone off of the nightstand. It was ringing, and loudly, might she add. Especially since she hadn't properly slept in quite some time.

"Hello?" she finally answered, giving a massive yawn. She rolled onto her back, exhausted. She shoved her blonde hair out of her face as she did so, making sure Natsu was still snoring away on the couch instead of in her bed. Happy had come to join her in the night, but she was proud to say that the dragon slayer hadn't.

"Layla?"

"...oh! Ali!" Lucy smiled hugely at the sound of her friend's voice, and she sat up quickly. "Good to hear from you! Sorry I didn't get anything to you in the past few weeks...I've been busy, with family issues and what not." The celestial mage glanced over when a loud grumble caught her attention. She looked over, and her lips twitched into a smile when she saw Natsu glaring sleepily at her over the back of the couch.

"No problem," her editor laughed. "I have a meeting here in a few moments, I just wanted to let you know that I finished going through your stuff. It should be in the email I sent. I've sent it to the publisher and it should be good for release in a few weeks!"

Lucy squealed in excitement, clapping her hands together quickly after shoving her phone between her shoulder and her cheek. "Thank you, Ali! I'll talk to you later then?"

"Of course. Bye!"

Lucy hung up and then cheered, dragging a drowsy Happy into a tight hug. Happy grunted, too tired to protest.

"The hell are you so happy about?" Natsu snapped irritably, grumpy after being woken up from his sleep.

"One of my books got through to hopefully being published," Lucy told him, her smile only growing. She kissed Happy on the head and then swung out of bed, putting her phone down. "C'mon, stop looking so grumpy! I want to go to the guildhall as soon as possible and see everyone! I owe them an apology as well…"

Natsu flopped backwards. "No, I'm going back to sleep. Fucking _trains_ …"

Lucy grinned, amused by her partner's horrible mood. "Fine, then, I guess I can go by myself…"

"I'll go," a tired Happy offered as he snuggled down into her blankets. "Come get me later…after you're ready to….go…"

Lucy giggled as Happy began to snore again. "Okay, I'll make sure to grab you. Natsu, you can sleep some more, I suppose." She shook her head at the sight of him, and then moved on. She grabbed her clothes, and then went into the bathroom, quickly getting changed.

When she came out, she was dressed simply, back into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt to wear beneath her coat. She'd twisted her hair into pigtails, and, of course, a familiar dragon dangled from the choker she'd tied around her throat. "Ready, Happy?"

"Aye, sir!" the blue cat cheered, looking far more awake than when she had gone in. He flew over to her and flopped down on top of her head, hugging her.

"Good morning," she greeted, reaching up to pat his head cheerfully. "Come on, Happy, let's head to the guildhall. We'll leave Mr. Grumpy here to sleep in. We'll be at the guildhall, Natsu. If you want to join us, you know where to find us!"

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, rolling so that he was face down on the couch. He drew the blanket Lucy had given him over his head, curling up beneath it to rest.

"He probably doesn't feel well still, eh?" Lucy suggested as she grabbed her things and left the apartment. She tucked Happy into her jacket to hide him, and the small blue cat purred in agreement.

They'd arrived in Magnolia via train near three in the morning. Lucy had managed to somehow get Natsu off of the train without too much effort, and had let him crash at her place when he'd complained about how sick he was feeling. She'd dumped him on the couch upon getting into her apartment - something she was incredibly happy about, as she'd missed the place - before going to bed herself, and now, Lucy was looking forward to getting to the guildhall.

"I'll have to apologize to everyone," she said aloud, hugging Happy even tighter against her as she walked past an early-rising pedestrian. They gave her a weird look, as if suspicious that she was talking to herself. She ignored them. "Especially Master...and Levy...and Mira...and-" She cut off, shaking her head.

She had a _lot_ of apologizing to do…

The second that she opened the door to the guildhall, Happy was squirming out of his hiding place to shout, "We're back!"

Lucy silently decided that he was as bad as Natsu, and must have taken up bad habits from the dragon slayer.

"Lucy!" Wendy cried as she spun around on the bench she sat upon. She gave a huge smile, her dark eyes sparkling with excitement. "You're here!"

Lucy giggled as commotion immediately erupted from the people that were already there. Mirajane shouted her greeting above the noise, waving from her place behind the bar alongside Lisanna and Elfman, who was sitting at it. Cana cheered drunkenly, hugging a glass of beer to her chest. Levy, who was sitting with Team Shadow Gear, shrieked in excitement and nearly tripped over herself in her rush to reach the celestial mage, and Erza, who had been nibbling at a piece of strawberry cake, smiled warmly at Lucy.

Lucy smiled hugely as Asuka trotted over to throw her arms around the blonde's legs. Patting Asuka's head and giving Bisca a wink, she answered, "Yeah. I'm home."

"You scared us!" Levy scolded as she yanked Lucy into a tight hug, tears gathering in her eyes. She hugged the celestial mage tightly, and Lucy gave a shaky laugh as she returned it just as eagerly. She'd missed her friends, desperately. "We thought you might never come back, Lucy! Especially when we saw the way your father was acting after that speech…"

Lucy's cheeks turned red. "You saw that?"

"Of course, Romeo had us pull it up on our lacrima."

"...all of you?"

"Most of us, the rest of us saw it on different occasions, whenever it was shown on the news or internet." Lucy glanced over as Erza spoke. The scarlet-haired woman had a dangerous look in her eyes, and as she approached, Lucy wished that Happy _hadn't_ flown away to greet Charle.

Lucy yelped when her head was yanked against a hard metal breastplate in a hug. "Never do that again, Lucy," Erza warned, "Or I will hunt you down."

"Okay, okay," Lucy agreed quickly, grimacing. She rubbed her head after she was released, and then smiled at the requip mage. "I promise it won't happen again."

"I'd hope it wouldn't."

Everyone fell silent at the sound of Makarov's voice. The guildmaster's eyes gleamed with amusement, and Lucy flushed in embarrassment. She hadn't broken any rules that would get her kicked out, she hoped…

Makarov, who'd stood upon the top of the bar to get everyone's attention, told her, "You worried all of us with such a reckless action, Lucy. I hope you were able to get what was needed?"

"Yes. I haven't had a chance to go through it, but I got what I needed from the Heartfilia Estate." Lucy gave a curt nod, and then added, showing him the new addition to her keyring. "And I was able to make a contract with a new Spirit. Aquarius." Lucy shivered at the memory of summoning her. "But I'm not going to summon her right now, I don't think she'd appreciate it…"

"Please don't," Happy whimpered, not at all pleased with the idea of getting wet again.

"Good." Makarov watched her carefully. "I will warn you now. If you ever do such a thing again, I will allow you to be placed under Erza's watch - punishment included."

"...okay?" Lucy looked bewildered, but she knew it was bad by the way Erza smiled brightly and the others' terrified looks. _Won't be scaring them like that again. I really don't want to find out what he means by that…_

Everyone fell back into their routine except for Erza and Levy, who followed her over to the bar. Elfman moved so that they could sit by her, and Cana didn't hesitate to throw her arm around Lucy's shoulder, throwing her glass up in a silent cheers. "Yeah! Damn right you come over to sit with me!"

"...I am _not_ drinking this early in the day," Lucy warned as Wendy scampered over as well, Charle and Happy close behind. "In fact, I'm not drinking at all until I'm of legal age." She turned to look at Erza, frowning. "I just realized...where's Gray and Juvia? Usually they're here at this time, aren't they?"

Erza's gaze softened suddenly with worry, but before her or the others could speak up, Lucy heard a familiar voice call, "Up here!"

The celestial mage looked up at a balcony that hung over the first floor of the guildhall to see Gray draped over it. He'd lost his shirt again, she noted with amusement, and he smirked playfully when he saw her. "Hey, Lucy!" he called. "Long time no see!"

She raised her hand in greeting. "Nice to see you, too! How are you and Juvia?"

To her surprise, Gray's gaze darkened. "I'm fine."

Makarov cleared his throat to capture the celestial mage's attention. He had seated himself on the bar nearby, watching them curiously, as if he was entertained by what they did. "Juvia fell ill a day after you left and has only been getting worse. She's in critical condition and no one can figure out what it is. Porlyusica can't even do anything."

"I tried," Wendy said softly, "But it only made it worse."

"Gray's been taking care of her," Erza said with a proud tone.

"He feels guilty, I think," Levy added in with a sigh, watching as Mirajane placed a cup of hot tea in front of Lucy for her to drink. "He didn't find her until she was nearly unconscious. We all thought it was strange when she didn't show up around the same time as he did, but...he found her on the floor of her home, barely conscious. She only stopped waking up two days ago."

Lucy's gaze hardened as she took a sip of her tea. "Can I come up and see her?" Lucy called to Gray, who gave a curt nod in response, telling her that she could. "Maybe it's something I can help with...I'm pretty good with illnesses after my mother. I can summon Loke or something, too, see what he knows."

"Good idea," Makarov praised. "Go to her."

Lucy hopped off of the barstool, and then made her way up to the second story of the building, grateful she'd left her jacket on. It was cooler the second she hit the last step, and even nearly cold as she approached where Gray was waiting. "Jeez," she murmured, "How bad is her fever?"

"She was evaporating," he said with a shrug. "Had to do something. Come on, Juvia's this way." He waved for her to follow, and Lucy did follow him as he started down a hall that had split off from the balcony. She hugged herself to warm up a little.

"Natsu's not allowed up here, I take it?" she suggested with a dry smile.

Gray flashed a grin. "Damn right, the bastard's not. He'll just melt it all and make the fever worse." He opened a door and waved her in. "You knew we had rooms here, right? Master said she could have one until she felt better at no cost."

"Good." Lucy reached into her pockets, pulling out her ring of keys. "Let me see her, and then I'll summon someone to have a look at her." She stepped into the room, and then made her way over to where Juvia was.

The water mage looked to be in pain, her face dotted with a mixture of sweat and water that rolled off of her face from being unable to control her Water Body entirely. Her hair was a mess, and she trembled every now and then, but Lucy frowned when she realized she could feel the heat of Juvia's fever from nearly a foot away. "...this isn't something I've seen, and I've looked up a hell of a lot of illnesses, Gray. I don't know if this is something she can get through."

The ice-make mage looked slightly disappointed. "I thought as much...Levy's been hunting through books, but…"

"Let's see what we can get out of Loke." Lucy raised his key, but before she could summon him, the key heated sharply in her hand.

"...again," Lucy repeated. "You're doing this _again_ , you goddamn-"

"Calm down, Princess, just because I did that doesn't mean I'm not coming."

Both she and Gray whirled around to see a wary looking Loke. The Spirit had his hands shoved into his pocket, his shaded eyes locked on Juvia. "I know what you wanted me here for, and I can tell you immediately that I have the answer, but it's not something you'll want to hear."

"Well you don't have a choice on telling me or not at the moment, so talk." Lucy huffed, annoyed with him. Her fingers were nearly blistered from when she'd had to try all of them before Aries! "I'm still mad at you."

He gave a crooked smile. "I know." The smile vanished immediately as he straightened. "I want you to tell Makarov that not a single mage is to leave this building once they walk in. This is a disease that is contagious and could mean serious harm to anyone who contracts it."

"...what the _fuck_ , man," Gray spat, looking furious. "It's not contagious, none of us have caught it-"

"It takes time to come into effect," Loke told him, "And you've already caught it, no doubt. This is something that comes from my Realm. Believe me when I say that you'll be lucky to lie through this. It has to have special conditions to spread, of course. For Spirits, it's just a moment or two after you've been summoned to this world or returned to the Celestial Realm. For humans...it's simple. Use your magic near someone who has it, and you're screwed. You became a carrier of it the second you set foot in the guildhall."

"...this is a magical disease then," Lucy realized. "Anyone outside of the guildhall is safe."

"For the most part, yes. I don't know how those cats of yours will be, either, we don't have them in our Realm."

Gray shoved his hand through his dark hair, eyes wide with a slight panic. "Fuck!"

"Calm down," Lucy ordered, "We'll handle this. Go tell the others." Despite her calm words, her heart was pounding.

Natsu would be arriving any minute, if her quick calculations were correct.

And with him…

There was no doubt he'd contract whatever disease this was.

"Loke," Lucy began, her breath hitched nervously. "Find out what you can. I want to know if we can stop the disease, anything. I'm going to talk to Freed. We need a barrier up around this place to keep everyone in and others out."

"I'll have a chat with Crux." Loke gave a faint smile and playfully grabbed her hand to press a kiss to it. "I'll have to apologize as well. I, myself, have been exposed in coming to tell you what I could. Thank goodness time works differently for us."

A mournful look crossed Lucy's face, full of horror. "I'm so sorry, I didn't-"

"I know, it's my own fault, not yours." Loke gave a final wink. "Wish me luck!"

And then he was gone.

* * *

 _And….straight into the next arc! This arc isn't my favorite, but it has a few necessary key points, so…yeah._

 _To answer pucksabrinadaphne's question: no! My editor does not have a Beta profile. :D Typhlosion8, no. XD No, you cannot. Lol. I will give a clue to everyone however: she has reviewed in one of my other ongoing fanfics. Not going to tell you which one though!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, Tobias97, niyah606, MehKitty, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, PinkFireandGoldenStars, pucksabrinadaphne, NaLu and InuKag, SunflowerChrysalis, Meadow-of-the-Fox, Nekokittygirl, Sara lovelymusic, Typhlosion8, HelloJawsie, LeoPengwen, alliflavored, SilentMockingjay, heyitsmogan, Dragondancer81, Uzumaki Naho, and Sam) as well as those who favorited and followed.  
_


	74. Chapter 74

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

 _Not a single peaceful moment with Fairy Tail, eh?_ Lucy grumbled to herself as she took a drink of tea, a grouchy look on her face. She was grateful for the heated body pressed up against her back as she leaned against him. Her head tilted back to rest against his shoulder blade, and Natsu grunted to show he'd noticed.

Two days had passed since Loke had told them about what was going on, and Lucy was anything but happy. Natsu had come in only moments after she'd gone downstairs in search of Freed, and the second she'd seen smoke beginning to leak from his mouth, she'd nearly killed them both by jumping over the side of the balcony to put a stop to it. He'd barely managed to catch her, looking shocked by her action as she'd crushed them both against the floor.

Her action had been a success, though. He hadn't used his magic, and she was sure he was safe.

Almost everyone in the guild had been ordered to the guildhall. Those who hadn't been there before Juvia had fallen sick were ordered out, and even Porlyusica had reluctantly come back. Wendy and Gray had both fallen ill the day before, and Porlyusica had surprised them all when she'd barked out, "I'm rooming with the girl."

To see her with such gentle hands taking care of the shivering Wendy was surprising enough.

To hear her gentle words nearly made Lucy weep over her lack of empathy towards the rest of them.

A few others had fallen sick, as well. Gajeel had returned from a mission when ordered to by Makarov only to discover that Levy was sick.

No one had come in or out of Levy's room excluding Mirajane, who'd been delivering food around to everyone, and Lucy had the feeling that he was a mixture of furious and terrified for the solid-script mage.

On the bright side, the cats hadn't been able to catch it. All three of them had been flying in and out constantly, flying as far as Blue Pegasus, Sabertooth, and Lamia Scale for anything that was needed.

Lucy set her tea aside, biting her lip, and Natsu glanced over his shoulder at her. The two had agreed to room with one another - everyone had split off into pairs, and Natsu had refused to let her out of his sight after learning of what had happened - and she'd been too worried about the others to read the book she'd grabbed from the archive. A few of the guild members were making the best of the situation by enjoying some drinks downstairs, but Lucy couldn't find it in herself to join them. And Natsu wasn't leaving her side, hence the reason they were both on the floor of their shared room, back to back.

"Think Happy's okay?" she said suddenly.

"He'll be fine, he's smart," Natsu said with a proud tone. "I trust him."

"Me, too," Lucy sighed, "But that doesn't mean he's smart." She hesitantly reached for his hand, threading her fingers through his, and he squeezed her hand in silent comfort before falling silent again. "I hate not being able to do anything."

He only grunted in response.

Loke hadn't come back with any news yet, and Lucy was worried about him. He was one of her beloved Spirits, and she hoped he didn't fall ill. She didn't dare to call on him. Self-directed anger flooded her and tears rose to her eyes. She'd been selfish, leaving like she had. Look what had happened in her absence! Natsu could have gotten ill in such a way while she was gone! She bit back a sob at the thought, pressing her free hand to her mouth.

"Lucy?" Natsu looked over his shoulder at his partner with a worried look, and when she didn't answer him, he tugged lightly on her hand. Lucy shook her head, and he huffed, not daring to puff out a flame like he usually would have. "Look at me, woman!"

She shook her head again, and this time, he lost patience, twisting and yanking on her hand gently. She squawked as she tumbled back, landing halfway in his lap. "Listen, stupid," he growled, flicking her forehead after shaking his hand free. He glared down at her with piercing onyx eyes. "Crying isn't gonna do anything."

The celestial mage swiped at her eyes. "I know," she grumbled. She didn't bother to move, not feeling up to wrestling with him. And she knew he'd trap her there if she tried anything. "I'm...I should have never left. I could have helped out sooner."

She yelped when he flicked her forehead again. "Cut it out," she whined, "That hurts."

"Then stop being stupid," he retorted.

"Shut up," she gritted out, annoyed with him now. She crossed her arms, not the least bit bothered by the fact that her head was still in his lap. "Jerk."

"Weirdo," he replied, then affectionately ruffled her bangs, smothering her face with his overheated hand.

"Gah!" she wheezed.

He only grinned.

A knock on the door startled them, and Lucy sat up quickly. Natsu called for whoever it was to come in, and Lucy was startled when a barely standing Gray appeared in the doorway. He leaned heavily on the doorframe, his body trembling with exertion. Lucy's eyes went wide, and she shot to her feet. "Gray! What are you-"

"Juvia," he wheezed. "I can't find her."

"...what?"

"I can't find Juvia," he repeated, his dark eyes tired but blazing with rage. "She's gone."

"How?" Natsu demanded, looking unamused. "There's no way in hell that she could up and walk off." He rested his elbow on his knee, propping his chin in his open palm. His pink hair hung in his eyes, and Lucy realized that he looked tired for the first time that day.

"I know that," Gray snarled. He scowled darkly. "I've asked everyone if they've seen her, but…"

"I'll help you look for her." Lucy climbed to her feet. "Natsu, are you going to help, too?"

He shook his head, yawning. "I'm gonna take a nap. Exhausted. Stayed up half the night."

"Okay," she said with a warm look, "I'll be back soon, I promise."

"You better," he grumbled. "You're not back by the time I wake up, I'm coming after you."

Lucy giggled. "Whatever you say." She glared at Gray as she walked through the open door and closed it behind them. "Go sleep. I'll grab Gajeel and Lily. There's no way you need to be up and looking for her."

"I need to help, it's my fault she's missing. I fell asleep," Gray argued.

"And you're sick," Lucy retorted. "Go."

He searched her gaze for a few moments, and then sighed heavily. "Fine. Wake me up if you find her though."

Lucy smiled gently. "I will." She watched Gray go back towards his room, and then wrestled up her courage to knock on the door beside theirs: Levy's. "Gajeel!" she called when there was no answer. "Gajeel, I need some help!"

The door snapped open, and she nearly recoiled at the furious look the iron dragon slayer wore. "What!" he barked. "The fuck do you want, lady?"

Lucy bit her lip, then straightened. "Help, like I said. Gray came by, said Juvia was missing. I need some help finding her. Wendy's out, and Natsu's…he's tired. And I don't want to risk him using his magic. So could you maybe help me out?"

Gajeel growled deep in his throat for a moment, and then gritted out, "Fine. I'm coming back every fifteen minutes to check on Levy though, got it, girlie?"

"Yes," she replied, smiling faintly. "Thank you!"

He huffed. His red eyes glared furiously at her as he crossed his arms. "Whatever. Get going."

* * *

"You won't find her here."

Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin at the unfamiliar voice, and her entire body snapped around in shock. "...who the hell are you?" she demanded.

She'd been searching one of the many storage rooms in Fairy Tail's guildhall when she heard it. They'd gathered the help of a few other mages, but so far, no one had had any luck. Everyone's nerves were on high alert, so to have the young girl simply appear in a place she clearly hadn't been before was utterly shocking.

"Mm," the girl hummed, hopping from the top of the box. Long blonde hair fluttered around her as she landed slowly and gracefully upon the floor, her moves silent. Green eyes flashed with gentle amusement. "You wouldn't know of me. Nor would anyone else here. There is one who would recognize me, but I doubt he would pleased to see me as of now."

"...excuse me?" Lucy blinked once, twice, utterly bewildered. "Um, how did you get in here? You're not-"

"A member of the guild?" She giggled loudly, and Lucy listened to the sound in utter astonishment. It was adorable and beautiful, like the sounds of small bells. "You'd be surprised if I told you, now wouldn't you? I may look like _this_ …" She waved at her small body, that of a child's. "But I am anything but this. You are searching for the water mage, are you not, Lucy Heartfilia?"

Lucy's lips parted. "How do you know my name?" she demanded, slightly unnerved.

"She is no longer here, but she is in a place of safety, as is your Spirit Leo." She hummed as she began to pace the floor, her bare feet padding silently along the wooden planks. Her fingers twined behind her back. "He and a few others have worked hard and have come up with a solution for your current predicament."

"Which is?" Lucy scowled. She felt like she was only creating more questions rather than receiving answers for them. "What is the solution? Can you help my friends?"

"Only when they're near death," she admitted, "At a precise moment. Juvia Lockser is currently under the watchful eye of the Spirit King. The only problem is...it takes time for him to sort things. Many of your nakama will join him before this is over."

"Juvia's in...okay. Okay, this is...this is new." The celestial mage's head was spinning. Juvia was in the Celestial Realm. That...was new. "How did she get there?"

"Leo, of course, when Gray Fullbuster was sleeping. I believe he and Wendy Marvell will be pulled next, as they're the sickest of those remaining. Levy McGarden won't be far behind."

"I want to go with them," Lucy demanded. "My Spirits are helping with this, I want to help, too."

"You can't." The girl turned a critical eye onto Lucy, as if judging her. "You'd leave your partner to deal with sickness by himself?"

Lucy took on a puzzled look. "But...Natsu's not sick."

"Mm," she hummed again. "His magic is a strong one, Lucy Heartfilia. He caught it the moment he set foot in here. Most here will fall ill and be forced to come to the Celestial Realm before this is all over, of course. They'll be taken somewhere safe, a place that this illness doesn't exist."

The celestial mage hugged herself. "I want to know where exactly you're taking them. Who's caring for them? I don't want to…I'll force you to tell me if you don't speak, right now. I'll have Gajeel come in. He's pissed off enough as it is."

"Perhaps," the girl suggested, "But perhaps he is more concerned about Levy McGarden? Believe me, Lucy Heartfilia, I recommend you think twice before threatening me. I was once a powerful mage, even if I have fallen to this. Not that I'd hurt you, of course!" The girl looked horrified at the thought and clasped a hand over her mouth, green eyes flying wide. "I don't want to hurt anyone! I'm trying to help is all!"

"Then tell me," Lucy pleaded, "So I can tell everyone else that they don't have to worry."

The girl sighed heavily. "Oh, alright. Juvia Lockser _is_ under the care of the Spirit King for a short time. They'll be cared for there, only for a short while. Then they'll be sent to a separate world. From there, they'll heal completely and return as soon as _I_ have gotten rid of the source of this disease. The bright side is...I know who's behind it." The girl giggled, wiggled her fingers. "She is a devious woman, the one who began this. She poisoned Juvia Lockser with it before leaving with the cure. I simply have to come up with the cure she has and with my calculations, it'll be a few months by any normal person's efforts."

"People will have _died_ by then!" Lucy cried.

"Time is different in different places, Lucy Heartfilia. Everything will work out."The girl looked unconcerned as she turned away, blonde hair fluttering around her ankles. She paused, suddenly, and glanced back. "I'd return to your partner's side. The fever has started."

Lucy turned and sprinted for the door.

* * *

 _This is a ridiculous plan._

The Spirit grumbled as he glared at nothing in particular, exhausted. His hair was a mess, his eyes darting this way and that as he hurried to pull through with what he'd been ordered to do. He'd be accompanying many, _many_ people to their safe place to help keep the calm and to explain every time something new came along. Or someone new. "I couldn't agree more myself, but it'll keep us alive."

 _You and every other fool that has caught it._

"Lucy didn't know any better. And she was lied to. It spreads like wildfire here, that disease. The Spirit King isn't pleased, but doesn't blame her, thank the heavens above."

 _You'll have no magic there._

"No," he admitted. He paused to take a breath. "But they will, so there's that."

 _He's fallen ill as well._

"Lucy won't be far behind. _She_ spoke to her, you know. She'll be determined to follow them, even if it's dangerous."

 _You don't have a way back. Find one, and soon. His magic needs to be controlled with care._

"I understand. I'll see to that myself. It'll be beserk, I know. Wish me luck, why don't you?"

 _Shut up._

"That's likely."

As he spat the sarcastic words out, Leo, leader of the Zodiac, gathered the girl in his arms closer and stepped into the pool, dropping into nothingness.

* * *

 _More confusion, eh? Hello, Loke, who the bloody hell are you speaking to? Anyhow...some of you expressed confusion. Lucy is NOT sick at the moment. Loke appeared by himself, so it didn't affect her. :D And because it was asked, I update on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays!_

 _An update on the whole search for editor...nope! No one has figured it out yet! She's watching and waiting though, amused with you all, I hope you know._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, SunflowerChrysalis, TigerArrowgirl, Typhlosion8, Guest, Tobias97, MehKitty, AngelGurl365, niyah606, Kinsutenekochan, Shidake, Nekokittygirl, NighttimeWonder, SingingAngel327, Faery'sConfessions, Uzumaki Naho, PinkFireandGoldenStars, zzMiya-chanzz, allieflavored, heyitsmogan, Dragondancer81, Kaze, bloodrayne766, and AngelEmCuti!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	75. Chapter 75

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Damn it, Natsu," Lucy snapped as she leaned over him, gently checking his head for a fever. She yanked her hand back at the searing heat that came off of him, worse than anyone else' after the addition of his magic. "When did you use your magic?!"

"I didn't," he protested with a wheeze, glaring weakly up at her. His face was pale, even for him, and he was exhausted. Happy looked anxiously at him from his place on Lucy's shoulder. Natsu groaned softly when a throb of pain had him closing his eyes. "My head...hurts worse than when I got drunk."

"I'm sure it does." She sighed heavily, exchanging an upset look with Happy. She hesitantly climbed onto the bed beside him, just as she'd done when keeping an eye on him throughout the night. "I can't believe you got sick...that's new, eh? I doubt you've ever been sick outside of motion sickness."

Natsu grunted, and then closed his eyes tiredly. "Gonna sleep."

"You do that." She gently swept his sweaty bangs out of his face, ignoring the searing heat. Happy curled up against her, propped up in her lap, and within seconds, Natsu was sleeping. It was like a switch had been hit. Lucy frowned, touching his cheek with a gentle hand. "I hope he gets better, Happy…"

Happy shivered. "He's going to disappear like the others," he sniffled. "I don't want Natsu to disappear."

Lucy pressed her lips together at the thought.

She'd told Makarov about the matter of their disappearing friends when she'd returned from talking with the strange girl. He'd been astonished and distrusting of the girl - especially when Gray and Wendy had disappeared - and had ordered her to not tell anyone. Porlyusica had gone on a rampage, joined by a pissed off Gajeel when Levy had disappeared as well. She'd tried summoning Loke, but had no luck, and hadn't dared to summon anyone else.

Lucy rested a hand on Happy's head, hugging him gently before resting her head back. "Don't worry," she reassured. "I won't let anything happen to Natsu, I promise. And even if he was to vanish...Loke's wherever they're going, I think. And the others are there, too."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah." Lucy decided to not mention that she'd purposely exposed herself to whatever the illness was. She was determined to figure out where that strange girl, who she was sure she'd seen when they'd all had the snowball fight, had sent the others, even if it meant getting herself sent there.

Besides. She wouldn't let Natsu go alone if it came down to it.

"Erza's sick," Happy mused. "I heard Lily say so earlier, while Mira was handing out food. If Erza can't survive...we're in trouble."

"Yeah. Don't worry about it, I'm sure they've got the situation handled." Lucy's hand shook slightly as she ran her fingers through Happy's blue fur. It unnerved her, the idea of so many of their friends getting sick. But she forced herself to focus on other matters, especially when a cranky Gajeel stormed past the room.

"He should be getting sick soon." Happy mused, hearing the stomping feet. "He used magic when Levy disappeared this morning. He'll get sick in the next few days."

Lucy bit her lip in thought. _Hopefully I get to Levy before he does...I don't want him getting angry with that girl or Loke, even. If he was to hurt either of them...it wouldn't be good._

Natsu stirred slightly, and Lucy cringed at the wave of heat that came off of him. "Don't worry," she told him, leaning down to press a quick kiss to the top of his head. Happy purred anxiously, and her eyes narrowed. "There's no way in hell that we'll let them just vanish off the face of the planet, Happy."

Happy didn't answer, only silently hoped that she was strong enough to keep such a thing from happening.

* * *

When Natsu awoke, he wanted to go right back to sleep. It was dark in the room, and he grimaced at the fact that he'd slept the day away. His body ached constantly in a way that threatened to drive him insane, and for the first time ever, he thought his body was going to incinerate itself. He wanted Gray to douse him in a mess of ice.

But Gray was gone, disappearing alongside Juvia and the others. Lucy had told him when he'd first been reduced to a sick mess the day before, and for the first time in a long time, he regretted being rivals with Gray. Not even he wanted that to happen to the idiot.

Speaking of Lucy…

He twisted his head slowly to look at her, smirking lightly at the way she was curled up on her side with her head resting on his shoulder just barely; he snickered when he realized she was nearly falling off the bed. Happy was curled up against her stomach. He was more than relieved that she was beside him. Once, before he'd nearly been run over, he would have found himself dealing with such an issue completely by himself, hidden away in his home for days without so much as a minute of someone's time being used to check on him unless Happy came running.

Now, he had a celestial mage who wouldn't leave him while he was sick, too worried that he'd die or disappear under her watch.

Beyond happy about the matter, Natsu carefully dragged his companion closer, so that she wasn't nearly falling off. She stirred but didn't wake, and Happy was too tired to do anything but readjust himself so that he was happily lying between them. Natsu smirked again, aware that his fever might to be much for her to handle but determined to have the touch until she moved again.

Lucy yawned and he grinned as she tucked herself under his arm, shifting her head to his chest so that it was more comfortable for both of them. Happy now, the dragon slayer buried his face in her hair, practically purring in his content.

This was his Lucy. She was labeled as a portion of his, Natsu Dragneel's, hoard, and his partner in crime alongside Happy. Heaven forbid anyone try and lay a finger on her. They'd have to deal with him, whether they liked it or not.

His eyes snapped open again, his purr fading into a dangerous growl at the thought. The sound made him wince in pain as it scraped up along his pained throat, but he couldn't help himself. He wouldn't let _anyone_ take Lucy away.

He'd tear each and every person in the world apart before he let that happen.

And while it kind of hurt him to admit it, that included the other mages of Fairy Tail, too.

Because without Lucy now…

The world meant _nothing_.

He became lost in his thoughts of such matters, a protective arm wrapped around her waist with care. Natsu had no doubt that she'd beat the hell out of him if she woke now, even if he _was_ feeling like he'd been lit on fire with the flames of Hell itself.

It was during this time when a light touch rested upon his arm. A growl thundered deep in his throat as he tensed, glancing up as he prepared to tell off whoever had come in without bothering to see if they were sleeping.

The words - and flames that accompanied them - died in his throat at the sight of a strange girl he'd never seen before standing beside the bed, a cheerful smile on her face. He narrowed his eyes into harsh slits. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded, flames flickering to life in warning. It drained at his energy, threatening to make him pass out again, but he ignored it, ready to defend his friends.

"A friend," she said simply. "And if you want to live, you'll have to accompany me. You'll be back, of course, as soon as we can find the way back, but it's more important for you to leave now." She moved to lightly press her index and middle finger against his forehead, and Natsu spat a small ball of fire at her to keep her back, not daring to move just yet.

"No," he growled, "Don't touch me. You're the one who took Gray and the others."

"Yes," she said impatiently. "Because it's saving their _lives_. Leo is waiting for more of you to go through, of course. He's been waiting since he took the first one. If you don't go, you will _die_."

Natsu's grip tightened fractionally on Lucy, the growl never leaving his throat as he pulled her and Happy closer. He tensed when she stirred again, and then sighed softly in relief when she didn't wake.

As if recognizing why Natsu was refusing to agree, even at the risk of his life, the girl sighed heavily. "Lucy Heartfilia has caught the disease you are suffering from, Natsu Dragneel. There's no point in remaining here at the risk of your life when she will join you shortly. Believe me." Her green eyes burned with a fire that made him curious. "I do not lie."

"...you're not living, are you?" Natsu wrinkled his nose to show how he knew. "You smell funny."

"No," she admitted after a brief moment. "I'm not. I've been dead for quite some time, honestly...though I'm not entirely dead, either. That's none of your concern, though, what you should be concerned with is your health. Believe me as a former Fairy Tail mage that I won't separate you from the celestial mage for longer than necessary. I can't send her with you just yet, though."

Natsu hesitated. "She's sick, too?"

"She made sure of it quite soon after I spoke with her." The girl wiggled her fingers. "It won't hurt. I can't guarantee how long you'll be gone, of course, it could be more than a few days. You have to pass through the Celestial Realm. Most of your friends have been...I don't like to use the word, but "stored" is the best term for it. Stored in a pocket-like area for the time being. When most of you have been gathered, you'll be sent to another world, a place without the disease. It'll erase it from your system completely, but we don't exactly have a way to bring you back just yet…"

"Huh." Natsu's head was spinning from all of the information. "And Lucy will come, too?"

"Soon, yes," she reassured. "Now, it's your turn to leave. I'll be visiting Erza Scarlet before the night is over as well. She fell ill quite quickly...perhaps it is her power? The stronger you are, the faster it moves, it seems." She lightly smiled, gaze warm. "I'll protect Lucy Heartfilia until she is returned to you, have no worries, son of Igneel."

Natsu's attention was immediately diverted from what was more than likely important. "You know Igneel?"

She didn't answer, instead pressing a gentle touch onto his forehead. Natsu's eyes went wide as his body was enveloped with a soft glow before disappearing entirely.

Lucy didn't even stir.

The girl gave a gentle smile as she reached out to touch Lucy's cheek in an endearing touch. "Of course I'd protect Lucy Heartfilia," she said softly. "She did not ask for what fate has in store for her. Nor did you, son of Igneel."

She gave a final sigh, and then disappeared, fully intending to take Erza Scarlet to safety as well.

* * *

"Master, there's a message," Mirajane called from where she was seated at the bar of the guildhall, taking a break from working behind it. She'd been sorting through some mail that Pantherlily had brought in for them when she'd caught sight of it. "From a...hm, this is the newest member of our guild, isn't it? Mystogan?"

"Ah, yes, Mystogan." Makarov took the letter from Mirajane's offered hand. It was early in the morning, too early for most of the guild to be awake. A few mages were out and about, but most of them were still asleep. "I thought we'd be hearing from him soon...he's a strong mage, one that's been labeled as S-Class by the Magic Council."

Mirajane peered curiously at him. "Oh? I'd like to spar with him some time...it'd be quite fun."

Makarov grinned. "The next time he stops by, I'll ask."

He was scanning over the letter when there was loud amount of noise from the second story. Makarov paused to glance up just a second before Lucy was suddenly there, nearly falling over the side of the balcony when she slammed into it, her dark eyes wide with panic. "Master!" she cried. "It's Natsu! He's gone!"

Mirajane shot to her feet, her blue eyes going wide, and Makarov looked equally alarmed. "What?!" she said, startled.

Almost a second later, Lisanna was there as well, her own eyes nervous. "Erza, too, I just went to take her something to eat. Both of them are...they're both gone! Where is everyone _going_?"

Lucy locked gazes with Makarov, and the older man frowned when he realized the flush of a fever was beginning to rise on her cheeks. "...get some rest, both of you. I don't believe this is going to be over anytime soon."

Lucy shook her head, trembling with fear for her partner as she made her way back to her room. Happy hovered along beside her, tears gathering in his big eyes. "We were there," she whispered, "Right _there_. How could he have disappeared?!"

"I don't know," Happy said honestly, "But Lucy...you aren't looking so well. Go lay down, kay? I'll look for Natsu." He gave her a brave smile.

Lucy could see the sheer terror that her blue-furred friend tried so hard to hide.

* * *

 _So Natsu's gone after a minor Nalu moment, eh? :D Soon we'll get to find out where everyone's going! And I think it will confuse you all when I try to explain it because I confuse my freaking self. Many people are confused. I apologize to you all. No update on my lovely editor, who is still screeching every chapter. She doesn't not have a guest account, she uses an actual one to the lovely person who asked!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (niyah606, SingingAngel327, SunflowerChrysalis, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Typhlosion8, Jasmin King, NighttimeWonder, Nekokittygirl, TigerArrowgirl, Guest #1, Guest #2, heyitsmogan, Dragondancer81, MehKitty, Shidake, Naluforever, OfInkNRoses, The Age of Awesomeness, Uzumaki Naho, Uchida Akira, PinkFireandGoldenStars, and beachgirl5647!) and those who favorited and followed!_


	76. Chapter 76

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

She couldn't breathe. Every breath hurt and ached and not for the first time, Lucy regretted purposely getting sick as an anxious Happy rested a damp washrag on her forehead. She smiled weakly at him, panting softly to try and lessen the pain.

"Gajeel got sick today," Happy reported dutifully. "He's getting worse really fast...Mira thinks it's 'cause of how strong he is. She thinks that's why Erza was gone so fast."

"Hm," Lucy thought, her voice raspy. She licked her dry lips, reaching for the glass of water on the table beside her bed. "No sign of the girl I told you about?" Happy shook his head and Lucy nodded to show that she'd seen it. "I see...she should be coming around again soon, with both me and Gajeel sick...anyone else?"

"Mira's been looking down, but I think she's just tired. I don't think anyone else is, it's just you and Gajeel sick now."

"That's a good sign," Lucy mused softly. She grimaced suddenly and Happy anxiously studied her face. "I'll be okay, Happy, I promise. I'm going to figure out where the others went, okay?"

Happy sniffled and curled up on top of her stomach to nap. "I'm scared, Lucy, I don't want you to disappear, too."

Lucy rested her hand on top of his little body, ignoring her trembling to affectionately rub a thumb over his fur. "Maybe I can convince her to bring you with me, hm? That'd be better than leaving you here. What do you think?"

"That'd be nice. Then I could protect you for Natsu," Happy told her.

Lucy gave a pained laugh. Of course Happy would think of that. And she was touched by such concern. After all she'd done to freak her friends out, most of them were worried about her even now. And it made her happy to know such a thing.

If she'd sent a letter with news of being this sick to her father, he wouldn't have looked twice, merely thanked the heavens that she was finally dying. Her heart ached at the thought and she reached for the keys on the table beside her bed - Natsu's bed before he'd disappeared. A few warmed comfortingly beneath her touch.

It concerned her that Loke's did nothing. There was an empty feeling that tugged on her soul every time she touched it, a gentle pain, as if he was trying not to hurt her but unable to put a complete stop to it.

Lucy took another breath that rattled deeply in her chest. She fought the urge to grimace in pain as she coughed harshly, the sound wet. Blood filled her mouth, and the celestial mage silently wondered how the others hadn't screamed and fallen into insanity by this point. Because she sure as hell felt like it.

She turned her head and spat the blood out before coughing again, and then retching. Happy rolled off of her and straight to floor, and Lucy gagged on blood that suddenly filled her mouth before vomiting it onto the floor. _What the-_

"Lucy!" Happy shrieked in a panic. He darted for the door and yanked it open, zooming out and wailing for Mirajane or Porlyusica, _someone_ who would help.

This wasn't a symptom, Lucy thought dully as she wheezed for air. The others hadn't gotten this, to where they were coughing and vomiting up blood. They'd only had the intense pains and the crazy fever.

Lucy found herself half-hanging over the bed, unable to breathe, panic filling every nerve. She wanted Natsu, she realized dully around the pain and fear. She didn't want Mirajane or Wendy. She didn't want Happy or even one of her Spirits to help her.

She wanted _Natsu_.

Her entire body shook as she reached for her keys, barely managing to reach them. She grabbed them off of the bedside table, her fingers tight around them. She could nearly hear the panicked cries of her beloved friends, feel the shoving of one or two as they tried to break through their own gate and come to her aid despite the risk of getting themselves sick.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, echoing softly in her ears yet not at the same time.

 _You hear me, Princess?_

Loke. It was Loke, she realized. She choked out his name, fighting for air, and she could pratically hear the gentle worry he held for her. Tears rose and spilled over as Happy flew back in. She could hear the footsteps of people racing to them.

 _Celestial magic stepped up the process before we realized it. Open Virgo's gate,_ now _._

Lucy's fingers sought out Virgo's key and she'd barely touched it before the maid was beside her, blue eyes concerned for her. "Excuse us, Princess. Miss Vermillion is seeing to Mr. Redfox as we speak. Come with me please."

"Happy," she managed to wheeze out.

 _He can't go._

Virgo seemed to tie a piece of fabric around Lucy's wrist as the blonde tried to stay conscious. "This way, Princess. Have no worries, Master Happy," she added as she scooped Lucy into her arms. Lucy didn't bother to struggle to get away. "We will protect Princess, just as we always have. These will be the last that we take. See to it that no one else uses magic, please, and we will be able to begin cleansing those of the disease."

 _Happy will be fine, Princess, don't worry about him. Trust us._

Right. They were trustworthy.

Lucy closed her eyes.

* * *

Happy was in tears by the time Mirajane arrived, accompanied by Makarov. Both looked shocked by the blood on the floor. "Virgo took Lucy," the blue cat cried, his ears drooping against his head as he sobbed. "She took Lucy, too."

Makarov didn't look pleased. "She mentioned that she'd come across someone who was taking people, but I didn't know that the Celestial Spirits were involved in this…"

"It is a disease that has been encountered in their world," Mirajane said softly, biting her lip. "Perhaps they have a way to deal with it? It might require them going to the Celestial Realm."

"In that case…" Makarov sighed heavily. "We'll have to deal with this as the situation is currently. Happy, I want you to take Lily and fly to Sabertooth. See if Yukino might be able to know anything about what might be happening in regards to the Celestial Realm."

"Aye, s-sir," Happy whimpered, looking upset as he flew back out of the room, pausing to cast an anxious look over his shoulder.

 _I hope they're okay…_

* * *

There was a soft hum in her lips as she stood on the balcony of the guildhall. She stood on the balls of her feet, her toes lightly gripping the edge. Her hands were clasped as if in prayer before her lips, her brilliant green eyes watching the comings and goings of the people beneath her. With none of the ill to care for, there was more time for them all to mope in the main portion of the guildhall, where Mirajane Strauss was making a large meal for everyone to share.

Many of them looked worried and distressed after their nakama had gone missing, and she was proud of them for it.

Of course, she would be to if she didn't know what was going on. The fact that all three of the guild's first generation dragon slayers had disappeared was concerning. And she knew that Makarov Dreyar had become aware of who was making them disappear.

She licked her lips in thought as she jumped down from the balcony, smiling gently when Asuka suddenly laughed and waved cheerfully at her. She wiggled her fingers in greeting. Of course children could see her, she thought, tilting her head. It didn't surprise her at all. Children were more sensitive to things, even if the two parents staring at the "empty space" couldn't see.

As the founder of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermillion was quite used to such things. How long had it been since someone had looked her dead in the eye, called her by her name? She'd been supposedly dead for close to a century, give or take a few decades. Of course, she wasn't _entirely_ dead, but no one needed to know that at the moment.

Someone would figure it out soon enough.

Mavis walked among the people of her guild, her eyes studying each and every one of them for a sign of illness as she passed. None of them seemed to show it, she was relieved to discover, and she made sure to press a brushing touch against each and every one of them to make sure they all received what medicine she'd created within her own body.

"My guild will _not_ be destroyed by such a weak and pathetic disease," Mavis sneered when she'd finished. And then she giggled, clapping her hands together. "We still have much to do, anyways! Rest while you all can, a living hell is coming this way with the breeze and it won't be long before the biggest of your worries becomes the least."

Mavis took a final look around the guildhall before disappearing in a warm light, completely aware of the curious dark eyes that watched her.

"Asuka?" Bisca fretted, gently touching her daughter's cheek. "Are you alright?"

"Mhm," Asuka hummed. "I was just watching the pretty lady over there."

Seeing nothing, Bisca only sighed. "Whatever you say, dear…"

* * *

"Lucy? Can you hear me? Open your eyes, would you?"

There was a soft groan on her lips as she obeyed, grumpy about the action despite herself. Her dark eyes fluttered open, and she found herself struggling to keep them so, too tired to do much else. Surprise flooded her, however, when she recognized the anxious face above her's. "...Loke."

A relieved grin spread across his face. "Hey, Princess. Long time no see. Sorry I haven't been around, been busy jumping around from place to place with Mavis in an attempt to stop whatever the hell was happening."

Lucy frowned slowly. "Mavis? Who's...oh. She's that girl, isn't she?"

Loke gave a curt nod. "Yep. Mavis is the one who grabbed most of your friends and brought them to the Celestial Realm. They're safe at the moment, though I'm not gonna question how she got there." He helped her sit up, and Lucy cringed as pain ripped through her body. "Slowly there, don't want to screw your body up any more than it is."

The neighing of a horse caught her attention and for the first time since coming to, Lucy realized that they weren't in a building. They weren't inside at all, in fact, they were in a dark alleyway, hiding from the outside world. She frowned. "Where are we?"

Loke pressed his lips together as he waved at his own clothing. Lucy's eyes widened when she realized that the suit he usually wore had been replaced by fairly normal looking clothing in comparison to his usual dressed up self. Even the shades usually he wore were gone. Lucy frowned; he looked fairly naked without them, if she was being perfectly honest. "That's a damn good question, Princess. I have no clue."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Lucy squinted at the entrance to the alleyway, studying the light that filtered in and the canal just outside. "I...this is by my apartment. We're in Magnolia still then?"

Loke shook his head. "We can't be."

"Shut up and explain then," the celestial mage snapped, losing her patience. "Where _are_ we?"

"If you quiet yourself," the Spirit retorted, pressing a finger over her lips, "I'll explain."

Lucy grumbled but fell silent.

"Your condition was accelerated beyond normal," Loke explained. "The blood that you were coughing up, all of it...it _is_ part of the disease. It usually only happens after weeks, even months, of having it though. The Spirits think that it was different for you, changed. You had both celestial magic on top of being human, and it mixed together, speeding it up. We had to get you out of there immediately."

Lucy nodded slowly, biting her lip. That explained Virgo's rush…

"The Celestial Realm has several...we'll call them holes, because that's kind of what they actually are. There are several worlds gathered under the same Celestial Realm. There's an alternate version of your world in each one."

"So we're in one of those worlds?" Lucy questioned.

He shook his head. "No...that's the difficult part. Imagine the Celestial Realm as one of those galaxies you see up in the sky at night. Each world is a different solar system, or planet, within the same galaxy. The disease exists in each of those worlds, so...we had to leave the galaxy."

"...are you...you're telling me," the celestial mage said slowly, "That we're not anywhere near home? We're in another Realm?"

"That is attached to another Celestial Realm, yes." Loke gave a dry smile, showing his fangs off in an unpleasant way. "This world doesn't have the disease ours does. And I'll have no magic. I can't use it whatsoever, which means you can't either. The others….maybe. Their magic isn't attached to a certain Realm like ours is."

Lucy trembled for a moment, slowly getting her thoughts together. "Okay. Do we have a way back?"

Loke shook his head. "We were in a rush. We couldn't come up with one before we had to bring you here. We'll have to trust Mavis and the Spirit King to come up with something. I can feel the differences here...there's a hell of a lot more magic, Princess. There's a chance we may be able to handle ourselves here until we can go home."

Lucy quivered. "Natsu? What about him? And Levy and the others?"

"More than likely they'll be sent here to join us, soon." Loke gave a faint grin. "It's the only way to get rid of that illness. Mavis should be getting rid of it in those who aren't sick yet, just carriers."

"Well then," Lucy said shakily, climbing to her feet. She brushed her jean-clad thighs off, nervous. "What are we waiting for? We can't just sit around here...we have to figure out what's going on in this world. And if we're in Magnolia, that means there's a chance there's a damn good group of people we can ask."

 _To Fairy Tail!_

* * *

 _Here's where the confusion starts. I have this whole thing figured out in my head, but have issues explaining it, so I may make something to visually show. We'll see. Hope you enjoyed!_

 _Nothing on my editor yet, though she's laughing. Keep trying, guys! Did I mention she's trying to blend in? To OfInkNRoses, who asked, I believe she said something like ten chapters? But the reviews are spread out over BTL, Paranormal, and Oculto._

 _Thanks to reviewers (SunflowerChrysalis, The Age of Awesomeness, SingingAngel327, niyah606, MehKitty, Shidake, TigerArrowgirl, Kinsutenekochan, NighttimeWonder, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Nekokittygirl, allieflavored, OfInkNRoses, PinkFireandGoldenStars, NaluFan, Typhlosion8, Sara lovelymusic, Sassybratt, heyitsmogan, Uchida Akira, NaLu and InuKag, fanficlove2014, pochonwes, AngelEmCuti, Qubee, and Ruine420!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	77. Chapter 77

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy kept close to Loke as they made their way through the streets of Magnolia. Her hand lightly gripped his sleeve, and she bit her lip as she sought out any sign of the idea that there was a Fairy Tail guild in this world.

From the waves a few people gave her, she believed there was. It made her nervous, however, when one or two called her out by her name, not seeming bothered by the fact that she was there. "This is weird," she murmured, her eyes wide as she noticed the particularly large lack of cars and other vehicles. Most carts they passed were pulled by animals or the people themselves, and nowhere did she see a phone.

Loke gave a tight smile as a girl paused to bat her eyelashes at him. "Do you have your keys?"

"Yeah. I didn't realize they were still with me," Lucy murmured. She paused. "Actually...how did I get into these clothes? Mine were-"

"Covered in blood? Virgo got you changed before we came here." Loke chuckled softly, edging her away from someone as they passed them. "Aries helped her. She made the lining of your coat for you."

Lucy bit her lip. "I hope they're okay...Virgo-"

"Will be fine. She may join us here, she might not. She caught the disease last time. She may have an immunity to it, as will most of your guild after this little event." Loke glanced at her when she yawned, a gentle smile crossing his face. "You're still weak from the symptoms, Princess, you'll need to rest for a day or two."

"Well I can't rest now." Lucy pressed a hand to her aching head. "We're almost to the…" She trailed off, lips parting in shock as she took in the familiar emblem that was etched into glorious fabric that waved lazily in the surprisingly warm breeze. The flag stood upon the very top of a building that Lucy found ridiculously large and very clearly a building of Fairy Tail.

"...well," Loke mused upon looking up. "Magic must work differently here or something."

Lucy became suspicious, remembering her joking thoughts from months before, when she'd been purchasing clothes. "Is...Loke. Are there worlds, where magic is accepted as a part of life? Where we don't have to hide it?"

"Maybe. I don't know if this is one of them or not though." Loke gently nudged her forward. "This is where we wanted to be though, so let's see if we can get these idiots' help, shall we?"

"What if the others show up while we're talking with them?" Lucy fretted, touching the pendant that still hung at her throat. At least it hadn't been removed. Then again, with the magic behind it, it didn't seem to be coming off without her permission.

"Then we'll go find them. Right now, we have other things to worry about." Loke guided her towards the massive doors that led into the guildhall, and Lucy took a deep breath before raising a hand to knock.

When Loke gave her a weird look, she shrugged and said, "What? It's not _our_ guildhall. I'm not going to just...walk in!"

"Point taken," the Lion sighed. Both of their heads snapped around, however, when a familiar voice called out Lucy's name. Lucy's dark eyes went wide with shock at the sight of none other than Gray.

"This is...new," Lucy choked out, startled by the sight of the ice-make mage. "Can you tell-"

"He's not ours," Loke confirmed. "He belongs to this Realm, Princess. Now make friends, 'cause we're gonna be here a while."

"The hell are you doing out here?" the strange Gray before them questioned. Lucy flushed a scarlet red when she realized he'd somehow lost his shirt along the way. He was as bad as the Gray from her world! "I thought you went on a job yesterday with that moron?"

Lucy laughed nervously. "Actually, um-"

"Gray, my darling," cooed another voice that sent a pang of worry through her heart. Juvia came scuttling into view, glaring at Lucy viciously out of the corner of her eye as she grabbed Gray's arm. "Take a job with me! There's one that'd be perfect for us!"

Lucy exchanged a worried look with Loke, who uncomfortably shoved his hands into his coat's pockets. He wore the green one, the one she'd borrowed from time to time when he'd first kidnapped her. It was a comforting thing, even among the psychotic events that had taken place since then. "Um, excuse us, but we're not-"

Again, she was cut off when one of the doors swung open and out came a cheerful looking Lisanna came out, a large bag swung over her shoulder. She blinked a few times in surprise at the sight of all four of them. "...Oh! Hi, Lucy! I thought you went with Natsu on a job yesterday? Mira said you two were going to head out…"

Lucy wanted to cry. Was _nobody_ going to shut up and listen?! "I'm not actually-"

"The _fuck_ is that weird smell?" Lucy cringed as Gajeel decided to join the small "party", his crimson eyes gleaming with a deadly look that made her shiver and clutch Loke's sleeve tighter. He focused on the pair of them almost immediately and growled deep in his throat.

"What's up, Gajeel?" Lisanna asked curiously, "It's just Lucy and-"

"Actually," Loke piped in, cutting her off this time. He flashed Lucy a reassuring smile. "We go by Lucy Heartfilia and Loke - or Leo, depending on who you are and what you call me - but we're not exactly _your_ Lucy and Loke. Is your guildmaster around? We'd like to speak with him about enlisting the help of your guild."

"I...what?" Lisanna blinked in bewilderment, shooting a look to Gray, who shrugged in confusion. Like _he'd_ know what was going on! "...is this like Edolas again? Except you're coming to Earthland rather than going there?"

"Whatever that means, maybe?" Lucy shrugged. "We'll explain later if that's okay." Her voice was quiet, her eyes nervous as she glanced between them all. And, to top it all off, she could feel the drain of her energy; the celestial mage was ready to pass out.

Learning about magic was one thing.

Going to a completely different "galaxy", as Loke had put it, was another.

Loke glanced at her, frowning when he realized she wasn't feeling too well. "Please. She was ill and needs rest. I'll be more than willing to explain in her place to your guildmaster. And if you have the Celestial Spirits of your Realm on hand, that'd be great, too. They'll be the ones to help us get back."

"Lucy can summon them," Gray said uneasily, ignoring the glare all of them were receiving from Gajeel. "But she left on a job…"

"Call her back," Loke demanded. "I need to speak with the Leo of this world if possible. The Leader of the Zodiac is allowed to make negotiations between worlds. I'll be taking over as leader for our side."

"I'll go get Master," Lisanna decided, hurrying back inside.

"Stay here," Juvia huffed, eyeing them suspiciously as she tightened her grip on Gray's arm. "It'd be best not to alarm the guild."

"We don't mind," Lucy said faintly. She nervously glanced up at the sky, as if it might hold some kind of answer to their problem. "I'm worried…" she murmured to Loke so only he - and apparently Gajeel, who was watching them closely - could hear. "If we appeared where we did, then where will the others appear? I'm concerned about Natsu...he has issues controlling himself sometimes…"

"Are you - there's another _Natsu_?" Gajeel looked horrified by the thought.

Gray looked like he wanted to cry the second Gajeel spoke.

Lucy flushed. "Um, yes. My partner, as I expect your Natsu is your Lucy's partner. Th-there's a few others were expecting to come as well. You three, Levy, Wendy, and Erza will be arriving within the next however long, too, we expect. Possibly Virgo…"

"Damn," Gray grumbled. "Two Natsus, two Gajeels, and two _Erzas_. Isn't that we all want to hear."

"And two of Gray!" Juvia practically purred. "Juvia is so excited!"

"Think you bastards are forgetting the important part." Gajeel cracked his knuckles, and Lucy decided then and there that this "Earthland" version was more into violence then the one from her world. "How the hell are they getting here and _why_?"

"That's a fairly good question, Gajeel."

Lucy jumped at the new voice. _Makarov_. Even _he_ was the same here, with that curious yet kind look in his eye. "Don't forget, you two," he mused, looking from Gajeel to Gray. Lisanna came to stand behind him. "Edolas turned into a deadly event for everyone. If it weren't for Mystogan alongside the Exceeds and Natsu and Wendy's quick thinking, things would have gone wrong quickly. So what are you two doing here? I can easily see that you're speaking the truth. For one, our Lucy doesn't have such long hair."

Lucy flushed, tucking a lock of it behind her ear. "Perhaps it will help then. To help tell us apart."

"Perhaps," he agreed with an amused look.

"We had no intentions of disrupting anything or harming anyone," Loke said firmly. "A disease swept through Lucy's guild, our Realm's version of Fairy Tail. Anyone who used magic while carrying it fell ill while the rest became carriers of the disease. It's originally from our Celestial Realm and it hit Lucy harder than anyone else due to her being human and possessing the abilities of celestial magic user. We - the founder of her guild, Mavis, and I - transported those who were suffering from the symptoms to the Celestial Realm and were going to send them all here at once, but…"

"The disease that you speak of...can it be spread here?" Makarov questioned, gaze hard.

Lucy shook her head. "Loke said it couldn't."

"And it can't," the Spirit confirmed. "Your little pocket of whatever place this is doesn't have the disease anywhere in its records. We made sure of it before I came here with Lucy. It's to save their lives. The only problem is-"

"You don't have a way back."

They all looked up at the sound of the voice, and Lucy shuddered, suspicious. She recognized it. It was the girl, she realized. The one who she'd spoken to and most likely had taken Natsu...except this one was different. She was more childish expression-wise as she smiled from where she had appeared beside Juvia, her green eyes curious. "You don't, do you? You are unable to return home. It's why you wanted our help. You need a way back."

"And to do that, I have to speak with this place's Celestial Spirits," Loke finished.

Gray snorted in disbelief. "You came all the way to a different...whatever you called it without even coming up with a way to get back first?"

Loke cast him a sharp look. "Juvia was the first to fall ill, you soon after. She would have been dead within a week if I Mavis hadn't taken her when she did, and the same goes for you."

"Calm down," Makarov ordered, "Such arguments won't help. Lisanna, go tell Mira to call Natsu and Lucy back. We may have to contact the Magic Council for assistance eventually. Gajeel, explain the situation to Levy, see if she knows of anything in the archives. Gray, Juvia, go set up two of the rooms in the guildhall for the time being."

Lucy bit her lip, crossing her arms tightly across her chest as they all reluctantly left to do what they were told. "Are there any rules for your world?" she questioned hesitantly. "We can't...we can't use magic openly in our home world. Non-magic folk have no idea that there's a community of mages in their country."

"Really...that's interesting." Makarov peered curiously at them again. "Then how do you get work done?"

"We do what has to be done. I haven't gone on many jobs, though." Lucy gave a shy smile, rubbing the back of her head. "I'm still fairly new to magic. I've only been part of the guild for...going on five months now. Less, actually, because of the time between meeting Mira and Levy and actually joining… We've been too busy with other things to actually take them, you know?"

"Perhaps we can hear more of your stories after you've settled in. Magic is an open thing in our world. Everyone in Magnolia is aware of it, and it's like this throughout Fiore. You won't have to worry about such things here." Mavis gave a gentle smile as she spoke, amused.

"That'll make it harder to find out where the others appear," Loke murmured suddenly, looking concerned. "It's easier to figure out where a mage is when strange occurrences begin. Strange things will be normal here, then."

"Especially with the amount of destruction our guild causes," Makarov agreed with a huge sigh. "I'll speak with the guild and announce what's going on immediately. I'll have everyone keep an eye out for any of your nakama. And I'll send our Wendy up to see to your exhaustion...I can feel a lack of magic. I wonder if the disease drains your magic before anything else?"

"Perhaps," Loke agreed.

Lucy hesitated before asking quietly, "Do you have a different way to get up there? I don't want to cause any confusion before you've had the chance to talk to your guild…"

"Mm, you're different than our Lucy," Makarov commented. "I love all of my children, but you're a bit more conserved. Of course, there's a flight of stairs at the back of the guild. Follow it, and then find Juvia and Gray. They'll take you to the rooms."

"Thank you," Lucy said honestly as she and Loke turned to leave. She paused, however, when Loke spoke up again.

"By the way...warn your mages to be cautious. Our Celestial Realm can be dangerous to humans. It messes with their minds, makes them think things they normally wouldn't until they come out. Our mages will be disorientated and may cause some damage if they think they or someone is in danger."

"You'll just have to help us out and work off the payments we'll have to make then." Makarov waved them off with a friendly grin and Lucy leaned heavily on Loke's arm as they made their way for the space behind the guildhall.

"That went a lot better than expected," he commented.

"Sure." Lucy stumbled a few steps - and then suddenly tipped forward, unconscious. Loke swore as he caught her, frowning in concern for the celestial mage as he scooped her up into his arms.

"I got ya, Princess," he muttered gently, glancing up. "Let's just hope Mavis and the Spirit King get the rest of them here soon. Particularly Natsu."

* * *

 _A busy talkative chapter, eh? Congrats to the reviewer who guessed that they were in Earthland! You were absolutely correct! They are indeed in the canon universe now because why the hell not!_

 _No one has guessed my editor yet! To the guest who asked, of course you can participate! You don't have to have an account. Just leave a guess at who she is and you'll find out if you're right or not on Monday!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, SunflowerChrysalis, SingingAngel327, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Uchida Akira, Nekokittygirl, Shidake, TigerArrowgirl, niyah606, NaLu and InuKag, AIRbooks, Tobias97, PinkFireandGoldenStars, zzMiya-chanzz, Compucles, allieflavored, and heyitsmogan!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	78. Chapter 78

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

 _Knock, knock!_

"Excuse me?"

Loke glanced back warily at the sound of someone calling into the room, recognizing the voice with ease. "C'mon in, we won't bite, little one."

He was anything but surprised when Wendy stepped into the room. He frowned curiously when he realized that she was smaller than the Wendy from their world, shorter with less in the chest area. Her long blue hair was pretty similar to the sky dragon slayer he remembered, though. She gave a shy smile as she entered, and he was surprised when Charle didn't come with her. "So you're this world's Wendy Marvell, eh?"

She blushed furiously. "Yes! I hope that's okay! Master explained what happened, and, well...a few of the guild isn't happy - particularly Laxus and Gajeel - but...there isn't much they can do since Master Mavis said it was okay…"

"You're fine, kid." Loke leaned back, waving at the unconscious Lucy. "Ya mind taking a peek at her? She passed out."

Wendy looked relieved. "Of course!" She hurried over, smiling hesitantly as she leaned over Lucy, her hands already glowing softly. "This is crazy...I mean, I remember the Edolas versions of us looking similar, but Master said you guys act pretty similar, too…"

"Ah, yes," Loke said drily, "I noticed that your version of Gray Fullbuster is just as fond of stripping as our own."

Wendy flushed again as she smiled. "He doesn't mean to. Juvia doesn't mind."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Loke cast Wendy an affectionate look. He was rather fond of her, knowing that she was a great deal of help and a good friend to Lucy. Even in this world, it seemed. "Is there anyone else we should perhaps avoid?"

Wendy nodded slowly. "Gajeel and Laxus, like I said. Mira and Erza have your backs though, so you should be okay with them. Juvia's suspicious, but that's just because of Lucy being female. Um...Charle. That's because I'm using my magic, though. The Thunder Legion is with Laxus, but I don't think Freed or Bickslow really mind. They're just trying to stay on Laxus' good side for now."

"Not a bad idea. Smart. Laxus is a powerful mage." Loke sighed heavily. "It's strange, how similar this is to our home...Lucy's worried, mostly about our version of Natsu, I think. And Happy. We couldn't bring him, he couldn't have made it through the Celestial Realm."

Wendy giggled softly. "Even in your world, they're together, hm? After everything that happened with the Infinity Clock..they don't leave each other's side for more than a few moments." Her gaze darkened. "Not that I blame them...Natsu worries constantly that she'll disappear. Happy told me and Charle."

Loke thought about asking what she meant but chose not to. "So you have a Happy here as well?" he decided to say. "But yes. The dragon slayer is quite...fond of her." He made a face of disgust and received a curious look for it.

"You don't like him." A statement, not a question.

"Not really." Loke snorted in annoyance. "But he's Lucy's friend, so I don't get a choice in the matter. Will she wake up soon?"

"Yep." Wendy pulled back with a smile. "Like we thought, she was just low on magic. She'll be okay."

Loke puffed out a relieved breath. "Good. We can get ready to start looking for whatever fool comes through first."

"Just as Master expected you'd want to do." Wendy giggled. "You really are like us. Don't worry, a lot of us are waiting for you downstairs. We want to hear about your world and what it's like there along with how strong people are there. That way we know what to expect or listen for."

"We'll be down as soon as possible," Loke promised. Wendy only smiled one more time and left after a quiet farewell.

Loke sighed heavily. "This is gonna be one hell of an adventure for everyone, Princess…"

* * *

When Lucy finally woke up, she found herself in a slight daze. She remembered everything that had happened of course, as if she would forget! But fear took over for a moment when she realized Loke wasn't beside her.

Relief flooded her when she saw him looking out a window that shone bright sunlight into the room. As if knowing she was awake, Loke said suddenly, sounding wary, "The first one's shown up."

Lucy was on her feet in an instant. "Who? Who'd they send through?"

Loke coughed lightly and waved her forward to see. She shot over to look, worried, and peered out of the window. Her jaw dropped at the sight. "Apparently," he sighed heavily, "Their disorientation is a bit worse than we expected."

It was clearly Juvia who'd arrived. Rain was pouring endlessly from the skies, soaking everything and anything. There were a few mages who were trying to deal with the problem that had arisen in the canal only a street away, visible from their window. The canal was rising and surging violently, threatening to wash away anyone who came close. People were screaming and fleeing while they could, and Lucy grimaced when the water suddenly struck out.

"Let's go," she said firmly. "Juvia will recognize us...right?"

"Hopefully. She'll be confused as hell though."

He paused to let her yank on her boots before they were both sprinting out the door. Loke vaulted over the balcony - so much like the one back in their guildhall, which looked more like a bar or tavern then a castle - and Lucy didn't hesitate to slide down a banister on the stairs. She could feel startled looks on them, people gawking as they both raced straight out the doors.

Normally, Lucy would have stopped to introduce herself.

Now was _not_ the right time to do so.

"Thank goodness the streets are the same," Lucy gasped as they darted across one. She silently mused that the streets in this Magnolia were smaller than those back home, but then again, this world didn't seem to have cars or any other sort of automobile.

"Damn, I don't have magic." Loke swore softly under his breath as they finally slid past the other mages to confront the tidal wave. His eyes were narrowed warily. "And neither do you. Virgo send a whip with you, Princess?"

She shook her head. "I'll see if I can borrow one from someone while we're here. This world's version of me might have one." Lucy's dark eyes watched the threatening tidal wave with care.

"This is your version of Juvia, right?"

Lucy glanced over in surprise at the sound of Levy's voice. The solid-script mage only smiled hesitantly, studying them curiously. "We thought it might be when the water started moving around."

"That's Juvia alright," Lucy sighed. She searched the mages around them. Five in total, including Team Shadowgear, Gajeel, and, to her surprise, Pantherlily, who was hovering cautiously beside Levy. "I wonder...does your Gray happen to be around?"

"Took our Juvia on a job just this morning. You were out all night," Levy explained with an apologetic grimace. "Loke...Leo...whatever you call him, said that you needed rest, just in case."

Loke shot her a wink. "Call me whatever you want, sweet cheeks. Don't think you're taken entirely in this world, are ya?"

"Loke, not now," Lucy pleaded. She fought the urge to shudder in terror at the way Gajeel glared at him. "How the hell do we get her attention or what not?"

To her surprise, it was the cranky looking Gajeel who came up with the solution. "Oi! Water woman! You lookin' to piss off the nudist? Ya know he hates it when people make a spectacle of themselves!"

Almost _immediately_ , the water dropped into the canal again. Juvia's head seemed to morph out of the water, glaring suspiciously at Gajeel. "...you're not Juvia's Gajeel."

"Since when did you own Gajeel?" Lucy demanded. Juvia's blue eyes darted her way, alighting with surprise. Lucy felt a strange sense, as if someone was tugging on her magic, and realized only a moment later that Juvia was testing her magic, searching to see if it was the right one.

The water mage slithered out of the water. "...you're here? Where are we? Juvia wants to go home."

 _And see Gray more than likely._ Lucy smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry, Gray will be joining us eventually...I hope." Loke nodded encouragingly. "I'll explain it in detail later, but we're kind of in an alternate dimension almost. It's a mess, really. You can thank Loke and the Spirits for that."

"Sorry, Princess," Loke sighed sarcastically. "Didn't mean to rush in trying to save your _life_."

"Yeah, yeah."

From where the mages of the world they found themselves in were standing, Levy was staring at Gajeel in puzzlement. He glanced at her and challengingly raised a pierced brow. "How did you do that? She could have been the complete opposite of Juvia, like the Edolas one you all told us about."

Gajeel only grunted. "Doesn't matter what fuckin' world she's from. Crazy water lady is obsessed with him. Mention his name and she practically shuts down. Even the Edolas one looked up when she heard his name accordin' to Salamander."

"...huh." Levy hugged Pantherlily to her chest. "Okay, then. That's not weird."

He popped a bolt into his mouth, crunching down on it. "The fuck we gonna do when I get here if you freaks can't handle _her_?"

* * *

Lucy shifted awkwardly, one hand tightly gripping the pendant at her neck for comfort. She was grateful to have Juvia there, she realized as the water mage soothingly touched her back. Both she and Loke were more used to such situations, even if it was different then what they dealt with on a normal basis.

Still, it was incredibly awkward to be under the critical eyes of a guild that - in her own world - was family. Lucy took a deep breath, annoyed with herself. She was the princess of Bosco, and _this_ was where she decided to fall apart?! What the hell was she _doing_?

She raised her chin. They'd already explained their portion of the story about the disease thanks to Loke for the most part. She'd added in alongside Juvia every now and then, and all three knew that Makarov was watching closely.

"You've only been using magic for a few months?" a curious Erza - who looked so much like her own teammate - questioned.

"Yes." They knew _exactly_ how she'd come to know of it, too. Lucy didn't think she'd ever seen Gajeel, this world's version or not, look so irritated over being labeled as such a brutal man. Levy had looked amused, caressing painful scars that decorated her arms. "Since the end of September is when I first started, I believe."

"Impressive," Mirajane offered. "For you to improve so quickly."

Loke playfully threw an arm around her shoulders. "Princess is pretty good, ain't she?"

"And _you_ were under a curse," Lucy sighed. "The reason why, you have yet to tell me though I won't push it. So you...shush."

He winked, then turned to answer a question about the curse Lucy had mentioned, cautious in how he answered.

"Just how old are you?" This question came from a polite looking Wendy. She flushed shyly when Lucy glanced her way. "You don't have to say, I don't want to be rude!"

Oh, yeah. This Wendy and the normal one would get along beautifully. "Don't worry, I'm fine with it. I'm nineteen."

"Interesting," Charle commented. "Our Lucy is seventeen. Although, add on the seven years we spent on Tenrou Island, and it's twenty four…"

"Tenrou Island, hm?" Lucy murmured, curious. Juvia narrowed her eyes warily at the words, but said nothing.

"What about your Natsu, then?" Romeo, who was close beside Wendy, demanded. "And the rest of us?"

"Natsu's the same age as me," Lucy told him. I don't know everyone's ages, honestly...I think we're somewhere around two years older than all of you, though? Seems about right."

"Do you have Exceeds?" Pantherlily demanded.

"Exceeds?" Juvia questioned in bewilderment, exchanging a confused look with Lucy. The celestial mage shrugged; like she'd have the answer after only a few months of fighting alongside her guild!

"Like us," Charle sniffed.

"Oh!" Lucy's eyes widened in realization. "You mean the flying cats! Yes, we have one of you two each, and Happy." Her heart twisted at the mention of the little blue cat. "I hope he's okay...he was terrified when Natsu disappeared…"

"Happy is strong," Juvia reassured, "Juvia is sure he'll be okay."

The next question stunned both women into silence. "What of the Tower of Heaven in your world?" The rest of the guild fell quiet, curious about how they would answer. "Did it exist?"

Lucy whooshed out a soft breath. "...yes. Yes, the Tower of Heaven did exist until two months ago. Natsu actually melted it down before anything could be done with it. We haven't really heard of the one behind it since."

That answer brought out a whole new round of questions on their part, and Lucy's curiosity only grew when she realized that they'd gone through the same thing in regards to the Tower of Heaven, only it had been different.

"The same goes for the whole ordeal with Phantom Lord," Levy supplied with a laugh. She shot Gajeel an affectionate look. "That war broke out when they kidnapped our Lucy. Master dragged Gajeel to our guild after it was all over, and Juvia helped out with the Tower of Heaven before joining in."

"Juvia joined Fairy Tail before leaving Phantom Lord entirely," Juvia admitted. "Master needed spies."

"What about Nirvana?" Wendy asked eagerly. "That's where I met Fairy Tail."

"...um, I don't think that happened, did it?" Lucy glanced at Juvia. Juvia shook her head in confirmation. "You'll have to ask her when she gets here, but our Wendy joined in a different way, I think. I don't really know how she got into Fairy Tail, honestly…"

Loke surprised her by asking a question, his green eyes sparkling with a teasing look. "And what of me? Does your Lucy have a contract with Leo the Lion?"

Lisanna giggled from where she was sitting beside her siblings, kicking her legs thoughtfully. "Believe me, it was a shock to everyone when everyone learned that their beloved nakama Loke was actually a Celestial Spirit, banned from his world because he got his previous mage killed. At least, that's what I heard. I was in Edolas when it happened."

Loke's smile vanished. "Oh. Well, that's lovely."

Lucy giggled, then glanced over at a playful looking Mirajane when she spoke. "And what of that necklace you're wearing, Lucy? Is that a gift?"

Lucy flushed. "Actually, it is. It's what Natsu got me for Christmas. Which makes me curious…" She turned to address Gajeel, who glared irritably at her. She gave him a charming smile. "Do you have a hoard in this universe, too?"

Gajeel choked on the screw he'd been eating. "The hell- How do you know about that, lady?!"

Even Wendy looked horrified. "We don't tell _anyone_ about that!"

"Oh." Lucy paused. "Well...sorry, I guess? Our Natsu took me to his and let me pick it out for Christmas. That's where I got it. It's got magical properties, we think. Pissed my father off when the servants of the Estate couldn't pry it off."

"Then are you an heiress, too?" Erza cocked her head. "Our Lucy is - was - an heiress before her father lost all of his money."

"Wouldn't that be great," Lucy laughed longingly. "No, I'm not an heiress. Actually, I'm the princess of Bosco in our world. My father's the king."

There was silence.

Lucy could only sigh into her hands when a new round of questions came around, each more curious than the last.

* * *

 _Juvia's arrived! Gotta love her and Gajeel interacting about Gray, yes? This arc in BTL takes place after the anime-exclusive Infinity Clock arc and before the Grand Magic Games in the canon universe! So. Yeah._

 _Your clue to my editor... She'd been incredibly right for once about some things... ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (SunflowerChrysalis, Typhlosion8, mariahcarmichael, The Age of Awesomeness, MehKitty, Uchida Akira, allieflavored, niyah606, TigerArrowgirl, LePengwen, SingingAngel327, Jasmin King, fanficlove2014, Nekokittygirl, CharonteQueen (Happy late birthday!), Compucles, NaluNom, Luci, Nalu and InuKag, zzMiya-chanzz, PinkFireandGoldenStars, heyitsmogan, Sara lovelymusic, NighttimeWonder, FireDragonPhia, Shidake, and Dragondancer81!) and to those who favorited and followed!_


	79. Chapter 79

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Exhaustion lined each and every bone of her body as Lucy dragged herself out of bed the next morning. She'd been up half the night alongside Loke and Juvia, answering questions. She'd enjoyed it despite the tiredness she felt though. Even Gajeel had lost his grumpy attitude and reluctantly asked just how strong their version of him was.

To be honest, Lucy was growing fond of them. She did miss her own guild though.

Somehow, it didn't surprise her when she walked down into the main lobby of the massive guildhall to discover that she was alone. A gently smiling Kinana told her that both of her friends had gone to look into a possible sighting of Gray. Apparently the entire town had frozen over during the night, and Lucy found herself longing to go join them but not daring to.

She didn't feel like braving an entire town of unfamiliar yet familiar people by herself.

"Hungry?"

Lucy glanced up in surprise at the gentle tone of Mirajane's voice. The silver-haired mage smiled warmly and slid a cup of tea at her alongside some toast. "...thanks," she sighed. She picked up a piece and began to nibble on it, enjoying the taste. Even if this was a different guild, this was still Mirajane's cooking, and it was delicious.

Even if it was just two slices of toast.

She glanced at the amused woman curiously. "How'd you know I like hot tea?"

"Our Lucy is fond of it, too," Mirajane answered. "And you mentioned it last night. I thought I'd tell you she and our Natsu will be returning later today. Turns out they chose to finish their job before coming back. It was a short one in Hargeon, so Master agreed."

"Thank you for letting me know," Lucy told her truthfully.

Mirajane studied her thoughtful look in silence before sliding into the barstool beside her. "May I ask something? I normally try to play matchmaker, it's a normal thing for me - particularly between a few select members of our guild - but this is just my honest curiosity."

Lucy nodded. "Shoot. I'm open for most questions at this point."

"Are you in love with your version of Natsu Dragneel?"

Lucy choked on the tea she'd been drinking, nearly spitting it all over the bar in front of her. She coughed to try and clear it out of her already sore throat. "I...what?"

Mirajane giggled. "Are you in love with Natsu?"

Lucy stammered for a few moments, truly stumped by the mage's question. "What kind of question is that?" she finally demanded, astonished. And not because of the question, or because Mirajane of a different world had asked.

Because she couldn't truly say _no_. She herself couldn't clarify whether or not she was in love with the crazy dragon slayer.

She remembered her words from Bosco clearly. " _I may be a princess, but I sure as hell didn't fall in love with the prince!"_

And she knew that while she loved all of her guild, Natsu was the one she loved and trusted more than anything in the world. Even if they did bicker about stupid things. Even if he did eat constantly. He was her partner, the one who'd been determined to take care of her and help her get stronger, even if he wasn't too good at it.

 _He_ was the one who'd come to her rescue despite the letter she'd sent to Makarov when she'd gone to Bosco.

 _Natsu_ was the person who'd come running at full speed to save her, had eaten material made of pure ethernanos, and had entrusted her with his beloved scarf in the Tower of Heaven.

And _Natsu Dragneel_ was the only one she was able to think of, even when several of their friends were in danger of dying of a disease. Even he was now safe and would soon be placed in this strange place with her.

She really hadn't fallen in love with the prince.

"Oh, my god," she breathed. "I'm in love with Natsu."

She'd fallen in love with the freaking _dragon_.

Mirajane laughed, looking delighted. "That's great, Lucy! I'm glad I could help you realize it. I thought as much when you were talking last night. Every time you spoke of him, it was like you were a completely different person...oh! Look! It looks like your Gray did show up last night!"

Beyond grateful for the distraction, Lucy's head snapped around. "Loke!" she called to catch his attention. She stumbled from her seat, frowning when she realized that Gray was half-conscious, one arm pulled over Loke's shoulder and the other over Juvia's. She frowned. "What happened?"

Loke gave a tired smile. "Like I said, Princess, they're crazy disorientated when they get here. More so than I originally thought. Bastard was hidden away. If it weren't for Juvia's Water Body, we would have never found him."

"Gray sealed himself up under a bridge in the canal," Juvia reported with a gentle look towards her beloved ice-make mage. "Juvia is glad we found him."

Lucy smiled at her, aware that they'd - once again - captured the attention of almost every mage present in the guildhall. She gently touched Gray's shoulder. "Nice to see you, Gray. Pretty sure the other one might throw a fit if he's anything like you. I'll see if we can get this world's Wendy up there...if we're going in order of who disappeared when, then our Wendy should be next."

Mirajane, who had approached to offer assistance, smiled warmly. "I'll send Cana to fetch her and then ask her to keep an eye on the wind currents. Surely they'll change with a wind mage going around in such a way."

"Thank you," Lucy told her gratefully.

Even as she helped her friends get Gray to a fresh room - Makarov had told them to take up as many as they needed - Lucy's mind raced.

The thought repeated itself over and over in her mind.

She was in love with Natsu.

Along with it, however, came a seed of doubt.

How likely was it that her idiot of a friend felt the same?

* * *

It seemed like hours when it was really only minutes that Gray was finally able to gather his exhausted mind and put it back together. All four of them - the four from a world that certainly wasn't this one - took a moment of silence to silence their own thoughts so that they could focus on the situation at hand.

Once everything had been explained to Gray, the ice-make mage slumped back, his back resting against the wall the bed was shoved up against. "Okay, so we just gotta find a way back and we're good?"

"Yeah," Lucy confirmed, amused as he awkwardly tried to shake Juvia off of his arm. "We'll have to get some new clothes for you especially...which means figuring out how we can make money. Do they even use jewels in this place?"

"Yes," Juvia told her. "Juvia saw them using jewels."

"So you can work out currencies, that's good." Loke rested an elbow on Lucy's shoulder. "I don't feel my strength weakening, so I'm at no risk of fading from existence while we're here. That's a damn good sign."

Lucy felt a brief sense of relief at that. She didn't want to lose one of her beloved Spirits over such a matter. "Miss Mavis is already helping here. She and the Levy of this world are scanning the archives. I hope the other version of me will ask her Spirits."

"She won't get a choice," Loke said drily, suddenly tensing. "I've pissed off the Leo here. I may not have crossed over to another Zodiac's domain like this before, but we all know the rules. It's not allowed. It's forbidden, particularly after a rather nasty war that happened a couple thousand years ago."

"I see." Lucy took one look at his face and came up with the conclusion immediately.

So did Gray. "They're here, eh? Better go meet with 'em before it gets nasty."

"Yeah," Loke grunted. "You comin' Princess? Juvia can take care of Gray."

Gray waved them off. "I'll be fine with Juvia so long as she can control herself."

"Juvia can control herself," Juvia promised.

"We need to work on you speaking in the third person," Lucy mused, and the exchanged a look with Loke. "Lead the way, Loke. I hope this doesn't end up badly...I don't want Natsu to come and go into his overprotective dragon slayer mode."

"I feel like it'll be happening anyways." Loke shook his head with a sigh.

The two made it downstairs silently just as the doors to the guildhall flew open.

"WE'RE BACK!" cried a familiar voice without a care in the world. Lucy was sure he knew just what was going on - surely the other version of herself would have made damn sure he knew if he was anything like her own partner.

This Natsu was clearly younger than hers, Lucy realized as she watched the trio come hurrying to the bar. She didn't think they'd seen she and Loke yet, so it gave her time to watch and observe. They were all younger than her team of crazy friends.

She could see differences immediately. This Lucy wore her hair in a shorter style and in pigtails rather than just plainly hanging around her shoulders. She wore revealing clothes that showed off her large chest and curvy body, a short skirt that would have made her feel uncomfortable. The way she held herself was different, the scowl she shot her partner as she told Mirajane that she'd had to give up her rent money again.

Happy was Happy, of course, caring only for what fish were stored behind the bar. But Natsu...as she'd thought, he was definitely younger and childish. There was still a boyish look to his face as he simply bellowed a large gust of fire out of his mouth in challenge when someone called out a teasing remark.

She doubted it should have surprised her. But it did startle her to see that scarf wrapped around his neck.

A longing for her own partner filled her and tears flooded Lucy's eyes. She missed her Natsu. Just as she had when she was in Bosco.

As if sensing the emotions she felt, dark onyx eyes darted up to lock with hers. Curiosity filled them as his smile faded into a simple confused look. He reached out to jab at his partner's back. "Huh. She really is you, Luce."

The other Lucy whirled around in surprise and within seconds was gawking up at them. Loke's lips twitched into a smirk. "If it's this strange seeing two of you at once," he told her, "It's gonna be a crazy thing seeing myself."

"Shut up," Lucy sighed, shoving at him gently. She smiled faintly. "Uh, hi," she greeted awkwardly. "I'm sure you know of what happened and why we're here?"

The other one looked wary as she responded. "Yes. That disease, right? Master said that there would be more of you coming...how many?"

"There's four of us now," Loke told her, taking over. Lucy let him; this was more of his kind of thing anyways, talking with people he was uncomfortable with. "Us two, and our own Juvia and Gray. We're expecting a few others within the next unknown amount of time. In the meantime...would you be so willing as to summon your Leo? As the leader of the Zodiac back in my own world, I need to speak with him."

There was a moment of silence as she comprehended this. "I can...I suppose I can summon him, if you want. I thought his key was acting strange on the way home...I don't think it's ever felt that hot. I had to give it to Natsu to hold."

Natsu - Lucy bit back a soft sigh of longing at the name - dug in one of his pockets. "Here ya go, Lucy. Me and Happy are gonna go take our stuff home and come back."

"Okay. Could you drop mine off at my place?" she questioned, pausing to look at him after taking the key from his hand. He didn't respond, only snatched her bag from where she'd dropped it onto the floor. "See ya later. Bye, Happy."

Lucy was beyond shocked. Her Natsu would have thrown over a fit over leaving in such a way, as would have her Happy. But, she supposed, she had no room to judge them. They weren't in her world. She was in theirs.

The other Lucy - Lucy realized she needed to come up with something different to call her, as it was quite rude to refer to someone in such a way - waved them forward. "C'mon down, we'll go outside in case you two start anything."

* * *

 _One of the two main points behind this arc has been revealed! The confession of Lucy! I'm sure other Nalu fans are happy? :D  
_

 _Our little game has ended! Congrats to MeadowOfStars for correctly guessing that my editor was NighttimeWonder. We both applaud you for it!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Dragondancer81, niyah606, Nekokittygirl, MeadowOfStars, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Pastel Natsu, Uchida Akira, Tobias97, heyitsmogan, LoonyTuned, SunflowerChrysalis, TigerArrowgirl, The Age of Awesomeness, Sara lovelymusic, FireDragonPhia, OfInkNRoses, SingingAngel327, allieflavored, LePengwen, AngelEmCuti, luckylucy77, JustAPoisonApple, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	80. Chapter 80

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"So, Lucy-" The "Earthland", as the people of this world called it, version of Lucy cut off,making a face. "Ugh. So weird to call another person by my name, even after Edolas...and your name is the exact same as mine…"

Lucy's lips threatened to twitch into a smile as she pulled her hood over her head. She didn't want to freak the citizens of this Magnolia out by showing them two versions of the same person, she decided. Loke didn't have to worry. While he was recognized, nobody would be panicked by the sight of him. "I'm a published author in our home world. My pen name is Layla Cor. You can call me Layla if it makes you feel any better."

Her eyes flashed with surprise. "That's-"

"Mother's name, yes." Lucy laughed softly. "People are quite stupid and don't think that someone running around with the same name as the deceased queen is anyone to be suspicious of. Anyways...what were you asking?"

"Your magic...how strong is it?"

Lucy tapped her lip in thought. "I'm not exactly the best judge, but considering I started out with nothing, I think it's gotten pretty good." She patted her pocket with a warm smile. "I have quite a few keys now. A few silvers, a few Zodiacs. I only recently made a contract with Aquarius."

The other Lucy only grinned. "Aquarius was my first Spirit. What about gates? How many can you open?"

"One. The Zodiacs are harder than the silvers, though I've recently begun opening two silver gates at a time. Loke shows up whenever he wants, really."

"As does this one," she laughed.

Loke huffed. "You want me out on my own power half the time, I'll have you know. The Spirit King was questioning just how much of that time is actually you needing my assistance."

The Earthland Lucy grinned, giving her a wink. "I take it he's just as flirty there?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You have _no_ freaking idea. Calling your Levy "sweet cheeks" is apparently his new favorite past time."

"Hey," Loke grumbled, "It was one time, and I doubt I'll get away alive if I do it again. Their Gajeel may not be dating her in this world, but he looks like he's fond of her."

"Your Gajeel and Levy are dating?" She looked excited by this idea. "That's amazing. It's like yanking out teeth trying to get Gajeel to do anything about this little relationship they have! Levy's starting to get frustrated. With the Grand Magic Games coming up in the next few months, though, I don't think we'll have time for anything but training…" She sighed softly.

The two chatted as they made their way through Magnolia. Lucy kept an eye out for any sign of one of the others arriving, as did Loke, and the Earthland Lucy explained about some differences that their worlds had until they arrived at a fairly empty park. "This should do," she decided, removing her keyring. The golden key that belonged to Leo had been reattached to it since she'd taken it back. "Let's begin, shall we? Open! Gate of the Lion! Leo!"

Lucy watched carefully as the Spirit appeared, surprised that rather than a flash of light, it was a mixture between some kind of cloudy mist _and_ light. The Leo that appeared was the one she was rather used to seeing, dressed in an immaculate suit. He adjusted the tie, his irritated gaze never leaving Loke. "'Bout damn time we had a talk. What are you doing here?"

Loke sighed and exchanged a tired look with Lucy, as if that was enough, and Lucy only smiled before waving for him to explain. Loke set to work and the pair of girls watched curiously. She noticed the way that her Loke, the one that didn't belong there, seemed calm rather than growing as angry as the other one did.

The Earthland Lucy decided to break in when a growl left his lips. "Calm down, Loke, the guild's already trying to help them. Could you guys see what you can do about it in the Celestial Spirit World?"

 _They use a different word for their Realms,_ Lucy realized curiously.

"Whatever," he snapped, clearly furious. He glared at Loke, who only calmly met his gaze. He'd been expecting such an attitude. "I'll have Crux and the other Zodiacs look into it. I'll see what the Spirit King has to say as well."

She looked stunned, and Lucy felt her pain. She didn't think Loke had ever been angry at her, even when she'd bitten him after he'd kidnapped her. Luckily, the Loke from her world wasn't anywhere near angry with her. In fact, he was amused as the other Zodiac leader disappeared. "I was expecting that," he admitted. "I'd be the same way. It's unnatural and it's dangerous for us to be here. It screws with the natural order of things. Hence the reason we need to find the others quickly."

"I see." Lucy bit her lip, and then glanced up in surprise when she felt the air around them change. Her eyes narrowed.

Apparently, her other self seemed to sense it, too. "Something's changed," she mused aloud. "What's-"

In response to their questioning, there was a split second of peace before everything went psychotic. There was suddenly a twister spiraling down from the sunny sky despite the lack of clouds, and the screams of the town could be heard from where they stood.

Lucy's eyes went wide. "Loke, that's-"

"Wendy," he confirmed, taking off at a sprint. Lucy exchanged a look with her double and then both scrambled after him. The twister began to tear through a house every now and then, and water rose as it leaped over the canal before fading into nothing. Silence, and then another one sprang into existence.

Lucy shoved past people, determined to reach the sky dragon slayer. She lost Loke and the other version of herself amongst the destruction and the fleeing people, but she decided to not take notice of it. She had to find Wendy, before things got too bad.

And she came across her in the wierdest way, only seconds later.

"Oof!" Lucy yelped as she hit the ground, tripped by someone's feet unintentionally. She winced at the blood that dribbled down her chin from biting her lip, splitting it in a harsh way. That would take a while to heal, she thought distantly as she shoved herself to her hands and knees, shaking her head to clear it.

The blue caught her attention. There was only one person that Lucy knew with hair as blue as that.

"Wendy!" she gasped, throwing herself forward, ignoring the people that kicked and nearly trampled her as she scrambled on her scraped hands and knees to her side. The terrified girl was knelt in the middle of the street, screaming, her hands over her ears. She sobbed into her knees, shaking and quivering.

Wendy was terrified.

The wind around her was insane, threatening to send Lucy flying the other way.

Lucy reached her quickly, ignoring the cries of fear as another twister sprang forth, striking the ground only feet away. She lightly grabbed Wendy's shoulders and shoved her upright, staring into her eyes without hesitation. They were hazed, confused, and Lucy forced herself to smile. "Wendy!" she repeated. "Listen to me! You're okay. I promise, okay? It's me, Lucy! Look at me!"

Wendy's gaze shifted and suddenly, the raging wind around them died down. Tears filled her eyes, and she sobbed, launching herself at the celestial mage. Lucy caught her, hugging her tightly. "You're okay," she soothed. "It's okay, Wendy, I've got you."

Wendy wrapped her arms around her, seeking comfort in the hug. "Lucy," she sobbed, "There was…" She couldn't finish her words, shuddering. "I couldn't…"

"You're safe now," she said firmly. "Okay? Loke's here, somewhere, as is Gray and Juvia. Trust me. You're alright, as is the others. We may just have to pay for a little bit of damage somehow."

"Lucy!"

Loke's voice filled her ears and she glanced up, smiling in reassurance at the worried look he wore as he ran over. He noticed the blood immediately, and she explained, "Bit my lip. I'm sure we can get the other Wendy to deal with it so that our's can rest. What is it that makes everyone like this? I didn't wake up so violent."

"You did, actually. Landed an elbow to my jaw." He grinned as he knelt beside them, inspecting Wendy for any sign of injury as their companion came jogging over. "You just didn't have magic and woke up quickly."

"Wendy then?"

Lucy nodded to confirm her question. "Yes. This is our Wendy. And she's...oh. I guess she passed out already, that was fast. Doesn't surprise me though, she always works hard." Lucy swept the hair out of Wendy's face affectionately and climbed to her feet, proud when she was able to shift Wendy onto her back with minimal help from both. "I'll carry her."

"I'll have Wendy see if she can find some fresh clothes." The Earthland Lucy promised, smiling hugely at them. Lucy felt a flash of fondness for her; not once had she shown any dislike towards them, only offering what friendship she could.

"That'd be nice," she told her.

Her new friend only grinned and waved them forward.

* * *

When they arrived at the guildhall, Lucy grudgingly admitted to herself that while Wendy was lighter than Natsu - who she'd dragged around after feeling sick before - she was still fairly heavy. Loke was keeping an eye on her with a snicker just waiting to leave his lips and every time Lucy thought he was going to let it loose, she glared.

"Welcome back!" Mirajane called from where she was behind the bar, swiping a rag over it. Lucy's cheeks flushed hotly as she remembered their conversation from earlier. She stopped, however, when she saw that they'd returned with someone else. "Oh! We thought something had happened...take her upstairs, our Wendy's already up there, checking on your Juvia and your Gray."

"Good." She shot her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Mira." A pause. "You go by that here, too, right?"

She giggled. "Of course. Oh! Lucy - I mean, our Lucy," she corrected when both looked at her. "Natsu's hanging around somewhere...you know how he is. I think someone upset him again."

Lucy - the one that belonged in the world everyone was in - sighed. "What'd he destroy this time?"

"Sounds like our Natsu," Lucy muttered as she made her way up the stairs to the second floor. She was grateful that no one was really staring at them anymore. They'd gotten their fill the previous night. "Except with magic out in the open…"

"This one probably destroys a hell of a lot more," Loke finished in agreement.

Lucy shuddered at the thought.

"Let's take her to Gray's room...they'll want to say hi," Lucy decided as they trampled their way past rooms. Loke shrugged his agreement and he knocked once on the door Gray had been in earlier before stepping inside. Lucy smiled when the trio already in there - Gray, Juvia, and the Earthland Wendy - looked up. "Look who we found while we were out."

"Wendy!" Juvia said cheerfully, looking sympathetically at the unconscious girl. "Is she okay?"

"Probably tired," Gray commented. "Still am, even after this kid helped me."

Lucy smiled as he ruffled the dark blue hair of the Wendy that had been checking in on them. She, too, peered at their Wendy with a curious look. "...oh, wow," she muttered, "I might look like that in two years...I hope so."

Gray threw his head back and laughed. It was a hearty one, the first one in a while, and his dark eyes sparkled with amusement that Juvia beamed at. "Just like our Wendy. You got enough magic to help her out?"

"Mhm," she hummed.

Gray swung off of the bed and Lucy cast him a warning look when he tugged uncomfortably at the waist of his jeans. "Take those pants off, Gray Fullbuster, and we're going to have issues," she gritted out. "I don't care if the Gray here strips, too, you're _not_ going to do that when these people are being nice enough to shelter us for the time being."

He huffed. "Sorry."

 _Not._

Juvia, for once, agreed with the words she spoke. "Juvia doesn't want Gray to show himself to other women," she decided aloud. "Juvia will go ask if there is a shirt Gray can use." She slipped out of the room without another word.

"Not that he'll keep it on," Loke muttered, shaking his head.

"You shush it," Lucy scolded. She loved her Spirit, but she was ready to go home and simply have peace and quiet back at her apartment. Which was, undoubtedly, getting packed up due to lack of rent money as she spoke. She flinched at the thought. Natsu would let her stay with him again...right?

Gray suddenly came up with an idea that had her cringing. "If Wendy was sending up tornadoes and I freaking froze the place...the hell's going to happen when the other two get here?"

And he didn't mean Erza and Levy, Lucy knew.

The dragon slayers - particularly Natsu - would cause a crazy amount of destruction.

"We'll deal with it when the time comes," Lucy decided quietly.

Until then...they had other things to do.

* * *

 _Wendy's here! Yay! I like Wendy, she's adorable.  
_

 _Some information in regards to the bonus chapter...this won't show up for a LONG time. But when it does, NighttimeWonder and i will be sure to let you know! On top of this, I forgot to mention...nope! You'll have to wait and see!_

Thanks to reviewers (SunflowerChrysalis, NekoKittygirl, mariahcharmichael, PinkFireandGoldenStars, MeadowOfStars, Uchida Akira, LePengwen, Typhlosion8, The Age of Awesomeness, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, zzMiya-chanzz, Sara lovelymusic, MehKitty, LoonyTuned, NighttimeWonder (XD), Mia Anime, AngelEmCuti, allieflavored, Guest, SingingAngel327, LittleOwl15, Uzumaki Naho, KawaiPanda, heyitsmogan, Cumpucles, darkened-angelwings, America50, and Dragondancer81!) as well as those who favorited and followed!


	81. Chapter 81

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

After leaving Wendy in Wendy's care - that was quite possibly the weirdest thought Lucy had ever thought, she realized as she descended back into the guildhall alongside Gray - she decided to go back and have what was left of her breakfast. If it was there.

Which it was not.

"I'm not going to tell you who ate it because if your world is anything like this one, you know who did it," Lisanna reported as she slid a fresh plate of food - this time a sandwich - at the celestial mage. She then turned to Gray. "I see that shirt worked for you? Thought you were pretty much the same size as our Gray, if not a little bigger. That's just because you're older though, I think. Not too bad?"

"It works, thanks." Gray tugged at the collar of the shirt, making a face. Lucy had no doubt that it'd be coming off soon. He uttered another thanks when she slid him a sandwich as well.

"So who should we be keeping an eye out for now?" Lisanna asked as she leaned on the bar. Mirajane was taking someone's order a few seats down, and the take-over mage looked similar to her sister as she spoke. "Natsu? Erza?"

"Levy, actually," Lucy reported. "We think they're showing up in the order they disappeared. So it'll be Levy, Natsu and Erza, and then Gajeel. Thank the heavens Levy will show up first, because she'll probably be the only one Gajeel listens to."

"Aw," Lisanna cooed. "Maybe seeing them will get our own pair together, hm?"

"For your sakes, I hope so," Lucy told her, nibbling on her sandwich. "Juvia's upstairs with Loke and Wendy, but Gray and I thought we'd come down and ask if maybe we can help out around your guildhall, earn our keep? We can't take work since we're not exactly a part of _your_ guild."

"I'm good at mixing drinks," Gray offered, "Ya seem pretty busy behind the bar."

"Cana's in a mood lately," Lisanna admitted, "She does that every now and then, wanting different kinds. Go ahead and help yourself. I'll let anyone who asks know that you might have something new."

Gray flashed her a grin. "Great."

"As for you, Lucy…" Lisanna tapped her lip thoughtfully. "We have enough waitresses, but if you'd be willing to maybe help with inventory or some of the paperwork Mira usually has to go through, that should work. It'll free up Mira, maybe she can take a job for the first time in a while."

Lucy beamed. "That works for me." That was definitely something she could handle!

Lisanna grinned and went to report this new information to her sister, and Lucy turned to chat quietly with Gray, contemplating several theories that they might be able to use to leave when everyone was there. "Erza might have some thoughts as an S-Class mage," Gray was telling her when she first felt the piercing look.

Lucy fought to ignore it as she replied, "We'll ask her when she's calmed down...do you think they'll lend us their Erza to deal with her? Or Mira? I heard that Mira could handle her…"

"Not really, but both of them combined might be able to help," Gray finished. He swallowed the last drink of alcohol that he'd been given nearly half an hour before and then climbed to his feet, grabbing the dishes. "I'll get this cleaned up, then see if they'll let me start workin'. I'm sure Juvia will be able to come up with something to work for her keep...Loke, I doubt."

"Loke will watch over whoever comes in," was all the young blonde said. She watched as her friend and teammate left to start working, and then sipped at her glass of water.

She'd been sitting there for a short while when she felt the eyes on her again. She had no doubts about who it was; there was only one person in the world who could stare at someone like that and not give off the feelings some creeps gave. So, she craned her head back with a faintly amused look and looked the Natsu that wasn't her own straight in the eye. "Why don't you stop staring and come talk if you've got nothing better to do?" she questioned, arching an eyebrow.

He scrambled over without hesitation, a brief grin crossing his face as he flopped into the bar stool beside her. Lucy rolled her eyes. "Where's your partner? I don't know about you, but in my world, your counterpart requires constant supervision."

"Meh," Natsu grunted. "She went home. Somethin' about a bath. Last time I broke in when she was bathing, she nearly killed me, so I'm gonna stay here for a bit."

"Ah." Lucy rubbed the back of her head thoughtfully. So maybe she and this Lucy weren't too much alike at all. Then again, this Lucy hadn't had the same background she did, even if she _had_ been wealthy. Being an heiress and a princess were two different things, and to top it all, this Lucy was two years younger. "I see...okay then. Care to explain why you were staring?"

"You look like Luce, but you smell weird." The dragon slayer wrinkled his nose in disgust, and she fought the urge to be offended. "It makes me sick and burns my nose."

"Probably the exhaust from the cars," Lucy laughed faintly. She propped her chin in her open palm, biting her lip. This was another version of the man she was apparently in love with, and it was strange talking to him. "I don't like the smell either; I guess your nose picks it up more, hm?"

Natsu watched her for a few moments, and then shrugged. "Can smell the other me all over you, too, even if you've changed and stuff. He hangs out with you a lot, like I hang out with my Lucy."

"Well we're partners," Lucy sighed in exasperation, reaching up to touch the pendant for comfort. Magic swirled comfortingly beneath her fingertips. He studied it curiously but said nothing. "We've been through a lot together the past few months, and after what I did a few weeks ago, I'm amazed he hasn't sent me to the curb."

"What'd you do?"

"Went home for a few weeks to find a diary my mother intended for me to find." Lucy scowled. "He came all the way to Bosco to help me get out. I'm grateful he did; I would have been sent to Minstral to be married if he hadn't. Be grateful the Lucy you're partners with isn't a princess that ran away for three years. At least she doesn't have to worry about a throne."

"Nah," he drawled with a huge grin crossing his face. "All Luce has to worry about is her rent now." He eyed the stove behind the bar, which was currently on with a pot of boiling water going. He didn't hesitate to suddenly inhale, sucking the flame up with a smirk on his face.

Lucy cringed at the look Mirajane sent his way.

Natsu waved cheekily, not the least bit concerned. "I wanna fight him when he shows up."

"I'm sure he'll feel the same," Lucy grumbled, shaking her head in exasperation. She bit her lip, hugging herself suddenly. "I hope he shows up soon...Wendy showed up quickly, only a few hours after Gray. If they keep that pattern up, I think he'll be here later tonight."

The mage beside her cocked his head. "...are you crying?" he said suddenly, and then panicked. "Shit! Don't cry, woman, guy will be here son, I'm sure...gah!" He jumped out of the way as a sudden lance made of ice shot at him. "Watch it, popsicle!"

Gray - the Gray who was her teammate - glared viciously at him, ignoring the eyes on him. Several mages were giving him disapproving looks, but he didn't care. "The hell did you do to make her cry?" he demanded, looking ready to pound Natsu's head in.

"I'm...I'm fine, Gray," Lucy said hastily, wiping her tears away as she hurried to put a stop to the fight she could sense coming. The fire mage was giving Gray a nasty look. "Just...I'm worried about Natsu, that's all. Our Natsu."

He grunted, relaxing. "Yeah, well. Bastard will be fine. Sucker ate some of that etherious stuff and lived, didn't he? Survived the fight with Jellal and beat Deliora all by himself. Like anything as simple as this would kill him."

"It's not just his physical being we have to worry about," she reminded.

"True," he admitted. "Can't wait to go home...pretty sure we've worried the hell out of the people there. They don't know what's going on."

"I'm aware," she muttered. She waved for him to return to what he'd been doing - mixing a drink for Cana - and rolled her eyes to the ceiling as Natsu left to more than likely find his own Lucy. "Heavens above, I don't think this is going to get any easier…"

* * *

The day seemed to tick by slowly. It was only a few hours before Juvia came down to announce that Wendy was up and going, curiously making friends with the alternate version of herself after Loke had given her an explanation. Lucy was relieved to hear about it.

Mirajane had asked if a few curious mages could stop upstairs and say hi and Lucy had said that they could so long as they only said specifically that. She didn't want Wendy to be frightened after what had happened earlier.

She was in the middle of sorting through some paperwork that the barmaid had given her when the doors flew open and in came - to her surprise - a leering Gajeel, a familiar blue-haired woman thrown over his shoulder, unconscious.

That would have been alarming.

If Gajeel hadn't already been sitting in the corner of the guildhall, a secluded area that was shadowed and hard to notice unless you had keen eyes. He choked on whatever iron he'd been eating, and Lucy's lips twitched into a smirk as she hurled herself away from her seat, calling, "Gajeel! Gajeel, here!"

His crimson eyes snapped to her face and he inhaled sharply, his entire body tensing as he took in the different scents. "...Bunny Girl," he muttered gruffly as Gray came up behind her.

"Gajeel!" Juvia cheered as she hurried over as well. She looked relieved to see her friend as she smiled at him. "Juvia's glad to see you."

"Likewise," he grunted, then glared over their heads. "The fuck is going on?" he demanded. "Woke up in the middle of a fucking forest."

Lucy grimaced at his language, recognizing the rage barely concealed beneath it. He spoke carelessly when he was angry. "Was Levy with you? Where'd you find her?"

"Park, on my way here. Wherever here is," he muttered. Gajeel drew himself up when he snorted, glaring into the corner that held his double. He could feel the glare that came right back at him, just as dark and deadly as his own.

"Bring her upstairs, we'll explain." Lucy smiled gently, encouraging, and the dragon slayer had no choice but to trust her. Lucy waved for Juvia and Gray to go back to what they'd been doing as Loke peered down from the balcony to see what was going on, the duo of Wendys beside him.

The one from this realm had taken down her hair, leaving it to curl around her waist. Lucy's lips twitched into a smile. More of a way for it to be easier to tell them apart. _Smart_ , she complimented.

Gajeel grunted at the sight. "The fuck?"

"We'll explain," Lucy repeated. "C'mon, Gajeel." She led him upstairs - Lucy was tired of going up and down the stairs if she was being perfectly honest - and grinned at Loke nervously. "We're just waiting on Erza and Natsu it looks like. Then the fun begins."

"It began the second we showed up here," Loke sighed heavily. "Your turn. Take them with you," he added, jerking a thumb at the pair of dragon slayers beside him. "I'll go inform this world's Makarov on what's happened so far. He checked in earlier. He'll want to know that Gajeel showed up for sure."

"Dragon slayer instincts are a pain," the Wendy from this world sighed, shaking her head. "Might want to convince him to order the Gajeel and Natsu from my world to stay away until you're gone. Territorial stuff and what not."

Gajeel grunted in response, tightening his grip around Levy's waist. The solid-script mage suddenly groaned in response before blinking her eyes open blearily. Lucy, a step behind Gajeel, was the one to notice. "Levy!" she cheered. "Welcome to the waking world."

"Lu…" Levy groaned softly again as she realized she was upside down. "What the...Gajeel," she sighed in acceptance. She didn't look the least bit crazed, Lucy realized. She looked fine, in fact, not even tired. Simply bewildered. And neither was Gajeel. She frowned.

"Their condition was less compared to everyone else's," Loke suggested. "Even Juvia wasn't too bad compared to Gray, and she was the one who suffered the longest...Gajeel was dragged out almost the second he got it. The worse you had it, the harder the Celestial Realm was on the mind."

"Erza wasn't as bad as it could be," Lucy uttered in relief. "But Natsu…"

"We're in for an adventure with him," Loke confirmed.

"I had it really bad," their Wendy admitted sheepishly, smiling faintly. "I think it's cause I performed magic on someone who had the disease, you know? Porlyusica was scolding me constantly while I was ill…"

"Interesting," Loke commented. "I'll have to record this information when we get back. The Spirit King will find it important."

"Not the time, Loke," Lucy grumbled, elbowing her Spirit. She snickered when she heard the argument that had arisen between Levy and Gajeel; apparently she didn't approve of being carried like a sack of potatoes. "Go inform him, I'll explain."

He ruffled her hair. "Got it, Princess." Loke headed off without another word, and Lucy turned back to her friends, taking in the clothes they wore. Never had Lucy thought she'd see Gajeel in such normal looking clothes. Despite the hidden magic in their world, he wore clothes made for mages constantly, enjoying the comfort they gave.

Then again, he _looked_ uncomfortable in his jeans.

"Anyways!" Lucy cheered when he'd finally put Levy down. "C'mon, let's get you two an explanation…"

* * *

 _Sorry about the wait! Being sick sucks...on the bright side, guess who shows up next chapter? Some people expressed confusion about who was talking. I apologize for that, it is rather hard to keep track of...hopefully the confusion doesn't last._

 _Thanks to reviewers (CharonteQueen, Nekokittygirl, The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, Uchida Akira, Guest #1, Tiger Arrowgirl, zzMiya-chanzz, mamimartini, SingingAngel327, ilftnatsu, LoonyTuned, BigmadOnline, KawaiPanda, Guest #2, PinkFireandGoldenStars, allieflavored, Larissa, ashinsky, Faery'sConfessions, Dragondancer81, ERebellion, heyitsmogan, SunflowerChrysalis, Uzumaki Naho, Sara lovelymusic, AngelEmCuti, panda123love, and LoneStorm!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	82. Chapter 82

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"This can't be happening," Levy sobbed against Lucy's shoulder. Lucy gave her a sympathetic look and patted her shoulder, glaring at the two snarling men not too far away.

"I would get in between, but...I don't know how well that'll work," the Earthland Levy commented. Her eyes followed the movements of the two iron dragon slayers snarling challenges at each other.

It certainly didn't help that Natsu - the Earthland Natsu, she doubted hers would have left her side in such a place to do anything like this - was spitting fireballs at them every now and then just to piss them off more.

His partner tried to stop him, screeching at Happy to shut up, but it did nothing. He only squirmed away to spit another, and finally, the Gajeel from this world lost it.

As did their own.

"Fuck _off_ , Salamander!" both snarled in unison, an iron club forming on each of their arms before slamming down on top of him. Both were careful not to hurt the blonde sitting with him, of course, as they smashed through the table and the bench.

There was a moment of silence, and then the fight surged dangerously as the two iron dragon slayers began to shout at one another once again.

Levy burst into giggles despite her previous crying, and her double laughed, reaching over to pat her shoulder gently. The two had gotten along _fabulously_ and had spent most of the afternoon talking about books.

Lucy had flushed when they'd dragged her into the conversation by talking about her published works - something the other Levy was _very_ curious about.

It had been a great distraction from her impatience for her partner to show up, she admitted. They'd spent hours on the conversation, and Lucy had temporarily forgotten her worries. _Temporarily_ being the key word.

That had changed when the other one had shown up with his Lucy in tow alongside Happy, and then the surprising loneliness had come back.

Surrounded by people - _friends_ , even, her Celestial Spirit included - and she felt _lonely_. How strange.

Maybe it had something to do with falling in freaking _love_ with the guy? she thought sarcastically as she tuned out the loud arguing that was going on. Evening had fallen and most people were heading home after some of Mirajane's delicious cooking for dinner, and she could feel her brain turning towards tired thoughts. Her heart twisted nervously at the thoughts. Not that she'd tell him; for heaven's sake, he probably thought of her as his nakama and that was all!

Or maybe...not?

Lucy paused, cocking her head thoughtfully. She supposed it was possible. She'd heard tales of a few women who had passed through with crushes on her partner, but he'd pushed them all away, just as much as he had with everyone else in the guild, she'd been told. _Particularly_ noticed by Cana, who "knew all".

But, as the drunk had once put it, he _watched_ her.

And she knew it; Lucy had caught him more than once.

Every time she moved somewhere else in the guildhall, onyx eyes watched her.

Anytime someone talked to her - especially certain people, like Macao and Wakaba or even _Gray_ \- he was watching, his eyes never leaving her. Only when they'd stepped away and gone elsewhere had he turned his face back to what he was doing, which was eating more often than not.

In that moment, two _very_ distinct things happened that caught her attention, interrupting her thoughts and the conversations of the few people left in the guildhall.

A massive roiling explosion of pure _heat_ ran through the building and Lucy was sweating within moments. Everyone else swore softly in confusion, or immediately shed their coat, throwing accusing looks at Natsu, who didn't seem to notice. Even Gajeel looked uncomfortable in the heat - both of them did, and had even stopped their argument to look around.

"That's strange," the Earthland Levy commented, narrowing her eyes. "It's the middle of January, not even Natsu can make it that hot…"

Seconds after her comment, the ground _shook_.

Dangerously.

To the point that both Gajeels whirled in different directions with massive iron clubs bending and crossing across the room to protect any mage in there from falling debris. Luckily, most were out of an area that held any danger.

"Move!" the other Lucy screeched, darting forward to drag both she and Levy aside. The Earthland Levy forcefully tipped her chair back, rolling and tumbling as fast as she could to avoid a chunk that the iron dragon slayers missed. The stone smashed the table, and she coughed, the breath driven from her.

"What the hell?" Lucy muttered. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what might have happened, and then it hit her like she'd run into a brick wall.

 _Natsu_.

"Oh!" she cried, grinning like a madwoman. "Levy, it's-"

"Salamander," grumbled their Gajeel, who'd come to stand protectively beside his girlfriend. Levy smiled gently up at him, amused as he wrinkled his pierced nose in disgust. "His scent is all over the place now."

The other Natsu had no qualms about cheering, "Yes! I'm here!"

"Idiot!" Lucy, his partner Lucy, groaned.

She didn't seem to notice, instead bolting for the doors. "Sorry," she shouted. "I have to go find him before he burns the place down!"

"Lucy!" she heard Loke shout after her when he'd come out of wherever he'd been hiding, "Wait-"

But she was already gone, disappearing into the crazed people outside.

"I really am insane," Lucy muttered to herself. Another explosion went off nearby and she barely even flinched as she frantically ran towards it instead of away like most people would have done. People had fled this area long ago, from the second the destruction had begun.

Yet here she was, racing towards it with her heart pounding out of excitement.

 _Natsu_.

Natsu was here, _finally_.

Tears filled her eyes as she rounded the corner. It had been only days since he'd disappeared compared to the weeks they'd been apart, but she supposed certain realizations changed things.

Of course, the tears vanished when she found him.

He was out of his _goddamn mind_ , she silently screamed, her eyes snapping wide.

Natsu hadn't just gone temporarily crazed like the others. He'd gone temporarily _insane_ , to the point that she could barely see him past the flames that surrounded him. Anytime he thought someone - it was usually a tree, of course, no one dared to get close - was near, he'd fire off a massive blast of fire from his mouth, turning it into ash.

She thought she could see scales.

She paused for a second when she caught sight of a familiar scaled scarf lying on the ground, covered in ash, and quickly picked it up, winding it around her neck despite the grime. Then, she set her eyes on her partner and prepared herself.

Lucy took a deep breath, and then screamed as loud as she could. "NATSU DRAGNEEL, YOU STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY!"

There was a brief moment of silence, broken only by her panting for breath and the crackling of flames, which died down only seconds later, just enough that they covered his body to show his anger but weren't destroying anything. She took a deep breath, and then stepped closer, edging forward until she was only a foot or so away from him.

She blinked a few times.

She _had_ seen scales. He'd gone full out Dragon Force. The crimson scales contrasted sharply against his skin and his onyx eyes darted this way and that before focusing on her again. She saw no sign of recognition, only blank _rage_. Lucy cautiously reached out, grabbing one of his hands. The fire seared at her skin for the briefest of moments, and she cringed in pain, knowing she'd have blisters until Wendy - either one of them, really - took a glimpse. But still, the celestial mage twined her fingers with his, squeezing gently as he'd done before he'd fallen ill.

"Natsu," she said gently, "Calm down. You're okay now, I promise. We're not home, but you're okay."

Onyx eyes drifted down to stare at their hands for a hesitant moment. And then blinked a few times, as if his mind was clearing. Lucy relaxed when the fire disappeared entirely, leaving them standing in a zone of utter demolition. She could hear the distant pounding of feet as people came running, more than likely her nakama, she supposed.

Lucy smiled gently, reaching up to flick his forehead. "You back yet?"

"...uh...yeah. I think." Natsu blinked a few times, and then looked at his arm in surprise. "The hell? Are these...I didn't eat that stuff though...oh. They're going."

And sure enough, the scales were dissolving, as if they'd never been there.

Lucy didn't hesitate. She threw her arms around his neck in a tight hug, giving a happy cry. He returned it tightly, pressing his face into her shoulder and winding his arms around her waist. "About damn time you got here," she croaked, relieved to see him.

He snorted and then sniffed slightly, as if searching the air for scents as he lifted head. "Where _are_ we?" he demanded. "The air is crazy clean...it's not even like this in Hargeon. Or in the mountains."

She laughed nervously as she pulled back. "Funny enough, we're in Magnolia. Earthland, as they called it, if we're being specific on worlds though. C'mon." She tugged on his hand. "Let's go find the others, and then you'll get the same explanation they did. What's the last thing you remember?"

Natsu's eyes became slits as he contemplated. "Uh...I dunno. Not feeling good. You were there. Happy was there…" He suddenly growled darkly, annoyed. "That one girl. I thinks he's the one _you_ saw. The blonde one. She said you were sick, too."

"Mavis Vermillion, founder of Fairy Tail," she clarified. "I only learned who she was when Loke and I showed up here. They have a version of her here, too, she's more...I don't know. Childish then what I've seen of ours, excluding the snowball fight…" She smiled brightly. "Let's go. You completely demolished this place, you know, and we can't even take jobs to make money to fix it. You better be ready to work for all of this so we don't get kicked out."

His brow furrowed into a look she recognized: confusion. "What?" He opened his mouth to ask more, raising a hand in a motion of habit - only to stop dead in his tracks. "My scarf...Lucy, where's my scarf?!" His eyes went wide and he began to panic. His head snapped up, and he cranked it around, not exactly willing to let go of his Lucy just yet despite his need to find it.

"Right here, stupid," she huffed, pointing to her neck. "I have it. I saw it and picked it up. Relax."

"Oh."

Lucy smiled hugely, relieved.

Yep.

Her crazy dragon slayer was definitely with her again.

* * *

 _At long last, Natsu's back! Yay! Hope you enjoyed!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, MeadowOfStars, Nekokittygirl, panda123love, Dragondancer81, LoonyTuned, MehKitty, Kinsutenekochan, SunflowerChrysalis, Uchida Akira, KaUiA, Guest, PinkFireandGoldenStars, FireDragonPhia, ilftnatsu, mariahcarmichael, lazy one, FairyBrightTail, LePengwen, SingingAngel327, KawaiPanda, fanficlove2014,allieflavored, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, and heyitsmogan!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	83. Chapter 83

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy couldn't say she was surprised that he was sticking as close as he was, and she couldn't say that it bothered her, either. She was content with her partner beside her, even if he was getting told off by the guildmaster of Earthland's Fairy Tail.

He couldn't stop staring, and it was kind of funny. It was like he couldn't believe that he was in another alternate version of their guild, or that there was another version of Makarov who he could have sworn was exactly the same as theirs.

Only his nose told him the difference. And the way Lucy kept nudging him in the gut until he finally muttered an apology. Between staring at the man before him and glancing at Lucy for encouragement every now and then as she got her blistered hand fixed by the other Wendy, alongside his apologies, he could feel an irritable feeling beginning to rise within him.

Especially when his other self - it freaked him out a little bit to see him honestly, it was weird hearing your voice come out of someone else. Who wouldn't freak out? But he got especially angry whenever the other fire mage turned his gaze onto _his_ Lucy. He had his own, and to hell with him if he even so much as looked at her.

 _His_ , he repeated silently as he suddenly turned a huge glare onto him. His eyes held a smoldering challenge that promised death should he even consider coming close.

The other version only stared back at him, bewilderment clear in his gaze.

As if he didn't know what he was doing wrong.

Natsu scoffed under his breath, the sound harsh. It surprised him, honestly. This was how he'd been two years ago, and he knew it, but _damn_! He was a freaking _moron_ back then!

The rest of his friends - the ones that _he_ knew, not the ones from this weird world - were gathered at the balcony above them, so much like the one that Lucy had nearly killed herself jumping over to get to him back home days before. All of them were peering down. Loke looked strange, was something he'd noticed immediately, not like the one he recognized, and he kept giving Natsu dirty looks. Wendy was beside him, Juvia and Gray side by side beside her. Gajeel and Levy stood off to the side, the iron dragon slayer watching over all of them with surprising care.

Natsu understood what he was doing. He was keeping an eye on all of them, making sure nothing would surprise and come at them for the time being. Protecting their nakama, which was something that Natsu himself usually did.

Except he was too focused on protecting _her_. Lucy. The celestial mage - and everyone else, to be perfectly honest - was surprisingly calm considering their current situation.

He frowned. Shouldn't they have been more panicked? Then again, this _had_ saved their lives…

"Ouch!" he suddenly yelped when Lucy smacked the back of his head, glaring at him. "What was that for?"

"Answer his question," she retorted.

"What question?"

"Are you-" She threw her hands in the air. "Ugh! Yes, he'll help me with paperwork with _out_ burning everything he touches."

The Makarov before them wore an amused look. "Good. See to it that it gets done come morning. Our Erza has organized a few teams that will be searching Magnolia throughout the night for your Erza should she arrive."

"I'll be helping out," Gray drawled from where he was standing.

"Juvia as well," Juvia chimed in.

Loke grunted as well, rolling his eyes. Lucy giggled and shook her head.

Natsu glared irritably at the Spirit over it, not in the mood to try and figure out just why he'd amused Lucy. He just wanted to go home, hang with Happy and Lucy, and chow down-

His eyes snapped wide with alarm and he whirled on Lucy, who still wore his scarf, he noted in the back of his mind. "Happy-"

Lucy's gaze flashed with a miserable look that he _really_ didn't like on her face. "He's okay. Back with our guild. They couldn't send him through, I asked when I was brought to the Realm...Loke said he couldn't go and Virgo wouldn't try."

"At least he's okay," Natsu murmured, his gaze dropping to his lap. He missed his little buddy. They'd been together for years. A month longer than Fairy Tail even, though that was a story for another time. His heart ached at the thought of Happy being alone, but was grateful that he'd at least have Charle, who must have been just as worried about Wendy if the sad look that crossed the sky dragon slayer's face was anything to go by.

And Pantherlily, Natsu added on.

Huh. Fairy Tail was missing all three dragon slayers. Of course, Laxus was technically considered one as well, but Natsu didn't think of him as one. He was just a crazy powerful lightning mage.

One who had, on occasion, somehow managed to beat Natsu into submission.

It had been _once_ , okay?! Only once!

...maybe twice.

Or three times.

Quite possibly over ten.

"Natsu, did you hear me?"

 _Shit_ , he needed to pay attention! Natsu gave her the best look of innocence he could. "Huh?"

She let a breath whoosh out of her in a sigh. Lucy buried her face in her hands, shaking her head so that her long and tangled blonde hair fell around her shoulders and face. He silently decided he'd comb it out for her; he knew how much she hated her hair like that. "I can't handle this anymore!"

"Seriously," he demanded. "What'd you say?"

"He's as bad as our Natsu," the Levy off to the side commented. "At least he isn't coming up with his own explanation…"

"I'm not that bad," said mage grumbled, puffing out a flame in irritation and watching as it caught a table on fire.

Natsu smirked and simply sucked it up, shooting his double another challenging look when he earned a glare for it. Then he poked Lucy's arm with a demanding, "Seriously, Luce, what'd you _say_?!"

* * *

"My _stomach_ ," Natsu moaned pitifully only an hour or so later. Lucy shook her head, looking down at him without sympathy. "We're not on a vehicle, but it _hurts_ …"

"It can't be the disease, or the rest of us would be sick right with you...you did eat the other Natsu's fire earlier, though," she commented. "Maybe that made you feel ill? In any case, I need to go catch some sleep for tomorrow. Erza's going to be a in a pissy mood, I think. We'll need to be ready to deal with her." She gave his back a final rub, something she'd been doing for the past few minutes now, and then went to stand, unwinding the scarf that was wrapped around her neck to return it.

And Lucy sighed heavily when Natsu whined and tried to drag her back. "It gets worse when you stop, Lucy!"

"Well I have to sleep." She folded his scarf with care, knowing just how important it was, and gently placed it beside his head. He pouted up at her, and she flushed, turning away quickly. After her conversation with Mirajane, she _really_ didn't need him giving her such looks or saying such things or acting in the way he was.

Because it only made her love him more than she already did, and she felt as if increasing that little bit would make it harder on both of them.

"Then just sleep in here," Natsu mumbled, "I'll sleep on the floor if you really don't want to share the bed."

"You just complained you weren't feeling well," she chided, rolling her eyes. She flicked his head once and he only flashed a faint grin up at her. "You're like a child, you know that? Geez. Just go to sleep."

Natsu grumbled, turning his head to bury his face in the mattress. "Fine. Don't disappear."

"I'm not going anywhere, damn it, I'll be next door," she said in exasperation. "Literally! Loke gave you his room so that we'd be next to each other! You owe him a thanks for that by the way. Besides, you're the one who _willingly agreed_ to disappear before I got sick, so you have no room to talk."

"I didn't _want_ to go," Natsu whined, "What's her name said that you'd come anyways. Didn't expect to wake up here." He paused. "Sorry 'bout your hand, by the way." His voice changed from irritated to guilty and mournful.

Lucy's gaze softened and she used said hand to ruffle the pink hair on the back of his head. He jumped beneath her touch, and she laughed softly. "I know you'd never hurt me intentionally. You were just scared, like Wendy and Gray and Juvia when they showed up. I'm not upset or even concerned you'll do it again."

"I _will_ though." Natsu suddenly rolled over, searching her gaze intently. She was startled by the darkened look of seriousness he wore. "I've hurt Happy a couple times 'cause I wasn't careful. He doesn't mind, 'cause he's Happy, and he forgave me the second I did it, but I always hurt people. I've burned Levy, Wendy, Happy. I've burned _Asuka_. And I've hurt you now, too. S'why I don't go to the guildhall unless you're there. I don't wanna hurt anyone. It's easier to control when you're there."

Lucy was, admittedly, surprised by his little speech. "I...you have issues controlling your fire?"

"Sometimes," he admitted. "If I get too upset. Or excited. That's when I burned Asuka. She was showing me her first attempts at magic and I lost control when she managed to fire off her parents' weapon with a magic bullet."

Lucy couldn't help it; she knew that he was upset about this, but the fact that he'd gotten so excited about Asuka firing a gun that he'd accidentally lost control of his magic made her giggle quietly into her palm. "Natsu," she said to stop him from rambling. "I'm impressed that I haven't been incinerated by you at this point, to be perfectly honest. Believe me. I really don't care that you burned me. Besides, look. No scarring. Wendy healed me."

She offered her hand to him and he took it, examining it closely before playfully blowing a wisp of flame at her palm, tickling her fingers with its warmth. She giggled in relief, glad he was back to normal.

And that his "horrible stomach ache" had miraculously cleared up.

"Good," he told her. "If you cared, then you'd hate me, and I don't want you to hate me."

"I don't want you to hate me either," she told him, picking her words with care. "So we're good there. Now go to sleep, Natsu. Jeez, it's like getting a kid into bed...I'll see you in the morning, yes?"

"Yeah," he huffed, releasing her hand so that she could wiggle her fingers, as if testing out the strange heat his fire had left on them. It did that sometimes, she realized, filled her with a warmth that took hours to go away. And she was fine with it. "See ya in the morning, Luce."

"Night." She smiled, waved once, and then hurried from the room, sighing heavily as she closed the door behind her.

"No point in telling ya to stay on your toes around him, is there?"

She nearly squeaked in her shock. "Loke," she muttered, keeping her voice soft. She knew Natsu would be trying to listen in, and when he wanted, his ears rivaled those of creatures she was sure she hadn't even heard of. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Meh." Loke chose not to answer her question, instead giving his celestial mage a crooked smile as he ruffled her blonde hair. "Go get some sleep. We might have to deal with Erza tomorrow, and I'm sure those friends of yours will have a _blast_."

"Gray and Natsu are scared," Lucy admitted. "Since, you know. Two Erzas might be a bit too much for anyone to handle." She grinned at the thought. She really had no trouble with the idea.

Everyone else on the other hand…

Even Gajeel seemed concerned.

Loke grinned in a way that she immediately distrusted. "Works for me. Good night, my lovely Princess. Hopefully, we'll be home within the next two or three days. All depends on how much I can piss off this world's Zodiac."

"I wish you luck in that endeavor, my faithful Lion," Lucy teased in response, shaking her head before patting his shoulder and heading for her room. "Good night, Loke."

* * *

 _Just some random weird Natsu stuff this time! Fun fact: I keep a huge list of chapters and the dates they go with. For example: this chapter takes place on January 20th, X785. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (KawaiPanda, SunflowerChrysalis, The Age of Awesomeness, Nekokittygirl,, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Typhlosion8, LePengwen, NaluLuva23, callmeportgas, KaUiA, TigerArrowgirl, zzMiya-chanzz, FireDragonPhia, ilftnatsu, SingingAngel327, MeKitty, Shidake, LittleOwl15, Kinsutenekochan, Guest #!, sophiaipaz, manga4eva, niyah606, Uchida Akira, fanficlove2014, OfInkNRoses, Faery'sConfessions, PinkFireandGoldenStars, heyitsmogan, allieflavored, JustAPoisonApple, Rakoo Bones, Sara lovelymusic, NaLu and InuKag, missbehavin, bluehills, AngelEmCuti, and Guest #2!) as well as those who favorited and follwed!_


	84. Chapter 84

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy wasn't surprised when noon rolled around and Natsu _finally_ decided to come out of the room he'd been loaned. And she definitely wasn't shocked when he came out, a look she recognized with ease on his face, his eyes locked on the food she was currently taking a bite of.

Natsu's bottomless stomach was ready to be filled by whatever attempt someone gave.

Which, in his eyes, meant stealing _her_ food.

"Oh _hell_ no," Lucy snapped, wrenching her delicious sandwich out of the way just as he leaned over to take a bite of it. He growled in annoyance, shooting her an accusing glare as she shoved the last few bites into her mouth. "Go get your own, it's not my fault you never stop eating."

"I haven't eaten in _forever_ ," Natsu whined, dropping into a chair beside her to peer at the paperwork she was sorting through. And it was _endless_. Mostly from the Magic Council and the mayors of towns, all of which demanding payment for destruction.

At least they weren't that destructive.

Magic would have been revealed _long_ ago in that case.

Maybe, for them, it was a good thing that magic was hidden away from the attentions of those who didn't know better.

"Don't exaggerate," she scolded, shifting a piece of paper into a separate new pile. He followed her action with sharp onyx eyes. "You ate before you disappeared into thin air."

"I couldn't keep it down when I was sick," he admitted sheepishly. "It made me sick to eat, so I stopped."

"Idiot," Lucy said affectionately. Feeling bad for him, she smacked his hands away from a piece of paper and then climbed to her feet. "Come on, nosy, let's get you something to eat then, shall we? I think their Mira is pleased with the way Gray is keeping Cana occupied...maybe you can get away with something bigger than a sandwich on his part."

Natsu grinned at the thought of taking something of Gray's. "Works for me." He shot back out of his chair, eager to get something to eat - and then scowled, ducking to avoid a blow that came at his head, fire spinning around him as he whirled around to snarl at the other version of him, who simply grinned and demanded, "Fight me!"

"Screw off, man," Natsu grumbled, "I haven't even eaten yet."

A pause of contemplation as he considered whether or not he figured that eating was more important at the moment. Lucy snickered when it gave her other self just enough time to grab him by his scarf and yank him back, choking him in the process. "Idiot," she seethed, "Are you _trying_ to make all of our lives harder by burning the paperwork they're working on?! Besides! You could have hurt someone!"

"Ouch, woman, that hurts!" he cried in response, flailing slightly and letting flames lick at her flesh so she let go.

Lucy's Natsu gave him a look of disgust. "What kind of cheap move was that? If you're gonna get her to let go, don't use _fire_ , that's cheating."

"Like you have _any_ room to talk," Lucy said with exasperation.

"You do that all of the time," Gray agreed. He gave a look of exasperation as their Cana demanded another drink - a different one. "No, damn it, I've already made you all that I can think of. Give me a break, woman!"

"Juvia thinks you should as well," Juvia commented from where she was nibbling on a piece of food herself. "My Gray has been working constantly for you. Juvia doesn't like it."

"I'm not _your_ Gray," he insisted with an exhausted look of pleading towards Levy, who was seated between Juvia and a clearly pissed off Gajeel. She only bit her lip, barely able to keep from smiling, even as she scribbled a small bit of iron out of the air for her dragon slayer.

He tore a bite out of it without looking, chomping down loudly.

Lucy could feel the tension in the other Gajeel from across the room as he growled and glared over. Exasperation filled her, and while she was annoyed with the way her friends were treating people who were sheltering them until they could get home, she was grateful they were there. After the whole event with Bosco...she'd rather be here with a few of them then back in their world with none.

Lucy grimaced as she waved down this world's Lisanna, asking if she'd make something for an eager looking Natsu, who'd practically forgotten about his minor argument. She agreed with an amused look, watching as Lucy turned to scold him with curiosity. She'd gotten a rather large lecture after they'd all been locked away in the guildhall for scaring her guild in such a way from Makarov, Erza, and several others.

They'd get an even bigger one after this, she was sure.

"Luce? You okay?"

"Yeah," she replied, smiling reassuringly as Natsu stopped in taunting Gray to study her cautiously, making sure she was okay. Until Gray threw some piece of scrap paper at his head. He turned a scowl onto Gray, flames flickering along his arms.

Lisanna came to the rescue, however, and winked at her before shoving a rather large piece of meat into his mouth. "If he's as hungry as our Natsu...this should do it. But you get normal meals after this, got it?"

"Yeah!" Natsu cheered after taking one look at the huge plate of delicacies she'd offered him.

"Not fair," his counterpart whined. _That_ Natsu was glaring grumpily at them, looking longingly at his plate of food. "You guys never give me that much without me having to pay a fortune!"

"They can't exactly work big jobs like you can, now can they?" The Earthland Lucy retorted, rolling her eyes after exchanging an amused look with her. Lucy only grinned, understanding her irritation. They both dealt with somewhat similar dragon slayers after all.

"Why not?"

To their surprise, it was Mirajane who spoke, watching curiously. Her eyes danced with excitement, darting between Levy and Gajeel and then Natsu and Lucy, as if absolutely ecstatic over the sight of them together. Lucy cringed in sympathy for the two pairs of this world. They'd certainly be in for it now. "I mean, they can use their magic...and as long as it's minor jobs and the Council doesn't hear about it…"

"They'll be mistaken for _us_ though," The other Lucy protested. She glanced towards the two who didn't belong in their world. "And with Natsu...it's not smart."

"She has a point," Lucy admitted. "He's not very good at staying under the radar. Don't worry, we're fine in here. We'll just keep to ourselves, work for our keep, and then leave as soon as we get the chance."

"Your surprisingly calm for someone who doesn't have a way back home," commented a curious looking Evergreen from where she was sitting at a nearby table. Her long legs were crossed at the knee, her elbows resting on the table. "And if you can't get there?"

"Ever, that's rude," Bickslow said, though he didn't really seem to care.

"Rude," cried the dolls that circled his head, "Rude! Rude!"

"Shut up," Evergreen snapped in irritation, rolling her eyes. She cocked her head as she studied them. "Some of the countries do their best to squash mages. You wouldn't be able to stay in Fiore, either."

"You'd be mistaken for us a lot," the younger Natsu agreed, grinning as if he thought it was hilarious. "That'd be great!"

"No it wouldn't, stupid," Happy muttered. "Then we'd have share jobs, and they'd notice eventually."

"Hm...good thing Gray and Juvia took that job," Mirajane hummed as she watched the ice-make mage's double deal with Cana demanding something new to drink. "I don't think he'd enjoy hearing about that…"

Juvia sniffed. "Juvia is grateful. Juvia doesn't like to share."

"As well all know, crazy lady," Gajeel uttered grumpily, ignoring the sigh Levy gave followed by a sharp look.

"In any case," drawled Loke from where he'd been studying some maps that he'd been loaned. They were covered in stars and constellations, written in languages Lucy doubted even Levy knew. "We'll be here for a while, whether you want us here or not. Erza has yet to be found, and there's a _slight_ chance I've found where we came from. Lucy - uh, our Lucy," he corrected hastily when both looked over. "Come here."

She cast Natsu a look of warning. "Don't try anything," she said darkly before scampering over to look at the maps with her Spirit. She stopped beside him, grimacing at the confusing maps he was studying.

"Capricorn suggested we teach you the ways of the stars," he sighed, "This is as good a time as any." Loke traced out a shape carefully. "This is my constellation, Leo. Got it? We'll get you to remember one at a time. It's important to find us when you need us, even without your keys in hand." She touched her pocket where her useless keys rested in thought, smiling slightly. "The strongest of celestial mages were once capable of summoning us without our keys if the situation required it. You have the capabilities to do so if you work hard enough."

Everyone had fallen silent, listening in on their conversation. She could feel both Natsus' sharp eyes on her, watching her every move with the same intense curiosity, but she pretended not to notice as he moved his hand away. "Right. Leo. Here. Got it." She traced the shape out, glancing at him for confirmation. He gave a nod, winking in praise.

"It'll be harder finding it in the night sky. If we're still here tonight, I'll show you where the stars are and how to find them." Loke ruffled her hair in a brotherly manner before focusing. "Anyways, what I really wanted to tell you. This is the place we arrived from." He showed her a suspiciously empty spot that had no stars. "Took me a while, but I found it. The stars are just a tad different than ours, but this is more than likely where we came through."

"If my Spirits can find the place in the Celestial Spirit World," mused the other Lucy as she approached, looking expertly at the maps. Lucy envied her ability to understand what she was looking at. Then again, from what she'd heard, this Lucy had been aware of magic from the time of her birth. "Then we can get you home."

"That's great!" Natsu cheered, mouth full of food.

"More than great," Levy said enthusiastically. "Lily will be worried. I can't wait to see what he has to say about all of this."

"Happy's never gonna believe it," Natsu replied and then shoved a large chunk of meat into his fanged mouth. Lucy rolled her eyes and made a face of disgust before she realized she was being watched by a curious set of brown eyes.

"Um, Layla," the other Lucy questioned carefully. Lucy glanced at her, waiting, and she was careful as she spoke. "Can I ask...I know that you're not very experienced with magic, but...do you know of the spell Urano Metria?"

"Yeah. I've done it once." She made a face. "I'm not good at it. It sucked up so much energy I passed out. I need to work on stamina as well. How far along with your magic are you?"

"I can summon two Zodiacs at once. Gemini and I often times work together to use Urano Metria, though. It's a taxing spell that can knock you flat on your ass." The other Lucy grinned playfully. "Perhaps, until your Erza is found, we can train with each other? Natsu has a great training area set up. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we used it. And while we're doing that, our Spirits can communicate about how to get you back."

"Sounds good to me," Lucy agreed, glancing at Loke hopefully. He sighed and gave a nod. "I can't summon any Spirits here though. My magic is pretty much useless."

"We can practice Urano Metria then. I need to work on it, too."

Natsu swallowed his mouthful of food and then huffed. "You can't go without me, Lucy. We don't know what might be different. You could get hurt."

"That's an interesting idea, actually," the other Levy commented, catching all of their attention. A peaceful looking Pantherlily sat in her lap, sipping at some kiwi juice. "Perhaps those of us who have another version of ourselves can learn from one another. The way you fight might be different than the way we do. It could work in all of our favor. It might even save our lives one day. I doubt things like Phantom Lord's initial attack could have gone on as long if we'd had different fighting styles to intertwine with our own."

"Stop bringing that up, would ya, Shrimp?" Gajeel snapped irritably. Well, the Earthland one did. Their Gajeel suddenly growled, anything but happy that they were using _his_ nickname for Levy.

"I agree," Erza murmured. She was watching curiously, rubbing her chin. "I'd like to train against myself. Someone equal in strength. It'd be good for me, training wise."

The Earthland Natsu slammed a flaming fist into his open palm, excitement sparkling. "Hell yes! Fighting time!"

"Is that seriously all you care about?" his partner sighed, shaking her head.

"I suppose," Loke muttered, "It would be alright. Until we find Erza and get this all figured out at least. We need to get a move on though. I'm surprised she hasn't arrived sooner, considering Gajeel showed up way before he should have…"

Lucy's lips twitched. "What," she said innocently, "You really think the big bad dragon slayer was going to leave his piece of treasure to fend for herself?"

"You shut it right now, Bunny Girl," Gajeel snarled. He glared over his shoulder at her, daring her to say more. Lucy only smirked, sticking her tongue out at him. He wouldn't hurt her; Levy wouldn't let him.

And neither would her partner, who was watching them with a careful look on his face. Every movement she made, his eyes followed.

And a scheming Mirajane, so much like the one from their own world, noticed.

* * *

 _The second important point of this Earthland arc! Training! It'll be good for everyone. And quite hilarious. I think anyways._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, SunflowerChrysalis, TigerArrowgirl, KawaiPanda, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, zzMiya-chanzz, niyah606, Nekokittygirl, Guest #1, LePengwen, MehKitty, AngelEmCuti, Guest#2, Compucles, Uchida Akira, SingingAngel327, FireDragonPhia, alllieflavored, Uzumaki Naho, Dragondancer81, heyitsmogan, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Sara lovelymusic, Yuyui Hime, RawringRaring, Gir276, and Mechanical-Rose-Sama!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	85. Chapter 85

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

He was practically breathing over her shoulder, and Lucy was quickly growing impatient with Natsu over it. It was one thing to watch over someone; it was a completely different thing when he wouldn't go more than a foot away. Pushing his face away with her hand without looking up, she touched the spot on the map that Loke had brought with them. The Leo of the world they were unwelcome in immediately zeroed in on what he was being shown, ignoring the excited sounds of fighting going on nearby.

It had finally been decided that they'd go to the Natsu of this world's training area, but only those that had two versions of themselves. The two iron dragon slayers bickered with each other off to the side as their solid-script mages quietly spoke with one another, exchanging information that might be important. Wendy had playfully begun a little wind match with her counterpart, and Gray and Juvia had simply begun to spar against an impatient Earthland Natsu, who'd picked a fight with them after realizing he wasn't getting a rise out of his own self. Erza had gone off to find the one that didn't belong there for them after a rather violent churn of magic had come.

The pair of celestial mages were leaned over the map of the stars with their Spirits rather than training as they planned. Natsu - Lucy's Natsu, not the other one, thank the heavens - had refused to join in with the training, too focused on keeping his partner safe from any danger that might arise.

Not that there was any danger as of currently, the moron.

Lucy thought this bitingly as she tapped the map. "Like Loke said, this is where we apparently came from. Do you know where this is in your Realm?" She received a blank look, and Loke came to the rescue.

"Your Celestial Spirit World, or whatever you call it here."

The other Lucy threw him a grumpy look. Lucy had the feeling that he was as flirty and friendly as her own Spirit, but didn't appreciate them there. Somehow it didn't surprise her. She'd seen her Loke furious over Natsu, and it wasn't pretty. "One of the pockets? Maybe. There's a few that I know of. The problem will be getting the magic we need. They don't open the same way they do in your world."

Lucy frowned, tugging thoughtfully at the jacket that the other version of her had let her borrow. Not that she needed it with the way Natsu was leaning over her shoulder. "What do you mean? They open and close?"

He sighed, carefully explaining, and even her Loke listened closely. "It's one thing," he said slowly, "To travel from here to Edolas or vice versa. One sided magic is required, and not even the Spirits can stop every single person from slipping through. Look at Mystogan, Porlyusica. The way you were all dragged there."

A thought suddenly seemed to struck the Earthland Lucy, who frowned at him. "...do you have contracts with people from other places, Loke?"

For the first time that Lucy had seen, he flashed her a cheeky smile. "Nah, don't worry, Lucy. We're strictly attached to you. There's usually a dominant world in each little area that is full of magic, controls it. Earthland is that world. Most of the magic has faded from the other ones."

"It's the same thing for our world," Loke suddenly explained to Lucy, winking. "Yours is the dominant one that controls magic. It's the only one in the Realms that we control that has an endless source of magic as far as we can tell."

"The _pockets_ ," the other Lion hissed, glaring at him until he shrugged and closed his mouth, not bothered by the attitude. "Are the connections to other Celestial Spirit Worlds. For emergencies."

"It _was_ an emergency, the holder of my key was dying, and believe me when I say it's too soon for that."

"Shut up, already," Loke was told by the other version of himself.

Natsu snickered in Lucy's ear, and she had to fight back a grin herself when Loke's eyes gleamed challengingly. "Now he's just being an ass," Lucy muttered to him, shaking her head. "The pockets are the connections to other Realms…?" she encouraged, giggling alongside her double.

"Anyways, they're hard to open. They require special circumstances, special people, and the Spirit King. It all changes on which way you want to go. The problem with this one is...how do I put this...it requires a human with powerful magic that comes from the stars."

"In other words," Natsu huffed, surprising them all. "Ya want celestial magic."

"Yes and no." The Earthland version of Loke tapped the spot thoughtfully. "There's a certain kind magic we need to open our side. Heavenly body magic. That's not really that big of an issue, because we know someone who uses it. What _is_ an issue is that it needs to come from your side."

"Wait." Lucy's brow furrowed. "You need _what_ kind of magic?"

"Heavenly body," he repeated. "It's a magic of the stars, probably the most similar to your own. It doesn't deal with us, but…"

"Heavenly body magic, huh?" Lucy said faintly, shivering at the memory of Jellal grinning evilly down at her as he inflicted painful blow after painful blow with said magic. Her smile had disappeared, her eyes dropping to study the starred map.

"Lucy?" Natsu muttered, peering at her in confusion.

"I'm fine," she said after a moment, then said mournfully, "That will be an issue. There's one person that can do it in our world that I know of...but...he's kind of not exactly someone we want to come around again."

" _Oh_." Natsu understood immediately and bared his teeth in an irritable way. "Fucker comes around and I'll tear his head off. We're not getting his stupid help."

"That's right," the Earthland Lucy realized, "Erza mentioned you'd recently dealt with the Tower of Heaven...it happened to us, too, you know. Jellal...well. He's not who he once was, that's for sure."

"Jellal would rather kill us than help us, particularly me after I pushed him off the highest part of the tower," Lucy admitted, feeling Natsu gently and reassuringly lean into her for a moment. She returned the gesture by patting his arm before focusing on more important things. "Is there anything we can do on your side to get it open?"

He contemplated this, searching his mind for a few things before shaking his head. "Not that I know of. If we can't get someone on the other side to use such a spell...well. You'll be stuck here, and for a good long while, too."

* * *

"Ugh," Lucy grunted in an unladylike way as she dropped to sit beside her partner in the snowy shade of a tree. She held her hands up near him, and he grinned, holding a palm that cupped a flame for her to warm her fingers on. "It's warmer here, but not nearly as warm as it could be."

"Doesn't help that Frostbite over there is being an ass and making it colder," Natsu replied.

"That definitely doesn't help," Lucy giggled, shaking her head.

He'd been watching her practice rather than joining in. He didn't want to get involved in any fighting despite his usual attitude. He was too busy keeping an eye on his partner, making sure no harm came to her. While he could leave her be when she wanted in their world, he wasn't sure of this one. She was safe to walk from the guildhall to her apartment, to take a walk outside in the middle of the night. Particularly with Loke able to come and go as he pleased.

Here…

Natsu needed to save his magic for anything that came their way.

Clearly, Lucy didn't think the same way he did. She nudged him playfully with her shoulder, wiggling her eyebrows in a look he didn't trust. "Come on, Natsu, I've been training with other self. I've gotten way better at the whip in under an hour then with just Virgo teaching me. She knows a bunch of cool tricks that will help me in the future. Why don't you try and spar with him, huh?"

"I don't want to," he snapped grumpily. "I don't like him."

And he didn't. For some strange reason, Natsu hated the other fire dragon slayer with a deep passion that threatened to drive him insane.

 _Especially_ when he came around his Lucy.

 _There_ was the childish dragon slayer she knew and loved. Lucy giggled again. "Too bad. Get up, and go spar with him, or I'll tell Erza you've done things you really haven't when she gets here."

"You wouldn't."

"I would. Now _go_." She kicked at his leg tiredly with her own. "Maybe we can take Happy on a job when we get back. With the others. Our team needs a hell of a break with normality after this crazy week."

"Promise?" he said hopefully. "And you'll make us breakfast again?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Natsu, a job and breakfast. Now _go_ , damn you!"

Natsu was on his feet in an instant, his onyx eyes searching for Loke. The Earthland version had disappeared some time ago, leaving Loke to laze about and watch everyone else. The Spirit gave a curt nod, agreeing with him for once.

He'd watch Lucy.

So, the fire mage, cracked his neck, searching for his soon to be sparring partner. The idiot had stopped fighting with Gray and Juvia - it turned out their doubles had returned from a short job and were quickly becoming friendly with one another. The pair of water mages occasionally shot wary looks at one another, but the way their Gray had a hand on their Juvia's shoulder apparently cleared everything up.

He found him beside his own partner, sulking and grumbling about how nobody was being fun and fighting with him.

Natsu's lips curved into a sly smirk as heat rose in the back of his throat. He swished it around, making sure nobody was nearby in case it got out of hand; the only two fighting at this point were both iron dragon slayers, and he had no cause to think he'd hurt them.

So, certain everything would turn out fine, he spat a fast moving fireball that appeared small and looked to to be nothing more than a bug.

A bug meant to trick one's mind.

The second it struck his alternate self, the fire mage found himself engulfed in fire that was his own but wasn't at the same time, and the other Lucy shrieked in surprise. He felt a pang of guilt for that; she wasn't his Lucy, that was for sure, but she was still Lucy. She yanked Happy out of the way as the other Natsu turned a dangerous look on him that quickly turned into an excited grin.

Natsu gave a cocky smile, tugging his scarf away from his face. He was wearing clothes made to sustain magic, thank the heavens. They weren't his, and they were a bit too big - he hadn't been able to steal any of his other version's, as the other one was a bit smaller than him and the clothes would have been too tight - but they'd do. At least he could move in them.

His scarf, of course, remained.

He raised a hand, a blaze of fire swirling and intertwining among his fingers as he extended his other hand and crooked his fingers. he could feel all of the others watching him, almost everyone but Gajeel and Gray from both worlds amused. "Tch," the pair of ice-make mages said unison, and then snickered.

"Come at me," he said smugly, confident.

He was Natsu Dragneel, after all.

He'd fought Deliora and destroyed him by himself. He'd fought alongside the Titania of his guild at the Tower of Heaven, and he'd survived several attempts at self-inflicted death requests when attacking Laxus.

Let him try anything.

Of course, he wasn't as aware as his partner, who exchanged an equally amused look with the other Lucy. She knew what he didn't after the questioning night with Loke and Juvia.

He didn't know that this Natsu, while younger and perhaps didn't contain as much stored magic as his counterpart, had survived the sinking of Tenrou Island. That he'd survived a hell of a lot more dangerous situation when it had come to that. Lucy didn't know the details, but she knew that it had been bad, that quite a few of the guild had gone missing for seven years.

Lucy silently hoped they never dealt with anything like that.

The other Natsu came flying at him in a blaze of what Lucy supposed he would call glory.

* * *

 _This almost didn't come out. |D See you on Friday, with Natsu's sparring! :D_

 _Thanks to reviewers (SunflowerChrysalis, MehKitty, Uchida Akira, xXAncientBaneXx, The Age of Awesomness, CharonteQueen, zzMiya-chanzz, LePengwent, Guest#1, Moon Stone Tiger lily, Compucles, TigerArrowgirl, sophiaipaz, Gir276, SingingAngel327, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Dragondancer81, Nekokittygirl, Shidake, and allieflavored!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	86. Chapter 86

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

People would complain for weeks after in Earthland's Magnolia about the massive explosion that went off the second two fire dragon slayers exchanged blows.

Natsu ducked to avoid a punch that came at his head, calculating in a way that would make the founder of both this world's and his world's guild proud. He judged each and every shift his rival made just like Igneel had been taught, taking in the other person's skill and the intensity of their blows and flames.

He'd underestimated him.

He corrected that immediately. He spun on his heel, giving a roundabout kick that nailed the other mage straight in the jaw and sent him skidding back, nearly falling over. "Ow," he growled, rubbing his jaw.

Natsu grinned. "Then be more careful. Just 'cause charging usually works doesn't mean it always does. Judge movement, mark how hot the flames are." Why was he spilling tips out to his hated and irritating other self? "If you think I'm going one way, even if I'm not, you damn well make sure you follow through with your action and you do it fast."

He received a grin for his efforts. "Got it!"

"...ugh." Natsu grunted to show that he appreciated that someone was listening to his tips for once before suddenly rearing back, dropping his jaw and bellowing out a nasty flame attack. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

His attack was met by the other Natsu's roaring fire, and they kept it up for a few seconds, trying to overpower the other before the other one took him by surprise and suddenly materialized in the middle of it, slamming his head against his. "What the hell, man, that hurts!" he whined, and then hopped up, vaulting over his body. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"

"Shit!"

From where she watched, Lucy giggled, smothering her laughter in her hands as Loke came to join her, noticing that she was cold. He couldn't offer warmth like her partner - something that pissed him off - but he could keep her company. "This is...this is hilarious," she laughed.

"It is kinda funny," Loke admitted, smirking when their Natsu received a sharp blow to the chest that sent him skidding back.

Suddenly, another Roar was sent at him. Lucy watched intently and then gawked as he inhaled it, sucking it up into his mouth like it was a meal. But rather than swallowing as she'd expected, he spit it back out, adding his own fire to create a blazing inferno that swallowed his opponent whole.

"When did he learn _that_?" she muttered.

"Who knows?" Loke said with a shrug, then groaned. "Oh, here comes the fun part."

"Hey, Salamander!" the Earthland Gajeel shouted, smirking gleefully as he shot out of nowhere, slamming an iron club into the ground just seconds after Natsu had moved. "Want a hand?"

"No, get the hell out of here, Metalhead," came the other Natsu's snarled answer.

"Too bad," chimed in their own Gajeel despite Levy's whining protests. "S'a group activity now! Gihi." He grinned, slamming closed fists together. They clanked, as if made of metal.

"Gray, my dear," one of the Juvias - Lucy couldn't figure out which one - purred as she shoved him forward. "Juvia thinks you should join in. Juvia knows you're stronger than Natsu and Gajeel!"

"You, too," the other one agreed, poking the other forward.

"This is getting a little out of hand," Loke huffed, shaking his head in amusement. He didn't seem to mind all that much though, even as he spoke, and Lucy only entertained him further as she shouted, "Beat the hell out of 'em!"

"Don't encourage them!" he scolded, though it was with a smile.

She only winked. "What? Can't support my partner? Needs all the luck he can get."

"I heard that!" Natsu shouted over his shoulder at her, earning a teasing smirk. He grunted, ducking to avoid a swipe from the other Gajeel, who was quite suddenly finding himself dealing with a wall of ice that threatened to engulf him when Gray joined in.

The three on three fight when on for only a few more moments before that suddenly came to an abrupt halt by a chilling aura and voice.

"Just _what_ are you doing?" snarled a voice that they all recognized in an instant.

Lucy, knowing she wouldn't be in trouble, lit up like the stars of the Spirits she controlled. "Erza!" she cried, moving to throw her arms around their friend. It was easy to recognize which one was theirs. She was still a bit disorientated if the way she was blinking slowly was anything to go by; the clothing certainly helped. She hugged her tightly, smiling hugely.

"Lucy," she mumbled, hesitantly returning it before seeming to snap straight into her usual self. Still hugging the celestial mage, she turned a glower onto her own set of three "idiots". "Just _what_ ," she seethed, copying the other version of her. "Are you doing?"

There was a moment of complete and total stillness before each person split and ran to a place of what they thought to be safety.

Lucy thought it was beyond hilarious how they each ran to their respective females. The other Natsu fled to his partner, both Grays to the water mages who were beaming in pride, and the iron mages to their girlfriend and "friend".

Lucy felt like that last bit was a complete lie.

Her Natsu, she felt a flash of sympathy for.

He was reduced to hiding near Loke, complaining about how he was just trying to keep everyone else warm. Which didn't explain the seared area, of course, but Erza only shook her head before leaving it be. "Are you alright?" she demanded, gaze scanning Lucy's face. "I know he loses control in excitement."

"I do _not_ ," the dragon slayer whined from where he was now seated.

 _Not what you said last night._ "We're all fine. Just glad you're finally here." Lucy reassured with a laugh. She nodded at the other Lucy after a glimpse at the other Erza, who nodded in confirmation; she'd explained. "We've been working on finding a way back home, but...it's not looking so well."

Erza's gaze darkened. "I see...then we'll keep searching for the time being. I'm sure they're looking for a way to get us back in our own world."

"I hope." A thought suddenly smacked Lucy like a slap to the face and she whirled on Loke, eyes bright. Natsu gave her a disapproving look for it; he didn't like when she made faces like that at anyone but him. "Loke! How did you get the...whatever it is open the first time?"

He gave her a confused look. "...huh?"

"The...pocket? Is that what it's called? Yeah, the pocket. If our side needs to use specific magic…"

Loke contemplated in silence as the celestial mage moved to join her Spirit and partner. The others from their world gathered to listen, Erza leaning against the tree they were seated under.

Natsu looked pleased to be at the center of the group and promptly heated the space up to get them all warm. Even Gajeel didn't seem to mind.

"To open it from our side, it required Mavis' and my touch, that's it, really." Loke shrugged. "When I helped the Spirit King create it a couple thousand years ago, I thought it was a good idea. Just need the help of a spirit who has yet to move on and me. Not like this side, who apparently didn't realize it was smart to figure out a way of communicating with us before coming up with theirs…"

Lucy lightly hit his shoulder, frowning. "Hey, be nice. Those are her friends."

" _Anyways_ , I see what you're getting at." Loke propped his elbows on his knees. "It might work. A door opens two ways in this case. My way, his way. If we can get it open in my direction, we can get through. That means I alone need to get back before we can get you freaks to safety." A pause. "Not that you or Erza or the _lovely_ Levy are freaks. You aren't either, Juvia," he hastily added.

"Juvia knows," she said smugly, cuddling closer to Gray.

The Earthland group held back, watching them in confusion, as if they had no idea what was going on. Particularly their Natsu, who glanced to his partner. "The hell are they talking about?"

"Your the one with the ears," Lucy muttered in response, smacking at his head. "You tell me."

He cringed and rubbed his pink-haired head, curiously looking at the pendant that hung from the throat of the other Lucy. "...huh," he grunted, recognizing it. He'd seen it several times over in his hoard, but had simply skimmed past it. Like he did with every thing else. But it did look pretty nice on her, even if she wasn't his Lucy.

 _...maybe I'll find it when they leave?_

* * *

"You're a freaking crazy bastard, you know that?"

"Shut up, Natsu."

The dragon slayer watched from where he'd made himself comfortable, leaning on the balcony. While he didn't mind the layout of this building, he preferred the smaller guildhall back home. It was cozier, with more people closer together.

Everyone else had gone to bed. He'd bid his Lucy a good night when she'd announced she was retiring, and had reluctantly promised to not sneak into her room like he'd originally planned upon her demand. The look he'd received from Erza had enforced that.

Gray had snickered at him, musing about how perverts needed to back off.

That had been before Natsu had offhandedly mentioned to Erza that he didn't think Lucy appreciated seeing Gray's naked self.

It was just him and Loke up, which bothered him just a little. He wasn't a favorite of Loke's, nor was Loke a favorite of his. They didn't like each other and that was that. But not even Natsu approved of Loke putting himself in such a position as he planned.

To put it simply, the other Lucy was still there alongside very few others. Her partner and their Happy were seated beside her, and they were chatting quietly. Bickering, more like, Natsu realized after picking up a few words with his sharp ears. And Loke was determined to have her summon her own Zodiac leader so that he was able to speak with him.

"If this works," Natsu called as he descended the steps with ease, "She's gonna be pissed off at you!"

"Let her," Loke answered, "I'll just make it up to her. Take her on a date or something, she needs one."

Natsu's gaze turned deadly at that, smoke escaping his nostrils.

Loke approached the table she sat at with a determined look and leaned on it when the trio looked up. Natsu hadn't heard Happy speak too much since he'd arrived, if at all, but it didn't surprise him when the blue...what had they called him? Exceed? When the blue Exceed said snidely, "You can't even catch a normal guy, Lucy, how are ya gonna ever get a date?"

Loke rolled his eyes, not all too eager to figure out what they'd been talking about. "I have an idea," he told her. "I need to speak with your Leo before I can go through with it, though. The other side has no idea that we're in need of their assistance. I need the door open just a crack to slip through myself. If we can get me through, they may be able to hunt down someone with the needed magic." His unshaded eyes narrowed when she bit her lip nervously. "What?"

"What happens if it doesn't work and it just makes things worse?" she questioned. She was like the Lucy he was contracted to, he realized. Smart, thinking things through. "I don't know if this is a good idea...how would you even be able to slip through this little door you guys are talking about? The door won't open if what you said earlier was correct."

"If the door swings both ways, so does the lock," he explained. "I think if your Leo and Mavis Vermillion were to work on just barely getting the door open, I can get home and work out a way to get the rest back from there."

She nodded slowly. "Like the chain on my apartment door. Even locked, it can still open just a smidge."

"Right." Loke flashed her a grin. Pride flooded him, even though he knew this wasn't his master. His would have come up with something similar, he was sure. "I think it'll work. The only problem that I'll have is convincing the Spirits of this Realm to let me pass through their...whatever you call it. Territory, there we go."

The Earthland Natsu grunted in understanding, surprisingly enough. "Good luck with that. They don't usually let even Lucy in there."

"Oh, hush, you," Lucy sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sure if I ask, they'll go through with it." Her eyes darted up to the Natsu that was listening in on them, meeting his gaze for a moment.

He smirked. "She doesn't know," he drawled, feeling the need to tattle on the Lion. "He thinks she won't agree. I can't wait for her to take out her anger on you, Loke…"

"I'm sure you can't," he retorted bitingly. They bristled at each other for a few seconds before demanding, "Can we get a move on? The sooner the better."

The other Natsu snorted and rocked back in his seat, hands folded behind his head. "Man, I kinda wanted you to stay for a while longer. S'nice having new people to kick around."

"Shut it, Natsu," Lucy warned in response before smiling firmly. "Let's go then, shall we?"

* * *

 _The fun little fight with some seriousness afterwards, yes? Finally getting some progress on getting them home!  
_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Nekokittygirl, SingingAngel327, Guest #1, Lazy, The Age of Awesomeness, Typhlosion8, Guest #2, LePengwen, TigerArrowgirl, SunflowerChrysalis, Guest #3, ilftnatsu, Tobias97, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, niyah606, MehKitty, Sara lovelymusic, PrincessMophia, Uchida Akira, OfInkNRoses, PinkFireandGoldenStars, allieflavored, zzMiya-chanzz, Faery'sConfessions, Knightwalker, Dragondancer81, Bigmadonline, Guest #4, pucksabrinadaphne, and Guest #5!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	87. Chapter 87

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

She wasn't sure how she knew, but she was certain that something was off the second she opened her eyes.

And it started with the fact that there was a pair of onyx eyes staring impatiently at her face from one that was resting with their chin on the mattress.

Lucy swore, jerking upright and backwards and nearly falling off of the bed in the process; she was only saved from falling right off the bed by the overheated hand that darted out to snatch up her arm. Once she'd gotten her balance, Lucy gave Natsu a glare that promised unending pain as she snarled, rubbing her wrist, "What do you think you're doing? Did I _not_ make myself clear last night? Do you _want_ Erza's wrath?"

"You said I couldn't sneak into your bed," Natsu told her with an impish grin. "You never said I couldn't sneak into your room. 'Sides. I couldn't sleep last night. Too quiet." A pause. "And I missed Happy."

It was like he _knew_ she couldn't stay angry with him over such a matter as he returned his chin to the mattress, peeking up at her innocently with his pink hair hanging in his eyes. Reaching out to try and force his hair into the spiked mess she'd grown used to and surprised he actually let her, she sighed heavily and scolded half-heartedly, "Well, you should have said something. I _suppose_ , so long as you stay on the floor, you can stay in here until we leave. I doubt this building would stay standing if you roomed with anyone else...although, I suppose Wendy or Erza could take you…"

She frowned suddenly as a smell just barely caught her attention. _Is he…?_

"Nah," he said happily. "I'm happy here." Mission accomplished, the dragon slayer hopped to his feet. She watched him suspiciously; he was too excited, too jumpy for this early in the morning. Usually, he liked to sleep in even for just a few moments. Until he smelt the beginnings of some kind of food, whether it be near him or fifty miles away.

"C'mon, woman, you're slow," he whined as she began digging for the clothes that she'd arrived to this world in. She'd asked if she could wash them the day before and had done so before going to bed. " _Really_ slow."

Lucy paused to look at his clothing, taking in the fact that he was wearing the same outfit from the day before. She wrinkled her nose. "And I think you need to bathe, but we won't go there, because I know better than to think you'll actually shut up and listen." She waved him away. "Get out so I can change, would you?"

"Right!" He scampered out of the room immediately and Lucy flushed as she realized that _this_ was the one man in all of Fiore that she'd decided to fall for. _What the hell is my heart thinking?_ she groaned silently.

She was going to drag Levy out for some much needed girl talk upon their return home.

Lucy was in the middle of tugging her boots on when the door creaked open and a flushed looking Wendy appeared. The young teen immediately apologized, "I'm sorry for not knocking, but...we need some help. Natsu's decided to eat the other Natsu's meal and they kinda started fighting. The other Lucy is trying to get it under control because they're not even listening to Erza, but...we figured he'd listen to you."

"He _what_?" Lucy scampered to her feet, grabbing her keys and shoving them into her pocket. She longed for them to warm beneath her touch and promised that she'd apologize to each Spirit in person as soon as possible.

...although she might have Erza around for when she summoned Aquarius, because that Spirit was utterly terrifying.

A crash came from below and Lucy shook her head. Wendy caught her arm suddenly, gaze serious. "What is it?"

"I think...well, I didn't get close enough to be certain, but by the way Gajeel was laughing...I think he's _drunk_ Lucy. Only Cana gets drunk this early…" Wendy furrowed her brow, clearly uncertain about the matter. "I'm kind of...worried? This whole thing is messing with his mind, I think."

"I've got it handled," Lucy said with a dark look on her face. "I thought he was acting funny when I woke up and he was in here. Usually Erza's threats keep him from doing anything too drastic...come on, let's go deal with him."

They hurried down to the main floor of the guildhall that was more like a fortress than a tavern. Wendy ducked to avoid a beautiful arc of flames that would have been pretty had it not been aimed at their heads.

Just as Wendy had said, Lucy realized, the pair of dragon slayers were bickering and fighting. Each blast of flame was more destructive than the last and anyone who was at the guildhall this early in the morning was cowering behind the bar with Mirajane looking unconcerned as she simply dried a glass.

Most of Lucy's group was awake, it seemed. Gray was watching with Levy and Gajeel, unamused as the iron dragon slayer made sure to deflect any flames that came their way. Juvia was carefully dousing anything that caught fire with the solid-script mage's occasional help. Wendy was beside Lucy herself, and Erza was glaring dangerously at the pair, who didn't seem to notice.

Just as Wendy had said, the other Lucy was trying her hardest to help, too. Not a single flame touched her as she shouted at them to cut it out, that she'd just get her Natsu something new to eat. Lucy paused for only the briefest moment to take in the girl's outfit. It was something that would have made her incredibly uncomfortable, showing off enough skin to make her grimace.

Then again, her summer attire wasn't much better.

Gritting her teeth in determination and pulling on all of the trust she held for her partner in crime, Lucy found which one was hers and then launched herself at him, tackling him to the ground and smacking the back of his head before he could push her off and continue. "Natsu," she seethed, glaring down at him as he blinked a few time in confusion. Now that she was close, she could smell it for certain.

The bastard was definitely drunk. _Wasted_ , if the glassy look was anything to go by.

"Would you like me to deal with him, Lucy?" Erza offered with a deadly look on her face as the other Lucy set to work on nailing the Earthland Natsu in the head with what she called a "Lucy Kick".

"No, I've got this," Lucy said sweetly, a tick in her eyebrow making it twitch a few times. She hopped to her feet and dragged a grinning Natsu up with her. "Excuse us for a moment...oh!" Lucy apologetically bowed in the direction of where most of those there were hiding. "I'm sorry for the destruction. He'll work it off by fixing everything broken, I promise."

Mirajane smiled in a way that made Lucy shiver nervously. "Of course he will, as will our own Natsu. Away with you, please knock some sense into his head before I do."

Natsu giggled drunkenly as Lucy grabbed his sleeve and hauled him back up to the second floor, calling, "We'll be a moment, Erza."

The requip mage clearly decided she could handle the situation properly and turned to Juvia, thanking her for making sure the damage wasn't worse than it could have been.

Lucy dragged him into the room he'd been staying in and slammed the door with a force that she'd last used in the Estate in Bosco. Whirling on her partner she slammed a fist into his shoulder with a dark look. "You," another time, "Complete," a final attack, " _Jerk_!"

Natsu watched her attempts without so much as a flinch, onyx eyes amused. "The hell was that for?"

"You're _drunk_!" Lucy wailed, wishing not for the first time that she was a powerful S-Class mage like Erzal, only so that she could beat him into submission for this. "You...how did you even get a hold of that much alcohol when we're not in our own guildhall?!"

Natsu wrinkled his nose. "I'm not _drunk_ , Lucy, I'm…" He fought for the word. "Tipsy?"

"Gah!" Lucy wailed as she kicked him in the shin and stomped over to sit on the bed with a scowl on her face. "Seriously! Where'd you get the alcohol?! It's only...what, eight? Nine in the morning?"

"I was up early," he mused, not moving from his spot. "Cana gave me something that tasted good, so I asked her for more." He hesitated before admitting, "Our Cana has more tolerance than she does."

"That's because she's had more experience," Lucy muttered, shaking our head and burying her face in her hands. They'd want them out now, kicked out as soon as possible, and they had _nowhere_ to stay! "I can't deal with you right now. Where's Loke? I want Loke. He can deal with you."

Natsu seemed to sober up almost immediately, his face becoming twisted into an expression that Lucy couldn't name. She glared at him. "What? What are you hiding, Natsu? So help me, if you don't talk _right_ now-"

"Uh, Loke kinda...figured out a way that might get us back? Something like that." Natsu sniffed thoughtfully for a moment, not bothering to move. By the way he was wavering slightly, Lucy supposed he didn't want to fall. She wouldn't have minded. _I might just make it happen._

"Oh?" Lucy leaned forward, elbows on her knees. Her fingers laced together, blonde hair falling over her shoulders to tickle her bare arms. "And what might that be?"

Natsu grimaced. "I dunno," he huffed finally, a scowl appearing on his face. "The hell makes you think I can explain it? The other Lucy can. She helped."

Lucy scrubbed a hand down her face and took a deep breath. "Okay, you stay up here. I'm sending Wendy to keep an eye on you. You'll do whatever she says, or I'm taking away your job privileges for a week." Not that it would stop him. But she knew he was reluctant to go without her.

"But _Lucy_ ," he whined.

She held her hand up to shut him up. "No buts. You sit your ass down and stay here. You hear me? Jeez, I thought you could handle alcohol even a little better than this with how much was shoved down your throat at Christmas…"

* * *

"I'm _so_ sorry," the fretting celestial mage before her said with a flushed face, embarrassed. "I mean, I told him that it was a bad idea, but…"

"I don't blame you," Lucy told her. _I blame Loke for being stupid and Natsu for not telling me when he clearly knew._ "So...do you know if he got through?" She didn't approve of Loke's actions, but their chances at getting home at this rate were slim.

After dealing with Natsu, Lucy had grabbed her counterpart and dragged her to a nearby park. She'd kept her hood up, of course, to mask herself from curious questions, and Erza had promised that no one would follow when she'd told her it might mean a way home.

Lucy - the other one - gave a curt nod. "Yes. My Spirit checked in this morning, as soon as I woke up. According to him, they enlisted the help of Mavis and were able to crack whatever that door is open enough that he could slip through. His plan was apparently to find someone else with heavenly body magic to help."

Lucy gave a huge sigh of relief. "That's great! If he was communicating with our guild's founder, than...our guild will be told not to worry. They'll know how and why and where we disappeared off to." She hesitated, then glanced at her. "Um, I have a question for you...could you have a word with your Cana? Apparently she got my partner drunk...which I don't understand, because even when he was completely wasted at Christmas, he didn't act like this much of an idiot…he just got super clingy…"

The other Lucy gave a grimace. "Ugh, sorry about that. I will." There was a brief moment of hesitation before she suddenly asked in a soft voice, "I have a question, since, you know, the boys aren't around."

Lucy fumbled with the key ring she'd pulled out. As empty of Spirits as it was, it brought her comfort to hold their keys. "Ask away, Lucy." Her lips curved into a smile when she used her own name.

There was a moment of silence as she fussed with one of the pigtails she kept her blonde hair in before she finally asked quietly, "Can I ask you what your relationship with your partner is?" Lucy gawked at her, and she flushed. "I'm just...I want to know, to see if maybe…"

"You're asking," Lucy said slowly, "If Natsu and I are dating?" The other girl nodded and Lucy flushed a brilliant red as she picked her next few words carefully.

"We're not dating," she admitted. "We've known each other for only around five months. Hardly even close to the time you've known your Natsu. But...even if I did almost run him over with my car, he's one of the best friends I've ever had. He was assigned to keep watch over me and protect me until I could fend for myself magic-wise, but he never saw it as an assignment. He was friendly from the start." She smiled drily. "I feel like we've known each other forever at this point. I was alone for so many years after my mother died, but I barely remember what loneliness even is when he's around, you know? Natsu - and our Happy - mean everything to me."

The other girl gave a soft laugh. "I know how you feel."

Lucy was sure she did and grinned about it. "It's just…" Her gaze softened, her smile fading. "I know he's worried. Our Natsu...according to what I've heard, he avoided relationships period before I came along. I think and hope that I mean just as much to him. Then again, he took me somewhere he'd never taken Happy, so I'm sure I do." She touched the pendant at her throat. "He worries constantly, is paranoid even that I'll screw up and something bad will happen. He thinks it necessary to watch every step I take, even when we're in the guildhall.

"That's okay though." She tilted her head back to puff out a white cloud of breath into the sky, grinning. "I realized it just recently, you know. Your Mirajane was the one who helped me come to the realization that I've somehow managed to fall for that idiot. But my current relationship with him is just as I told you. The closest of best friends and partners."

The other Lucy giggled for a moment before patting her hand with a warm smile. "Don't worry. At least your Natsu seems to notice you." She smiled drily. "Mine just kind of...skims over other people's emotions for the most part. Oblivious ass."

Lucy didn't tell her that she'd caught sight of him watching her leave with a worried look on his face. "Mm," was all she hummed before the two fell into a comfortable silence.

* * *

 _Kind of...weird chapter. I believe that they'll start heading back soon, but no guarantees. Gotta love drunk Natsu, eh?_

 _A few noticed a few issues that are somewhat necessary to address. The issue with Yukino was cleared up. Didn't even notice I'd put that there. I went and took that out. That was an honest mistake, alongside the guildhall, which was pointed out by a few people. I completely forget about that little guildhall, so yeah. I would fix it, but that's a lot of editing I'd have to run through to do and I just don't have the time to do so. I apologize about the mistakes, I don't usually write at this point in the canon time line._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Nekokittygirl, The Age of Awesomeness, SunflowerChrysalis, LePengwen, MehKitty, Sara lovelymusic, niyah606, Uzumaki Naho, Moon Stone Tiger lily, TigerArrowgirl, allieflavored, Faery'sConfesseions, Dragondancer81, Knightwalker, PinkFireandGoldenStars, UchidaAkira, Larissa, and Mechanical-Rose-Sama!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	88. Chapter 88

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"He's asleep," Wendy reported as soon as Lucy set foot into Natsu's room a few hours later with a plate of food in her hand. "He went to sleep soon after you left, Lucy."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Wendy. I'm glad he didn't cause you too much trouble...sorry about having you keep an eye on him. I didn't want him fighting with anyone and destroying anything…"

Wendy giggled, smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry, Lucy, it's fine. I don't mind. He was kind of mopey after you left, that's all. I think he was upset that he made you upset." She smiled warmly and reached up to adjust one of her long pigtails. "He might be a bit hungover after he wakes up. Come get me, would you? Mind you, he might not wake up for a while…"

Lucy shook her head, bidding farewell to her as the sky dragon slayer left hurriedly to find her counterpart. The celestial mage shook her head in amusement before turning to the body buried in blankets on the bed. She arched an eyebrow when she saw onyx eyes peering at her. "Really, Natsu? What kind of child are you to pretend to sleep?"

He sat up quickly, smirking. "Didn't pretend to sleep, Luce, smelled the food and waited until Wendy left." He made some kind of grabby motion for the food. Lucy held it out of his grasp.

"You," she warned, "Are in serious trouble with both me and Erza, I hope you know."

Natsu shivered at the thought and pouted. "...can I eat first?"

"...fine." Lucy handed the plate and then stood there with her arms crossed, dark eyes narrowed as he dug in. "What were you thinking?" she scolded. "Accepting a drink from Cana and then getting yourself _drunk_ first thing in the morning?"

He shrugged. "I was bored." A pause as he tore into a chunk of meat. "And I miss Happy."

She frowned. "You've...that's no excuse to get yourself beyond wasted, Natsu!"

He shot her a surprisingly angry look. "Maybe not to you. I don't like being this far from him. He's my family, the first one after Igneel went missing. On top of it, you're here with me and he's completely alone."

Lucy felt a pang in her heart at the thought and finally just sighed and dropped onto the bed beside him. "He has Charle, doesn't he? And Lily. Wendy, Gajeel, and Levy are here with us, too. Besides, he's probably helping Loke find a way to get us home."

Natsu huffed as he tore off another bite. "Yeah, well. Haven't been separated from him for this long in the seven years I've known him. Even when we're fighting."

The celestial mage fell silent for the briefest of moments as she watched him set his empty plate aside, a downcast look on his usually cheerful face. Suddenly, she smiled wryly. "Well it's my fault he's like that then, 'cause I purposely exposed myself to the disease." Natsu's gaze darted to her. "You knew it already, didn't you? With everyone disappearing, I panicked. I was the first one to talk to Mavis, so I went and got myself sick to find out what was going on." Tears pricked her eyes suddenly. "He was terrified when the blood started coming and wouldn't stop. I really tried to bring him with us. They wouldn't let him."

Natsu huffed softly, elbowing her gently and then adjusting his scarf. His fingers brushed affectionately over the scaled material. "We'll get back to him," he said firmly. "I'll make sure of it, even if I have to burn my way through some other Celestial Realm."

"Look at you," Lucy drawled, "Trying to make an enemy out of a group of creatures that already hate us." Shaking her head in exasperation, she promised, "I'll _try_ and get Erza to lessen the punishment she has planned, but only this time. And you have to help fix everything and work for the damages you did, got it?"

He flashed a huge and grateful grin. "'Course. Thanks, Luce!"

"Yeah, yeah." She stood, ruffling his hair affectionately, and he got his revenge by blowing a wisp of fire at her that singed her sleeve. Glaring now, she scolded, "Don't use fire for everything. C'mon down when you're ready to face Erza."

"See you next year," Natsu muttered darkly as she walked out of the room, his eyes locked on her form until the door had shut. He puffed out another flame of frustration before flopping back onto the bed and closing his eyes.

He was grateful that Lucy was there, just downstairs, waiting on him.

Without her there...he was sure he would have done a lot worse.

* * *

When dinner rolled around, it came with a terrifying realization that while their guild was just as crazy, it wasn't as crazy to drag unwelcome guests up in such a way.

Lucy had been seated at a table with Natsu, Wendy, Erza, and Gray when the Earthland Mirajane suddenly clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. Lucy turned her gaze on her warily and as if sensing the upcoming danger, Natsu's hand was suddenly grabbing her hand and squeezing it lightly. Lucy snorted under her breath, but was grateful.

Mirajane smiled, and then began to speak. "As you're all aware, both of our favorite fire mages have fixed what they destroyed earlier under the Erzas' command, so we're okay to go one with our weekly karaoke night!"

"Oh, _damn it_ ," Gray seethed under his breath when he saw their Gajeel grin hugely.

"I can't handle this," Wendy whimpered, dropping her head into her hands. "Erza, please, I want to go to bed."

"Nonsense," Erza said scoldingly, "This is a good time for all of us to improve relations with these people until we go home."

"But Erza," Lucy protested, horrified. "Half of us can't even-"

Erza turned a cold look on her. "Yes?"

"...nothing," Lucy said weakly, shivering in fear. Her hand tightened on Natsu's and she heard him snicker under his breath. It was rare that she was the recipient of Erza's rage, and he didn't mind seeing her receive it so long as Erza didn't try to actually hurt the blonde.

Mirajane hummed as she searched the people gathered. "Who shall we have go first…" Her gaze locked on the Earthland Wendy. "Come here, Wendy, we'll have you go first. When you're done, you can pick anyone you want, okay?"

She looked horrified. "But Mira-"

" _Okay_?" Mirajane repeated, a scary smile crossing her face.

"We're going to die tonight, Natsu," Lucy whimpered, horrified. "Two Erzas and Mirajane all wanting us to sing is...there's no way we can avoid it."

"Nah, you've got it." Natsu reassuringly used his free hand to poke her cheek. "Just do that song you said your mom used to sing."

"Let me think about it…" Lucy tapped her lip. "No. I'm not singing up there, Natsu."

He pouted. "But we're gonna have to."

"Nope. Nope." She repeated the word several times before hissing, "You're going to light me on fire if I'm called up, you hear me?"

"Then I'll get my ass beat, hell no," he grumbled, wincing when a speaker screeched and hurt his head. It was better thanks to Wendy, but it still hurt from his small hangover. "You're gonna suffer with me. 'Sides. You're not bad."

"I'm not good at it either," she said grumpily.

"Nah." He smirked. "You're a mage of Fairy Tail. You're amazing at it."

Lucy was grateful that the lights had been dimmed during their conversation as a blush spread across her cheeks. "Aw," Wendy giggled, her sharp eyes catching sight of it. Lucy swore under her breath when Natsu smirked.

And he'd seen it of course.

Even partially hung over and forced to listen to a shy girl sing karaoke, he could see everything about her. The way her blonde hair curled around her face as she impatiently moved it, the tint on her cheeks as he complimented her.

And he was proud of himself for being the reason behind it.

He'd made the woman who he'd decided was part of his hoard and was also his partner blush.

What wasn't there to be proud of?

* * *

So the karaoke thing wasn't as bad as Lucy first thought. It went by smoothly, most people reluctant to get up there and sing but doing so under threat from Mirajane. Lucy giggled alongside her friends at most of the performances, though she proudly applauded when Natsu was dragged up there to sing.

Lucy had watched him with intent. He wasn't bad, she'd noted while listening. Though he was grumpy about being forced up there, he did what he was supposed to with a grin on his face. And he'd apparently thought it worth it when he hauled ass back to his nakama and was greeted by Lucy and a gifted meal that she'd convinced Mirajane to make. Erza and Wendy praised him with grins on their face and Levy threw him a thumbs up from where she was seated with Gajeel and Juvia, who smiled slightly. Gray merely grunted in approval.

It wasn't long after that Lucy's luck ran out.

"You're up," Erza told her, pushing her out of her chair.

"No," Lucy whined, her fingers tangling in Natsu's scarf in an attempt to keep from being dragged up. "Please, Erza, please don't make me!"

"It's fine, Luce." Natsu pried her fingers off. "You make it worse than it is."

"You do," Gray mused in agreement.

"You'll do good," Wendy promised, winking. "I promise, Lucy."

So, with reluctance clear on the blonde's face, Lucy hauled herself onto the stage that had been set up, biting her lip in barely concealed terror. The Earthland Erza, who was put in charge of instructing those who went up, told her what to do, and Lucy carefully came up with the tune she wanted, murmuring a few lyrics into a lacrima she'd been handed.

Almost immediately, music began in a peppy but soft tone, much like a violin.

She took a deep breath, held the microphone to her lips, and then began.

" _Fairy, where are you going?_

 _I'm holding, all the light to your way; this light will shine upon a brand new day!"_

She continued, the lyrics filling her mind. She knew this song by heart, another song her mother had sang aloud throughout the days they'd spent together. Not as special nor written by Layla Heartfilia, but...it was close enough.

The one she'd sang to Natsu back before Deliora had been something too personal to share with a guild that wasn't her own.

When she finished with the final lyric, _"Don't say goodbye!"_ , she smiled and then bowed before hastily throwing herself back towards her friends. Relief was clear on her face as she nearly tripped over her feet in her haste despite the excited chattering and approval of everyone there.

Natsu caught her in a hug, already on his feet as if sensing her need for reassurance, and she returned it gratefully, giggling breathlessly. "Told ya it was good," he teased in her ear. Lucy pulled back to poke playfully at his stomach, making him double over with a gasp of surprise.

"Oh?" she mused. "Are you ticklish, Natsu?"

"Shut up," he growled, eyes wide with horror. His gaze darted to Gray, who looked like a cat who'd just caught a mouse. The ice-make mage wore an evil grin at this development, and he pushed her into her chair before she could say anything else.

Erza watched curiously before questioning, "Your interactions with one another...are you dating?"

Natsu choked on the drink he'd hid his face behind, wheezing as Lucy squeaked, "Erza! Oh, my - No! No, we're not dating!"

Nobody needed to know about her feelings just yet - except for herself and Mirajane. And her other self. Because apparently that had happened. Besides, she told herself as she patted Natsu's back to help him catch his breath. She didn't even know if what she thought she was feeling was the truth. She hadn't exactly fallen in love with anyone before…

Gray watched as well, and Lucy about threw herself to the ground with a whine when he opened his mouth to speak. But then his name was called - and it was clearly not his other self if the way everyone turned to stare at him was anything to go by - and the ice-make mage groaned, ignoring Juvia's excited cheer as he made his way up to the stage.

Lucy giggled suddenly and Erza's gaze darkened.

"Oi, you stupid stripper!" Gajeel snarled suddenly, forcing his girlfriend to turn her face away.

"Gray!" Natsu shouted, cackling gleefully. "Clothes!"

There was only sighs as Gray swore and raced to find his clothes, everyone looking away to avoid seeing his naked body.

* * *

 _A fun little chapter! I believe our time in Earthland will be coming to an end soon...thank goodness. I apologize for any mistakes I've made in regards to the time line, it's quite difficult keeping track of such things._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, TigerArrowgirl, SunflowerChrysalis, Nekokittygirl, zzMiya-chanzz, MehKitty, SingingAngel327, NaLu and InuKag, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Gir276, Tobias97, pucksabrinadaphne, FireDragonPhia, UchidaAkira, allieflavored, ashinsky, AIRbooks, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Compucles, Dragondancer81, random103, and silver light of dawn!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	89. Chapter 89

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Somehow, Lucy wasn't surprised the next morning when she woke up to find a snoring dragon slayer curled up against her in the bed she'd been sleeping in. She scowled at first, and then supposed it was better than waking up to him as drunk as can be. He'd cuddled close, too. His back was aligned with hers, pressed flat up against her own, providing warmth that she couldn't help but appreciate.

It was kind of chilly, after all.

But as she was one for keeping appearances, what happened was precisely what she supposed was supposed to happen. The celestial mage carefully climbed out of bed, ignoring the mumbling protests of her partner, took in how close he was to the edge of the bed, and then promptly jabbed him in the soft part of his belly. "Soft" turned out to mean "hard muscle" but it did the job well.

Natsu flew out of the bed with a startled yelp, toppling right off the side with wide onyx eyes full of panic.

Lucy smirked in pride at her work, before snarling, "Just what the hell do you think you're doing, Natsu?"

"...it was cold?" he said with a cheeky grin, sitting up and resting his chin on the edge of the mattress. His pink hair stuck up all over the place and Lucy had to bat away the urge to push it back.

"Oh, really, Mr. I-Run-Around-Town-In-Sandals," Lucy said sarcastically. She pointed to the door. "Get _out_ , Natsu. I've told you before, it's _not_ okay for you to sleep in _my_ bed!" Her voice grew louder in warning, and Natsu winced.

"But it's nicer in your bed," Natsu whined. "And Happy's not here to cuddle with me."

"What are you, a dog?" Lucy retorted. She glared at him, but it lacked the previous strength. She felt his pain. She missed their blue cat friend. "Look. I miss Happy, too, but you can't use that as an excuse to - hey! Are you listening to me?" she cried as he waved her off and moved to climb into bed. "Do you want me to get Erza?"

Natsu paused. "No need for drastic measures," the fire mage huffed, straightening.

She snorted and turned away with crossed arms. "That's what I thought. Out. I need to get changed." The celestial mage was stunned when he grinned teasingly, as if contemplating the idea of staying. "Are you drunk again?" she accused, "Because if you are, I'll have Erza _and_ Mira lay their wrath on you."

"I'm not _drunk_ , woman," Natsu grumbled, annoyed. "Where's your faith? Damn, Lucy." Slightly grumpy now, the dragon slayer stretched his arms above his head with an incredibly loud yawn. His nose twitched once or twice, and then, suddenly, his head snapped around to glare at the door, a low growl thundering deep in his throat. His onyx eyes became furious slits, and Lucy blinked in confusion at the sudden change of attitude.

"Natsu?" she questioned. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"Scent I don't recognize in here." Natsu stepped closer to Lucy and she didn't bother to tell him to leave again; she didn't _want_ to be alone if there were traces of a strange scent around. But...she needed to change.

"Well no one's here now," Lucy tried to reason. "Right?"

He shook his head and reached out to ruffle her hair. "C'mon, we'll go get Erza or Wendy or Levy in here. I want someone with ya. It's a bad idea to be alone."

Concerned by his surprising seriousness, Lucy silently wondered just how bad the person was. And then it really began to bother her as soon as a realization hit her. "Who the hell is watching us sleep?" she muttered with a repulsed shudder.

He gave her a weird look. " _Now_ you're concerned about it? Lucy, what-"

"Let's just _go_ ," Lucy said impatiently as she pushed him out of the room. She took the lead, Natsu close behind and sniffing intently as they went over to the room Erza was staying in. She knocked sharply on the door and then pushed it open...only to discover the room empty.

Natsu was stumped. "Her scent is old. She didn't...she didn't leave, Lucy," he reported. "She should still be in here!" He went to work on searching out their suddenly missing friend's scent, and Lucy found herself becoming wary yet hopeful.

 _Maybe_ , she thought, _Just MAYBE...Loke found a way to get us home? This seems like what happened the last time...and if Erza went first, then we must be going in the reverse order of how we arrived...which means-_

Her eyes widened.

If that was the case, then Natsu was next.

And that made her terrified.

She didn't want to have to wait nearly a full day, possibly more, to see her best friend again! And if their world's Celestial Realm was bad on the minds of humans, then just what would happen to Natsu when he showed up and she wasn't there to help him calm down?!

As if sensing her sudden fear, Natsu came tottering back over, nose wrinkled as he grabbed her shoulder and ducked his head to meet her gaze. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Lucy said quietly, one hand rising up to gently latch onto the end of his scaled scarf. Her fingers played with the material for a moment before twisting in it. "I just...maybe Erza was retrieved and sent home?"

Natsu's eyes glowed in excitement at the thought. "Really? That'd be great!" This was shouted as loudly as possible, in a tone that had Lucy releasing the scarf and smacking her hands over her ears with a glare on her face. He didn't seem bothered though as he told her, "The person in the other room was in here, too. I'm gonna go check with Gajeel and see what he smells around his room."

Lucy shuddered at the thought of him waking Levy and pissing the iron dragon slayer off. Grabbing his scarf again before he could run off, she smiled faintly and asked, "How about some breakfast first?"

As soon as Lucy had changed into the clothes she'd arrived in, she and Natsu descended into the main portion of their temporary housing. Not many people were there, just Mirajane behind the bar as per usual, a thoughtful looking Makarov, and a quietly eating Gray. Lucy took one look at him, noting the lack of scar on a certain portion of his shoulder and decided that it wasn't their Gray.

He was still upstairs, probably hiding from the adoration he was going to receive as he usually did.

"Hello, you two," Mirajane greeted in a friendly voice, her blue eyes gentle. "I'll get some pancakes whipped up for you two and some orange juice to go with it."

"Thanks," Lucy told her before heading over to the Earthland Makarov with a hesitant look as he watched them approach. Natsu trailed closely behind her, never getting further than a step away, as if determined to make sure that she was safe at all times. Smiling nervously in greeting, Lucy told him, "Our Erza disappeared in the night, and Natsu says there's a weird smell that was in her room-"

"And ours," Natsu added.

"And ours," Lucy repeated before continuing with, "So we think that it's possible that they figured out a way to get us home. Erza can't be kidnapped by just anyone."

He thoughtfully stroked his chin before nodding slowly. "I see...in that case, I'm sure that we'll be saying farewell to all of you soon. I'm happy that you're able to return home, and slightly sad to see you go. While you're not a member of _our_ guild-"

"You're Fairy Tail mages, and the emblem just proves that," Mirajane finished as she approached with a gentle smile on her face, a plate of pancakes in each hand. Lucy took her own before Natsu could get both, murmuring a thanks. "No matter what world you're in."

Lucy felt a warm twist cross through her. They were so kind, even if she and her friends didn't belong in this place. Natsu grabbed her arm and hauled her away, eager to eat his pancakes. He dropped onto a bench and Lucy carefully seated herself behind him.

"Ha!" he said darkly, "I don't have to worry about Erza's wrath today!"

Lucy grimaced. "There's another Erza I could speak to," she threatened.

"...damn," he grumbled, making Lucy laugh.

It wasn't long before they were joined by a cheerful Wendy and a tired looking Levy. The solid-script mage simply snatched bits of food that Lucy had left, claiming to not be all that hungry, and by the grumpy look on her face, Lucy guessed that she and Gajeel had argued over something. It was confirmed when Gajeel stomped into view and completely ignored them in favor of demanding food from an immediately disapproving Mirajane.

Deciding to not push the matter, Lucy turned to Wendy and Levy and reported, "Natsu smelled something funny and Erza's disappeared. We think that someone's coming to get us and taking us home in the reverse order that we arrived."

That brought a look of concern to Levy as she quickly went through who would go when. "But Lu...that means you'll be all by yourself for a few hours...you and Loke were here for nearly a day before Juvia showed up and Loke's not here."

Natsu, who hadn't come to that realization himself, turned to look at Lucy with wide eyes. "Are you serious?! I don't want to leave yet then!"

"You don't have a choice in the matter," Lucy said firmly. "There must be a reason for this, so you'll just do as whoever comes to get you says, got it?"

"Luce-"

"Got it?"

"...tch." Natsu scowled and hopped out of his seat, now upset. He stormed away to join Gajeel at the bar with a growl in his throat, his onyx eyes angry, and Lucy rolled her own.

"Over reacting ass," Lucy muttered, making Levy let out a strangled laugh.

"What's going on?"

Lucy waved a greeting to Gray and Juvia and smiled as Levy explained. "Hope you don't mind Gray disappearing on you," the celestial mage told Juvia when Levy was done explaining. "It'll be you and me for a few hours."

Juvia frowned, but accepted it. "Juvia doesn't think there's much else we can do," she said simply. "If Gray disappears, then Juvia will simply wait to join him."

"Not just me disappearing," Gray muttered, rolling his eyes before jerking his head in Natsu's direction. "What's up with him, then?"

"Natsu doesn't like that he's going next," Wendy giggled, her dark eyes amused. She took a bite of her own breakfast, blinking once. "I can't wait to go home. I miss Charle."

"Happy must be so worried," Lucy agreed, her heart twisting at the thought of their poor blue friend. He'd been so terrified when the blood had come… She hugged herself and leaned back. "I wonder what the other guilds will say...and the Magic Council."

"We'll be in trouble," Levy sighed. "They don't like when things like this happen. We'll probably have to pay fees."

"I can't even pay rent," Lucy whimpered, her forehead slamming into the table. "I'll lose my apartment!"

"At least you can stay with Natsu if that happens," Wendy said softly in suggestion, earning a look of despair from her blonde friend.

"Not the point!" Lucy moaned. "I need money, damn it, and I haven't been able to take on a job in forever...ugh, damn it, I should have waited to go back until after I had my rent set up for a few months…"

There was a moment of silence before Gray said quietly, "Ya know, you never exactly told us how that went, Lucy." She glanced at him and the shirtless ice-make mage shrugged, taking a drink of the glass he'd retrieved before joining them. "Care to enlighten us? Most of us saw you on the lacrima."

Lucy looked around at the others, who'd suddenly fallen quiet to listen with curious looks on their faces before smiling wryly and sitting back. It was true, she supposed. They'd all been too worried about the disease for her to tell the story of what had happened back home. "Well, to begin with, I had Loke go with me while playing the part of someone I planned on marrying to try and discourage any forced marriages."

"And did it work?" Levy asked with curious hazel eyes.

"Well, my father had Loke shot seconds into our first talk in three years, so no. It didn't."

Wendy's hand clapped over her mouth and Juvia took on a look of utter horror. "Oh, no!"

"As you saw, he's okay now," Lucy hurried to reassure, a flash of guilt flooding her. "I'd considered asking maybe you, Gray, or Natsu to go with me, but I'm seriously glad I didn't. It would have gone a lot worse had I done so." She took a deep breath. "I was looking for my mother's diary. I haven't had the chance to read more than the first page, but I've learned a few things. Anyways, before I found it, he took my keys and phone. Loke came out on his own power eventually and brought both with him, and then kept a hold of them excluding his own key until I was sure I'd be able to keep them safe again. The two of us and mostly Virgo or Aries searched for the diary until we found it.

Lucy took a deep breath, and then gave a faint smile. "Natsu helped, of course, when he broke in. Turns out I was going to be sent into a marriage deal in Minstrel. He had no care for how I felt about the matter. If it weren't for him and Loke's ability to come out on his own power...I'd probably be getting married as we speak."

"Oh, Lucy," Levy said sympathetically, looking horrified by this information. She reached out to pat her friend's arm and Lucy gave her a rather dry smile.

"Don't worry, I'm used to it," Lucy sighed. "My father was always like this. Ever since my mother died."

"We would have gone," Gray told her. "Doesn't matter if you asked the Ash Breath over there or me, one of us would have gone with you if you'd just asked."

"And then I'd be explaining why one of you were dead," Lucy reminded. "No, I'm happy with how things turned out."

Wendy tilted her head curiously as she leaned closer, dark eyes narrowing. "Lucy...you said you learned something from your mom's diary?"

"I did." Lucy bit her lip for a moment, glancing over her shoulder. If she was going to spill this information, she supposed Natsu and Gajeel deserved to hear it as well… She was surprised to see Natsu already peering suspiciously at them, Gajeel outright glaring. She rolled her eyes. "If you're that curious, get over here, you two."

They scrambled over without hesitation and Lucy let the small group gather around her, deciding to tell Erza when they got back. And Makarov, too, of course.

Lucy began to speak.

* * *

 _Erza's disappeared?! At long last things are starting to pick up again, eh?  
_

 _MehKitty asked if I've finished writing all the chapters and what not...nope! I just finished chapter 127 last night!_

 _Now! The winner of my event on tumblr chose the number 107, meaning...you get a preview of chapter 107! Here you are!_

* * *

 _ **Preview of Chapter 107...**_

* * *

 _"Heh, you're a smart one."_

 _Lucy's head snapped up at the sound of Cobra's voice. He appeared out of the shadows, and Lucy pressed back with a scowl as he leaned against the bars that trapped her, his elbows resting above his head and a smirk on his face. One eye was shut - permanently, Lucy guessed, by the scar that crossed down his face. Her work, she was proud to admit, and his gaze flashed with fury._

 _"Yeah, your work," he snarled, spitting a bit of venom in her direction. She flinched when it sizzled at the wall beside her head. "Now. You're gonna tell me something, and if you don't, tribute or not, you're gonna suffer."_

 _Lucy squared her shoulders, ignoring the flash of pain. "Screw off."_

 _He ignored that and instead narrowed his good eye. "That girl. Kinana. Where'd she come from?"_

 _Lucy shook her head, confused. "I...I don't know, she was there before I was, and I don't know everyone's stories-"_

 _He gave a sound of disapproval. "You ever heard of Cubellios?"_

 _Lucy licked her lips. She'd heard of the name. Mirajane had told her of the owner of it, a massive and dangerous snake, similar to the thirteenth Zodiac Spirit. It was supposed to be a snake of myths, a serpent that had never truly existed to begin with, but Mirajane hadn't been so convinced._

 _"I've heard that Cobra acquired a companion by the name of Cubellios," she'd admitted to Lucy only days before. "Years and years ago, of course, before Oracion Seis even existed. But one day he was seen without it, and from then on, no one saw Cubellios again."_

 _"Yes," she admitted. "I've heard of Cubellios. It was your side-kick of sorts."_

 _"She," he hissed, "Was my friend, and she was taken from me by some bastard named Precht. Now, how do you explain the fact that this girl, who has no last name and can resist the venom of a dragon without so much as a flinch? Huh?"_

 _Lucy rolled her brown eyes in exasperation. "Look. I don't know what you expect me to know. I've been in Fairy Tail going on seven months at this point, okay? I've been using magic for even less." Cobra seethed, and she eyed him for a few moments. "...you think Kinana is Cubellios?"_

 _He grumbled, looking away. "Their voices. I only ever heard Cubellios' thoughts, as I can hear yours, but it is somewhat similar to her voice."_

 _"Well, hate to break it to you, but I don't think she remembers you."  
_


	90. Chapter 90

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"I learned a few things from my mother," Lucy began. "Well, from the first page of her diary anyways. It was a letter, directed to me. And...it said a few things, like I said. It began with her talking about how worried she was about Loke's - to her, Leo's - punishment. She was anxious that it was too severe when it should have been for her."

Natsu, who'd been the only other one there to know as much as she did about Loke's curse, frowned, having forgotten his anger towards her. "She knew that he was in Igneel's cave?"

Lucy looked him straight in the eye as she spoke, careful with how she chose her words. "Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy." The other two all looked her way, but Lucy only looked at Natsu. "My mother knew the dragons. She named each of your parents in her diary. They helped her hide her keys." All of them looked stunned, and she only made it worse when she added quietly, "She mentioned your name, Natsu, she knew who you were. She said that she hadn't met you, but...she said that she knew who you were."

From where she was sitting, Juvia looked troubled. "Juvia's curious, Lucy...did...did Lucy's mother have something to do with-"

"The dragon's disappearance?" Lucy shook her head in exasperation. Once, they'd contemplated the idea. They'd disagreed, pushing it away. Lucy's mother had died of illness after all. "I think it might of The thing is...she mentioned doing some kind of spell that exhausted her."

"I forgot," Gray said suddenly, exchanging a look with Juvia. "That job we took, back in November. The volunteer one after the landslide...Gemini said the last form it had taken on was your mom, when it delivered her final message to Igneel. It ever tell you?"

Natsu threw his hands in the air. "What the hell, guys! You could've said something!"

 _"The message that was delivered to Igneel, King of the Fire Dragons. These were the last words Layla Heartfilia spoke to Igneel, said before her demise." they reported before taking on a regal look. A look that Lucy recognized well. This was the look Layla had worn when discussing anything that put her daughter's life at risk, whether it be marriage or otherwise. "Igneel," they began. "In exchange for accomplishing what you've requested, I have a request of my own. Take him. Do as his king commands, but please. Make it so that he is protected and has an escape. He does not deserve the punishment that I should be taking." The look vanished. "Those were the last words that Ms Layla had us deliver to Igneel, Lucy!"_

Lucy shook her head free of the memory, remembering it with ease. She wondered if her Gemini was looking out for her, trying to help from where the Spirit was trapped. "Sorry, Natsu, I didn't want to get your hopes up, because we don't know where the dragons went. All I know is that my mother supposedly accomplished something at the request of Igneel. I think they were some kind of friends...I'm going to read more of the diary when I get back, see what I can find, you know?"

"Was it Magic Deficiency that she died from?"

They all paused to look at Wendy, who flushed under the attention. "You went through it at the Tower of Heaven yourself, Lucy. It's when you lose too much magic. It kills you. Whatever spell she used must have been a heavy one to cause such damage…"

Gajeel grunted, speaking up for the first time. "She mentioned Metalicana?"

"Along with Grandeeney and two other dragons. There weren't any names for the other two though," Lucy told them.

"Bet you she meant Skiadrum and Weisslogia," Levy offered with a frown. "Those are the names of the dragons who raised Rogue and Sting."

"This is crazy," Wendy whispered. She hugged her arms. "She _must_ know why the dragons disappeared, Lucy! I wish we could ask...I miss my mother…"

"Yeah," Lucy murmured, "You're not the only one, Wendy, believe me." She stood, glancing around at the other tables. The guildhall was still fairly empty. The only change was that the rest of the Strauss family had arrived as well as a quiet Earthland Wendy, who was being kind and not eavesdropping as she worked to help Mirajane out of simple boredom, Charle telling her it was a waste of time the entire time.

There was a moment of comfortable silence.

Too much silence.

Silence that made Lucy realize that something was wrong almost as quickly as Gajeel lunged forward with a snarl, an iron club forming on his arm and slamming into the floor, drawing a startled scream from Juvia as Gray yanked her to safety. Everyone's attention was immediately caught by the violence as Gajeel's loud voice swore.

"Natsu?" Lucy breathed, voice hitching.

But the dragon slayer was gone.

* * *

"Definitely the same scent," Gajeel reported as he came back down to where the group was still gathered. Lucy was sitting there with her back straight, her dark eyes hard and her lips pressed together. Gajeel had taken Wendy upstairs to investigate.

"Sorry, Lucy," Wendy apologized, "We don't recognize the scent."

"Didn't recognize the person?" Makarov asked. The guildmaster of the Earthland Fairy Tail had come to investigate as soon as the violence had ended. They'd all apologized for the damage done, but he'd waved it off, instead interested in why it had happened.

Gajeel, the only one to see the person, shook his head. "Nah. Never seen 'em before." His pierced brows furrowed, and the dragon slayer was aware of the people listening in. More had arrived in the time it had taken he and Wendy to investigate, including, to his annoyance, his double. "Some kinda brightly colored lady though."

"Very helpful," Lucy said sarcastically, worry making her irritable.

Natsu had been so worried about leaving this soon, and she found herself frantic. "Our Celestial Realm...if we're really going home, then what are they going to do? It screwed with some of our minds...the only reason it didn't mess with mine was because of Loke, and I think Gajeel and Levy were lucky because they were sent at the same time…"

"I'm sure Natsu is fine," Levy soothed gently, reaching across their partially smashed table to grab her arm. "They probably have precautions set up if Loke got through."

"They better," Gajeel grunted. "Salamander's a pain in the ass when he's pissed."

"As are you," Levy snipped under her breath, glaring. He returned it before turning away with a growl.

"More importantly," Gray cut in, rolling his eyes as his fingers plucked at his shirt collar. "Gajeel and Levy are next, aren't they?"

"They might not leave at the same time, even if they did arrive together," Wendy murmured thoughtfully. Her eyes darted to Lucy anxiously. "But I think it's a good idea to worry. Natsu...Lucy, we're pretty sure he's decided you're a part of his hoard."

"...excuse me?"

Wendy flushed and Gajeel took over the conversation. "Bastard probably decided without checking first. Dragons are good at that. S'nothing to worry about, just means that if he is pissed off, he'll just be even more pissed off."

"You're not a dragon," Gray pointed out. "You were raised by one."

"And that changes anything?" he challenged.

Lucy touched her necklace with a frown, the pendant warm beneath her touch. "I guess that would explain why he suddenly took me to the hoard when he told me before that he didn't share…"

Wendy flushed a brilliant red as she stammered out, "J-just be careful, kay? D-dragons are p-particularly... _protective_."

Levy gave a smirk. "In other words, Lu, you won't be going on any dates anytime soon."

 _I'd hope not._ Lucy didn't answer that, instead pushing past the whole idea of dating anyone other than Natsu because she was being perfectly honest when she admitted that the idea was distasteful; if Natsu wasn't the one asking her out, she wasn't really looking to do it.

Lucy sighed; she was worse than one of the girls in the books for preteens.

Choosing to move on from the whole "hoard" conversation, Lucy warned Gajeel and Levy, "See if you can get us some answers if you two end up leaving, okay? It might not be easy with how fast Natsu was gone…"

"We'll try. Or at least I will, since I seem to be the only one who cares," Levy gritted out.

" _Okay_ ," Gray grumbled, climbing to his feet. "Let me know when you're done bickering with one another. You up for some cards, Lucy? Wendy?" A pause. "Juvia?"

"Yeah," Lucy agreed alongside the other two, guilt flashing through her. Natsu was gone, missing and probably losing his mind if he really had gone home. And she was here agreeing to play _cards_. It made her sick to her stomach.

But there was nothing else that she could do. So she accepted the hand that Gray offered to pull her to her feet and followed them back up to the second story of the guildhall. Wendy skipped alongside her, her long blue hair hanging loosely around her shoulders as she told Lucy with a gentle smile, "Don't worry, I'm sure Natsu's okay, Lucy. The first thing he'll do is look for you."

"And I won't be there for nearly two days," Lucy replied with a soft sigh.

Wendy gave her a sympathetic look, and the two watched in silence as Juvia snatched up Gray's arm and purred that she was exceptionally grateful that Gray had invited her to play cards.

Gray cast Lucy a look over his shoulder. "You up for a job with the team when we get back?"

Lips twitching into a grin, Lucy promised, "Definitely."

 _When we get back, I'll hug Happy so tightly he can't breathe!_

She couldn't wait to go home.

* * *

"I win!" Lucy grinned as she slapped the cards she'd played down on the floor.

"Are you kidding me?!" Gray shouted, tossing his own onto the wooden floorboards with a glare. "How! You've got to be cheating, Lucy, there's no way you've won three times in a row!"

"Juvia agrees," the water mage close to him muttered. "Juvia thinks you're cheating, Lucy."

"She isn't," Wendy sighed, shaking her head. "We just are bad at playing against her, I guess." She stretched her arms above her head, sucking in a breath that was deeper than necessary. Lucy guessed that she was tasting the air and was proven correct when she made a face. "They're drinking downstairs. I can smell _and_ taste alcohol on the air."

"Ugh," Lucy uttered, shaking her head in disgust.

"It explains all of the noise," Juvia offered as another huge crash filled the air, muffled. "They're almost worse than we are."

"They don't have to worry about giving away the secret of hidden magic," Gray reminded her gruffly as he gathered up the cards and began to shuffle them. They were quiet for a moment, enjoying one another's silent company.

And then the door flew open and a wide-eyed Earthland Levy was there, her dark eyes flashing with shock. "So, um," she began, her voice breathless, "You guys just lost two people."

Lucy climbed to her feet. "Levy and Gajeel. They're gone?"

She gave a curt nod. "Just as I got here. There was some lady...said the word "apus" before disappearing with them. There was light...and then they were gone."

"Apus?" Lucy's eyes narrowed in thought before she gasped, clasping a hand over her mouth.

 _"There's minor constellations that you should know. Eighty-eight constellations in all, Lucy. This one, Apus, is supposed to be an exotic bird. She's a hermit in our Realm...she hides herself at one of the deepest corners of the Celestial Realm."_

"Apus," Lucy repeated with a grin. "Loke told me about her before he disappeared, the evening before. Apus is a Spirit, not as well-known as the Zodiacs or even the silver keys. She doesn't have a key that I know of. She's an exotic bird. Then we're going home for sure!"

The Earthland Levy paused. "...so it's okay? That they disappeared?" Lucy reassured her with a warm smile, and she relaxed. "I nearly had a heart attack," she told Lucy, "I thought that it was our Gajeel for a moment…"

"No, it's just our group that's leaving," Lucy giggled, watching as Levy sighed in relief. She watched for a moment, before suggesting, "Why don't you take your Gajeel on a job? I bet he'd enjoy it, even if he says he wouldn't."

"Not a bad idea...thanks!" Levy gave a wave, and then slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"Playing matchmaker in a world that's not even ours?" Wendy teased playfully.

Lucy shrugged. "Someone deserves to get something good out of this mess."

Juvia's eyes glowed excitedly, her hands twisting with one another. "Could Lucy play matchmaker for Juvia?"

Lucy only giggled at the look on Gray's face.

* * *

 _Things are picking up! I can't wait for the next arc. It's my favorite over every other that I've written so far..._

 _I'm sorry, but I can't add names in my thanking of reviewers this week! It's acting up again...but thank you anyways and thank you to those who favorited and followed, too!_


	91. Chapter 91

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

When he awoke, he was so dizzy he couldn't even see. Things and shapes and colors swirled around and he gagged, nearly vomiting as he rolled onto his stomach. He pressed his forehead to the cool stone street, the noises around him as muffled as Lucy's had been when-

 _Lucy!_

His mind snapped back into reality and he gave a groan as he cautiously shoved himself to his knees, onyx eyes already searching for the celestial mage. Was she safe? Where was she? _Where was she?!_

"Natsu!"

A sharp crack.

A sting of pain.

Natsu blinked once, twice, and then found himself staring into the somewhat concerned and amused eyes of none other than Cana Alberona. "...Cana," he croaked, wincing at the dryness of his throat. It scratched and throbbed as he spoke.

She smiled, relieved. "It's good to have you awake, you've been out for a few minutes. I think I was even beginning to get worried...over here, Master!" she suddenly shouted, waving an arm. He heard the thudding of feet, but only frowned as he touched the scaled scarf at his neck.

"...you hit me."

"I did," she said quite smugly, "And only because you weren't listening."

"Natsu," the familiar voice of Erza called, and he lifted his pink-haired head in surprise when he saw the woman darting over alongside a sprinting Makarov, clothed in the modern clothing he was used to. The master looked concerned, and Natsu grunted at that. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he snapped impatiently, staggering to his feet, using Cana's shoulder heavily for balance. "Where's Lucy?"

Makarov and Erza exchanged a look before he explained, "You're home. Lucy's Spirit found a way after explaining to us what had happened and had you brought here, as you'll be returning in the reverse order that you arrived in whatever place you were in-"

"Earthland," Erza supplied. "They called it Earthland."

"I don't care," Natsu said angrily, flames threatening to envelop him. "Where's Lucy?"

"She's still in that Earthland place," Cana said bluntly, "But she'll be comin' around in the next week or two." Erza and Makarov shot her a look and she shrugged. "What? S'true."

" _Week_?" Natsu rasped, hysteria rising in his already confused mind. _Where's Lucy?!_ He needed the calming touch on his arm that she did, he realized desperately, the sound of her demanding he shut up and listen.

"Time worked differently," Makarov said with a gruff tone. "You brats have been gone for going on six weeks now. The Magic Council has gone crazy with dealing with the situation, and Sabertooth's been coming in and out of Magnolia since a portion of our mages disappeared. Mavis made sure the disease was destroyed before it infected anyone else with the actual symptoms."

"I don't care," Natsu suddenly repeated, the flames appearing now. His eyes became angry slits. He needed _Lucy_ , damn it, not some information he cared nothing for-

His thoughts were cut off, desperate need for his partner forgotten, as a sobbing ball of blue fur knocked him off of his already unsteady feet. "Happy!" Erza hissed, glancing around to make sure he hadn't been seen as the blue cat sobbed against Natsu's chest, "You're back! I thought I'd never see you again, Natsu!"

"Hey, little buddy," Natsu rasped, throat tightening.

Six weeks they'd been gone, and for those six weeks, Happy had been alone. His sudden desperation was gone, replaced with an intense guilt and relieved happiness as he hugged Happy tightly. Happy sobbed even louder, digging his claws into the ragged shirt Natsu had been dressed in - some kind of special clothing to protect him from the harsh Celestial Realm, he guessed.

There was a brief moment of silence as Makarov and a still slightly confused requip mage - who wasn't entirely sure of what was happening herself - gave them time before Cana suggested quietly, "I think it's time that we leave...people will come looking soon. That was some bright light."

Cradling his blue cat friend to his chest with gentle arms and hiding him at the same time, Natsu let them guide him in the direction of the guildhall. His heart swelled with excitement at the familiar scents on the air, the familiar sights of phones and cars and technology, but he found himself searching for a blonde head everywhere his gaze went, and sheer terror for Lucy flooded him when he couldn't find her.

 _Where was she?!_

Logically, he knew that she was back in Earthland, there for what could be weeks until she came home. But he needed her with him. She was his closest companion outside of Happy, and he needed her there so that he could keep an eye on her and protect her from potential injury.

Anger swirled through him.

 _Where was she?!_

His breathing hitched, his temper and flames flaring in his fury that suddenly spiked. His fingers sought out Happy's fur to try and calm down, to reign in the rage that ebbed through him in waves before it got out of hand outside in broad daylight, but it was hard. What he considered to be his hoard had been taken from him, and every instinct in his body was screaming at him to go and find it.

Cana, who was helping him walk straight without falling over, tightened her grip on his shoulder, her hands surprisingly empty of any alcohol. "Calm down, ya idiot. There ain't anything we can do about the problem, okay?"

Natsu gritted his teeth, chest heaving for breath. "I _know_ that," he snapped. It didn't mean he could control himself.

"Natsu has issues sometimes," Happy said, voice muffled by Natsu's chest.

Despite the emotions roiling through him, Natsu grinned faintly. "Shut up, Happy."

* * *

When Erza had first arrived, she'd been surprisingly calm. She'd handled the situation of suddenly finding herself back in her own world with ease, calmly heading out to find her guild before they could even think about coming to find her. Not that they'd noticed. The shock on all of their faces had told her as much when she'd thrown the guildhall doors open, her eyes slightly dazed and her scarlet hair a mess, her body clothed in exotic looking clothing that none of them had ever seen.

The commotion had been wild. There had been tears in the eyes of many, wary agner in the eyes of some. Laxus had challenged her, threatening to kill her where she stood if she wasn't truly Erza, and Erza had dutifully showed her emblem as well as repeating a few safe words that the guild had. Mirajane had come running, hugging her tightly despite their old rivalry, with a tearful smile and a promise of strawberry cake.

The guild's reaction to Natsu's return was even crazier.

People swarmed him, shouting in their excitement. Jet and Droy came flying over to demand information on how Levy was, and while he received the same treatment from Laxus, it wasn't as dangerous as Erza's reception. Mirajane had left to cook something big for him to eat, Lisanna throwing her arms around him in a hug, and Elfman had bellowed something about how manly he was for coming back. Charle had come to anxiously inquire about Wendy, Pantherlily questioning about Gajeel.

But in comparison to Erza's calm return, Natsu was a mess, like a caged beast, the blue cat in his arms the only thing that kept him from exploding in a mess of fire. Erza supposed that it had something to do with his desperate demands about Lucy. She knew the two were close, it was hard to not see it after spending as much time around them as she did, but the dark look in his eyes told her that perhaps she was missing something about their relationship.

So it didn't surprise her when Natsu threw himself in a violent motion at Loke the second he had appeared, returned to his usual suit and shades.

"What the hell!" Loke snapped as he jerked back to avoid the flaming fist, Happy yelping as he was dropped to the floor. People dove to safety, and Natsu snarled viciously as he went for another attack. "Natsu!"

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Natsu bellowed. He barely heard the crack when his fist finally connected with Loke's jaw, and the Spirit shouted in pain and surprise, cradling his face in one ringed hand as the dragon slayer fought for control, heaving for air and smoke spilling out of his mouth and nose. His onyx eyes were slitted in his rage. "You just _left_ us and think that it's okay to take this long to get us back here?!"

"Calm down," Loke snapped back. His temper flared, his hatred for the dragon slayer only increasing with each passing second. "We're working as quickly as we can. It takes time to build up the magic it requires to get you through. You should be grateful I'm not leaving your ass there. It'd be better for everyone - especially Lucy."

Natsu went still, a deadly aura beginning to fill the air around him, but before he could act on it, a familiar bare-footed girl stepped into his path, green eyes gentle. Makarov joined her, warning, "Natsu, if you don't wish to anger me, then you'll calm yourself. Happy."

Happy scampered over to them, quickly scaling Natsu's body to sit on his head. The heat stopped immediately to avoid hurting his little friend. She gave it a few moments before she spoke.

"We apologize," Mavis Vermillion told him with a gentle voice that seemed to calm the roiling blood in his veins. "We don't wish to keep them there as long as they've been." She lifted a hand to touch her fingers to Natsu's cheek, searching his eyes with a warm smile. "Lucy Heartfilia is a powerful mage, do not fret. She'll be returned soon. For now, I believe it best you help the guild prepare for the next to come. Gajeel Redfox was calm upon his arrival in Earthland. So long as Levy McGarden is not around upon their return, there will be a dangerous risk."

"I don't give a damn about Gajeel and Levy," Natsu muttered, though he forced the tenseness in his shoulders to go away. Loke gave him a suspicious look, rubbing his aching jaw, and Natsu growled a final angry warning before turning away...only to find himself looking at a man he'd never met.

He was tall, a few inches more than Erza's own height. He was cloaked in clothes that reeked of magic, telling him that this man rarely came back from the jobs he did and cared nothing for what the non-magic folks thought of him. His head was covered alongside his face, so when Natsu's keen eyes tried to search his gaze, there was nothing to look into. Several staffs were strapped to his back and he leaned on one that was in one of his hands, his magic practically radiating off of him.

This mage was strong, really strong. It unnerved the dragon slayer.

"This is Mystogan," Romeo reported to the fire mage. Romeo grinned, dark eyes excited. "He's the one helping the Spirits get you guys home."

"Heavenly body magic…" Natsu became suspicious and growled deeply in the back of his throat. "Take off the mask," he demanded suddenly, sniffing furiously. Happy patted his head as if the action would comfort him and he ignored it. "Take it _off_ , damn it."

"Natsu," Makarov barked out. "Leave him be. He brought you home, and he'll bring the others home. Mystogan doesn't deserve such things. He's a trusted Fairy Tail mage and you'd do well to thank him."

In a cranky mood, the dragon slayer bared his teeth. "I ain't thanking anyone until Lucy's back and even then I'm not trusting him. There's something wrong here, and I'm gonna find out."

That said, Natsu turned and stormed out of the guildhall, his exciting return long since forgotten as Mystogan sighed his irritation. Makarov gave him an apologetic look as he said, "We're sorry about him, Lucy is his partner, and I'm assuming that he's merely frantic to make sure that she and the rest of our nakama are safe."

Mystogan lifted a hand to silence him, seeming amused despite what had happened. He said nothing, only tightened his grip on his staff as he looked to the fairly angry Spirit that still stood there with Mavis. Loke scowled. "I should kick his ass back to there."

Mavis giggled, her lips pressed together and curved into a smile. "Natsu Dragneel is certainly a special person, Leo. I suggest that you do not test him too much, though."

"Whatever. Ready, Mystogan? Time to get back to work. We can give you some more time if you want. This is two of 'em coming through, and it'll be a bit more difficult." Loke studied Mystogan with a curious look. No one knew much about him; only recently had he joined the guild. This had been the first time many had met him.

Mystogan only shook his head before slamming the butt of his staff into the wooden floor of the guildhall, falling easily into a stance and lifting his hand towards the ceiling, where golden light exploded into view, shining beautifully. Loke and Mavis both stepped forward, preparing themselves.

Erza watched all of this from where she was standing, her gaze lingering on Mystogan.

 _That stance…_

It was one she herself used when preparing a long-ranged weapon. She searched through her mind for an answer, and the one she came up with chilled her to the bone.

She'd helped one other person. One person who had yet to be found and had disappeared into thin air.

 _...Jellal?_

* * *

 _I forgot to mention that last chapter was the very last in Earthland! We're officially back in the BTL universe (thank goodness!). Next chapter should just about finish up this arc and then we're straight into the next! ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (JustAPoisonApple, Nekokittygirl, The Age of Awesomeness, SunflowerChrysalis, Qubee, LePengwen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, TigerArrowgirl, zzMiya-chanzz, MehKitty, KawaiPanda, AngelEmCuti, PinkFireandGoldenStars, pucksabrinadaphne, Uzumaki Naho, allieflavored, Dragondancer81, Uchida Akira, theGreatAndBeautifulYou, and MeadowOfStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	92. Chapter 92

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

To say that the town of Magnolia was in a state of confusion was putting it lightly.

First, there were those strange flashes of light in the dead of night. People had tried to track down what they were, but no one had come up with anything and most people were worried that ghosts had begun to appear. Others told those people that they were a bunch of idiots and ignored them.

But then had come the destruction.

The citizens of Magnolia had been woken in the dead of the night to screaming and roaring, a building going up in flames, and not a single official in sight. Eventually it had stopped, but not before the people had been frightened back into their homes.

Now, a week or two after that whole event, there was peace. Some had returned to their normal daily routine, certain that everything would be alright. There'd only been three sightings of light and no destruction. The building that had been ruined was being rebuilt by some group of officials the town didn't recognize, and apparently a special club within Magnolia was paying for it.

The Magic Council was relieved about the matter. There'd been no reason to bring in their specialist, who was used to erasing memories of magic within the citizens of Fiore. And there'd been no more signs of the strange disease that had struck terror into the hearts of every mage in Fiore.

Fairy Tail was just as grateful as they were, of course. Within this time, Gajeel, Levy, Juvia, Wendy, and Gray had all come home, much to their relief, thanks to the help of the once feared Mavis, Loke, and Mystogan. The guild was relieved and received each of them with excitement and happiness, drawing tears from the girls and grunted gratitude from the men.

Only one person remained unhappy as he watched the guild chatter, eager in their wait for the last of their nakama to be brought home. They were excited; the second Lucy was returned, a party was going to be thrown to celebrate the guild's victory over all of this.

Mirajane had already started decorating with the help of a tired Wendy and Lisanna. Several others had begun to pitch in since he'd seated himself at the back of the guildhall with Happy, and Natsu couldn't find it in him to be pleased.

This is what it had been like before Lucy had come into the picture, he realized as he grinned reassuringly at his worried blue friend. Without the underlying feeling of rage and desperation of course. Friendly, but not too friendly. Natsu was distant, not feeling the need to get close to his nakama and he found that he was searching for her blonde head every time he turned around.

"Natsu? Are you hungry?" Happy asked.

"Yeah," he sighed, ruffling his friend's ears. "Let's get somethin' to eat, eh?" He shoved himself to his feet, tucking Happy under his arm and scampering over to the bar with a false grin. "Oi! Kinana!"

The woman glanced over, surprised. "Natsu! Want your usual?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind," he replied. He set Happy on the bar with a grin. "And Happy wants his, too, if you don't mind. Put it on our tab."

"Sure thing," she said with a warm laugh, looking relieved to see Natsu around and chatting. He talked to Kinana even less than most people, but he knew that she was just as warm and loving as Mirajane was. She adored everyone in the guild, even the teasing older men who flirted endlessly with her and her fellow barmaid. Her cooking wasn't as good as Mirajane's, but it was close enough for Natsu's liking.

The second the plate was in front of him, he realized just how hungry two days of not eating made him. He and Happy thanked her, exchanged a look, and then tore into their food, ignoring the taunt that Gray threw their way from where he was sitting beside Juvia few seats down the bar.

 _Bastard._

It had been difficult to return to being cautious of his magic. Natsu, despite only being in Earthland for days, had quickly grown accustomed to the loud and boisterous ways that magic was shown there, and found that he regretted not doing more of the training sessions with his other self. It would have been good to learn more. But he was grateful to be back home, and hoped that his partner would be back, too. Juvia had told him that the celestial mage had been hard at work with her other self, learning to master her whip and the Urano Metria spell.

At least she'd have some time to get stronger, if only a day or two for her.

It was an unending hell for the rest of them.

Even Loke was growing anxious, and he'd told them that she'd left Earthland but had yet to appear in the Celestial Realm. Natsu had learned after a tense and unhappy conversation between the two, that the Spirit King's power was the only way he could pop in and out as he was without the needed key. He could use his own power, but with Lucy in another world, his usual methods wouldn't work. So, the Spirit King was temporarily allowing him to do as he wished to set things right.

According to what Mavis had calculated - Natsu was slightly scared of her incredibly accurate predictions - Lucy should have returned within the past twelve hours. Loke had been waiting, as he had with all of them, but nothing had happened. Mystogan had done the spell correctly, he'd noted, as had he and Mavis, but there was nothing.

Neither the Spirit King nor Crux had the answer.

Natsu paused in his eating to hold his palm out, watching the flame appear there before crushing it in his fingers. He'd checked in on Lucy's apartment - he knew she'd be upset with him for using a portion of his hoard to fix the late fees, but he really didn't care - and had nearly lost control of his fire when he'd started playing with it in the middle of the empty street.

 _Lucy…_

Lucy would return soon, he told himself. He sighed heavily. He had survived her rushing off to Bosco and being kidnapped by that ass of a Spirit. He could survive this.

"Hey! Dumbass!"

Natsu's eyebrow ticked. _Damn popsicle…_ Growling, he opened his mouth to shout a retort back at his teammate only to freeze, the words dying in his throat before they left at the familiar feeling that suddenly prickled in the back of his mind.

He'd know that magic anywhere.

 _Lucy!_

A split second later, Macao came barreling into the guildhall, nearly screaming, "GET DOWN!"

Most would have stared at the older mage with bewilderment rather than obeying. But then again, this was a group of mages, used to dangerous situations. And every single one of them hit the ground as quickly as they could, Natsu dragging Happy and Asuka - who'd been only two seats away by herself - with him, pressing his own body over theirs so that he could protect them.

He may have been in a cranky mood for the last few weeks, but that didn't mean he wouldn't protect them.

"Natsu!" Asuka cried, but before he could tell her to calm down, the building _exploded_. His flames leaped to life, incinerating anything that came near them but never burning the two he protected. Wood dropped from the upper floor and he hurried to roll them out of the way with a snarl.

Asuka screamed, bursting into terrified tears, and he felt Happy hurry to try and comfort her as light filled the room. It wasn't a pleasant light, but a violent golden one that seared at even his flesh, and he heard those closer to it shriek and shout in pain. But the magic behind it was one he recognized. He crawled on his stomach, nudging the two beneath him to safety. "Here," he growled, pushing them into an empty shelf behind the bar. Asuka stared at him with tearful eyes. "Stay."

"Kay," she whimpered, sobbing into her knees.

"I'll protect her," Happy vowed and curled his tail around her with a fierce look.

Natsu ruffled his friend's ears. "I know you will." He grinned, and then threw himself over the bar again and engulfed his body in flames to help protect him. "Popsicle!" he bellowed over the roaring light, "Get your ass off the ground, we gotta calm Luce down!"

"That's _Lucy_?" Cana shrieked from where she was protecting her alcohol.

"Who else would it be?" he roared and then plunged into the light. It was painful, and Natsu took a moment to appreciate his partner's potential. A mage had to train to reach all of their magic. Even he hadn't reached his full potential yet. Not even the all and powerful _Laxus_ had. It was near impossible, and if you did, you became a saint among mages.

This power was Lucy's potential, the power that she wielded partially. Some day, he thought, she might even be able to wield this seeming endless stream.

"Stop her," a voice whispered in his ears suddenly. Her jerked, shocked to discover a horrified Mavis. "You must stop her," she repeated hastily, "She's going to...she'll destroy all of Magnolia and Fiore!"

He gave her a look. "Luce is strong, but not-"

" _Stop her_!"

"Okay, calm down, I'm going!" Natsu glanced to Gray, and the mage nodded before both plunged head first into the thickest of the light.

Agony ripped through him. When he looked at his skin, it was fine, but it felt like something had stared into the depths of his soul and found him unworthy before quite literally ripping it to pieces.

"Lucy!" he shouted, hearing Gray shout in pain. He pushed on, arms thrown out, fingers seeking.

Weeks without her.

Days of worrying.

Hours of thinking.

Minutes of sheer terror.

And seconds of the relief that had coursed through him.

Lucy was _home_.

The light scalded him, threatening to rip Natsu apart, but still the dragon slayer forced himself to continue forward. She had trusted his fire when he'd lost his mind in a panic; he'd do the same.

They were partners after all.

His fingers brushed skin, and Natsu lunged for her, crushing the shocked blonde to his chest. He couldn't see her around the light, and it hurt him even more to touch her, but he hugged her even tighter instead of releasing her like most would have done. His fingers tangled in her hair, seeking purchase to try and ground her as he pressed his face into her neck, breathing in her familiar scent.

There was a few of moments of endless blinding pain before she began to respond.

Slim fingers skimmed up his back to clutch at him, and he quite suddenly felt her hug him just as tightly, a hoarse sob leaving her lips as she buried her face into his shoulder. He gave a faint laugh as the light began to die away, all originating from her. "Hey, Luce," he whispered.

She somehow heard him past the roar of magic. "Natsu."

And then she succumbed to the darkness that suddenly enveloped her exhausted mind.

* * *

Cana gave a low whistle as she emerged from her hiding place, cradling a bottle of vodka. Her dark eyes surveyed the damage that the now unconscious celestial mage had inflicted. "Holy hell. Forget how strong some people are and then they go and fuck up the guildhall…"

"Asuka?" Bisca cried, panicked. "Asuka, where are you?"

"Here, Momma!" Asuka squeaked back as Happy lifted her into view, his wings beating at the air and his tail twitching this way and that.

As Bisca flew to her child, Mirajane hesitantly swiped her skirt off and then hurried over to where Natsu was kneeling on the ground. Smoke came off of his burned skin, stunning the just as burned Gray nearby. Wendy darted over to help, Charle close behind, and her eyes flashed anxiously at the sight of the unconscious celestial mage cradled in Natsu's arms.

"I've got her," Natsu croaked, grimacing in pain. "She's alright now."

"Of course she is," Mirajane soothed as she crouched beside him. She reached to gently swipe hair from the other woman's face, taking in the heated golden pendant at her throat and her charred clothes - which she suspected were from the Celestial Realm. "Come, Natsu, bring her up to the infirmary. Wendy will check her over. I suspect she simply needs sleep. She expelled a lot of magic and will need to refill her stores."

"She might have a bit of deficiency," Wendy fretted as he stood swiftly, never releasing Lucy from his grip. The pink-haired fire mage glared at Macao when he came over, offering to help him carry her.

"I've got her," Natsu repeated with a growl, tightening his grip.

"Just trying to help," Macao muttered, holding his hands up in surrender.

"What on _earth_ happened in here?"

They all paused to look at their guildmaster in surprise. The older man stood in the doorway, taking in the destruction with an annoyed look. Everyone looked at him in silence, and then Lisanna sighed. "I'll explain, get her looked at."

"Done," Natsu muttered. He stormed off with the two females and Charle close behind him.

Cana took a swig of her vodka. "Guess the new guy was right. Lucy _is_ crazy powerful."

"She just can't wield that power yet." From where she stood out of sight in a corner now, Mavis clasped her hands together and pressed them to her lips with a look of distress. No one had heard her and no one noticed as she rested her back against the wall, her eyes fluttering shut.

 _I'm sorry, Lucy Heartfilia. This is my fault and no one else's._

* * *

 _Yay! They're all back from Earthland! This about ends the arc, though there will now be in between chapters before we launch into the next one. I'm excited for it, I think you guys will really like it._

 _To the guest who said that Natsu's attitude/possessiveness of Lucy was getting on their nerves? I ain't in the mood. I mean, there might be a reason for it? Don't be impatient please. Also: BTL's version of the characters have differences. **AS I SHOWED IN THE LAST ARC.** That was one of the main points of it! The dragons have hoards, which isn't exactly canon. They're more akin to dragons then in the actual series. They're going to have different instincts. Gajeel's the same way with Levy, you just don't see it because look who the main characters are. I apologize if I seem rude, I just got fairly annoyed with this. _

_Eh-hem. Sorry, lovelies. Reviews like this upset me greatly when I have five page papers due. :D Anyways, someone asked about my tumblr! I forgot to respond to that! My URL is:_

 _riverofmemoriesft_

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, The Age of Awesomeness, Tobias97, JustAPoisonApple, Guest#1, Nekokittygirl, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, MehKitty, Guest #2, Guest #3, Uchida Akira, TigerArrowgirl, KawaiPanda, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Dragonddancer81, zzMiya-chanzz, pucksabrinadaphne, allieflavored, niyah606, MeadowOfStars, and FairyDemonDust!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	93. Chapter 93

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Later that evening found everyone calmed down and the guildhall being repaired by a few willing volunteers. Others were being tended to by Wendy and Porlyusica - who'd reluctantly come back to assist while snapping and complaining about the whole matter.

Those who were a member of Team Natsu, named such by Mirajane, and Juvia were all in the infirmary room Lucy had been lent until she awoke. Erza was fine, protected by the armor she'd been wearing at the time - a new set that she'd been showing Elfman - and was simply sitting on the edge of Gray's bed with Juvia, who was fussing over the ice-make mage's burns. Her dark eyes were locked on Natsu, who'd simply seated himself beside Lucy's bed and was resting his chin on the covers, watching her with care. Happy was curled up on his head.

The scarlet-haired requip mage had been unusually quiet for the past few weeks, Gray noticed as he swatted Juvia's worried hands away from his head. And he decided it was about time they figured out what was up with her. "Yo, Erza," he demanded, catching her attention. He was half-naked, as usual, but quite a bit of his flesh was covered in bandages with a healing salve plastered on his skin beneath them to help the burns heal. "What's got you upset?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Erza began, but Natsu cut her off with a sharply said, "Don't lie, I know you're lying."

Erza frowned. Natsu had somehow been burned, too. Something that had never happened before. But, she supposed, that light had been different then fire. "It's this new member...Mystogan. Something's...off. He reminds me of Jellal."

There was a brief moment of silence as they all stared at her. Even Natsu lifted his head to look at her harshly for a few moments.

And then he muttered, "Yeah, thought so. Scent was familiar. Told him to show his face, but he wouldn't."

Gray scowled at him. "You wouldn't think to _tell_ us?!"

"How did you come to think that way?" Juvia asked curiously, placing her hands in her lap.

Erza smiled drily. "The stance he used when placing the spell that brought us all back from Earthland. It was...it _is_ the same stance that I use. I taught Jellal to use it when it came to using defensive or rough spells." She pressed her lips together for a few moments and then narrowed her eyes. "I don't understand. Why Fairy Tail?"

"We're here. I guess it could be him," Gray muttered thoughtfully. "Lucy did mention that he'd disappeared into thin air...the question is how."

"Hm...Juvia wonders if teleportation magic was involved," Juvia murmured before sighing heavily. "Juvia thinks that it will be quite some time before we see him again, though. Master mentioned that Mystogan is not fond of hanging around."

"I wouldn't be either after what he did," Natsu growled.

Erza decided against saying that she'd seen more than they knew of when it came to Jellal, doubting that they'd believe her if she told them of the tears he'd nearly shed throughout the battle at the Tower of Heaven.

"Do you think he'll try to get Lucy again?" Happy asked anxiously, his tail twitching this way and that in his fear. "He needed her magic...what if he wants to use it again?"

"We won't let him." Gray sighed as he closed his eyes, grimacing in pain. "Damn, Lucy's got some serious magic going on there...the hell did it all come from?"

"Who knows?" Natsu shrugged. He narrowed his eyes again when there was a sudden change of scent in the air. "Loke's coming to see what happened."

Erza gave him a puzzled look, opening her mouth to question how he knew just a split second before Loke appeared with a flash of light, adjusting his tie. He gave Natsu a look as the dragon slayer growled and refused to move, the temperature spiking around him and then vanishing when it aggravated his injuries. "Hello, Erza," he greeted respectfully, "Juvia, Gray. Happy." There was a moment of reluctance. "Natsu."

"Loke," Erza murmured as she stood swiftly. She watched as he gently leaned over Lucy, gazes canning her peaceful face as she inhaled and exhaled peacefully. He then reached into her pocket despite Natsu's irritable demands that he stop, he retrieved her ring of keys. "What are you doing?"

"Checking," was all he said. Loke touched each and every single key. "A few of my fellow Spirits want to check on her, but they can't come on their own power to where their keys are held like I can. Lucy can't feel their wishes to be summoned and I can see that she can't summon them period, so I'll urge them to be patient. What happened when she arrived? She suddenly showed up in the Celestial Realm and was nearly dead, so we pushed her into this one as quickly as we could."

"Her magic went insane," Gray answered, tugging at the collar of the shirt he wore with a look of impatience. "Burned the hell out of us."

"Even Natsu," Juvia said quietly. "It's lucky that Asuka was beside him."

Natsu merely huffed and touched Happy's head when the blue cat made a nervous sound. "Her potential magic was shown. That's all. Lucy's got the potential to be a ridiculously strong mage. Like, stronger than some of the Wizard Saints, I think."

"Stronger than Gildarts, maybe," Erza muttered.

"Lucy's a Heartfilia," Loke said with a warm look on his face as he rested his fingers on the blonde's cheek. "Her bloodline, and her mother especially, have all been forces to be reckoned with. She should be proud to have descended from such people. And the Spirits are proud to be those who hold contracts with her."

There was a huge sigh from Juvia as the water mage tangled her fingers in her lap, her blue eyes watching Lucy anxiously, "Juvia hopes she wakes up soon. Juvia doesn't like seeing the guild in such pieces. It has been a long time since Fairy Tail has been happy and whole, and Juvia hopes that such things will come again."

"It has been kind of a mess since Lucy showed up, eh?" Gray yawned, earning a glare from both Natsu and Loke.

"We wouldn't change those messes for the world though," Happy announced proudly, "Because Lucy is our friend!"

"Damn right," Natsu agreed with a laugh and a cocky grin. He finally sat back, moving just slightly away from his partner to tug the scarf away from his mouth. "Come on, Happy, let's go get something to eat. Luce will be hungry when she wakes up."

"Yeah!" Happy cheered and hopped from Natsu's head to fly through the door, a grinning dragon slayer barreling after him.

The amused look fell from Loke's face as soon as he was gone, replaced by a wary look. He glanced at Erza with a sigh. "Lucy will begin to look through her mother's diary soon...I recommend taking Natsu away so that she may do so in peace. There will be information that will hurt everyone, and I think it best that she does it alone for now."

Erza shook her head, but said nothing. Juvia exchanged a look with Gray, and the ice-make mage shrugged before saying, "If ya think that's what needs to be done…we can drag him out on a job in the next town over or somethin'. Should give her enough time."

"Yes," Erza said with a slight smile. "After being away for so long, it might be good to show our faces to the other guilds and the public. We'll check in Blue Pegasus territory for some work. I'm sure that we'll find something."

"Find what?"

The tired voice caught all of their attention and all of them whirled around to see Lucy sitting up in the bed, scrubbing at an eye tiredly with one hand. Her blonde hair was a mess, sticking up at every angle. "Lucy!" Erza cried, throwing herself at the celestial mage and slamming her head into her chest as she hugged her.

Lucy cringed in pain. _Ow_. "Hi," she mumbled in greeting after returning the hug with a faint smile.

"Hi, Princess," Loke said teasingly, and then yelped when the blonde threw herself at him from the bed for a hug.

"Loke!" she cried, "I was worried sick! Are you okay?" She pulled back to examine him. "Nothing went wrong when you came through? I was told that there was just enough room or something and you couldn't bring any of us with you, but-"

Loke laughed. "I'm alright," he promised, affectionately ruffling her hair as he smiled. "Sorry about the sudden leaving, I didn't think you'd let me go if you were awake when I did it."

"Damn right I wouldn't have," she grumbled before smiling at Juvia and Gray. Both greeted her and none of those present were shocked or surprised when she looked around. "Natsu...is Natsu okay?"

"He's fine," Erza said with a firm look.

"The matchstick got hungry," Gray added with a roll of his eyes. "Freakin' idiot. Second he leaves…maybe it's him causing all of the issues."

"Gray, my dear, please don't say such harsh things," Juvia pleaded as she smiled sweetly at him. He grunted and turned his face away, a pout on his lips that made Lucy's twitch into a smile.

It had been lonely without her nakama there to keep her company. Earthland's versions of them weren't the same. Although she _had_ appreciated the other Lucy's attempts at training her alongside her Spirits…

Lucy's heart gave a jolt. "My keys?!"

"Here," Loke chuckled. He pressed them into her hand and she hugged them to her, smiling at the feeling of warmth that came with her touch. Aquarius' key was searing, enough so to burn her, and Lucy winced, but kept her grip on them.

She'd summon each and every one of them to apologize - especially Aquarius and Virgo.

Besides, it'd be good for the training she was determined to get done.

 _Crash!_

Out of nowhere, the door flew open and Lucy suddenly found herself toppling straight over when something fiery and massive crashed into her. "LUCY!" Natsu bellowed as he crushed her to him in an excited hug.

She wheezed for air, the breath driven right out of her from hitting the ground and him landing on top of her. "Natsu," she groaned, shoving at him. "Get _off_ , you're crushing me!"

"Sorry," he said, though he didn't sound it as he rolled off. He hopped to his feet, dragging her up with him and grinned hugely with that signature grin of his, onyx eyes gleaming with excitement. Lucy couldn't help but smile back at him, her eyes soft with warmth.

"Hi," she laughed, and then reached up to fix his messed up scarf, adjusting it so that it wasn't choking him. She affectionately patted his chest, an action not lost on any of those present. "Are you alright? I was worried after you disappeared...about all of you, actually." Her gaze darted over to where Gray was, and then her eyes widened.

"Oh, no," she gasped, clasping her hands over her lips. "What happened? You're hurt...you, too, Natsu!" She began patting over the bandages, checking to make sure they were all secure, and Loke, who was watching with annoyance, could have sworn that the dragon slayer sent him a superior look with his lips curved into a smirk.

"That was you who did the damage," Gray reported as he crossed his arms. "You showed up and your magic went beserk until Natsu calmed ya down. Burned the hell out of us. Why is that anyways?"

"Celestial magic," Loke explained, "As well as any kind of magic having to do with the stars and night skies, is different than the rest of the magic in the world. It draws on the power of the Spirits, the heavens, and it transforms our energy into power. The light you saw was a mixture of Lucy's magic as well as the magic of the Spirits she has contracts with." He suddenly frowned. "There was a portion that I sensed that was off," he admitted after a moment. "It wasn't hers nor was it ours. The Spirit King guesses that it might have had something to do with the necklace you gave her."

Lucy touched the dragon at her throat with wide eyes. Magic cackled against her fingertips and Natsu wrinkled his nose as Happy suggested, "Think it's some kinda barrier magic?"

"I don't believe so," Erza murmured as she shook her head.

"In any case, I think we should keep an eye on it," Loke said with a sigh. He eyed it for a moment. "Actually, Lucy, would you mind if I borrowed it? I'd like to see what the Spirit King and Crux have to say about it."

Natsu growled irritably. Lucy only shushed him and removed the choker, moving to place it in the Spirit's hand. "Of course," she said with a smile, dropping it into his open palm.

The second it hit his flesh, Loke yowled in pain and ripped his hand away, letting the suddenly violently glowing dragon pendant crash to the floor. Lucy looked horrified at the sight of his seared flesh, the skin an angry red and even charred in some places. Even Gray climbed to his feet with concern, Juvia helping him. "Loke!"

A thunderous growl filled the air and they all stared at the pendant, momentarily forgetting about Loke's injury.

Erza requipped a sword into her hand, careful not to cut anyone, but before she could ready it, Natsu, who'd been staring at nothing in particular in awe and wonder, whispered, "Igneel?"

* * *

 _My morning will be a mess tomorrow, so have a chapter a little bit early! And look whose name showed up! Igneel! Love Igneel._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Whatstoknow, SunflowerChrysalis, CharonteQueen, niyah606, TigerArrowgirl, PrincessMophia, MehKitty, Nekokittygirl, NaluGrey, The Age of Awesomeness, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, xhearthemusic, TaylorNReed, PinkFireandStars, LePengwen, Dragondancer81, allieflavored, Typhlosion8, FairyDemonDust, Uzumaki Naho, sassykitten1701, Sara lovelymusi, and Nyx MG!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	94. Chapter 94

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"I... _what_?" Lucy gawked at her partner and friend with a lock of shock as the growl began to die out. When it had faded into silence, Lucy could hear commotion downstairs, probably questioning about the sound but no one thinking it might have come from the room they'd been occupying.

"Igneel," Natsu repeated, immediately snatching up the choker with a look of mixed pain and excitement. "That was Igneel! I'd know his voice anywhere! He must have put his magic into it…" His onyx eyes flashed. "I bet I can get a tracking spell placed on it, and-"

"Natsu," Loke interrupted with a cautious look. He was examining his seared hand. He recognized the burns of a dragon's magic, and he grimaced before speaking quietly. "I'm sure you've guessed that I know what happened and what not, that I can't speak about the matter, and it's true. It's part of a deal made between the Fire Dragon King Igneel and the Spirit King. But I can tell you that a tracking spell will do nothing for you. Igneel will be as gone as he's been for the last seven years, and I know you're aware of it. So don't even bother trying."

"Loke," Lucy moaned in protest, wishing her Spirit could have been a bit more tactful about how he'd spoken, but he held his hand to interrupt her.

"Forgive me, Princess, but it's true, and something I'm sure you will come to learn of soon." In a rush to change the subject and distract all of them, Loke suddenly smirked and playfully grasped her hand, raising her fingers to his lips. "In the meantime...how would you feel about allowing me to take you out on a friendly date in a way of apology for worrying you so much?"

Lucy flushed, immediately moving to snatch her hand away. "Um…"

Before she could consider an answer, Natsu was sidling between the two with a growl in his throat. His eyes were flashing with rage as he snarled, "Back off, Loke."

Loke glared at him as he straightened. "This is none of your concern. I am merely attempting to make up for the worry I created." His green eyes narrowed behind the shades he wore on his face. "I don't see why you would care, Natsu."

"Guys," Lucy protested, her cheeks a brilliant red as she pushed herself between the two aggressive males. But it was Erza who put a halt to the upcoming argument in a simple manner.

"Is there an issue, you two?" she questioned with a dark look in her eyes. She shifted the massive sword in her hand, tilting her head with a harsh look as the two men eyed it. "I don't see what the problem is...unless, of course, you are in a relationship and have failed to tell us, Lucy?"

Lucy's face turned even more red if possible. "N-no," she stammered, biting her lip. "No relationships for me." Her eyes darted to Natsu for the briefest of moments before looking away as she said firmly, "Loke, stop trying to cause issues. We'll discuss this later, okay?" She grabbed his key and forced his gate closed with a bit of effort, exhaustion sweeping through her as he disappeared with a pout. "Natsu," she continued, turning a glare on him. "There is no reason for you to even think of telling me what I can and cannot do."

Natsu only glared back at her for a few moments before huffing and turning his face away without a word, earning a cackle from Happy as he hovered over her head. "He _likes_ you, Lucy."

"Enough with the mushy stuff," Gray groaned, throwing a hand over his eyes as if hoping he could protect his gaze. "I want sleep, you need sleep, Lucy, and so does the pyro."

"Gray's right," Juvia said firmly with a fond look towards the ice-make mage. "He needs rest. So hush or leave and let him sleep."

Erza rolled her eyes. "As do you, Natsu and Lucy. Both of you. Natsu, take Lucy's bed. I'll set her up with a bed in a separate room, as is proper. Juvia, why don't we leave these two with Happy? You can check on them for me later."

"Okay," Juvia agreed reluctantly before standing. She smiled at Gray, who peeked up at her with a hint of a smile on her pursed lips. She beamed in response, excited, before grabbing Lucy's wrist and skipping out of the room. "Juvia will go get Wendy to look at you," she promised after releasing Lucy, who winced and rubbed her wrist.

"Good idea, Juvia," Erza praised, waving her off. Juvia left to fetch the sky dragon slayer. "Come, Lucy, let's get you somewhere to rest...I bet Lisanna wouldn't mind a roommate…"

* * *

A ridiculously long nap - which lasted almost a full day - later found Lucy slipping down the banister of the stairs that led to the second story of the guildhall with a huge smile on her face, landing with ease at the bottom. Those who were returning to normal guild life after repairing the guildhall from her destruction raised their heads and greeted her with excitement - particularly Mirajane, who scrambled to hug her tightly and scold her for worrying them all.

"Sorry," Lucy said with a bright smile. Her stomach growled loudly, earning a blush from the celestial mage, and Mirajane giggled before promising to get her something to eat. She slipped off, leaving Lucy to catch a squealing Asuka in a tight hug.

"Lucy!" Asuka greeted excitedly as Alzack called for her to be careful, unsure if Lucy was hurt or not. "I missed you!"

"And I missed you, too," Lucy giggled, kissing her head affectionately before sweeping her off of the ground and into her arms. She propped her on her hip before asking, "Have you seen Natsu? I heard he left last night…"

Asuka shook her head, and her dark hair fell around her face. "Nope. He hasn't come yet. Momma says he'll be here soon though. He went to go get something."

Understanding flashed across her face. He'd probably gone to his hoard for something, she decided, setting Asuka down after a final hug in favor of greeting a beaming Levy. "Hi, Lu!"

"Levy," Lucy laughed, as Asuka went back to her parents. "Miss me?"

"Of course," Levy replied, winking. "And though they won't admit it, Gajeel and the other members of my team were concerned, too. Gajeel asked how you were doing last night, without any prompting on my part."

Lucy's lips quirked into a smirk. "I see. I'm glad he was worried...our friendship may yet blossom. Anyways...oof! Wendy!"

Wendy grinned after slamming into her with a tight hug around the waist. "You're awake!" A pause. "Hello, Levy!"

Levy shook her head with amusement before telling the celestial mage, "Natsu's been off in a horrible mood. He tried to pick a fight with Laxus,so Mira sent him off on a grocery run for her with Happy. I wouldn't expect him back any time soon."

She sighed heavily. "Okay...thanks for letting me know, I'll have a word with him when he gets back. I think he's just throwing a fit because Loke told him he wasn't allowed to try something that might have led him to Igneel. Actually, he said it wouldn't work, but…" She touched the pendant that had been returned to her throat upon waking.

"Erza mentioned that," the solid-script mage murmured, curiously peering at the dragon but not daring to touch it just yet. "Interesting that out of anything he could have let you choose, it was something filled with Igneel's magic…"

Wendy wrinkled her nose. "I sniffed at it a little," the sky dragon slayer admitted. "Just like every person, every dragon has a distinct scent. But it was dragon scent, and it was mixed with a scent that was somewhat similar to yours, Lucy."

Lucy bit her lip, a thought suddenly striking her.

She still had a book to read.

She was willing to bet that it had something to do with that book. The answers lay in her mother's diary. And she had time until Natsu came looking for her. Determined, Lucy smiled gently at Wendy and tugged at her blue hair with affection.

"I see," was all the blonde said before musing that she needed to get home and apologize to her landlady for being gone so long. She bid them farewell and left without looking back.

Upon reaching her home and apologizing to the woman who scolded her for not paying her rent on time, Lucy decided that out of all the Spirits who could help her and she could deal with at the moment, Virgo was the one she wanted to see. So after clearing up some dust and space, she summoned the maid.

"Open!" she cried, slashing the golden key through the air. She felt the magic ripple through her, summoning Virgo for the first time in a while. "Gate of the Virgin! Virgo!"

There was a flashlight and then Virgo was there. The Spirit was dressed just as Lucy had expected her to be, in a maid's dress with the chains and manacles clattering at her wrists. She bowed upon seeing Lucy, a familiar journal clasped in her hands. "Greetings, Princess," she said happily. "It's been awhile, has it not?"

"I'm sorry," Lucy apologized ruefully. "I didn't mean for things to happen like they did."

Virgo blinked, holding the diary out and Lucy took it with gentle fingers as the Spirit murmured, "We don't blame you, Princess. We are merely happy that you're alright. Aquarius would like to speak with you. Would you like me to fetch some water?"

Lucy shivered in fear at the suggestion. "No," she said hastily. "I'll summon her tomorrow. First thing upon waking up. Tell her that I promise, and that I never break my promises."

Virgo looked pleased as she agreed. "Of course, Princess. Is there anything else you wish for me to do? I could dust if you wish. It looks like the room could use it." She wrinkled her nose just barely with amused blue eyes.

"Have at it," Lucy said, knowing that her friend and Spirit enjoyed helping where she could. "I'm just...I think I'm going to read this."

Virgo nodded and told her, "If you have any questions, Princess, I'm sure I can answer them." Without another word, the maid Spirit left to dust the apartment. Lucy smiled affectionately after her; she'd missed her Spirits a lot, even if she _had_ learned many, many things from the Earthland version of herself.

Lucy made her way over to the couch and dropped into it, crossing her legs and resting the diary there in her lap. She traced her fingers over the cover before taking a big breath and flipping it open. She skimmed over the first page, and then moved on, not caring much for it.

The first twenty or so pages were spread out over a series of years. Layla Heartfilia clearly hadn't been all into writing like her daughter was. The entries explained several things, like how Lucy's father had met her mother - the prince destined to inherit the crown meeting the beautiful heiress at a party set up by his father - and how she'd fallen in love. It described their marriage, the birth of Lucy herself, and several endless things after that.

By the time Lucy came to a screeching halt, her eyes locking on a simple statement, there were tears rolling down her cheeks. Virgo noticed them as she passed and paused to ask, "Are you alright, Princess? Shall I call for Big Brother?"

"N-no," Lucy murmured, shaking her head quickly. "No thank you, Virgo, I'm alright. It's just...the way she's describing my father…I never saw him like this. That's all."

Virgo bowed and moved on, pausing only to smile faintly to herself with a grieved look in her eyes. She missed her Queen as much as Loke did. And she knew Loke missed Layla Heartfilia desperately, that he had thought of her as his closest friend.

As she went back to work, Lucy's eyes scanned the page, her heart pounding.

 _May 15th, X776_

 _Today was by far the most stressful day of my life - and that's saying something after my wedding! It was incredible...and to think that I came across a dragon!_

 _I took Lucy out to the gardens three days ago. She's such a good child, and Leo was watching her for me while I went to speak with my husband. But when I came back...oh, my heavens, the mess I came across! I was in despair; Leo was gone, as was my Lucy, and there was blood...oh, so much blood…_

 _I summoned him as soon as I was able the next day, and Leo told me that they'd been attacked by some fools that had thought it smart to break into my home. They kidnapped Lucy upon realizing that she was the princess, and then hurt Leo so badly that he had been forced to return to the Celestial Realm. I summoned the army, and ordered them to march through Bosco if necessary._

 _I, myself, summoned Pyxis and Scorpio before trekking out into the nearby woods. It seemed as if it was where they'd be, though I said nothing to Jude, who wasn't at all pleased about my decision to join the search. It may have helped that I had Pyxis with me._

 _We searched the woods for hours before I found a sight that stunned me. Blood. Blood everywhere, so much that I will have nightmares for weeks! I could see charred remains, large enough to recognize that these were the men who'd kidnapped my daughter. Luckily, I discovered none of them to be Lucy._

 _And then Pyxis led me to him._

 _He held my tiny two-year old daughter in his arms. He was protective of her, snarling at me the second I appeared, though he relaxed when he saw just who I was. He mused that Lucy looked like me before handing her straight into my arms. He was a strange man. I requested to know who he was._

 _He answered with the most interesting answer that I've ever heard. His name is Igneel. And he is the Fire Dragon King, the leader of the dragons, though he wore some kind of human appearance at the time. He apologized for frightening me, that he'd rescued my daughter, something that I will forever appreciate. In return, I promised him a favor that he promised to someday collect on._

 _Dragons are strange creatures, as they aren't fond of humans. That's excluding Igneel though. He told me that we fascinated him, particularly those of us that use magic, and that he's incredibly eager to take on a student._

 _Trouble in the empire of Alvarez by the way. That's where Igneel was headed; supposedly there is a man causing problems with the dragons there._

 _~Layla_

* * *

 _Sorry about being a little late in updating! I was exceptionally tired and overslept this morning! Anyhow, to the guest who asked about the update schedule...usually, it's Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays._

 _HOWEVER._

 _Starting next week, we will be dropping to twice a week: on Mondays and on Thursdays. I'm looking to start volunteering over the summer, and my friend and editor is busy with various things. I've also started to fall behind on staying ahead of the updating due to the business I've experienced, so I'd like to push on ahead with that. Once school starts back up for myself in early September, we'll more than likely go back to three a week!_

 _Sorry!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (zzMiya-chanzz, Guest #1, Luna Layla Dragneel, KaUiA, Nekokittygirl, The Age of Awesomeness, Dragondancer81, SunflowerChrysalis, sassykitten1701, PinkFireandGoldenStars, MehKitty, ikityan02, niyah606, Nyx MG, Ishitad, LePengwen, CharonteQueen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, allieflavored, NaLu and InuKag, Sara lovelymusic, Shidake, yukifeari, TigerArrowgirl, Typhlosion8, ilftnatsu, SingingAngel327, AngelEmCuti, Knightwalker, Uchida Akira, and Guest #2!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	95. Chapter 95

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy had taken a break after reading the first meeting between her mother and Igneel, grabbing a cup of hot tea and sending Virgo back to the Celestial Realm with a word of thanks. She'd glanced at the clock as she returned to her reading, noticing that it had taken close to two hours to get to that point.

 _I'm surprised Natsu hasn't arrived yet,_ she thought with a curious look on her face, settling down to read some more. She scanned through a few normal day entries before coming across another one of interest.

 _July 7th, X770_

 _Tragedy has struck us. I cry for the loss of my unborn son. I was a few months into my pregnancy when I miscarried the poor and innocent creature. My daughter doesn't understand why I cry so much. I pray that she never knows the loss of a child._

 _She turned three today, my Lucy. As a gift, I promised that Leo and I would take her out into the forest to look at the stars. Leo thinks that this is the perfect time to start teaching her the ways of the stars and while her father doesn't think she should know magic, I agreed._

 _Leo and I took her out, as promised. She was so excited; she adores Leo and Aquarius more than any other Spirit that I hold a contract with. I was still a little mournful, I'm afraid, and I owe my daughter an apology for that._

 _So could you imagine my shock when we came face to face with Igneel?! He was just as surprised as we were! Leo was protective, of course, but I calmed him, and was delighted. We greeted one another, I did some introductions, and then Leo took Lucy to look at the stars as promised; I love my faithful Lion, he is a dear friend that I will forever appreciate._

 _According to Igneel, the situation in Alvarez is bad. Incredibly bad. We may feel the shockwaves even here in Bosco, and he had thought it smart to inform me. A dragon slayer - apparently there are mages that are trained in secret by dragons - had gone rogue and was risking dragons and mages everywhere. He started slaughtering dragons. By the hundreds. Only Igneel and a few of the smarter dragons are around now._

 _The problem is...this man, the dragon slayer...it worries me. Igneel says that he has disappeared, and that he goes to hunt it. I hope he's alright…_

 _~Layla_

Humming to herself thoughtfully, Lucy flipped the page.

 _August 13th, X770_

 _It's happened._

 _The Magic Council - a group of official and secret mages in Fiore - had to wipe the memories of each and every non-magic civilian today in several countries. So many are dead, and their loved ones no longer know_ why _._

 _It was a dragon. A massive dragon, as black as night with blue markings that seemed to glow. For those of us who use magic, it has become known as the Dragon of Chaos. I don't know its name._

 _Lucy was frightened by what I told her._

 _I hope Igneel is okay._

 _~Layla_

 _August 20th, X770_

 _I am relieved to write that Igneel is alright. He came to visit today, arrived unannounced at the gates to the Estate. Jude almost had him executed for trying to force his way in - Jude has been quite on edge recently, it worries me - but I managed to get there in time and ordered that they let him in._

 _He played with Lucy while he told me what had happened._

 _The dragon slayer he'd been worried about had slaughtered so many of Igneel's kind that he became a dragon himself. His name is Acnologia, and he is the Dragon of Chaos. He's disappeared for the time being, no one knows quite where he is, and Igneel prays that it stays that way._

 _Igneel also mentioned something that surprised the daylights out of me._

 _The Emperor of Alvarez has become interested in the demons that hide within the shadows of our world. He's been looking into black magic, and he refuses to tell anyone why._

 _Igneel is leaving today to look further into it and has said that he'll send a friend of his by the name of Grandeeney to report back to me on what happens._

 _I hope that the peace remains. Lucy does not deserve to grow up in a war-torn world._

 _~Layla_

Lucy paused at the mention of the Emperor of Alvarez. Her eyes narrowed curiously as she brushed her fingers over her mother's writing. She'd been taught about him. The man had disappeared close to fourteen years ago, and his general, a man whose name brought shivers down everyone's spine, had taken over in his absence.

Lucy glanced at the clock again, stretching. _Where's Natsu?_ she wondered before returning to her reading.

 _November 3rd, X770_

 _Grandeeney stopped by today, and I had a pleasant meeting with her. I enjoyed her presence a great deal; she is a kind soul, who specializes in healing magic. She healed a scrape on Lucy's hand when Lucy asked her to and even teased her gently about it._

 _Grandeeney mentioned something that surprised me once more. The dragons never seem to stop that, do they? Grandeeney told me that the Emperor of Alvarez has fallen into the black magic he studies. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong with him, but he now possesses magic, powerful magic, and he completely demolished a section of his home, killing dozens of people in the process._

 _At the same time, he somehow figured out how to create a demon. He's been experimenting with them for months, since Acnologia, and has successfully created more than one._

 _I fear for Igneel, though she says that he is okay. I fear for Lucy, too, as usual. Her father has begun to fall towards the stress that accompanies royal life and has become cold towards her; she seeks Leo's warmth more and more nowadays. I hope Jude realizes that his mistakes are breaking our family apart soon._

 _~Layla_

"What you reading?"

Lucy slapped the book shut with a shriek of surprise and shock, her head snapping around. Natsu was half-way through the window over her bed, Happy hidden expertly in his scarf. The dragon slayer wore a friendly grin on his face, any sign of the aggravation from the previous night gone now as he finished climbing through.

"Nothing," she said hastily, hugging the diary to her chest. She grabbed for Virgo's key, summoning her, and Natsu frowned as she shoved the book into her arms. "Watch this for me, please," she told her before closing the gate. Virgo looked utterly confused as she disappeared.

"What the hell, Luce?" Natsu said with a confused look as he let go of Happy. The blue cat purred as he flew over to Lucy's waiting arms, hugging her.

"Sorry, Natsu," she chimed back, smiling reassuringly. "That's private reading material that only I get to look at for now."

He shrugged. "Whatever," he grumbled, a pout on his face. Then he was grinning again, bouncing on the balls of his feet with an excited look. "So when are we leaving?"

"...leaving?" Lucy frowned in confusion, crossing her arms and glaring when he moved over to her fridge to grab something out of it. "What do you mean? I just got back...I'm still kind of tired…"

"Yeah, well, we need money. Aren't you behind on rent?" Natsu paused to give her a pointed look, a block of cheese shoved into his mouth. "'Sides. I'm feeling better. I got to take the bandages off. Look, Luce, you left a scar." He lifted his arm to show her and Lucy rolled her eyes; only he would run around in a T-shirt in the middle of March, even if it was feeling rather warmer than before. Still, she peered at the scar.

"...I'm sorry," she mumbled, wincing at the scars that criss-crossed his arm. It was as if all of her magic had transferred to one part of his body before leaving its mark, and she felt a flash of guilt as she took his arm and gently ran her fingers over the scars.

He jumped, shivering beneath her touch before forcing himself to relax and let her do what she wanted. "S'not your fault, Luce," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Just happens when magic's involved. It's cool. Look," he traced a shape. "Was Asuka who pointed 'em out; apparently Loke was showing her the shape of his constellation the last time he was at the guildhall. There's Loke's."

"Huh," she said with a startled look, eyes wide as she realized he was right. And as she looked closer, she realized it looked like dozens of stars had been seared into his flesh. She was willing to bet that the other eleven were there, too, hidden within the scars.

 _I need to have Loke take me out to study the constellations, or maybe one of the others...actually, since I need to apologize to each of them anyways, I'll have them show me each of their own constellations…_

Still, guilt refused to leave her. "I'm sorry, Natsu," she repeated only for a rather sharp pair of claws to prick her forehead as Happy whapped her with a paw.

She blinked. Natsu looked confused, startled. And then the celestial mage scowled, "Did you just use your claws on me, cat?"

Happy cackled and zipped away, a screeching celestial mage lunging for him. Natsu watched them with amusement - particularly his Lucy. Onyx eyes followed her every movement and a warm feeling he still couldn't figure out flooded his chest when she suddenly smiled, catching Happy at last only to playfully tweak his ear and hug him.

Lucy was home.

* * *

There was a pain in his eye as he finished delivering the final blow to the last of the men attacking him. He lifted a hand to touch it after taking the glove off, drawing the cloth that hid his face away so that he could feel it. The mark there seared painfully for a moment before settling down.

He still felt the tugs, the whispers, on occasion, though it had lessened considerably in the past few months. Since the Councilman had dragged him out of the air and demanded to know just what the hell he was doing.

He still didn't know what had happened. One moment, he was gathering information in the ports of Hargeon, mourning. The next, he was falling from a glowing tower as it cracked and melted, a blonde girl plummeting alongside him as he snarled at her.

And then he was beside the Councilman. The man had demanded to know where he'd been and why he'd been doing such things when he'd released him from both a regular jail and the prisons of the Magic Council for the purpose of gathering information, not kidnapping celestial mages to resurrect black mages.

He'd never been so confused in his life.

He still was confused. Really confused. He didn't remember growing into a man, didn't remember gaining the muscles and power he now supported. He still had problems controlling it, and was reduced to using the staff in his hand.

And he could feel the black magic that still spiraled through him, fighting to control him. He managed to use his light magic to keep it down as he worked to regain his redemption. What better way than to work for the guild that he had hurt so much? He remembered the shocked look on her face when she'd recognized the stance he'd used in helping the Spirit and Mavis return the guild members home.

Shock. A slight fear.

But no hatred.

He was still startled to discover that she was there, the girl who'd helped him so much. He wondered where their other friends were; he'd heard her mention that one of them had joined the Mermaid Heel guild, and he'd smiled proudly to himself when he'd rested at the bar after using too much magic.

A heavy sigh escaped him as he set to work on tying the captured dark guild mages up, already preparing his magic to summon the Councilman that watched over him. The others still hunted for him, claiming that he was an evil man that deserved execution, but this man, a man by the name of Doranbolt, had listened to what he had to say about everything that had happened and summed it all up with ease.

He, Jellal Fernandes, had been possessed throughout all of the time he'd committed such atrocious crimes. It had started when he was caught stealing food all those years ago and had been thrown in prison for his petty crime. He remembered that well, but nothing after that, not until a split second before Doranbolt had dragged him out of thin air.

It was Doranbolt who'd suggested joining a guild, disguised as a man by the name of Mystogan. He knew that a few were suspicious - particularly _her_ and Natsu Dragneel.

Just the name brought phantom rage to his mind, rage that didn't belong to him anymore. Natsu was a good man, determined to keep his friends and family safe. He didn't deserve the anger that he often times felt towards the dragon slayer. .

He and Doranbolt couldn't figure out just who'd taken over his mind, but Doranbolt had told him something that had given him hope. If a guild was willing to vouch for him, his crimes would be forgotten and his name would be cleared. So he'd chosen to join Fairy Tail.

Makarov Dreyar was the sole member of the guild who knew his true identity. He'd been the one to place the guild mark over a scar that Natsu's flames had left on his shoulder blade, a mark colored crimson and outlined by a dark blue. He'd explained the situation with Doranbolt's help, and Makarov had agreed to allow it on one condition.

If Jellal was found out to be lying about it all, he wouldn't help him with the consequences. In fact, Makarov had threatened to set Natsu on him, because Natsu was more than willing to hunt him down after what he'd done to his partner.

For months now, Jellal had been working on bringing down the dark guilds at Makarov's request.

For months now, Jellal had listened, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

And now, he realized that the peace that had come to Fairy Tail after the disease wasn't going to last long, for a dangerous group was on the move, a group by the name of Oracion Seis. They were wanted by the Council for crimes that made even the dark mages he'd captured look like angels.

The Oracion Seis was after a powerful weapon known as Nirvana's Infinity Clock, and were worshippers of the very black mage that Jellal had sought to resurrect when he was possessed: Zeref. The Clock was known for being a weapon of mass destruction, capable of controlling aspects of time and balance.

And they already had three out of the seven pieces it required. From the sounds of it, they were seeking out the fourth, a clock hand located in the country of Bosco. It was supposedly hidden within the treasury of the royal family there, and it concerned Jellal that they would go so far as to attack such high-ranking people.

Revealing magic was a death wish, a nightmare.

A nightmare that they were all about to live through.

* * *

 _Look who's shown up! And yay, more information on the lovely Layla and Igneel!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Moon stone Tiger Lily, sassykitten1701, TigerArrowgirl, nekokittygirl, allieflavored, LePengwen, The Age of Awesomeness, PinkFireandGoldenStars, SunflowerChrysalis, Luna Layla Dragneel, OfInkNRoses, Dragondancer81, MehKitty, NaLu and InuKag, Typhlosion8, and Uchida Akira!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	96. Chapter 96

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

It was the nicer weather, the arriving spring weather, that convinced Lucy to go outside to read her mother's diary. She left her apartment about mid-day, following the canal and praying that Natsu and Happy were busy helping rebuild the guildhall rather than hunting her down. She'd offered to help of course, but Mirajane had ordered her out on the demand that she rest and refrain from using her strength too much until she was healthy again.

Lucy hummed the familiar lullaby under her breath as she walked, taking close to an hour to traverse into the forest around Magnolia. The ground was still a little wet, but she ignored that as she sought out the peace, finally coming across a tree that overhung a river.

"Better late than never," she said, grabbing Aquarius' key. She'd apologized to Loke, Virgo, and Aries. It was her turn.

"Open!" she ordered, hoping that the Spirit brought her book with her. "Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"

There was a flash of light, and then the mermaid had appeared. She glared viciously at the cringing celestial mage, her gaze dark. "Look who _finally_ decided to stop lazing about. Here's your damn book, girl." She hurled the leather-bound diary at Lucy, who caught it and proceeded to apologize.

"I'm sorry," she said honestly, biting her lip. "I know I messed up several times as of late, and I owe you an apology, Aquarius."

"Tsk," she sniffed, curling a lip. "Whatever. At least it's a river and not a goddamn pond. And you didn't interrupt a date."

Lucy beamed, recognizing it as it was: Aquarius' forgiveness. "You can go back if you want," she told her softly, "I'm just going to read-"

"I know what you're going to read, and you're going to have questions, so screw it. Read, brat. Not like I've got anything better to do." Aquarius gave her a look and then turned away, her urn tucked under an arm as she seated herself at the edge of the water. "Besides. You're an idiot for coming out into the open without your little dragon friend. Celestial mages are wanted by dark mages for a multitude of freaking reasons."

In other words, _I'll watch over you so that you have peace._

Touched, Lucy hummed her gratitude and then opened the diary without a moment's hesitation, finding her place with ease.

 _December 1st, X770_

 _I've never been so excited to see a friend as I was when Igneel came in the door! I had been fighting with Jude over something he put in the treasuries recently after taking it from me, and he just walked in and saved me so much trouble! Jude has completely forgotten the issue, and to top it all off, he's okay! Igneel is back! Lucy went flying to him like a little bird, crying, and he soothed her in a way that Jude never has been able to._

 _Igneel is good with children. Perhaps he will someday have a child of his own._

 _I dragged him out before my husband had a panic attack. He looked so angry! We talked for hours. He's my only true friend, you know, outside of my Spirits. Once, I could have told Jude anything. He's trying to take away my keys, though, so I've decided that he is not the man he once was. What kind of man tries to take a woman's friends from her?_

 _Anyways, Igneel brought more troubling news with his visit._

 _Acnologia has disappeared and we can't find him, but the Emperor of Alvarez...he has created something. Or he did before he disappeared. A demon, more powerful than anything we've ever seen. It appeared overnight, he says. One moment Igneel was resting peacefully and the next, there was a powerful demon ripping people apart in the streets and setting others aflame. Igneel went to fight it, and he now supports a horrid scar, but he couldn't defeat it._

 _He says the demon retreated under the lost Emperor's command, but I think it was something else._

 _Something worse._

 _I don't know for certain, but I pray it's not what I think it is._

 _~Layla_

Lucy tilted her head in thought, putting the diary in her lap and glancing at Aquarius with curiosity. "What did she have taken from her and put in the treasuries? She didn't say."

Aquarius made a sound of annoyance, for she'd been scrubbing at her urn with a cloth pulled out of the empty air. "December first," she growled softly, "In the year that Layla met Igneel. That bastard of a king took the piece of Nirvana's Infinity Clock that Layla was protecting and stored it away, never to see the light of day again and not realizing that the seal on it required blood every year on the first of the new year. Fool."

"What does it do?"

"You're a nosy one, brat. It's the hand of the clock. It's what directs the magic the Clock holds. The rest of the Clock is a support system, designed to absorb celestial magic and turn it into eternal energy." Aquarius gave her a look, her blue eyes irritable. "Any more questions?"

"N-not right now," Lucy stammered, flipping the page.

She scanned over a few more before thoroughly reading an entry that mentioned Igneel.

 _April 19th, X771_

 _My head is spinning with what has happened. Thank the Spirits I love that Lucy was not taken with her now deceased grandparents on that trip to an island of friendly demons just off the coast of Fiore._

 _The demon who went missing for months tore it apart when he suddenly appeared there. He was furious, though I cannot say why. I don't know, and Igneel doesn't know, either. Furious and weakened._

 _Igneel won. He used ancient magic to defeat the demon and sealed it within a book. He tells me that he the book is safely hidden within his hoard back in Fiore._

 _Somehow, in the process, Igneel managed to pick up a child, an orphan that was roaming the streets of the port town he stopped in after sealing the demon away. He says that the child holds no memory of anything but his name, which is Natsu Dragneel, and that he has the strangest hair: it is a shade of pink, something I think Igneel to be lying on. Surely a boy cannot have naturally pink hair!_

 _He intends to teach him dragon slaying magic, this Natsu, and I find myself hoping that perhaps he and Lucy can some day meet and compare their rare magic. She has no friends her age, and she is a lonely soul. She's never seen another child and it hurts me that I can't even ask Gemini to do something._

 _But Igneel won't bring Natsu to see her just yet. And Jude won't let me take her into the forest anymore, so...it appears I will have to wait a while. He's not the man I married, and it hurts me that Lucy must endure this._

 _~Layla_

Lucy giggled to herself, smiling warmly at the sight of Natsu's name. She adored her partner and was excited to read about how Igneel had found him, yet found herself curious. "So...dragons are able to hide themselves because they have human appearances, too?"

"Yes." Aquarius studied her nails with an impatient look on her face. "Of course, it only hides them from humans. Normal ones. Mages and Spirits can feel their magic from miles away. If a dragon was to land in the capital, you'd feel its magic from here. I don't know why that brat bothers looking for Igneel. He won't find him."

"You know where Igneel is," Lucy said quietly. "The Spirits all do."

"Of course," she scoffed. "What kind of Spirit wouldn't remember what we did? We know where all of the dragons are." Her eyes flashed. "If you ask, however, I will not be held liable for the pain the Spirit King inflicts on you."

Lucy held her hands up in surrender with a grimace. "Okay, okay." She moved to go back to reading, but suddenly paused when she realized she was exhausting herself, even after all of her training as of late. "Aquarius," she asked hesitantly. "I can't keep your gate open anymore, but could...could I summon you again tonight in the canal? I'd like to know where your constellation is."

Aquarius looked shocked by the question, but then gave a rare smile, a warm one at that. "You are welcome to. Bring some maps; it's easier than teaching an idiot to search the stars right off the bat." She reached out and plucked the diary from Lucy's fingers. "The dragon freak is coming. You should surprise him with your whip. Virgo demanded I give it you...tsk. What a nuisance." She tossed something at Lucy, and the mage caught it with surprise, studying the whip with care.

And then Aquarius was gone.

A split second later, a frowning Natsu crawled into view, a scratch from a branch on his cheek as he huffed, "The hell do you keep vanishing off to the middle of nowhere, woman? You're closer to my hoard than Magnolia."

Lucy blushed as she admitted, "Aquarius."

His eyes went wide. _Oh._ That was a good reason to leave. He grinned happily at her, and Lucy couldn't help but admire the way he looked. His bangs hung in his face and she found herself moving closer to fix them, pushing them back. He even ducked down so that she could see what she was doing better, a happy sound leaving his lips at her gentle touch.

"You're like a puppy," she sighed as she tugged at a lock of pink hair. He retaliated by puffing a small flame at her face, and she only rolled her eyes before finishing with his hair, fingers trailing over his cheek bone with care before it dropped. His onyx eyes were wide, she noticed, and a faint flush suddenly appeared before he jerked back, looking away as he told her to shush.

Lucy gave a wicked smile. While he wasn't paying attention, her hand went to the whip she had tied to her hip and she smirked as she let it snake out to grab him by the ankle. He yelped as he hit the ground.

"Lucy!" he cried, "What the hell!?"

Lucy smirked down at him, snapping the whip in the air so that it gave a sharp crack. "You always want to fight, don't you? Why not me? I'd like to see how much my skills improved when I was with the other Lucy."

Natsu blinked a few times, and then gave an impish grin. He lashed out with a flaming foot, kicking at her legs as a testing lunge. Lucy hopped back to avoid it and then squeaked when he was suddenly laughing, launching himself at her in a full out blaze of flames.

Her whip snaked out to capture a wrist before he could land a gentle blow on her, not meaning to even so much as bruise her skin. She jerked her arm back and he growled playfully when his flames intensified to try and burn the whip away.

To both of their surprise, the whip sucked up the magic and turned into a whirl of flames.

Lucy couldn't help but giggle when she saw the sheer delight that spread across his face. "Look! Fire!"

" _Your_ fire," she teased, and then used a booted foot to kick him away. She slid her slim form away, her whip slithering around her in a crazy inferno. He landed with his feet digging into the ground, creating a small furrow in the ground, and then was launching at her again, a blast of flames leaving his mouth.

They curled around her, swirling along her flesh in a gentle and warm way that comforted her even when she didn't need the comfort. And suddenly, Natsu was there, smirking as he surprised her.

He caught her around the waist from behind and heaved her backwards, flaming hand catching her wrist before she could try anything. He dug his fingers in until she was forced to drop the whip, which extinguished itself, and then laughed in her ear when she shrieked irritably. "C'mon, Luce, gotta get a lot better to defeat me."

"I don't know," she drawled, suddenly slamming a heel on her partner's foot. He yelped and jumped away, releasing her so quickly that she nearly tipped over. "I'm pretty sure I can handle myself."

He gave a quirky smile, amused. "I'm sure you can, when it's not another mage, anyways." Before she could react, he grabbed her again and hoisted her into the air, ignoring her demands that he put her down as he snatched up the whip and slung her over his shoulder.

"Natsu!" she screamed, "Put me down!"

"Nah," he mused. He started, to her surprise, to head further into the forest, heading in the direction of his hoard with a glint in his eye. "C'mon, Luce, I wanna give ya something again. To celebrate your little victory."

She let a smile cross her face as he tightened his grip around her. "The dragon's giving up some of his hoard?"

The sound that came from the back of his throat was a vibration she felt all throughout her, body _and_ soul.

"Why the hell not? Anything for you, Luce."

* * *

 _I love this chapter. I remember it in particular because I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean when I wrote it. Lol._

 _To answer InkNRose's question on the mix of the Starry Key and Oracion Seis arcs...I may or may not be doing such a thing._

 _Thanks to reviewers (theGreatandBeautifulYou, OfInkNRoses, TigerArrowgirl, The Age of Awesomeness, sassykitten1701, Moon Stone Tiger lily, Sara lovelymusic, NaLu and InuKag, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Dragondancer81, zzMiya-chanzz, allieflavored, SunflowerChrysalis, LePengwen, FairyRains, and Tyhplosion8!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	97. Chapter 97

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu's gaze watched Lucy's every movement from where he was seated in the middle of his hoard. He even went so far as to crane his body around to keep track of her as she wandered among the other treasures of his gold, the dragon pendant at her throat gleaming almost mockingly at him.

He hated it for not being able to lead him to Igneel, but at the same time, he was delighted to see it on Lucy.

She suddenly paused, and he watched as she picked something up, studying the object she held in her hand. His eyes gleamed as he noticed that the way the fires he'd lit gleamed off of her golden hair was the same as the way it did for his other golden treasures.

"What about these?" She came trampling through stacks of gold coins - more like piles and mounds of them, who the hell knows when the last time he cleaned up was - and showed him what she'd found.

A pair of solid gold hoops that could be worn in one's ears. They were big, and heavy due to the gold, but not large or heavy enough to hurt her ears. He made sure that they'd be alright for her to wear before giving a huge grin. "Sure. Take whatever ya want."

A year ago, he would have murdered anyone who took a single token of his hoard.

Now he was openly giving it away.

Oh, how the times changed.

Rolling his shoulders after giving the ring she'd gifted him for Christmas, which still decorated his finger despite the dangers of melting it, a thoughtful touch, the dragon slayer eyed her. "Ready to go then? Gotta head back and finish up with the guildhall this evening. Gramps wants it finished."

"Yes!" Lucy beamed. "I have an appointment with Aquarius to keep late tonight anyways. I'm going to summon her in the canal and she's going to show me where her constellation is on some star maps I bought the other day. Maybe then we can find it on your arm."

He eyed his arm thoughtfully, studying the starry scar before shrugging and nudging her towards the exit, his warm hand resting gently on the small of her back, burning her gently even through her jacket and shirt. "Maybe," was all he said, a sound of content leaving his throat as she gently put the earrings in, taking out her old ones.

He liked the sight of her wearing the golden objects he'd given her.

Maybe he had some sort of decent clothing of gold hanging around…?

* * *

Lucy was nibbling at a roll a few hours later, enjoying the commotion of a few guild members that were trying to finish rebuilding the bar and was grateful that her magic hadn't destroyed the kitchens, because otherwise, Natsu wouldn't have been buying dinner.

Her phone was at her hip on his demand - he'd left to pick up more wood with Elfman and Gray and had not trusted her to stay out of trouble - and the pair had been texting every now and then while he was out. Her keys rested beside it, each glowing gently as a sign of warmth for their master as she thought over the entries of the diary that she'd read.

A thought suddenly struck her.

Only those without magic had been forced to have their memories wiped of Acnologia's attack. Perhaps…?

She jumped to her feet and wandered over to where Makarov was dozing on a table, watching his brats out of the corner of his eye. "Master?" she called, catching his attention. Makarov turned his attention on her immediately, always ready to help one of his brats if he could.

"What can I do for you, my dear?" he said warmly.

Lucy smiled, and then took close to him, carefully tucking her hands into her lap. "When I went to Bosco, I retrieved my mother's diary, and I've been scanning through it. I was wondering...do you remember a dragon called Acnologia?"

 _Crash!_

Both looked over to discover Gajeel on the ground, looking at her in shock. She glared. _Eavesdropper._ Climbing to his feet and abandoning his work with the others still rebuilding, he moved over to join their conversation, growling, "The hell you asking about that fucker for?"

"Language," Lucy chided before answering, "My mother mentioned the dragon. I was just curious."

Even Makarov looked wary as he answered Lucy's question. "I do. Anyone who was old enough and alive at the time would have a hard time forgetting about the Chaos Dragon, Lucy," he sighed. "Acnologia arrived from the continent and empire of Alvarez in the upper part of our continent on August thirteenth, fifteen years ago. He created a path of destruction before arriving in Fiore, where he was met by others of his kind. They fought viciously before he retreated. He killed several dragons, and those left are and were wary of him afterwards. He hasn't been seen since then."

"Really...hm." Lucy sat back, thoughtful.

Gajeel took on a look of disgust. "You wanna learn about that fu-" He cut off at the look Lucy gave him. " _Sucker_ , than you should ask any freaking dragon slayer. Our dragons all fought against him. Metalicana nearly lost his eyes and a wing because of him."

Lucy sucked in a shocked breath, astonished. "The diary mentioned that Acnologia was once a dragon slayer that slaughtered so many of the dragons, he became one himself…" She frowned suddenly. "That won't happen to you and the others, will it, Gajeel?"

He grunted. "Dunno. Even if it does, not like we're gonna go around hurting everyone." He shrugged his shoulders and turned to return to helping rebuild the guildhall as Erza shot them a warning look. Lucy watched him leave with a troubled look.

"Don't worry," Makarov told her with a reassuring look. "I'm positive that they'll be fine." He rocked back and then hopped to his feet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a drink after that conversation...and it appears you'll have your hands full." He grinned. "Natsu's back."

Sure enough, the pink-haired mage came sprinting at full speed into the guildhall only moments after the master had spoken. She climbed to her feet as he made his way over. He skidded to a halt, nearly tripping over his feet when Happy swerved into his path for a moment, and then tripped anyways. He hit the ground at her feet, face first, and yelped.

She blinked, and then burst into laughter alongside everyone else as he rolled over to grin up at her with a scuff mark on his chin. "Hey, Luce," he said as she tried to muffle her laughter.

"Idiot," she teased back, offering a hand to help him up.

He responded by dragging her down playfully, fully intent on starting a guild-wide brawl to disrupt Erza's work process. Erza, recognizing what he was doing, glared as she shouted in surprise and crushed him, landing heavily on him and driving her knee into his gut. He only laughed, sending a blast of flame in Levy's direction, letting the flames curl around her without burning her.

Levy squeaked, and Gajeel turned an evil eye on the fire mage as he bellowed, "Watch it, Salamander!" He struck out, but Gray stepped into his path, sending the ice-make mage flying.

"Don't touch my precious Gray," Juvia seethed, and Natsu smirked triumphantly as a wave of water washed through the guildhall, protecting his celestial mage by simply turning any water that came at them into steam.

"You jerk," Lucy laughed, shaking her head so that her golden hair shook around her face.

He only grinned widely, laughing so hard his shoulders shook, playfully lifting his head to touch his forehead briefly against hers in an affectionate touch before suddenly surging to her feet, hoisting her into the air with ease despite her panicked scream of surprise.

"Put me down!"

"Never!" he crowed, and then cowered away, fleeing with Lucy still in his grasp when Erza bellowed, " _Natsu Dragneel_!"

The scarlet-haired stormed after them with a look of rage upon her face. Mirajane only shook her head as their guildmaster joined her, sitting on the bar with a look of exhaustion. She giggled. "Don't worry, Master," she reassured, "I'm sure they'll stop soon."

"I certainly hope so," Makarov sighed in response, glaring at his brats as they all playfully fought and messed around with one another. "Because I want this guildhall rebuilt. And soon. I think that we'll be having some company in the form of Mystogan, soon. I received some concerning news; Oracion Seis is on the move."

Mirajane's blue eyes went wide as she glanced at him. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. And Mystogan's concerned that they'll be coming out of hiding soon," Makarov replied. He reached for the beer that she slid him, sipping at it with care. "There's been talk of Nirvana's Infinity Clock among dark mages, too, so we'll need to keep an eye on Lucy, as per usual. Celestial magic is important for reviving that magic, and I pray that we'll be able to avoid the devastation we face if Oracion Seis is successful."

She pressed her lips together and murmured, "Natsu will protect Lucy, I'm sure, Master. They're quite close." Her blue eyes warmed as she watched Natsu swing Lucy out of the way of some more of Juvia's water. "He doesn't realize it yet, but I think he's in love with her. And she's in love with him."

"The boy is," Makarov chuckled. "Good luck to Lucy, though, because I doubt he'll ever realize it!"

* * *

That evening found the guild in full celebration mode.

The guildhall's rebuilding was completed, and a couple mages had broken out the booze. Cana was shrieking in drunken laughter as Gildarts, who'd finally stopped by again, made some kind of face at an equally as drunk Macao teased Romeo about his current crush.

Wendy batted her eyelashes innocently, though a smile played along her lips as Charle growled about boys and their ridiculous need to impress women. Erza was telling the young dragon slayer and several others a story of one of her lone adventures, and Gray was playfully teasing Lucy about something or another while Juvia watched on with a frown.

Natsu watched this all out of the corner of his eye as he studied the request board with Happy on his shoulder. "What do ya think, little buddy?" he asked, reaching for a paper in particular. "Decent amount of money, easy enough for just you and me."

Happy purred his agreement, tail twitching. "Real easy," he agreed, eyes gleaming. "Defeat a monster? We've got that down!"

Natsu grinned and retreated to the bar as Happy left to go and listen to Erza's stories with Charle and Wendy. He paused to speak momentarily with Mirajane, who suddenly leaned over the bar after confirming that he could take the job, arching an eyebrow. "What about Lucy?"

"What about her?" He frowned. "She'll be safe here. I trust ya guys to watch her."

Mirajane giggled. "Of course we'll keep her safe, Natsu. She's nakama." She slid him a beer, and he snatched it up, tilting his head back to chug half of it down. I just meant...when are you going to ask her out?"

He choked on his beer, wheezing and coughing, flames licking the bar in his haste to clear his throat. " _What_?"

She only laughed and straightened. "When are you asking her out? On a date? You know, the thing two lovers do when they want to hang out in private?"

He turned crimson. "We're not...Mira!" he whined, pouting. "We're not...like _that_. Lucy's...Luce is my partner, and-"

"So?" Mirajane's grin turned demonic as she dove in for the kill. "Bisca and Alzack are married and are partners. And I see the way you watch her, Natsu, so just admit that you like her like that." Her gaze suddenly softened as he struggled for words before falling silent, looking downcast. "Natsu, seriously. Answer me. Do you like her like Juvia likes Gray?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I think so...she's part of my hoard 'cause you know. She's as important as Happy. But…" Natsu's onyx eyes darted to where the celestial mage was pouting at Gray, and the ice-make mage laughed at the look on her face before taking another swig of alcohol. "Different then Happy."

Sympathetic, the silver-haired mage reached out to touch his arm gently. "Don't worry, Natsu, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. If you ever decide that you want to take her on a date and need help, you let me know, okay? I'll help you. Until then...just keep being Natsu." She beamed, and Natsu returned it with a brilliant grin of his own before darting off to join his partner.

She gave it a moment before Cana's cackling laughter and Gildarts' muffled laughter filled her ears.

"He's hopeless," Cana snickered.

"Poor boy doesn't have a clue," Gildarts managed to get out between laughter. "You make sure to help him out properly, you hear me, Mira?"

Mirajane only smiled gently, no longer wearing her shark-like smirk. "Of course."

The party went on.

* * *

 _WHAT IS THIS?! An update on Natsu's feelings?! Include some excited shrieking here...I believe that within the next three chapters our break will be over and we'll promptly launch ourselves into the next arc for real. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (FairyDemonDust, KaUiA, CharonteQueen, TigerArrowgirl, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, FairyRains, sassykitten1701, new-Necro03, Typhlosion8, silverlightof, ilftnatsu, SunflowerChrysalis, SingingAngel327, Guest #1, Yami-The Lord of Darkness, zzMiya-chanzz, xhearthemusic, OgaxHilda, The Age of Awesomeness, Tobias97, superfreakerz, Dragondancer81, BabyarianagurlxX, PinkFireandGoldenStars, lkityan02, LePengwen, FireDragonPhia, Guest #2, Nekokittygirl, niyah606, MehKitty, allieflavored, Shidake, Purtisharma5, Knightwalker, and anastasiaraimon!) as well as those who favorited and folllowed!_


	98. Chapter 98

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

After a night of partying - Lucy was still laughing to herself over Natsu's idiocy at challenging Erza to a drinking contest - and finding out where Aquarius' constellation was, Lucy awoke to peaceful silence broken only by the sounds of snoring on her couch. "Natsu," she seethed under her breath.

 _He must have sneaked in while I was asleep, the bastard._

Still, it was hard to not find his sleepy and tired face adorable as she passed the couch on her way to make tea. She was as quiet as possible as she tried to let him sleep despite the fact that he'd broken into _her_ apartment.

She was in the middle of sipping away at her cup and powering up her laptop to check her e-mail when she heard a loud yawn, alerting her to the fact that he was awake. Setting her drink down, Lucy turned in her chair to watch with amusement as he stumbled over, bags beneath his eyes and a scowl on his face.

"Really," she giggled, "You need to stop challenging people to drinking contests, Natsu. I don't know what made you think you could beat Erza."

"Shush," was all he whimpered, stealing her cup of tea despite her protests. He took a drink of it before handing the mug back. "Medicine?" he rasped.

"I shouldn't even give it to you," she growled before rolling her eyes and pointing to the cabinet she kept her medicine in. "Go ahead, help yourself." He didn't respond, only made another whimper before going to hunt the medication he wanted down.

When he'd dry swallowed some pills to help with his headache, he wandered over to sit beside her at the table, another yawn escaping him as she clicked through e-mails with a hum on her lips. She didn't hesitate to playfully kick her feet up into his lap, and he gave a slight smirk before tickling the bottom of her feet. She squeaked and retracted her feet almost immediately at his calloused fingertips running over her foot.

"I gave you medicine, don't make me take the medicine away," she threatened, though it was ruined by her smile. He only rolled his eyes and let her put her feet in his lap again, leaving them there as he peered curiously at her screen, squinting slightly. "What are you doing?"

"My book's going on shelves soon," the young woman explained as she adjusted her feet so her legs were comfortable. "So I'm getting a lot of information on what bookstores and where it's going on sales. I'll be holding another signing I think, in a bookstore here in Magnolia...want to come? You can be my little bodyguard."

He gave a huge grin. "Sure," he agreed eagerly, and then frowned. "Too bad Happy can't come…"

"We'll get him some special fish," the celestial mage promised before closing her laptop and pushing it away. She licked her lips thoughtfully, and then told him, "Why don't we get a job for the day after tomorrow, Natsu?"

He lit up like a Christmas tree. "A job? Why not for tomorrow?"

"Because Loke and I are busy tomorrow," she replied with a thoughtful look. "He said he owed me a date for all of the crazy troublesome worrying he made me go through, and I've decided that while I don't feel inclined to actually date him, I do need him helping me a bit on some stuff."

Natsu immediately growled. "C'mon, Luce, you don't need him to do anything. I can help you."

Lucy gave him a brief smile as she said, "And you can't even find one constellation in my maps that he gave me. We're just going to spend a night studying the stars, Natsu. I'm going to try and binge learn all of the constellations of my Zodiacs. I can already find his," she added with a pleased look. "I was doing it on my way home last night."

His onyx eyes darkened irritably and she narrowed her own as she scolded, "Natsu Dragneel, you are not in charge of what I can and cannot do, or who I decide to do things with, do you hear me? I had enough of that back in Bosco, and I won't deal with it here."

He scoffed and leaned back in his chair, scowling angrily as he prodded her feet off of her lap and stood, deciding to go and grab something to eat instead of responding. Lucy glared after him as he opened her fridge, bothered that he'd decided that he didn't want her doing such a thing with Loke.

The jerk.

It wasn't like it was an actual date. It was a study session out by the canal, damn it, and she was going to summon Gemini to help, too!

Plucking her tea up and taking a drink of it, Lucy bit her lip and then mumbled, "I don't see what the big deal is, Natsu. Loke isn't someone out to kill me or anything."

Natsu growled as he slammed the fridge shut. Lucy jumped at the loud bang, and he turned a frustrated look on her. "He's the one behind half of our problems, Luce! He kidnapped you," he began, ticking the reasons off on his fingers, "He helped you leave without so much as a warning, and then he helped get us all to some other world without so much as a way back!"

Lucy slid to her feet, propping her hands on her hips. "So? It's not his fault! He had to kidnap me, and you know it! He couldn't ask for my help because of the curse, and he was trying to save our _lives_ , in case you hadn't noticed! He and Mavis both!"

She had been wondering where Mavis had gone as of recently.

"He could have told us that's what he was intending to do before he ran off with half of our nakama!" Natsu snapped and then whirled away, rage radiating off of him. How dare the Lion do _anything_ with a portion of his hoard! Furious, Natsu snarled, "Do your stupid thing with Loke, I'm taking Happy on our job."

Lucy's dark eyes sprang wide as she said, bewildered, "But I thought-"

"Yeah, think again." He cut her off with a biting voice, his hands shaking with rage. Flames were beginning to flicker around him in his anger, and he could feel the need to _destroy_ filtering into his mind.

He needed to leave.

Huffing, Lucy caught his wrist, fingers tight around it. "What's your problem? You were fine a few minutes ago!"

"My problem is your and Loke's insane need to _piss me off_ ," he snarled back. He attempted to take his hand away, not wanting to burn her despite their fight, but her grip only tightened.

Her own eyes were full of anger now as she yanked on his arm. "It's none of your business if I'm hanging out with the Spirits I owe my life to, Natsu! We're not even doing anything! Like I said, it's a damn study session that I can stop being an idiot, maybe even some training!"

"They're your Spirits!" he snapped back, "They should be protecting you to begin with!"

Lucy's anger turned to fury. "They're not some kind of...pet, Natsu! They're just as much my friends as you are! They're _people_ , and if you think otherwise, than I don't know what the hell is wrong with you."

"Why should I see them as people when they don't do the same?!" She blinked, and he curled a lip, struggling to keep a handle on the flames swirling around him. "They hate me for no reason! Loke's said as much! They tiptoe around me like I'm some kind of bomb waiting to go off! The only one who actually likes me is Virgo! And that's just because she's weird!"

Lucy silently admitted that what he said was true; she had noticed that they all hated him for some reason or another - particularly Loke.

"So be the better person," she gritted out. "I thought you already were in this matter, but I suppose not."

He snapped.

In a flash of rageful anger, his fire exploded outward swirling around them with tinges of black that seared at her in a deadly inferno. He smacked her hand away from his wrist, striking her without care, and Lucy cried out in pain, clutching her suddenly seared arm to her chest with a look of shock.

He'd hurt her.

Never had Natsu hurt her before. Not like this. His fire was always gentle, no matter how angry he got.

She remembered when he had admitted to her back in Earthland that he had issues controlling his fire. She'd told him that she really hadn't cared that he'd burnt her by accident back then.

Natsu froze at the sound of her pain, looking bewildered, as if he hadn't meant to. His gaze darted to the injury, the flames vanishing almost immediately as soon as he'd realized what had happened and then filled with horror.

He'd hurt her.

His partner.

 _Lucy_.

The rage vanished. The anger gone. All replaced by fear.

She cared this time, that he'd burned her. She cared that he'd hurt her, and she certainly cared that her most trusted partner had been the one that had burned her.

Taking a shuddering breath, Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but Natsu was already gone, disappearing out the front door as fast as he could, determined not to hear what he was sure would be the end of him.

* * *

Humming to herself, Mirajane was in the midst of wiping the bar down when the guildhall's doors opened. Most people hadn't come in today - only a few, like Droy and Jet, who were seeking out work, and Happy and Lily, who hadn't wanted to deal with their respective dragon slayers. The others were drunk still or hungover. Makarov included.

Her blue eyes rose, a smile on her face...that vanished and turned into a look of confusion when she saw the sniffling blonde celestial mage that had made her way inside, an arm cradled to her chest. Concerned, Mirajane hurried around the bar, making a beeline for her friend. "Lucy? What happened?"

Happy zipped over in an instant, worried for his friend. Lucy opened her mouth to answer, her lips trembling, but Happy gasped before she could, "Natsu hurt you!"

Mirajane went still and then tenderly grabbed Lucy's arm to examine it. "Happy...go get Wendy for me."

"Aye, sir!" the blue cat agreed, darting off.

"What happened?" Mirajane repeated quietly, ushering Lucy to a corner of the guildhall as Lucy began to cry softly, her good side's hand rising to wipe at the tears that were falling.

"Sorry," she whispered. "We got into a fight...it...it was stupid. He was, um, annoyed, you know, because I was g-going to study the stars with L-Loke, but…" Her voice cracked. "He didn't mean t-to, I know he didn't. He l-loses control, Mira, and...his _face_ , what if he doesn't come back?!"

"He'll come back," Mirajane reassured soothingly, frowning. "And if he doesn't, we'll go after him. We've got more than a few mages who are plenty capable of chasing after him, right? Ah, thanks Happy. Why don't you stay here?"

Wendy took Mirajane's spot as the S-Class mage moved out of her way. She pressed her lips together as she took in the burn, which decorated Lucy's flesh and from her fingers to close to her elbow, bleeding in some spots. "He must have been really mad," she mumbled, setting to work. "It'll scar, I can't fix that…"

"S'okay," Lucy sniffled. Happy watched her anxiously, his eyes worried. He knew just how close the two partners were, and he was frantic; why would Natsu get so angry that he hurt _Lucy_?! Even when they'd fought after he and Natsu had rescued her from Bosco, he hadn't hurt her!

Charle, who had flown over to join Wendy and make sure she didn't use too much of her magic, sniffed. "Barbaric, you males are. You should know better than to allow your emotions to get out of control in such a way, Happy."

Happy shrugged. "Natsu's Natsu. He didn't mean to, like Lucy said. He'll come back and say sorry, just like he did when he burned Asuka. Except instead of hundreds of toys, he'll probably have hunted down billions of gold coins for her."

Lucy smiled gently at her firm little cat friend before saying in a hoarse voice, "Thank you, Wendy. Sorry for causing trouble this early in the day…"

"Nonsense," Mirajane scolded, frowning as Lucy examined the now faded scars, which looked as if they'd been there for weeks. "Lucy, did anyone in the street see you?"

"I don't think-"

Lucy was cut off by someone throwing the doors in and darting inside in a swirl of midnight blue as a nasty wind that had popped up out of nowhere blew them around them. Mirajane smiled and greeted, "Hello, Mystogan… I didn't think we'd see you here again."

"We have a problem."

Lucy's blood turned to ice at the familiar voice that filled the quiet air, catching the attention of anyone who was in there. Her face filled with fear, and she immediately reached for her keys, her voice rising in pitch as she squeaked, " _Jellal_."

Rather than keeping his face hidden, he tugged the cloth away as he made his way inside, proving her right. Even Mirajane was immediately on the defensive, magic flaring, and Happy placed himself protectively in Lucy's lap.

Jellal simply pressed his lips together, as calm as he could be in such a moment. "I know that you're all suspicious, but I beg of you, hear me out. The situation I've come across is a dire one-"

"Jellal."

He stopped dead in his tracks. Without turning around, he murmured her name. "Erza."

The scarlet-haired woman stood at the doors now, a furious looking Gray beside her. Lucy guessed that they'd met on their way to the guildhall and had agreed to walk together. Rather than looking angry or even upset, she was emotionless. Not suspicious, nor happy, nor wary.

Simply emotionless as she murmured, "Why are you here? How?"

Jellal shook his head, his own voice full of so many emotions that no one could have locked down on just one of them. "Now is not the time for that story, Erza. I'll explain at a later time, with Makarov. For now...I bring bad news." Dark eyes turned on the scared celestial mage, and the words he uttered sent her crumpling to the ground.

"King Jude Heartfilia of Bosco is dead, killed by the Oracion Seis. And to make it even worse...I was wrong; they aren't a few pieces away from completing Nirvana's Infinity Clock. They're one."'

* * *

 _Surprise! A chapter coming a bit earlier than expected! One, I'm incredibly busy tomorrow, and two, it's my dog's birthday so I was feeling generous. The next arc is officially in motion! It's my favorite one written up to date, so I hope you enjoy it, too!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, FairyDemonDust, iBook Keeper, CharonteQueen, TigerArrowgirl, Nekokittygirl, Uchida Akira, sassykitten1701, LePengwen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Sara lovelymusic, Dragondancer81, Typhlosion8, MehKitty, Guest #1, zzMiya-chanzz, SunflowerChrysalis, FireDragonPhia, ProtagonistOfTheShiningStars, NaLu and InuKag, Knightwalker, FairyRains, and Mechanical-Rose-Sama!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	99. Chapter 99

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Nirvana's Infinity Clock," Jellal was explaining not even two hours later, surrounded by wary hungover Fairy Tail mages - and that included Makarov, who'd cleared his name among them. "Is a dangerous weapon with the ability to alter time and balance. If under the hands of the right mages, it can do good, of course, but as of currently, that's not the case. They've recently retrieved the last physical piece of the Clock from Bosco's Royal Treasury and have left with it, killing the king and leaving the country in shambles."

Lucy's face was stony from where she was seated between Gray and Erza, her burn long forgotten. Bitterly accepting that Natsu wouldn't be coming back anytime soon, she stated quietly, "The last piece...what is it they'll need?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted, exchanging a look with Makarov. "Legends have been passed down about it for years, but no one truly knows anything about how to put it together. Except for the Oracion Seis, apparently."

Erza's gaze was thoughtful. "Someone will need to escort Lucy to Bosco, of course. She's the heir to the throne, and the country is in ruins. And she will need to see to arrangements." She smiled kindly at the shaken woman, who returned it hesitantly.

"Of course," Makarov agreed. "The rest of us need to ready ourselves for battle. And warn the other guilds. Erza, I want you, Gray, and Jellal accompanying Lucy to Bosco. I understand your previous altercations may cause issues, but I expect you to sort through them quickly and efficiently. Wendy, Gajeel, and you cats," he continued, turning to the dragon slayers and the three talking cats that were near one another. "I want you to find Natsu and bring him home. He'll need and want to take part in this. The rest of you I want out and looking for information, as well as warning the other legal guilds."

The guild members all voiced their support and agreement with their guildmaster, and Lucy felt a faint smile appear on her face before vanishing, her fingers darting up to swipe at the nonexistent tear streaks.

"This will be dangerous." They all paused when a familiar voice rang through the air. Mavis had stepped into view, her green eyes focused and thoughtful. She looked just as Lucy remembered; quiet and full of power that they couldn't comprehend. "I wish you all luck in this endeavor. Things can and more than likely will go wrong, and we may lose some of our nakama over the time that this takes to deal with." She bowed her head to them all, blonde hair brushing the floor. "Good luck."

The guild cheered again, this time shouting their excitement over the fact that Mavis had shown herself again and their gratitude that she'd appeared. Erza quietly mused that they were strange for not worrying over the fact that there was a ghost-like girl in their guildhall - her included.

Lucy called for Makarov as the group broke into smaller groups so that they could get to work, and the master of the guild paused to look at her. She bit her lip as she pleaded, knowing he was already aware of what had happened, "Please. If Natsu comes back, will you make him call me? I'm worried."

Makarov glanced at the scars that now decorated her flesh and promised, "I'll force him to even if I have to drug the boy."

That earned a smile from the nervous girl, who thanked him and then moved to join the four waiting on her. But he stopped her with a call of her name, and she glanced back.

"Lucy," Makarov said quietly, "I understand that you will be nervous and more than likely suspicious of Jellal, but he _is_ a member of the guild now. A member of the Council and I have agreed that he was more than likely possessed at the time he did you harm. So please...try to forgive the man? I told him that if he worked hard enough, we as a guild would support him in clearing his name."

Lucy blinked, and then grinned. Her face held no trace of hatred for the man that had nearly killed her, no fear of him. Only trust. "The Jellal Fernandes we dealt with in November would have taken his revenge in the form of leaving us in Earthland if he wanted. This one brought us all home. I trust him, don't worry."

"Good." Makarov smiled. "Now off with you, brat, I have business to attend to."

Lucy giggled and then rushed over to her friends and the wary Jellal, who was still dressed in the cloaks and heavy clothing he'd been wearing for months now, a staff in hand. "You're going to want something different to wear, all of you," she told them. "I need you wearing something professional, like you're bodyguards. I, myself, need to call for Virgo and see what she can set me up with...I'll see if she can pull up any suits for you three."

Gray reached out to ruffle her hair with a gentle hand. "Your country," was all he said. "You tell us what to do, Princess Lucy."

She smiled faintly up at him before waving for them to follow her, aware of the quiet newcomer that was calmly watching. "In that case...let's go."

* * *

"You sure about this, Princess?"

Lucy swept her hands down the skirts that billowed out around her waist, brown eyes lifting to the Lion before her as Cancer expertly twisted her hair into an updo that had golden curls falling around her face. "Positive, Loke. I'll need you ready at any moment if what Jellal says is true."

Loke made a sound of disgust. "I can't believe you're trusting this man after what he did to you."

"Well, I don't really have a choice. And he does seem to be truly guilty about what happened. He gave us an apology, you know, and he's sworn that he'll help us even if it means his death - ah, thank you, Cancer!"

The Spirit grinned. "Anytime, Lucy." He disappeared in a flash of light as the celestial mage sent him back to his Realm.

Lucy stood and Loke shifted out of her way as the blonde brushed her fingers over her blue dress. The dress, supplied by Loke upon his arrival alongside professional looking clothing for her three travel companions, was a deep blue in color, with shining and shimmering stars stitched into the fabric, making it look like she wore the night sky itself.

Loke's shaded eyes searched her for a moment before he said quietly, "I'd prefer Natsu over Jellal Fernandes. I wanted to apologize, by the way. It is partially my fault for what happened earlier." He grabbed her arm to show her what he meant, his fingers touching the spiderweb of scars.

Rather than protesting what he'd said, Lucy smiled drily and said, "I want to know why you hate him so much. He's my best friend, Loke. You have received no reason so far to hate him as much as you do."

Loke let his breath leave him in a huge rush. "You don't know what I know about how this world has worked in the past, Lucy. You have no idea of what I've seen, what we all have seen as we watched over this Realm. I remember demons doing as they wished...I watched my master, my mistress, die because I could do nothing but do as she pleaded." He looked uneasy for a moment before shaking his head. "It is not for me to say, but I hate the dragons and their slayers for damn good reasons. I ask that you don't ask this question of me again."

Lucy searched her Spirit's expression, waiting for that twist that told her he was lying, but said nothing when it didn't come. "...okay. Please, though. Try not to hate him?"

Loke only gave a pained grin as he reached out to affectionately tug on a curled lock. "I can't offer as much as an infatuated dragon that has a massive hoard, but I'll promise that I'll try to not hate him. Besides, with how strong your feelings are for him, I doubt he's going anywhere soon."

Her cheeks flushed red. "E-excuse me?!"

Loke took on a teasing smirk as he winked. "Don't forget, Lucy, we sense your emotions through the bonds of our contracts. The love you hold for Natsu is strong, though I can't say whether or not he returns it in the same way."

"Ugh," she growled, smacking at his chest until he backed up with a laugh. "Get out of here, you jerk!"

He winked. "See ya, Princess."

He had just disappeared back to his Realm when Erza peeked in, her scarlet hair falling around her face and contrasting sharply with her official looking suit. "Lucy? Are you ready?"

The celestial mage hooked her keys to a special pouch at her hip. "Um, as ready as I'll ever be to go back." Lucy smiled to her friend and swept past her, leaving the room that she'd used in the guildhall and touching the pendant at her neck for comfort.

Gray grinned knowingly when he saw the golden hoops in her ears, but said nothing, knowing that Lucy was rather sensitive about the topic of who'd given them to her. Lucy studied her three friends, nodding her approval.

Too bad Juvia was temporarily away on a job, she would have loved to have seen Gray in the tux he wore.

She'd give the three of them credit. If anyone looked like bodyguards in a suit, it was them. Clearing her throat, she turned to them with firm eyes. "You know of my position in Bosco, so you'll be ready for me turning...bitchy, I guess is the right word for it. Anyways, let's go. I'm already tired." She sighed heavily.

This earned a laugh from Erza, who slammed the blonde's head against her chest in a hug that hurt the poor woman. "Don't worry, Lucy, we'll help in every way we can."

Lucy returned the hug, fighting back tears. "I know," was all she said, her heart aching over the fact that Natsu wasn't going with them. She pulled back, and the four of them made their way down into the main area, where Mirajane was expertly organizing the guild into groups, Laxus standing silently at her side and scowling at anyone who looked his way.

Lucy expertly noted from the way that he seemed to be turned just slightly towards Mirajane that there was more to that relationship than they cared to know.

There was a pause when Mirajane caught sight of them. "Oh, Lucy!" she cried suddenly, and Lucy blushed when everyone craned their head to look back at them. "You look lovely!"

"Thanks," she mumbled, biting her lip. She stepped forward, sipping into an expert curtsy with a wink. "Good luck to everyone. I'll come back to help as soon as I can. While we're there, we'll see if we can look into everything that happened. We'll call if we learn anything at all."

"Good luck to you, too," Mirajane hummed, and everyone murmured their agreements.

Even Laxus reluctantly nodded in encouragement before grumbling, "Get a move on, Mira, we got stuff to do."

"Right!" Mirajane went back to work and Lucy gathered up her skirts, starting forward.

"The first thing we'll have to do when we get there," she said as they stepped outside, bustling past anyone who stared as they made it to Gray's car. "Is we're going to get out the information that the Princess of Bosco is home and ready to deal with whatever massacre happened."

"Got it," Gray said as he climbed into the driver's seat. "Jellal, man, I know they said you were innocent, but your ass is sitting up front. I don't want you anywhere too near Lucy until you've proved that we can trust you with our lives."

Jellal gave a wry smile as he slid into the passenger seat. "I understand," he replied.

Erza murmured her approval before helping Lucy inside. When Erza had slammed the door shut, Lucy dug her phone out and dialed the number she knew by heart, putting her phone up to her ear.

She waited while it rung, and her heart wilted just a little when Natsu's voice sounded, ordering whoever was calling to leave a voice message. Ignoring the other people in the car as Gray started it, the engine roaring, she said firmly, "Natsu, wherever you are, if you get this, call me immediately. You _have_ to get home, there's an emergency. I'm heading to Bosco with some of the guild. Oracion Seis is trying to revive Nirvana's Infinity Clock." She paused, and then added quietly, "Please. Call me."

She hung up after that and took a deep breath before closing her eyes and resting her head back.

She wasn't mourning the loss of her father as she threw an arm over her eyes, fighting back tears. She wasn't mourning the loss of the King of Bosco, either.

She was mourning the loss of the peace that would surely not come for a while.

* * *

 _To Bosco they go! Things will be seriously picking up within the next two chapters. ;)_

 _Still in denial over Gajeel._

 _Thanks to reviewers (zzMiya-chanzz, SunflowerChrysalis, lkityan, LePengwen, MehKitty, Dragondancer81, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Sydneste, FairyDemonDust, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Purisharma5, Tobias97, The Age of Awesomeness, Typhlosion8, Nekokittygirl, FireDragonPhia, SingingAngel327, Guest #1, TigerArrowgirl, Sara lovelymusic, yukifeari, Knightwalker, Guest #2, misssbehavin, JcL107, BabyLucy, NaLu and InuKag, Shidake, TopazDesiertoFleur, Guest #3, metalican slayer, and Guest #4!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	100. Chapter 100

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

From the second they set foot outside of the airport in Bosco, they were surrounded by people who were eager to greet her and more. Loke had stealthily made an appearance without being noticed, and he alongside the three other "bodyguards" worked hard at keeping people off of Lucy as she made her way over to a limo that they'd called for.

When they'd gotten inside the vehicle, Loke and Gray sat on either side of her and Jellal and Erza on the opposite side. The driver promised to get them to the Estate as quickly as possible, understanding just how important it was for Lucy to get there.

Lucy leaned her head back, taking comfort in the fact that at least she wouldn't have to worry about her Spirit being shot in the head again.

As if knowing what she was thinking about, Loke touched her arm, comforting.

"Okay," Lucy breathed, opening her eyes and sitting up straight. "We'll need to speak to my father's main assistant, Sorano. She helped with everything and rarely left his side, though I think she must have been on business, away from Bosco, when I came last...she'll know what happened entirely."

"Understood," Erza said firmly, brushing her hair out of her face and tucking it securely behind her ear. "Is there a certain way we need to address you when we're around others?"

"Good thing your guys' emblems are hidden," Lucy mused before stating firmly, "Yes. I need you to act like I'm the highest of authorities, that I could have you executed with the flick of a finger. Brutal, but true. And technically, I guess I could, but I'd never do that, so don't worry about it."

"How comforting," Gray muttered, and she rolled her eyes before adjusting the corset she'd been forced to wear, ignoring the way the men quickly looked away so that Erza couldn't beat the hell out of them for peering curiously down the front of her dress.

Lucy grimaced. It _was_ rather lowly cut…

She checked her phone again, disappointed when she learned that she had no new texts or voice mails, meaning that Natsu hadn't been found quite yet.

She licked her lips, glancing towards the window. She tilted her head curiously when she saw a strange man peering just as curiously at the limo as it shot by. A man with piercing red eyes and wild black hair, a white braided streak hanging at his temple. A coat lined with white fur at the collar was on his shoulders despite the warmer weather.

Something struck her about him, but she couldn't place her finger on it.

So she pushed it away, instead asking with hesitance, "Jellal?" Dark eyes lifted to look at her, and Lucy distinctly noted the difference of just how his face rested in comparison to how he had been. There was no cruelty to him, no anger or terrifying determination.

Just...exhaustion.

And a faint look of misery.

"Perhaps," she said carefully, "Because you know a form of a celestial magic, we could see if maybe you could teach me something when everything's all done with? I'm sure there are many spells you know that would help me out big time."

Jellal blinked in surprise, as did the two beside her, but Erza only smiled warmly. "That's a brilliant idea, Lucy," she complimented kindly. "We'll take you both to the clearing we had our snowball fight in, it should be big enough to handle such training. I'm sure Natsu would prove a good sparring partner for any spells you need to practice." Her gaze sharpened, and she looked like a snake waiting to strike as she purred, "I'll consider it his punishment for burning you."

With anyone else, Lucy would have protested.

With Erza, she wisely kept her mouth shut.

"I've never been to Bosco," Gray commented as he glanced out the window. "Everyone's so... _skinny_."

"My fault," Lucy sighed. "My father increased taxes and basically destroyed the economy here because he needed money to look for me. I'll make sure that whoever takes over my throne will fix it."

Loke eyed her. "You're not taking over the throne." A statement, not a question, and a pleased one at that.

Lucy shook her head so that her curled blonde locks moved around her face. "No...I don't think I could handle it. I'd have to marry right away, secure an alliance before any other kingdoms could step in and try to take over. I'd have to give up being Lucy of Fairy Tail completely. I'd lose all of my precious friends - Spirits included - and that's just something I won't do."

"That is something we are all glad to hear," Erza murmured. "I was concerned that…"

"No," she laughed, "Don't worry, Erza, even if I have to leave this country to fall into complete and total ruins, I won't stay. But if I can't find someone suitable here, I'll hop on a flight to Crocus and ask for a meeting with King Toma. He or Hisui will know someone who can take over."

The limo arrived soon after that and the first one out was Jellal, who immediately turned to hesitantly offer a hand to help Erza out while Gray and Loke saw to Lucy. The requip mage looked startled and almost scared, yet placed her shaking hand in his and allowed her friend from long ago to gently pull her up. "Thank you," she said quietly.

He didn't respond.

Yet both took on a similar look of amusement as Lucy snapped her fingers, her cold and royal-like persona returning. "Let's go."

She seemed to be saying that a lot lately.

She led them past people who greeted her with a bow, relieved looks upon their stressed faces. She licked her lips as she passed through the large doors leading into the estate, ordering under her breath, "Loke, better you leave."

"Good luck, Princess," the playful Lion murmured, waiting until the perfect moment to disappear.

Lucy swept through the familiar corridors, pausing only to order a servant to fetch Sorano for her as well as something for her to drink - alcoholic, of course, preferably wine, she requested as she pretended to dab at her eyes.

Gray had to fight back a choked laugh that made her elbow him in the gut when no one was looking.

Finding a decent drawing room, she ordered, "Gray, stand guard out here. Let me know if anyone wants in. And no _stripping_ ," she hissed when he suddenly used nimble fingers to absent mindedly undo a button. He swore and hurried to fix it before shifting out of their way to let the rest of them inside.

The second the door was shut, she whined, "This is ridiculous. I want to go home."

Eza couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her as she patted Lucy's shoulder reassuringly. "Do you truly not grieve for your father, Lucy? He may have sought to keep her as an object rather than his daughter, but he was your father."

Lucy paused to consider that before the blonde shook her head, admitting, "Maybe a little. But...I grieved for him long ago, before my mother died, I think. He wasn't my father at the time of his death. He was simply the ridiculously obsessed king of my country."

Jellal remained silent for a few moments before admitting, "Still. I wish I could have somehow put a stop to his murder. Perhaps then I could have been able to keep all of this from happening."

"You were in Fiore, and you acted as quickly as you could," Lucy told him with a reassuring look. "We don't blame you."

There was a knock on the door and Gray peeked in, looking awkward as he stated with stumbling words, trying to be professional, "Uh, Ms. Sorano's here...Princess."

Lucy stared at him and then made a choked cough to hide her laughter as she managed to wheeze out, "Send her in, Mr. Fullbuster."

He opened the door further, and in walked a professional looking Sorano. Her white hair was loose, falling around her shoulders. She wore the sleek clothes of a businesswoman, her feet clad in black heels. Her sharp dark eyes were narrowed in thought, and there was a bag at her side as she stopped to bow her head in respect to the princess of the country. "I am glad to see that you've arrived, your Highness."

"I apologize for taking so long," Lucy responded, tilting her head just a bit. "I wasn't aware of Father's death until yesterday morning. I take it you've taken care of business in my absence."

Sorano nodded curtly. "Of course. As I have every other time that the both of you were absent."

Lucy ignored the jibe, knowing that she wasn't particularly liked for abandoning her duties as princess, and instead turned to Erza. "Miss Scarlet, would you and Mr. Fullbuster fetch us something to drink? The servant's taking too long."

 _Go check and make sure everything's sound._

"Of course," she murmured, slipping into a quick bow before striding quickly out of the room, pausing to murmur to Gray.

Alone with Jellal and Sorano, Lucy leaned back in the seat she'd taken up, her feet crossing at the ankles as she'd been taught when she was a child. "Has there been any news on the capture of his murderers, Sorano?"

"Not quite yet." Soran's lips twitched, and Lucy frowned before moving on, listening as she spoke. "We're working around the clock to find them, of course. We might have located one of them. It's possible that he was seen in the town as recently as yesterday morning."

"Good." Lucy huffed. "Find him and bring him to me when you do. I'd like to be the one to interrogate him." Ignoring the way Jellal tensed, she reached behind her and patted his arm. "This one's quite good at interrogation. It's the reason I hired him. Although Miss Scarlet is particularly interested in such things."

Sorano arched an eyebrow. "You've hired men and a woman who are interested in torture?"

"Mm, not torture so to say, but they are good at their work." Lucy retracted her hand, deciding that she'd apologize at a later time to all of her friends and Jellal. Particularly Jellal, because it wasn't entirely untruthful that he was good at such things. "I trust them. Have funeral arrangements been made?"

"A few choices have yet to be made, the headstone, for example, but yes. I've started looking into them," Sorano mused. She leaned forward, the necklace she constantly wore falling to dangle in the air.

It was in that moment that Jellal realized they'd made a grave mistake in coming to Bosco.

For her necklace charm was in the shape of Oracion Seis' emblem.

He threw himself in front of Lucy, arms outspread and a deadly look on his face as he growled out, "Lucy. We need to find Erza and Gray immediately."

Sorano took on a deadly smile as she climbed to her feet, her movements fluid as she purred, "Figured us out, did you? Too bad, we had it all planned out...I'll have to thank Midnight for sending me a warning ahead of time. And Racer, for getting to me in time. He moves faster than such ridiculous cars, did you know?"

Lucy shot to her feet, hand plucking her keys up. She silently willed for Virgo to have a whip ready as she narrowed her eyes.

For years, Sorano - Angel - had worked alongside her father.

They'd been planning this for _years_.

A shiver ran through her as Angel flipped something between her fingers, a cruel smile on her lips. Lucy watched; it was a coin of some sorts, older looking. "Cobra," she trilled with a sly smirk, "Come out, it's time for the party to start."

Lucy jumped, whirling around so that her back was to Jellal's when feet hit the ground behind her. A grinning man was there, dark eyes piercing as he mused, "About damn time. Was fallin' asleep up there, waiting."

Lucy took a deep breath as she tightened her grip on Virgo's key. Somehow, she felt as if there were about to be a fight. And she was proved right when Cobra launched himself at her, a laugh escaping him.

The princess slashed her key through the air. "Open! Gate of the Virgin! Virgo!"

Virgo appeared beside her, thrusting the whip into her hands before setting to work on defending the blonde. Her eyes actually looked angry as she used her magic to create a wall of earth that protected Lucy from a venomous blow.

At the same time, Angel began her own attack. She threw a set of gold coins into the air and then giggled as a massive creature appeared, its head brushing the ceiling hundreds of feet above. It was stone in appearance, with a hammer in its hands and Jellal barely had enough time to throw up an attack of his own to deflect its own. He gritted his teeth at the effort it took, and silently prayed that the secret of magic wasn't revealed because of his blindness.

Lucy's whip snaked out to join her Spirit's attack and Cobra hissed in frustration when it caught him by the ankle, yanking his feet from underneath him. He hit the ground hard, rolling out of the way and spinning around at the same time so that he faced them on his stomach. Smirking, the next words he hissed made Lucy freeze in her tracks.

"Venom Dragon's Roar."

A stream of purple venom exploded from his mouth, hissing and sizzling as it shot at them. Lucy cried out in surprise and slid out of the way, dragging Jellal with her. He swore and threw himself over her to protect her from the few droplets that spattered them, gritting his teeth when they burned him. Virgo disappeared with a pained shriek.

"Where the hell are Erza and Gray?!" he muttered under his breath just a split second before the doors flew open and his question was answered.

Lucy's eyes went wide when she recognized the man that stepped in as the one who'd caught her attention on their way to the Estate. He, with the help of a large looking man with strange facial features, tossed an unconscious and bloodied Gray into the room, followed by a barely breathing Erza. Both were slicked with a sticky red, both covered in wounds. Erza's armor, which she'd requipped into with ease, was cracked and splintered, her face twisted with pain.

"We'll be taking what we want now," the newcomer, the man that Lucy had seen before, purred. His piercing red eyes turned on she and Jellal, who readied himself to fight again. Lucy guessed that this was Midnight, and Jellal confirmed this by hissing the name.

Midnight placed a booted foot on Gray's head, pressing down and grinding his heel in. "If you don't want to see your friends here die, Lucy Heartfilia, you'll accompany us to the treasury. Jellal Fernandes, you will think twice before moving to assist anyone. Is that clear?"

Lucy swallowed thickly. "Jellal, get off. Do as they say."

"Lucy-"

"Please."

Jellal rolled away, and Lucy shoved herself to her feet, hands trembling as she tossed her keys to him. Angel tilted her head curiously. "I'll come with you on two conditions. You allow Jellal to keep my keys for me, and two, you allow them to leave freely and return to our guild."

They glanced to Midnight, whose lips curved into a smirk. "Deal," he decided.

Lucy let herself be escorted from the room, pausing only to give Jellal an apologetic look alongside her keys as the mage threw himself beside Erza, inspecting her wounds.

* * *

 _Whew! Had a severe thunderstorm and thought I wouldn't be able to update! There was a tornado north west of us. My neighbor's fence blew over. Morons. Should have put it up better. Look who's here! Cobra. The precious child. And where should Natsu be but not there! YAY FOR CHAPTER 100! AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 2K REVIEWS!  
_

 _To the lovely person who wanted to know, I currently update on Mondays and Thursdays!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (GreenNinja23, MehKitty, niyah606, Uchida Akira, silver light of dawn, TigerArrowgirl, Nekokittygirl, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, FireDragonPhia, FairyDemonDust, Kauia, Typhlosion8, Dragondancer81, Guest #1, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Guest #2, Luna Dragneel, SunflowerChrysalis, FT4eva, The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, ToastedWeirdBrain, Guest #3, sassykitten1701, Knightwalker, allieflavored, Kitty Klaw, TopazDesiertoFleur, NaLu and InuKag, NaluLuva23, and Abdtf!)_


	101. Chapter 101

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy fought back the urge to hyperventilate as she followed Midnight, Angel at her back and Cobra beside her, looking pleased. The other one was on her other side - she learned his name was Hoteye - and it left her without a way of escape.

Lucy brushed her ruined skirts down, her blonde hair falling from its carefully styled updo and around her shoulders. Erza had an emergency card from Cana, she knew. Surely they'd call the guild with it and inform them of what had happened. Reinforcements would be sent - but how the hell had they beaten Erza and Gray so easily?! Or she and Jellal for that matter?! She wasn't a strong mage by any means, but she should have been able to hold up for a little bit longer than that against such mages…

Lucy licked her lips, and then gave Cobra a dirty look. "What do you need me for? You got what you wanted, didn't you? There was a piece of Nirvana's Infinity Clock here in the treasury. You killed my father and took it. So what do you need me for?"

Angel giggled, her dark eyes flashing. She brushed her now loose white hair over her shoulder, her head tilted slightly. "There's a slight issue with the piece...you can blame that stupid mother of yours. She trapped it down. Only those who have been touched by a Spirit can open the box that holds it, and even then, it bonds to that one person, and only they can touch it."

Layla Heartfilia had been a smart person, that was for sure.

That also came with an issue, she realized.

Like hell she'd be allowed to go home with a piece of Nirvana's Infinity Clock in hand.

Her shoulders slumping, Lucy suddenly stopped and leaned down, ripping at the skirts as hard as she could, even as the four members of Oracion Seis stopped to stare at her, too confused to demand to know what she was doing. She managed to rip it off just above her knees, and she kicked her heels off as well, giving her feet relief from the pain. She pulled her hair loose, but kept the earrings and her choker on, refusing to take either of Natsu's gifts off.

She'd need them for when he came home.

After she'd finished, ripping the sleeves off as well, Lucy turned to them. "Okay. We can go now. Let's hurry up, because I don't like prolonging things I'm clearly not going to like."

There was a brief pause as they comprehended what had just happened, and then Midnight snorted and grabbed her by the arm, hauling her forward. "Then stop prolonging it, woman."

Lucy licked her lips, her eyes narrowing irritably. If she was already screwed...why not make the situation worse? "My name is Lucy Heartfilia, and you know it. Believe me when I say I'm not just a princess that obediently does as I'm told."

A plan was forming in her mind as he snarled at her to silence herself.

A rather stupid plan, but a plan nonetheless.

Grab the stupid piece, and _book it._

She doubted she'd make it far, but it was worth a try, right?

"You will if you want us to leave that guild of yours alone," Cobra purred, "I heard there's a couple dragon slayers in there...would be a shame if the town overran them trying to kill the bunch of weirdos. Be kinda like the witch trials from olden days, ya know? Bet they'd burn nicely at the stake. Except for the one. They'd have to rip him into pieces."

Lucy swallowed thickly. Fighting back visions of just what Cobra had decided - Angel told him to shut up - she said icily, without a hint of emotion in her voice, "You really think my guild would be killed by such things? My guild is far stronger than you think. And you've pissed them off, you know. Them and their allies." She smirked. "They're hunting you as we speak. Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, you name it."

"Let them," Hoteye snickered, "They won't find us." His eyes gleamed. "I'd see them coming before they could so much as step in our direction."

"Mm," Lucy hummed thoughtfully. _But what if they came from all directions…?_

It took them little to no time to reach the entrance to the treasury and she grew more somber as they entered it. Her escape plan wasn't the best, but it was the only one she had, and she doubted it would end well.

They came to a halt in front of a rather large chest. Lucy remembered it; she'd once hidden herself in it as a child. That had been before her mother's death of course. Her father would have never let her play in such ways.

Lucy could feel the power of the object that was hidden within the chest, and it made her shiver in fear. She bit back a sound, forcing herself to merely raise her chin and prepare herself.

Five…

Midnight kicked open the chest.

Four…

She was ordered to pick it up, this clock hand, which was nearly half of her height in length.

Three…

Lucy knelt before the chest, pulling it out and ignoring the buzz that raced through her fingertips.

Two…

She straightened, ignoring the snickering that Cobra gave.

One…

She twitched her lips, working up her attack.

 _Go!_

Lucy's dark eyes flashed gold.

"Urano Metria."

* * *

"Almost there," Jellal gritted out as he helped a barely standing Gray haul the injured Erza through the streets. He could see the familiar tavern, not too far away from where they stood, its wards on high alert. The magic crackled at their approach, alerting those inside that someone was coming.

Jellal had to give his stalkers credit; Doranbolt sure as hell knew when it was smart to appear. He'd shown up only seconds after Lucy had left with the mages that had easily defeated them, his eyes narrowed suspiciously, though the suspicion had vanished at the sight before him.

Doranbolt clearly hadn't expected to discover Titania Erza lying in a pool of blood.

After getting Gray to wake up, the Councilman had used his magic to get them to Magnolia before leaving to speak with the Council. Apparently, notifying them that a war was about to begin was necessary.

Erza groaned softly, and someone stopped to stare at them in horror. "Oh, my-," they breathed, "Should I call an ambulance?"

"No," Jellal told them, "We've got her. It's just...she got drunk and this is fake blood from a cosplay she was doing for pictures." There. That would explain the broken armor she wore.

"Oh. Uh, good luck then, I guess?" The person continued on.

"Good lie," Gray complimented with a dry smile as they staggered forward a few more steps.

"I'm good at it, though lying isn't something to be proud of," Jellal gritted out in response.

They finally arrived at the guildhall and Gray kicked the doors open with a bellowed, "Where's Wendy?!"

" _Gray_?" Mirajane shrieked in shock. She hurtled over the bar, her blue eyes wide with shock. The guildhall was empty otherwise, everyone out and looking for information or warning other guilds of what had happened. "Oh, my- _Master_!" she cried.

"What's all of this commotion about?" he grumbled as he came out of the office he usually occupied, followed by Gildarts. His eyes widened at the sight before him, however, and he frowned. "Mira-"

"I'll call for Wendy, she shouldn't be too far away. She and Gajeel are still just outside of Magnolia, looking for Natsu." She bustled away.

"Good," Jellal gasped as he and Gray heaved Erza onto a table with Gildarts' help. His gaze darted up, dark and worried. "Forgive me, Makarov. We were tricked. King Heartfilia was indeed murdered, but his assistant, Sorano, turned out to be Angel of the Oracion Seis. They were waiting for us. They need Lucy to help them get the remaining piece of Nirvana's Infinity Clock from the treasury of the Estate, and…" He shook his head, pressing his lips together. "She went with them."

"I see." Makarov turned to Gildarts. "You're pretty good at sensing magic. Careful of what you do, but I need you to hunt down Natsu. Even if he and Lucy were in some kind of argument before all of this…"

"I understand, Master," Gildarts reassured. He winked. "I'll drag the kid back."

He turned on his heel and started for the doors, and Gray groaned in exhaustion as he slumped into a chair. "I can't believe this...freaking caught by surprise because I thought I saw Ur, even though I _know_ she's dead…"

"That would be Midnight, using his magic," Jellal muttered. "He uses a type of magic that is capable of reflecting the image of what he wants people to see...it's similar to illusion magic in that way. It makes him a deadly opponent, as he can reflect our attacks away from him. Cobra and Hoteye were there as well. Angel mentioned the possibility of Racer, too."

"I see," Makarov growled. "How dare they, attacking my brats like that…"

"I'm sorry," Jellal murmured, "You entrusted us with Lucy's safety-"

"This is no fault of any of you," Makarov interrupted. "We thought something like this might happen."

"I predicted it would."

They all glanced up to discover Mavis watching from the balcony. Laxus leaned over the banister beside her, his Thunder legion on either side of them. She smiled secretively. "I knew it would happen. It was either they deal such minimal damage there, where very few would have seen such devastation, or here, where all of Magnolia would have seen the use of magic as we fought against them. I was prepared for this to happen."

"You couldn't _warn_ us first?" Gray snapped angrily. "Lucy's who knows what now!"

"I am aware, Gray Fullbuster." She glanced at Laxus out of the corner of her eye. "It is time for Mission Overdrive, Laxus Dreyar. Do not fail, or this may very well be the end of Fairy Tail."

"Tch. Like I'd let us fail." Laxus hopped over the banister, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed following suit. He didn't hesitate to snatch up Mirajane when she came back out, claiming that Wendy was on her way, and throwing her over his shoulder without so much as a moment's hesitation. "C'mon, Mira, hate me later. We've got work to do."

"Mission Overdrive?" Makarov demanded.

Mavis giggled as she hopped down, landing lightly before them with blonde locks spilling around her. "Mission Overdrive," she repeated smugly. "Has a series of steps that must be performed with care. It is a codename for the plan against Oracion Seis. The first step is a summoning ritual used by only the blackest of mages: Evocatio Daemonis."

"We're using _black magic_ to freaking defeat the black mages?" Gray growled, "Are you insane?"

"Mm," Mavis hummed, "Perhaps. I entrusted your grandson and his team to assist Mirajane Strauss in her part in this. Because first, she must take over the chosen demon."

Makarov looked surprisingly calm as he asked what demon they were summoning.

"They're going to summon the demon Halphas," Mavis replied with a smug look. "I am confident in her ability to take over its form."

Makarov looked horrified. "That demon has not been seen nor challenged for near a century, why on earth do you think she could-"

"Calm down, Gramps," Gray interrupted, "It's Mira, I'm sure she'll be okay. Besides, Laxus is with her, ain't he? He'll make sure she comes home safe."

Mavis hummed her agreement. "Particularly why I assigned this step to him and his team...now. Onto phase two of Mission Overdrive. I will require your assistance for this, Jellal Fernandes."

"Oh?" Jellal glanced at her. "What will I have to do, Mavis?"

She giggled, pleased. "I will need you to find Juvia Lockser and accompany she and Gray Fullbuster to a safe location nearby and instruct them on the ways of Unison Raid. They will need to be performing one that is capable of taking out - at the very least - Angel and Racer of Oracion Seis. In the meantime, I will wait until Erza Scarlet is healed, and then begin the third phase of Mission Overdrive."

"Which is?"

"Locating the Robe of Yuen, which will be a key piece to defeating Midnight of Oracion Seis."

* * *

 _"Natsu, wherever you are, if you get this, call me immediately. You have to get home, there's an emergency. I'm heading to Bosco with some of the guild. Oracion Seis is trying to revive Nirvana's Infinity Clock. Please. Call me."_

His fingers danced along the screen of his phone, the ring that decorated his finger gleaming in the dim light of his hoard. Misery swept through him, accompanied by worry for his nakama and partner.

Natsu could barely hear the message over the interference of his own magic. It crackled and cut in and out, but after a few attempts, he'd pieced it together.

Yet his mind kept darting back to the wounds. The burns. Which _he'd_ been the cause of.

She couldn't possibly mean that she wanted him to come back. There was no way. They were just trying to coax him into coming back so that they could call him the names that he already called himself.

Because those names were what he was.

He _was_ a monster. His dragon slaying magic was different; it had to be. Gajeel had never hurt Levy - outside of those few necessary times, when dealing with Phantom Lord. Wendy never lost control of her wind, nor did Sting and Rogue lose their command over shadow and light.

It was just him.

Only he couldn't control his own flames.

Only he lost his cool over such stupid matters.

And only he had ever burned someone who meant so much to him.

So, Natsu deleted the message.

He needed more time, he decided.

More time to prepare himself for the hatred that would inevitably come.

* * *

 _You guys wanted to know more about how Natsu was doing...and he's still being an idiot, is he not? Go Lucy though. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (GreenNinja23, TaylorNReed, The Age of Awesomeness, FairyDemonDust, TigerArrowgirl, metalican slayer, NaluLuva23, CheyennaBanana, CharonteQueen, Moon Stone Tiger lily, allieflavored, niyah606, xhearthemusic, Typhlosion8, Guest #1, SunflowerChrysalis, Nyx, LePengwen, Nekokittygirl, NaLu and InuKag, Guest 4, Faery'sConfessions, FireDragonPhia, ToastedWeirdBrain, MehKitty, Dragondancer81, Guest #2, ILoveAnime2010, PinkFireandGoldenStars, quite-a-riot, OfInkNRoses, Ft4dva, Jen the Mischievous, Hanbamjung-RHEN, Xiaconis, FairyRains, Neko-May Resha, Alexia Colette, and BrokenGlass12!) as well as thosse who favorited and followed!_


	102. Chapter 102

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy slammed her back against the wall, a hand clasped over her mouth to hide her panicked breaths as footsteps raced by, a voice hissing dangerously about what would happen to her when they found her. Exhaustion swept through her, remnants of the magic she'd been forced to use when using her spell to knock out at least three of her captors threatening to knock her unconscious.

It was a miracle Cobra hadn't found her by now. The last she remembered of him was the shocked look on his bloodied face as he came to terms with the fact that he was suddenly missing an eye.

And he was _pissed_ , if the whispers about how he was going to melt the flesh from her bones said anything.

Lucy's hand fell from her mouth as she touched the pendant at her throat, determination filling her. She could feel the magic exploding from it, trying to conceal and hide her, assisting her in her escape.

Even from wherever he was, Igneel's magic was at work.

After catching her breath, Lucy stealthily tucked the clock hand under her arm and scampered forward, determined to get away while she still could. She shoved a hand down the front of her dress and retracted a slightly bent call card, glancing around before activating it as she slid behind a tree in the Estate's gardens.

More than aware of Cobra's sharp hearing, she said nothing and ripped it in half only a second after it connected, giving herself enough time to breathe into it only.

There. Enough to tell them she was alive, if Jellal had gotten any word back to headquarters.

Sprinting at full speed and ignoring the pain of her bare feet, Lucy headed for town. She would hide herself there and catch the first flight home, she decided. She'd use her status to get a free flight - no one would _dare_ tell the princess of Bosco no.

Except maybe Cobra, who suddenly appeared with a dark look on his face. He stepped into her path, grabbing her sharply around the waist when she moved to shoot past him. Lifting her with ease over his shoulder, he hissed, "Dunno where you think you're going, lady, we ain't done with you yet."

"Screw off," Lucy spat and promptly took the clock hand and whacked him as hard as she could over the back of the head.

Lucy had never been as confused as she was the second she hit the ground, crushing a smaller version of the dragon slayer beneath her. A higher-pitched version of Cobra's voice seethed in her ear, "What the _fuck_!?"

Sitting up, she stared openly at the small child before her. He looked horrified, clothes draped uselessly around him, and then glared at her with large eyes. "What the hell did you do to me, you stupid wretch?!"

"I don't know," Lucy breathed back, immediately reaching over to use the sleeves of the jacket he'd been wearing and tie him there, "But whatever it was, I hope it doesn't change. Ha! Look at that, taking down a member of the Oracion Seis all by myself, and simply because you couldn't hold up against a freaking clock hand, you know that?"

" _Silence_ ," he snarled, and she only cooed mockingly before grabbing the clock hand and wiggling her fingers in farewell. And then she bolted again, determined to get to the nearby town. If she could reach that, then safety was at hand.

Lucy yanked her phone out of her dress as she ran. It was surprising just how much could be shoved down the front of a dress when one set their mind to it. She dialed Natsu's number furiously, muttering prayers under her breath as it rang. Natsu's laugh rang in her ear as he told her to leave a message, and she panted into the phone, near tears.

"You're an idiot, you know that?! Where are you?! I don't give a damn that you burned me, Wendy's healed it already, but I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off and I have this stupid clock hand that I don't know what to do with, because I don't have a way home-" She cut off, hot tears burning down her cheeks. "Damn it, Natsu, what kind of Fairy Tail mage are you, letting your partner get twisted into things like this?!" She paused, panting for breath. "Anyways, _call me_ , damn you."

And then she hung up.

She shoved the phone back down the front of her dress, heaved the clock hand up, and gritted her teeth against its weight.

She had to do this.

And she would.

She kind of regretted giving Jellal her keys, though.

* * *

A string of curses left the frustrated mouth of Cobra as he fought to free himself and figure out how to return to his original age and size at the same time, venom spattering the air and sizzling as it touched the ground in his anger.

It was close to two hours before the others were finally awake, and Lucy, though exhausted, was miles away, her breathing labored as she gratefully accepted a farmer's offer to drive her into town. His ears weren't as sharp as they should have been, but he still heard the entire conversation.

He knew the young woman's plan, had known it since she'd come up with it.

But their intel had said she wouldn't be able to use Urano Metria.

"Cobra!" Angel looked furious as she ran over, horrified and curious at the same time that she was angry. "What the hell are you doing?"

"The bitch caught me with that goddamn clock hand," Cobra spat. Angel knelt to free him from his confines, and he somehow kept the clothes around him, his eyes angry. "Shouldn't be even close to being able to use it! Only-"

"Those of the Heartfilia line who have shared magic with a dragon can use Nirvana's Infinity Clock," Midnight mused as he strode into view with Hoteye close behind. Neither looked pleased. "The last to use the Clock was Anna Heartfilia, when she was allied with the chaos dragon thousands of years ago."

Cobra scowled viciously, good eye darting up to them. "The hell we gonna do 'bout this? I can't go around fighting dragon slayers if I'm a stupid kid!"

Angel peered down at him, a smirk on her cruel face. "I don't know," she hummed, "Perhaps you could be an efficient distraction…"

"Angel," Midnight growled. "Without Cobra's ability, we are at a disadvantage. We can't hear their plans."

"Perhaps I can offer my assistance?"

All four paused in their bickering to stare at the newcomer, a young woman with long dark hair pulled out of her face. She wore a simple outfit - some kind of leotard-like piece with a long sleeved jacket pulled over it and black silk tights. Her feet were clad in high-heeled boots, and a strange looking orb was balanced carefully on her finger.

"Who the hell are you?" Cobra demanded.

"Mm," she hummed, "I'm sure my name doesn't matter nearly as much as your need to recapture the celestial mage, now does it?" She gave a dark smile, her excitement clear. "My Arc of Time magic will restore your form to its original status as you wish. _And_ I will tell you the secret to controlling the Clock. I only ask for two things in return."

Midnight narrowed his eyes. "Which is?"

"Rather than pursuing Lucy Heartfilia straight away," she said, "I want you to allow her to reunite with her guild. Let them have a single day of peace. And then launch a full out attack on their guildhall. Show magic off, let those without magic see it. And in the chaos, I ask that you retrieve the information Fairy Tail holds about a magic known as Fairy Heart. When this has been done, you will find me in Hargeon and hand the files over. If you fail to hand the files over, you will live to regret it. You can do as you with with the Clock. Is that clear?"

Angel glanced at Midnight. "Would Brain accept such terms?"

"I believe so," he muttered, and then gave a curt nod. "Talk. You mentioned the way to control the Clock?"

She grinned. "The Clock requires the sacrifice of a celestial mage born with magic. Allow it to absorb the magic and soul of Lucy Heartfilia, and its power will not only increase, but guarantee the first one it hears power."

"Interesting," Midnight purred. "Thank you for such information. Racer will deliver your files to you come the seventeenth or eighteenth of the month."

Angel giggled and Hoteye grinned as the powerful woman went to work on returning Cobra to his original size.

Their plan was set in stone.

Their guildmaster had told them to retrieve the pieces necessary for the rebuilding of Nirvana's Infinity Clock.

He'd said nothing about making deals with those who so clearly were darker than them.

* * *

A grimace flashed across her face as she awoke to the sound of her phone buzzing violently on a table beside her. Groaning softly at the effort, Erza forced herself to sit up, grateful that she'd been allowed to go back to the apartment she rented with Wendy rather than staying in the guildhall's infirmary.

Otherwise, it never would have worked.

She answered it with a soft hiss of pain when she tugged at her scarred wound, the area still tender despite all of the healing. "Hello?"

"Erza?"

How did it always end up with Lucy on the other end of the phone and who the hell knew where? She still sat forward, her eyes wide. "Lucy! Are you alright?"

"Fine, just...running. I thought you'd be the most likely to get my call." Lucy sighed heavily, sounding exhausted. "I just wanted...has Natsu…?"

"No," Erza murmured. "I'm sorry. Master has sent Gildarts to find him from what I've heard, and Gajeel and the Exceeds are still looking as well."

"I...I guessed as much. I think I'm free at the moment, should be able to catch a quick flight back," Lucy told her. "I have...Erza, I have a piece of the Clock. It's a clock hand, and apparently I'm the only one capable of holding onto it. Or something like that. I turned Cobra into a child for a bit, but I think he'll find a way to turn back into normal."

Erza blinked. "You _what_?"

"Anyways, can you call me if Natsu shows up?"

"Yes, I will make sure that you are notified," Erza promised, already forcing herself out of bed to find the lacrima she'd purchased from a magic shop. She needed to contact the guild, alert them of Lucy's current safety, though it was a very precarious situation. "I am sorry that we couldn't do more. We were cut down by two of them, known as-"

"Midnight and Hoteye." Lucy groaned softly. "Believe me, they made sure I was aware. Be careful from now on, okay? You scared me...I was worried that you wouldn't wake up again after what I saw…"

"Wendy saw to my injuries, Lucy, I am going to be fine," Erza chuckled. "Don't worry about me. We'll be waiting, make sure to call us in the morning. Jellal is keeping your keys safe for you."

"Good. I really do think that he's okay now." Lucy sounded gentle, amused. "He's a good person now, I think. I believe he really was possessed, Erza. Anyways...I better go, I have some traveling to do."

"Stay safe, Lucy," Erza ordered and then said goodbye before hanging up.

"Erza?" Wendy had appeared, sleepily rubbing her eyes.

"Lucy is alright," Erza said warmly. "I just received a call from her. She got away and is currently on her way home...and she managed to take the clock hand they needed, too."

"That's great!" Wendy cried, tears of happiness springing to her eyes. She looked exhausted after healing Erza's wounds. "I heard that they'd gotten a strange call from one of Cana's cards...I bet it was her! At least we'll have good news if they find Natsu before she's back!"

"We shouldn't be still searching for him," Erza muttered. "Where on earth is he? Giving Lucy more gifts and then disappearing without making sure she was okay..."

Wendy was silent for a moment before a look flashed across her face and she suddenly beamed. "Erza! I think I know where he is!"

* * *

Ignoring the sight of half-melted gold, Natsu had been wandering aimlessly throughout his hoard, aware that it was night outside, when his phone rang, signaling a delayed voicemail. He hesitated before picking it up to listen to it, and his heart twisted painfully as the voice of his partner filled the air.

 _"You're an idiot, you know that?! Where are you?! I don't give a damn that you burned me, Wendy's healed it already, but I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off and I have this stupid clock hand that I don't know what to do with, because I don't have a way home- Damn it, Natsu, what kind of Fairy Tail mage are you, letting your partner get twisted into things like this?! Anyways, call me, damn you."_

He shook his pink-haired head slowly, gritting his teeth and dropping to his knees among the gold, his fingers digging into his scalp as he fisted his hands in his hair. It repeated as he dropped the phone, its screen cracking as it struck the stone ground.

He trusted Lucy. He trusted her with his hoard, with his _life_.

But in this, he didn't believe her.

He refused to.

 _She's trying to lure me back,_ he screamed in his head, tears rising.

Panic flooded him.

He didn't want to lose her, not like he'd lost Igneel.

Guilt spiraled through him as he gave a hiccuping sob.

 _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.  
_

* * *

 _Look at Lucy go. Eh? Go her. And I think Natsu needs a hug. From her preferably. Now excuse me while I cover my ears to try and hide from the annoying barking of my grandfather's dog._

 _Thanks to reviewers (TigerArrowgirl, TaylorNReed, silver light of dawn, FairyDemonDust, Nekokittygirl, ToastedWeirdBrain, Guest #1, niyah606, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, The Age of Awesomness, xhearthemusic, ilftnatsu, LePengwen, FireDragonPhia, quite-a-riot, BrokenGlass12, allieflavored, MehKitty, Guest 4, PinkFireandGoldenStars, sassykitten1701, Ishitad, OfInkNRoses, TopazDesiertoFleur, MirrorFlame, CheyennaBanana, Typhlosion8, Shidake, NaLu and InuKag, FairyRains, Dragondancer81, AngelEmCuti, and Alexia Colette!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	103. Chapter 103

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

By the time Lucy made it back to Magnolia, she was ready to drop dead from exhaustion. She ignored the strange looks she received as she staggered down the street, aware that the people around her were probably as confused as hell about what was going on with the strange club in town as of recently.

It was evening and a day later, thanks to a delay in her flight, but she was _home_.

And she was more than relieved that it was proven by a shout of her name. She cranked her head back, a slurred "Oh, hello, Levy," escaping her lips just a second before her legs gave out. She grunted as she hit the ground hard, the clock hand striking the sidewalk with a loud sound.

Levy came running, her teammates no either side of her and Pantherlily in her arms. He was pretending to be a normal cat - though it was rather hard to imagine with the cat wearing pants.

"Lucy!" she gasped as she dropped to her knees beside her. "Are you hurt? Oh, my gosh, we heard that you'd been taken captive, and we were so worried-"

"I'm fine," Lucy laughed tiredly, "I just need some sleep. Has my stupid partner been found yet?" Distress underlined her tone at that; she wanted Natsu, damn it!

"Sorry, Lu," Levy murmured as she hoisted her friend up, arm drawn over her slim shoulders. Jet grabbed Lucy's other side and Pantherlily was handed off to Droy. "Gildarts and Gajeel are still looking. Lily just came in to check in; he and the other cats are hard at work, too."

Lucy's face fell in disappointment, but she told Droy, "Grab the clock hand...don't let it touch you, I don't know what it does to people who shouldn't be touching it."

"Got it," Droy agreed, stooping with care to do as she said.

With Levy and Jet's help, she reached the guildhall sooner than planned and she gave a huge grin at the sight of the building's doors as they stepped into it. Grimacing in exhaustion, Lucy crumpled again, and this time, Levy was there to catch her with a yelp.

"Lucy!" Lisanna cried in surprise. She flew around the bar at full speed, darting over, and the commotion was added to when Wendy slid down the guildhall stair's banister, eyes glowing. Erza followed with care, her movement slow from pain that still evident in her body. All of this drew Makarov from his office, and he looked pleased when he discovered what was going on.

"Lucy, my child, welcome home," he greeted with a proud look on his face.

She only beamed weakly before turning to Erza. "Where's Jellal? He has my keys…?"

"He is busy at the moment," a voice cut in, "Don't worry, he will return within the hour."

"Mavis," Lucy muttered, smiling faintly at the spirit-like apparition of the founder of Fairy Tail., who was looking intently at the clock hand. "So I managed to - what I assume is temporary - turn Cobra of Oracion Seis into a child with that thing by hitting him with it."

There was a brief moment of silence before Mirajane asked faintly, "You turned Cobra into...a child?"

"Yep. I don't think he'll stay that way, but…" Lucy turned to Erza to ask her something, and then swore loudly when her legs gave out again, sending her straight into the scarlet-haired woman's arms. "Sorry," she said hastily. "I used Urano Metria to get away, and I haven't used the spell by myself like that, so I'm tired."

"That's alright," Erza reassured with a chuckle. "Come, let's get you a change of clothes and some coffee so that you can explain what happened."

Lucy grabbed her phone, ignoring the looks on the males' faces when she pulled it from the front of her dress. "Okay." She'd make a call when she was away from everyone - Natsu. She had to try and call him again. They _had_ to find him!

 _...I really need to calm down,_ she sighed silently, frustrated by her own thoughts. She let her fingers brush against the scars on her arm, and moved to follow Erza - only to stop when the guildhall doors jumped open.

Hope faded as a breathless Jellal entered, Gray and Juvia piling in after him. "I thought I sensed...hello, Lucy. It appears I did sense your magic arriving in town."

"Lucy!" Gray said with a grin, looking relieved. "Glad to see you're alright."

"Ditto," she replied, smiling. At least he wasn't harmed outside of a black eye.

Juvia gave her a look as she clutched Gray's arm to her chest, but Gray didn't seem bothered, even shaking her off and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Lucy smiled warmly at the pair before turning to Jellal. She didn't even have to open her mouth before he tossed them to her.

The keys heated the second they touched her hand, and Lucy hugged them to her, kissing them with affection as she caught them. Aquarius' key started to sear at her fingers angrily, but Lucy only laughed, and turned to throw her arms around Loke's neck in a hug, when the irritable Lion appeared on his own.

"Loke!"

"Damn it, Lucy," Loke grumbled as he returned the hug. "You're in trouble. What the hell do you have our keys for if you never do anything with them?"

"I fought!" Lucy protested. "Virgo would tell you!"

He grunted, and then had to fight back a smile when she huffily told him that she'd used Urano Metria, _thank you very much_ , and that she was very proud of herself for smacking Cobra with a clock hand.

Ruffling her blonde hair gently, Loke told her, "You did well. We're proud of you. But for now...we have more important issues to discuss. Summon Virgo, she'll have your whip and some clothes. And then...we plan. Because we Spirits can't see what Oracion Seis plans on doing next."

* * *

Lucy was quick to change upstairs and slid down the banister like Wendy had to join them once she was done. She'd summoned and thanked Virgo, all while ordering her to inform the Spirits of her regrets about what had happened. Virgo had been kind as she'd reassured the celestial mage and helped her into a strange looking outfit.

It was another one of those strange outfits that she was uncomfortable in; it was blue with gold designs stitched into it, a white bow tying it at her throat. Bracelets decorated her wrist, and a band had been wrapped around each forearm. Blue thigh-high stockings completed the look alongside fancy boots and a short blue skirt that made her flush.

Loke tugged on one of the long pigtails she'd been forced to put her hair into as she came to stand beside him. "Nice look."

"Shush," she giggled, swatting his hand away. She touched the whip at her hip with a gentle look and then turned and took the clock hand from where it had been resting on a table, resting it in her lap.

Mavis studied it curiously, a finger tapping her lip. "The clock hand of Nirvana's Infinity Clock...I should have known that Layla Heartfilia was entrusted with it. I met her once, before I was in the state that I am in now. She was a kind woman. I am grateful that she took care of such a thing with grace." Mavis turned her attention onto Lucy now. "The clock hand is what controls where the power is directed. Without it, it will practically destroy them. I am glad that you retrieved it."

Lucy beamed in pride, and then jumped when the doors flew open and in came a smirking Laxus. Bickslow, Evergreen, and Freed were close behind him, all looking pleased, and an unconscious Mirajane was gently held in the lightning mage's arms.

Mavis beamed. "You were successful!"

"We were successful," Freed repeated proudly. "Mira was able to conquer the demon."

"She's exhausted," Evergreen snipped, tapping a fan to her lips. Her brown hair had been piled up with carefully crafted curls. "She needs rest."

"Well done, all of you," Mavis praised and then looked to the quiet Jellal. "And are Juvia Lockser and Gray Fullbuster doing well in their training to use Unison Raid, Jellal Fernandes?"

"Yes," he murmured, "They're doing fine. They should be able to use it properly within days."

"Perfect. Erza Scarlet, we have something for you to do now, and once Natsu Dragneel has arrived, I will send he and Lucy Heartfilia to learn Unison Raid as well - theirs may perhaps be the most powerful we will ever see." Mavis looked ecstatic about all of this information, humming to herself as she stepped over to investigate how the situation with Mirajane had gone.

"Master!" another voice suddenly said. Kinana, who'd been keeping an eye on the communications lacrima had suddenly appeared, beaming. "Lyon Vastia has made contact. Lisanna and Elfman reached the Lamia Scale guild, and he and a few others will be arriving within the next twenty four hours to help and prepare for the fight."

"Ugh," Gray groaned, though he grinned. "Bastard."

Makarov nodded curtly. "Good. See if you can check in with Gildarts or Gajeel, would you? I want to see how the search for Natsu is going-"

"Oh!" Wendy suddenly cried. "I never got to tell you, Master, I think I know where he is!"

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone present - even Mavis - stared at her, and she blushed furiously before admitting, "When we get upset, we like to hide in the place we feel safest. In most cases, I would have suggested that he feels safest around Lucy, but in this case...I really think he's hiding at the location of his hoard, Master."

Lucy's eyes flew wide. "I...you're right, that's something he'd do."

"Tell that to Gajeel or Gildarts if you talk to them," Makarov ordered Kinana and then moved over to reach up with an over-sized hand to ruffle Wendy's hair. "Good job, Wendy, you might have just saved us a lot of wasted time."

Wendy beamed in excitement at the praise and then hustled over to where Mirajane was being laid on a table, determined to help if she could.

Loke, who'd remained silent through all of this, rested a hand on Lucy's head with a gentle smile. She glanced up at him in surprise, and he told her, "You did well while using Urano Metria. I was watching, as were a few of the others, and we were impressed with you. Perhaps soon I can teach you some more benefits that come with having contracts with the stars."

Lucy nodded eagerly. "I'd appreciate that, Loke," she said honestly, and then planted her hands on her hips after putting the clock hand on the table. "I guess you and I will be defending this...why don't you go back until I call for you again? We both need to preserve our strength...I feel like something huge is going to happen soon."

"Undoubtedly. Something big always happens when someone wants to kidnap you," he teased. He waved a finger and something appeared in his hands, something small and compact, that Lucy eagerly took. "Here, read this while we wait for something to happen." And then he disappeared in a flash of light.

As everyone went to work on their respective work, Lucy settled down and began to skim through her mother's diary, passing through the boring passages with ease. It was nearly two years of peace within the diary before anything started to get strange again.

 _March 8th, X773_

 _Bad news again. I thought the peace would last forever, but it appears that Acnologia was spotted again. The Chaos Dragon attacked the island of Tenrou hundreds of miles off the coast of Fiore. There was only one survivor - a girl by the name of Mavis Vermillion. She's so young…she was rescued by a few members of the Magic Council of Fiore, who were checking on the island at the time. Acnologia sunk the island._

 _It happened while I was visiting the queen of Fiore and her daughter. Hisui is Lucy's age; they're going to come visit soon, so that they can play together! I can't wait. My heart aches for her. She lost everything._

 _I got to meet this Mavis Vermillion. The Council brought her to Crocus to meet Toma, and I was stunned. She smiled so brightly despite everything that had happened to her. She reminds me of Lucy. I hope to see her again._

 _No word from Igneel yet. Nor any of the other dragons. But Igneel said not to expect much; they're all busy._

 _~Layla_

Lucy found it extremely ironic that she'd learned of the meeting between her mother and Mavis not too long before and here she was, reading about it. She patted the page affectionately, and then jumped when a familiar voice murmured, "We saw each other once more after this."

Mavis herself had leaned over her shoulder to read. A gentle smile on her face, she explained, "Layla Heartfilia wanted to protect you, and she came to Magnolia after I became the way I was. She asked for something, and I granted it to her. She was brave, as are you. You are so much like her...and that's a compliment, Lucy Heartfilia."

Lucy only smiled and pressed the page to her lips.

* * *

 _Things really kick off soon, eh? Unison Raid is lovely. As is just about everything else._

 _Thanks to reviewers (metalican slayer, piggycat350, niyah606, FairyDemonDust, TigerArrowgirl, quite-a-riot, LePengwen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, silver light of dawn, Xiaconis, FireDragonPhia, Nekokittygirl, Guest #1, ilftnatsu, MirrorFlame, CheyennaBanana, Guest #2, Shidake, TaylorNReed, Nyx, ToastedWeirdBrain, SingingAngel327, The Age of Awesomeness, AngelEmCuti, MehKitty, Kauia, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Ishitad, Sydneste, Guest 4, zzMiya-chanzz, TopazDesiertoFleur, The 0bservanc3, 7upvodka, FairyRains, and SunflowerChrysalis!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	104. Chapter 104

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The next morning came with a bang.

Literally.

Lucy woke up to a rather smug looking Lion clanging the pots she used for cooking over her head with a firm look on his face. Swearing loudly and glaring at him, the sleepy blonde demanded, "The hell is wrong with you? I thought I told you to preserve your damn strength so that we could be ready-"

Loke grinned. "Yeah, the Zodiacs decided that you needed to practice Urano Metria. So let's get going, we're going to test out an idea that Lucy from Earthland gave me."

"Ugh," Lucy moaned throwing her pillow over her face. But Loke was soon there, prying it away despite her protests. "Loke-"

"They'll probably find Natsu today," he told her. She cranked her eyes open to stare at him. "You'll need to be ready to be dragged to wherever he is so that you can beat the hell out of him." He plucked her hand up from the bed, scowling at the scars that decorated her arm. "Can't believe he did this…"

"It's not his fault," Lucy sighed. "Although I don't understand _why_ he was so upset about you and I studying the constellations. It wasn't like I was abandoning him to go and hang out with a new friend."

Loke stared at her and then cackled, shaking his head as he pushed his shades up. "Lucy, for someone who claims to be in love with that moron, you're certainly blind. Come on, get _up_ before I call for Aquarius."

Lucy hopped straight out of bed.

* * *

After swiftly showering and dressing herself in the bathroom, Lucy grabbed a quick bite of breakfast, grateful that none of her food had gone bad in the time she was gone. "I wish I'd been able to find out what happened to my father's body," she commented, shoving her phone into her pocket. "I mean, he was an ass, but he wasn't that big of an ass."

"We'll find out after this little war is over," he promised, ruffling her messy blonde hair. "I'm sure we'll find out eventually. You should make sure that Bosco is taken care of."

"Done. I called King Toma's advisor on my way back to Fiore," she reported, "He'll see to it that the country is taken care of in my absence. Hisui is going over to make sure that everything goes smoothly."

"Good," Loke told her, clearly pleased with how she was handling things. Smug, the Spirit lifted his gaze and smiled tightly. "In that case, if everything goes smoothly, you may no longer be a princess. You'll be swarmed by press, of course, but you'll be safe from having to return to that life."

"Or everything will go wrong and I'll have to marry whether I want to or not," she admitted with a sigh. "It all depends on how this goes." She hesitated, and then admitted quietly, "Natsu would know what to say about all of this. He figures things out so that they go his way really easily. I kind of...I can't think anything through. Everything I come up with goes wrong."

Loke paused to study her with sharp eyes and then muttered back, "You know I'm not fond of him, Lucy, but I will say this...he is smart when it comes to keeping you safe."

"I know," Lucy said with a huge smile.

They started out for the guildhall - Lucy wanted to check in before they headed into forest to deal with her training, or whatever they were doing. She didn't dare just disappear on their friends again on the risk of Erza's wrath, though she knew that the scarlet-haired woman was gone, accompanied by Team Shadowgear in her search for the Robe of Yuen.

The streets of Magnolia were peaceful. No one had any idea of what was coming, of the danger that hovered over their heads, and Lucy envied that. It must have been nice to not have to worry about fighting and saving the lives of everyone around you.

But she wouldn't give up the fighting and the desperation for anything, she decided as she lifted her hand to kiss the emblem upon the back of it.

Because that was what it meant to be Fairy Tail.

You fought for the lives of innocents and nakama.

Whether you yourself lived or died.

* * *

"C'mon, there ain't no way the bastard's that way."

"Shut up, I know what I'm doing."

Gajeel bristled furiously as Gildarts ignored what he was saying in favor of simply sitting there, his eyes shut and his elbows on his knees. Gajeel was at a loss; just what the hell was he doing? It wasn't like they were going to find that stupid Salamander that way!

Suddenly, Gildarts' eyes snapped open. "Ah ha," was all he said as he heaved himself to his feet. Gajeel caught sight a glint of metal, recognizing the other man's rather strange prosthetics - hand-crafted by the iron dragon slayer himself as way of payment for not killing him at an earlier time.

"What ya find?" Gajeel demanded as Gildarts started forward.

"Natsu," he replied. "Told ya; this isn't my first rodeo. You really think the kid's never gone and disappeared on us before, Gajeel? I know exactly how to find him and exactly how to lure him out."

Gajeel grunted his agreement, and then grabbed the older man's shoulder to stop him as soon as he saw it: a brand of magic just barely seen. It had been carved into the rock that rested beneath their feet with searing magic, and it radiated a heat he recognized. "Gihi," Gajeel said as he read it. "Here we go."

Gildarts examined it curiously. "...magic of the dragons?"

"Yep." Gajeel lifted his crimson gaze to scan the area. "Which means we're close to the bastard's hoard. Finally found it, been lookin' for years. Watch where ya step, old man, they're gonna be all over the place."

"Got it," Gildarts muttered.

They wandered closer and closer for a short while until they discovered that it was near impossible to step anywhere without finding one, and Gajeel announced, "No way we're gettin' closer without his permission. Gotta stop here. Ya said ya can pull him out?"

"Watch and learn." Gildarts knelt, digging in the pocket of his jacket for a second and then withdrew some matches. "Figured this out the second time he ran off after Gray pissed him off. He's been in there a few days, more than likely, without food, right? Means he'll be hungrier than normal. No way he's going to shove off a chance to get some fire."

Gajeel grinned. "Smart."

"You can thank Levy for the idea, she came up with it. Smart little girl you have, make sure you keep her; she'll save you some day." Gildarts murmured as he looked around and then waved for him to find some wood.

"Already has," the dragon slayer muttered and then did as he was told, careful to not step in any traps. Due to the charring that Natsu had done around the nearby entrance that Gajeel could see - he wondered if the sucker had even noticed them yet - it took a few hot minutes - literally. The air was searing, and even he, who fond of the scorching heat of deserts, was unhappily sweating within seconds.

Eventually, however, he came back with the needed kindling. Gildarts easily set it aflame with his matches, coaxing it into as big a fire as he could. "Watch," he said teasingly, "And learn from a master, kid, this is how you lure out a dragon."

Gajeel watched with a faint hint of amusement as Gildarts waited patiently, murmuring a spell to the fire so that the smoke grew larger, and it wasn't long before he felt a shift in the magic around them.

Natsu, it appeared, was finally coming out of hiding.

The iron mage had to bite back a bark of throaty laughter when his sharp eyes saw the pink-haired mage emerging from the depths of his hoard, onyx eyes glittering with a mixture of hunger, irritation, and wariness. Finally, he stood at the entrance, a scowl on his face.

"Damn it, Gildarts, you can't freaking show up with fire when I'm still sulking!"

That did it.

Gajeel burst into laughter, cackling at the idiot. "Gihi!" he finally wheezed out. "Freakin' moron. Get yer ass out here, we have to talk."

Natsu suddenly growled, a furious look appearing on his face at the realization that Gajeel was there. "The hell, man, this is-"

"Yeah, yeah, not gonna steal. We got a bigger fish to fry," Gajeel retorted. He crossed his arms across his face. "And that fish is called Oracion Seis. We got lucky yesterday, what with your partner gettin' away with murder."

"Lucy?" His attention was caught, and a low sound left his lips, a thunderous one that not even Gajeel could produce. He wandered over, reluctant, and snatched up the flame that Gildarts had created, sitting beside him as he munched down.

"Yeah." Gildarts eyed him. "You've been getting her messages?"

He paused, and then spat out his flame, scampering to his feet. " _Damn it_! She wasn't-" His breath hitched, his eyes hysterical as he prepared to launch himself back in the direction of Magnolia, but Gildarts grabbed his leg and dragged him back down.

He gave the boy a skeptical look "You though we were kidding? Did you truly think that your partner would lie like that to convince you to come home, Natsu? _Lucy_? I haven't spoken to the girl very much, but I know she wouldn't trick you like that."

Natsu looked away. "I hurt her."

"And she's healed, Wendy saw to it. She's hurting, yes, but because you're an idiot," Gildarts retorted.

Natsu felt a flash of irritation in his heart, but it turned into pain. "I didn't...I thought she'd hate me. I got mad over a stupid thing," he admitted suddenly, scowling. "I got mad 'cause she was going star gazing with Loke."

And then Gajeel was cackling again. "You burned her because you got _jealous_? This is great! Levy's gonna love this!"

"Shut up," Gildarts said with a friendly knock in the knees. Gajeel snarled in surprise as he fell straight into one of Natsu's traps, and then glared furiously when he discovered he couldn't move. Natsu smirked.

"It's normal to get jealous when the girl you love is hanging out with another guy," Gildarts reassured him as he looked over. "Depending on the situation, of course. You could have just asked to go along."

Natsu shrugged. "I didn't think of that," he muttered, "And Loke always freaking flirts - hold on, wait. I never said I loved her." He flushed brilliantly at the thought. "Me and Lucy? That's ridiculous. We aren't like that. She doesn't...she doesn't like me as more than a friend-"

"And how would you know? You aren't Lucy, now are you." Gildarts stated it, didn't question Natsu. "Here's the thing, Natsu, you won't know. Not unless you right out ask her. And I'm not saying to go and do that the second you see her. You're still not sure yourself, I can see that. But don't wait too long, okay? Anyways, onto what happened...you should be proud of Miss Heartfilia. Her father was killed and when she went back to Bosco with Erza, Gray, and Jellal-"

" _What_?" he seethed.

Gildarts raised a hand to silence him. "He's got the support of a Councilman, Makarov, and Lucy herself, as well as me. I trust him, and you'd do well to trust him, too, because he was given her keys until her return. When they were there, they were ambushed by Cobra and Angel alongside Midnight and Hoteye. Lucy handed her keys to Jellal and went with them."

Natsu's heart twisted with panic, his eyes flashing with horror.

All because he'd left her side when she'd needed him most.

Gildarts smirked, amused now. "Like I said, you should be proud. A Councilman with teleportation magic brought Jellal, Gray, and Erza back. They told us of what had happened, and everyone ran around preparing for the worst. Mavis has this plan, by the way. Mission Overdrive or whatever. Something about everyone taking on important necessary steps to defeat Oracion Seis. You and Lucy get your own little step now. So that started up, and then Levy shows up yesterday with Lucy in tow.

"Turns out," Gildarts drawled. "Little Miss Lucy got her hands on the clock hand of Nirvana's Infinity Clock and used Urano Metria to knock most of her captors out. And when Cobra went after her, she whacked him over the head and turned him into a child. And now she's home, waiting on ya, so let's get going, because you and she need to get a move on with learning Unison Raid."

Natsu licked his lips, tasting the last bits of fire, and his stomach rumbled. He was hungry, but proud of his partner.

She'd defeated a member of Oracion Seis - no, _four_ of them - by herself.

Not even he could do that and still get home that easily.

He hopped to his feet, determination and irritation towards himself alive in his eyes. "What are we hanging around here for?" he demanded.

He had some apologizing to do.

* * *

 _Natsu's finally stopped being a ridiculous moron, has he not? Now things can start moving again. Not necessarily in a good way, but yeah._

 _To Forgotten Lost Ancient, who asked if I'd be including Anna and the Eclipse Gate...you'll just have to wait and see, now won't you. Put some evil laughter here..._

 _Thanks to reviewers (niyah606, The Age of Awesomeness, TigerArrowgirl, Uchida Akira, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Guest #1, Nekokittygirl, MehKitty, SingingAngel327, metalican slayer, Dragondancer81, MirrorFlame, SunflowerChrysalis, AngelEmCuti, TopazDesiertoFleur, Ft4eva, Alexia Colette, zzMiya-chanzz, LePengwen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Guest 4, LittleOwl15, Xiaconis, Abdltf, Jen the Mischievous, LavenderMoonRose, Forgotten Lost Ancient, allieflavored, and Bettsi24!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	105. Chapter 105

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Food," Lucy moaned, exhaustion sweeping through her as she crumpled into the seat beside an amused looking Gray. "Gimme."

"Get your own," he said playfully, but slid her his plate of food anyways. Juvia watched with a giggle, though there was a sharp look in her eyes.

Lucy had spent the morning doing just as she'd planned with Loke - training. After one round of practicing a combined Urano Metria with Gemini - and apparently confusing the hell out of Magnolia's citizens by the strange surge that had raced through the town - she was exhausted, though pleased to see that Lamia Scale had arrived. She'd greeted Jura, Lyon, and Chelia with a happy eagerness.

It'd been quite some time since she'd seen them.

Since before that whole Loke business back in December. Lucy couldn't believe that she'd missed an entire few months with her family when she and the others had been stuck in another world.

Still. She was glad that she'd been with her family throughout all of this. And she held no regrets about joining Fairy Tail,even with all of the psychotic business that had happened since joining.

Lucy was shoveling food into her mouth when they first sensed it. A strange tug on their senses had those in the guildhall pausing. They were cautious, wary, aware that an attack could come at anytime. Gray slowly rose to his feet, glancing up, and it wasn't long before everyone else present had looked up, too, recognizing the fact that something was coming from above.

"Something" came two point five seconds later, when Cobra of Oracion Seis slammed through the ceiling, not hesitating to fire off a Roar attack that had a terrified Asuka screaming in pain when it splattered her. Wendy didn't hesitate to throw herself over the girl, and Gray barely had time to block the attack, throwing a shield of ice between he, Juvia, and Lucy and their attacker.

Jellal, who'd just been talking with Makarov, joined the defense, swiftly standing in front of Wendy and Asuka. His dark eyes were wary, red marking seeming to glow as the lights flickered and then died.

Cobra straightened, rolling his shoulders with a grin as screams suddenly filled the air from outside, a rather large sign that something was wrong. "Oops," he mused aloud. "Angel must have slipped."

" _Bastard_ ," Gray snarled, moving to begin attacking, but they were all - even Cobra - brought to a screeching halt when Kinana stepped out from behind the bar.

She wore a cool look that spoke of rage and confusion at the same time, her dark eyes glinting with something no one could place. A soft hiss left the back of her throat and it was in that moment that Lucy realized she had no idea what kind of mage this woman was, where she'd come from. Kinana had always simply...been. In the back of every meeting with the guild, smiling and serving food.

And with Mirajane out for the count, the guildhall's safety fell into her hands.

Quite capable hands, too.

"Take Asuka and Wendy," Kinana ordered Gray. "As well as Juvia and Lucy. Leave."

He took one look at her and then gave a curt nod. "Come on, Jellal, grab 'em and let's get out of here."

Jellal did just that, one child under each arm, and charged for the doors. The trio swept behind him, Lucy sparing a final look over her shoulder at where Kinana was simply standing there with an air of pride when Cobra seethingly spat venom at her, but realized that it had done nothing.

Lucy skidded to a stop in the middle of the street, jerking out of the way when a furious Chelia came flashing by, chasing after a cackling Angel with Lyon and Jura close behind. Gray just barely grabbed her before she tripped, hauling her upright. People screamed and ran, crowds shoving them, but he kept his grip so that they wouldn't be separated despite losing the others in the chaos.

Lucy's breath hitched.

She'd wondered what would happen if they revealed magic, yes, but she hadn't ever imagined it in this way!

"We have to get out of here," he bellowed, "We have to help these people get out with us, though!"

"Right. Open!" Lucy suddenly cried, slashing a key through the air. "Gate of the Lion! Leo!" Loke appeared, eyes dark as he immediately set to work, grabbing a man and ordering him on where to go. Lucy took a deep breath, and then lifted another gold key. Gray and Loke, too busy directing people, didn't notice.

"Open!" she ordered shakily, already feeling the tug on her strength. "Gate of the Ram! Aries!"

Aries squeaked as she popped into view and Lucy forced herself to shake off her exhaustion as she ordered, "Help, Loke!"

"Miss Lucy," she tried to protest, but Lucy cut her off.

"We don't have time. _Go_."

"Yes, ma'am!" the Ram said anxiously before setting to work, coaxing a child to follow the suddenly orderly stream of people.

Lucy was so busy helping the people, ordering them away, that she didn't notice the shape that appeared beside her, a dark grin on their lips, until a child screamed.

Lucy whipped around to discover a smirking man standing there, taller than her with white hair and black tattoos criss-crossing across his face. A dark and crazed look was in his eyes. "Hello, Miss Heartfilia," he purred, reaching for her-

"Get down!"

She dropped, covering her head, and a blast of fire came out of nowhere, encasing the man that had tried to grab her. A second later, she glanced up in time to see Natsu vaulting over the crowd, Happy tucked under his arm and a dark look in his onyx eyes. He landed with ease beside her, smoke escaping his nostrils and mouth as he offered a hand to help Lucy up.

And then he grinned. "Hey, Luce. Miss me?"

"You _bastard_ ," Lucy seethed, shoving him as soon as she was on her feet. He yelped and Happy wailed for him to let him go as she reached over and grabbed him by the scarf, pulling him to her level.

"You think," she gasped, tears pricking her eyes. "You can just waltz back in here and act like nothing happened?! You arrogant son of a _bitch_!" She smacked him on the chest, slamming her fists against him hard enough to drive the breath out of him as he toppled over.

"Hey," he whined, "Lucy!"

She stood over him, heaving angrily for air before dropping to her knees and throwing her arms around him in a tight hug, pressing her face into his scarf-clad neck. "Don't you ever do that again," she whispered, and he hugged her back just as tightly, his gaze lifting as their attacker swore and finally finished putting out his flames.

His onyx eyes actually made him stop dead in his tracks. He paused, studying the dragon slayer's relaxed posture, the way that he seemed to not care much for the fight, but the look told him otherwise.

Natsu Dragneel, son of the Fire Dragon King, was prepared to kill anyone who dared lay a finger on the woman in his arms.

For a moment, he thought he saw the remnants of something much more powerful. Something nonhuman.

But then Natsu was pulling himself and the nearly unconscious celestial mage up, a grin on his face as he pressed his forehead against hers in a brief show of affection. When he pulled back, his face was stony. "Happy," he ordered, and the blue cat who'd been watching in silence gave a cry of "Aye, sir!" before darting forward to pluck Lucy up.

Loke whirled on his heel when he caught sight of his mistress being lifted, and then grinned. "Aries, go back," he ordered the other Spirit, who obeyed immediately. "Hey! Natsu!" he shouted over the commotion, "Welcome back!"

And then he, too, was gone, not wanting to draw on Lucy's strength any longer.

Natsu grinned and cracked his knuckles, eager to get started with the fight before him. "Let's see what you've got," he growled as flames exploded to life around him.

The enemy only laughed, shadow rising dangerously above his head.

"Come at me," Natsu challenged.

And Brain, the leader of Oracion Seis, most certainly did.

* * *

Cobra realized his mistake a split second before Kinana beamed in triumph, the venom he spat her way refusing to cooperate and melt her. The violet-haired woman stood there, not an ounce of magic in her veins, yet able to hold up against his magic with ease.

The dragon slayer reared back like a cobra, studying his prey.

This was going to go a bit differently than he'd expected. He inhaled sharply, preparing another attack, and then paused in horrified shock at the scent that overwhelmed him in the enclosed guildhall.

 _Is that-_

He didn't get a chance to finish his thought.

Because the devil incarnate suddenly stepped up to the balcony a story above their head and purred, "Thank you for keeping an eye on him for me, Kinana. Could you see to helping civilians get to safety? I'll handle it from here."

Kinana's gaze darted up, and a smile lit up her face at the sight of Mirajane standing there in her new form, a proud look on her new face. Cobra's gaze narrowed.

Suspicion flooded him. There was no way in _hell_ that was possible.

He'd watched her _die_ , and at the hands of leader of a fellow member of the Baram Alliance.

As Kinana turned to leave, the name left his lips unbidden. "...Cubellios?"

She paused. Her gaze darted to his with a look of shock and confusion before she turned and darted out to do as Mirajane had asked. Mirajane suddenly took her place, landing lightly despite the heavy wing-like structures that extended from her back, and Cobra yanked his attention away from Kinana to focus on the crazy woman before him.

He knew of her.

No one who knew of Fairy Tail didn't know of the she-devil Mirajane Strauss.

And the fact that he knew nothing of what lay in her heart but the rage she felt towards the destruction of the guildhall and harming of her nakama told him that she was a deadly foe that he didn't really want to face.

She smiled angelically, and it turned her face demonic.

"Hello, Cobra of Oracion Seis," she chimed.

And then she lunged.

* * *

From where he was standing beside Mavis, easily perched on top of the destroyed roof of Fairy Tail's guildhall, Makarov watched the chaos with an experienced eye, not daring to interfere. Mavis was hovering beside him, her hands clasped and pressed to her lips.

Suddenly, she spoke. "You didn't tell them."

"No," he murmured. "I didn't. Especially Lucy, though I suspect Leo is aware of what will happen. It has already been foreseen, and there is nothing that we can do to stop it."

Mavis made a soft sound. "I pray that Natsu Dragneel is determined enough and strong enough to handle what will come. Without his strength and focus, we won't succeed. Magnolia, Fiore, and then the world will fall into ruin should he not be able to redirect his rage."

"Oh? And why is that? Natsu's rage has not done that much damage before," Makarov said.

It was meant to be a joke, but Mavis looked serious as she whispered,

"Oh, if only you knew what I knew, you wouldn't be so quick to think such happy thoughts, Makarov Dreyar. For the secret of Fairy Tail is at stake; whether the holder of it knows or not."

* * *

 _So much for a nice reunion, eh? But Natsu's back in business! And chaos has arrived!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, niyah606, Autori Fantasia, themoonlitarcher, TigerArrowgirl, TaylorNReed, The Age of Awesomeness, Guest #1, CharonteQueen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, MirrorFlame, SingingAngel327, Typhlosion8, notsudrogneel, sassykitten1701, Abdltf, Nekokittygirl, ToastedWeirdBrain, LavenderMoonRose, ILoveAnime2010, UchidaAkira, Guest 4, OOANDISAOO, Dragondancer81, BaddyxBitch, allieflavored, Guest #2, Xiaconis, Knightwalker, Alexia Colette, and Katiebug2000x!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	106. Chapter 106

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

He could figure out where every single person was between attacking and retreating.

Gray was nearby, dealing with helping civilians get away despite their desperate fear of him. A few others had joined in with that process, and Lyon paused to report to the fellow ice-make mage that a man he'd distantly recognized had helped get Juvia and the children to safety.

Not too far into the outskirts of the blazing town, Erza had returned with Team Shadowgear and Lily, and all were working to battle against Midnight.

Gajeel was at the western front, fighting alongside Macao, Lisanna, and Elfman against some speedy little bastard that he didn't bother to remember the name of.

The fifth member, someone he didn't recognize, was causing quite a ruckus for Yukino and Rogue, joined by a few others of their guild and a few from Lamia Scale. Chelia was ready for war, her gaze furious and her fists curled.

Jura continued to work towards defeating Angel, Laxus' electricity crackling around them as he worked with the earth mage.

"White Dragon's Roar!"

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

And then there was he and Sting, working together to try and deal with the bastard before them. Brain was a tough fighter, he realized, a growl in his throat. Smoke poured out of the corner of his mouth as Sting fell back into place, heaving for air and supporting a bloodied head from a wound he'd received.

Wincing, the tired white mage glanced his way. "Suggestions?"

Sabertooth had shown up out of nowhere, but Natsu was extremely grateful for it.

Natsu shook his head, tugging his scarf away from his mouth as Brain laughed, not seeming to care in the slightest that they'd destroyed close to a block of property. Even being as destructive as he was, Natsu hated it; people's homes were gone. People were probably _dead_ because of these bastards.

And that was not something they'd get away with.

"Damn," Natsu seethed. He shouldn't have hidden away, he was realizing. Unison Raid, a powerful spell that required a link between two mages and multiplied their power by countless amounts all while combining it, would have been useful.

But as neither of them could do it…and _they_ could...

Natsu washed flames around in his mouth for a moment before suddenly whirling on his heel, searching the area and trusting Sting to get his back.

 _Gray_.

He needed Gray to find Juvia. And he needed them here and he needed them here _now_.

So, he did the only thing he could think of.

He tilted his head back and _roared_.

* * *

Lucy hit the ground running, and caught Happy when the trusting cat fell into her arms. She kissed his head with a gentle look of gratitude before ducking to avoid a piece of rubble that came flying when a pissed off Mirajane sent Cobra flying halfway across town.

Her goal was simple.

Find Juvia. Because Juvia was defending the children and with the knowledge that she was about to pass out at any moment...she needed the protection herself.

She paused when she heard Natsu's voice suddenly, and then groaned when all she heard was a very loud and horrible insult that could have been heard from halfway across town - before realizing that it was no doubt his goal for them to come running in his direction. His plans were stupid like that, but they worked.

"Lucy!"

 _Wham!_

Lucy yelped as she hit the ground, rolling a few feet away as a blast slammed into the ground where she'd been just about to place her feet on. She gasped for air, rolling onto her stomach, and Happy moaned. "What the _fu_ -"

"Sorry," her "attacker" managed to gasp out, out of breath himself. Blood speckled Jellal's face from a gash on his cheek, one that would more than likely leave a nasty scar. His hair was the epitome of the word "mess", and his clothes were torn and ripped, revealing bloodied scratches and bruises.

"Where the hell did you go and who did you fight to end up like _that_?" She demanded, grabbing Happy.

Jellal sat up with a wince. "A rather nasty young mage who thought that since Oracion Seis was here, it would be alright to make the situation worse. Has Natsu returned? I thought-"

"Natsu's home," she answered and then hopped to her feet, only to squeal in fear when there was a massive explosion a few streets away, followed by a terrifying roar of rage from what she thought might have been Mirajane.

Seconds later, Kinana sprinted into view, horrified. She skidded to a halt when she saw them and doubled over, clutching her sides. "That's...We're in trouble," she managed to wheeze out, "Cobra escaped with the clock hand!"

"Shit," Jellal seethed.

They all four took a moment to contemplate.

And then Jellal's eyes lit up with a look that scared the celestial mage.

"Come on," he ordered, shoving Happy at Kinana. "Watch him."

"Jellal-" Lucy protested, reaching for Happy, but she was hauled away, looking back at the cat's distressed cries of her name. "Let go of me! What are you doing?!" His grip tightened to a bruising grip and she kicked at him, her fear rising when she realized that they were heading _away_ from town. "What are you doing?!" She repeated. "Damn it, let go of me!" Her voice rose in fear when he didn't answer, only continued hauling her through the town.

She didn't even have the strength to summon a silver key, she realized in terror. She couldn't get anyone's help. Natsu was across town, everyone else was fighting.

"Loke!" She suddenly whimpered, "Loke!"

 _Crack!_

Jellal swore, releasing Lucy as the Spirit's ringed hand slammed into his already bruised jaw. Lucy was sent sprawling, and Loke looked like the Lion he was as he crouched protectively over her with a deadly look on his face.

"Stay away from Lucy," Loke snarled, his teeth bared. "Do not even think of touching her."

Lucy collapsed in exhaustion below him, heaving for air as Jellal clenched his jaw.

Before he could answer, however, Loke threw himself over the blonde celestial mage, stifling a muffled scream of pain when he was covered in searing venom. Lucy shrieked his name in terror as he fell back, writhing as he vanished, agonized.

Cobra cackled as he dropped from above, clock hand tucked carefully under his arm and wrapped in a large cloth.

"Finally nailed someone who couldn't handle it," he drawled, wiping at his mouth with a sleeve. "Get the clock hand? Check. Get the file needed and send Racer to Hargeon? Check. Retrieve Lucy Heartfilia?"

"Check," Jellal finished, suddenly grabbing Lucy's arm and hauling her to her feet.

"Jellal," Lucy gasped, but he shot her a look to silence her, a rather evil smirk crossing his face. One that she recognized from months back, when he'd tortured her in an attempt to gain her cooperation - something that had never happened.

Her blood ran cold.

Cobra looked startled. He made an uneasy sound, one that was low in his throat, and then glanced over when Angel jogged over to stand beside him. Her lip was split, but she was grinning.

"Mm," she hummed, "That woman told us, remember? There was the possibility that he'd revert back to his dark side if he was close to any piece of Nirvana's Infinity Clock. Her present to us if it happened. Looks like we got lucky."

"Let go of me," Lucy breathed, a new round of fear racing through her when Jellal's grip tightened into a bruising one. "Jellal-"

He twisted her arm painfully behind her back, grinning darkly when she cried out in pain. "Consider our presence a gift to the Oracion Seis," he purred. "One to assist in fending off Fairy Tail and another to control the Clock itself."

"How kind of you," Angel replied with a smirk, and then touched Cobra's arm with a pleased look. See to it that they're taken to our location...I will fetch the others. Brain will be happy with this development." Suddenly, she grabbed Lucy by the chin, digging her nails in, and the tired blonde flinched.

"Say goodbye," she hissed in Lucy's ear, raking her nails down the other woman's chin so that she bled. "You won't ever see this trashy place again."

Lucy struggled helplessly as she was hauled away, her keys gleaming as they lay abandoned in the dirt, her screams for her partner ringing out throughout the empty streets.

* * *

Natsu watched the massive crystallized wave of water as it crashed through the abandoned town in a powerful wave, giving a low whistle. "Damn," he muttered, "Don't seriously piss them off."

"I'll second that," Sting muttered, impatiently swiping blood from his eyes. "C'mon, looks like he's retreating. Let's see how the others are doing and regroup-"

"Sting!"

Their gazes darted up and Sting caught Lector just before the injured red-furred cat dropped, wings vanishing, his blue eyes flashing with horror. He was burned in several places and shuddered in pain. "Lector?!"

He quivered in silence before managing to choke out, "Th-they got the clock thing, and...and Rogue was h-hurt when he tried to help M-Mira, and…"

Sting's face took on a grim look. "Right. Thanks for telling us, we'll take it from here." He cradled Lector to his chest, a fierce look of love for his friend on his face as he stood. "I'll find Yukino, have her take care of the cats and start gathering the injured. We'll bring them to the guildhall...think that freaky witch will come in?"

"Gramps would have already called her," Natsu answered. His onyx eyes darted this way and that, searching for a flash of gold or blue. "Shout if you find Happy or Luce?"

"Only if you shout if you find my nakama," he answered, and then jumped from the roof, ignoring the water that soaked the cobblestone streets.

A sudden need to make sure Lucy was okay filled him, and he, too, jumped down to go and find her. He wandered the streets, pausing every now and then to inhale sharply, frowning when he couldn't find her.

He raised a hand in greeting when he saw Levy helping Gajeel limp towards the guildhall, and Gajeel weakly lifted his head to glance dully at him, his entire side soaked with blood from a piece of wood that had impaled him. Natsu paused at the sight, but Levy waved him on.

"I've got him," she murmured, and Natsu gave a curt nod before hurrying on, realizing just how much damage the savage Oracion Seis had done.

He passed a few others. Erza was helping Jet back with Droy's help. Lamia Scale came by, Chelia carried on Lyon's back with a dark look on his face as she sucked in air quickly. Blue Pegasus members darted past as yells filled the otherwise silent town.

Natsu followed Lucy's scent until he found Kinana, who was limping towards the guildhall herself. In her arms was cradled a dozing Happy, and he lunged forward, fearful for his little buddy.

She smiled tiredly and handed the cat to him. "He's okay," she promised. "He's unhurt for the most part, just a few bumps and bruises. Lucy had him before I did."

Natsu smiled brightly at Happy, who gave a happy sob and buried himself against his scarf. "Hey, little buddy, you okay?" Happy mumbled out a yes. "Good. You saw Luce?"

Kinana nodded. "Jellal nearly knocked her out when he shoved her out of the way of some attack from one of those rogue mages that popped up with Oracion Seis. I showed up and he just gave me Happy and then dragged her off. Natsu," she added hastily, grabbing his arm before he could bolt off. "Don't...please don't hate him. Don't be mean, or try to beat him up, he's a good person who was just dragged into some bad things, we think. He saved Lucy in Bosco and tried his hardest to protect her. He doesn't deserve hatred."

"I know," Natsu sighed heavily. He'd missed a lot, after all. "I'll try not to."

She smiled. "Thank you. I need to go speak with Master Makarov...they went in that direction." She pointed and he thanked her before jogging off, following his nose to be certain.

"He was so mean when he dragged her off," Happy whispered as he ran. "Lucy was telling him to let go, but he wouldn't, Natsu. What if she's hurt?"

Natsu gave a low growl. "She won't be," he muttered. "She better not be, or so help me, I will rip his throat out."

"Don't be brutal," Happy grumbled before falling silent.

It was a few minutes later that he saw the glint of gold. He decided to give his hoarding instincts credit, because they were what made him backtrack almost immediately, his heart twisting with greed that turned to dread almost immediately.

He'd know the keys anywhere.

He darted over, snatching them up with a scathing look as unfamiliar scents washed over his senses, alerting him of what had happened. "Damn it!" he snarled, ignoring the pain of one or two of the keys searing into his flesh.

Lucy was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Jellal.

Natsu could easily put two and two together.

And the result?

A rage so deadly that he thought he'd incinerate Magnolia then and there.

* * *

 _So Natsu's pissed. Can't blame him for that. Now we really get down to business. My favorite chapter that I've written ever will come up eventually... *rubs hands together evilly*_

 _So I'm having some trouble deciding where I'm going to end BTL. Do you guys think going to the Alvarez arc would make BTL much too long? I just finished writing chapter 138. Or do you guys want it to end at Tartaros? I want to know what you guys want before I make a decision. Just leave a review or PM me with your thoughts!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, FairyDemoDust, niyah606, TigerArrowgirl, Uzumaki Naho, Alexia Colette, Nyx, metalican slayer, MirrorFlame, Guest #1, quite-a-riot, Kauia, AngelEmCuti, TaylorNReed, Carchee, FireDragonPhia, Uchida Akira, ToastedWeirdBrain, notsudrogneel, OwlChaser113, Dragondancer81, Baddy x Bitch, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Luci, Guest 4, MehKitty, LucyMarieHeartfilia, Kalyani De La Luna, Knightwalker, OOANDISAOO, and TopazDesiertoFleur!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	107. Chapter 107

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Natsu, calm down," Gray muttered, watching as the furious dragon slayer stormed around the guildhall. His body was ablaze, his breathing harsh as he struggled to calm himself, unable to release his tight grip around the equally as hot keys grasped in his fingers. His onyx eyes were dark with a rage that had even Gildarts staying a bit away.

They'd gathered in the partially destroyed building to regroup and figure out what to do next, Fairy Tail along with the other guilds. Wendy and Chelia were running themselves to the ground, doing what they could, even with a grouchy Porlyusica there. Many were injured, and Makarov had looked troubled when he'd learned that the only reason that everything had gone as bad as it did was because rogue mages had joined in the chaos upon hearing who was in town.

Gajeel, with one of the worst wounds, allowed Porlyusica to deal with his injury as he growled, "Oi, Salamander, it ain't your fault." His crimson gave flashed with pain when Porlyusica did something that made pain shoot through his side, and Levy bit her lip in worry.

"I should have been here," he seethed without stopping his rampage. "I should have been here, and then that _bastard_ -"

"Did it ever occur to you," Cana suddenly drawled, looking up from her cards. Her head was bandaged, her arm set in a cast that Wendy had created to keep her broken arm in place until it could be dealt with. "That Jellal _lied_? How likely was it that two injured and exhausted mages would have survived against two members of Oracion Seis? See, look." She waved him over.

Natsu reluctantly came over with a growl in his throat, and Happy watched anxiously from where he was beside Pantherlily and Charle as well as the two other tired cats.

Cana pointed to a card. "Jellal's not truly reverted back into his evil little possessed self, ya pyro, he's lying to gain their trust. See? Lucy's alive as of currently, I'll keep a damn close eye on her. Anyways, they think Jellal was tricking us into trusting him because of some outside influence I can't figure out. They're all currently in the west, somewhere around Crocus, but not too close that the Clock would be noticed by any of the mages there."

"Good job, Cana," Makarov praised, please with this sudden bout of information. Natsu reluctantly put his flames out, looking simply pissed when he added, "Don't you go rushing off. We have the Fairy Tactician on our side, and her plans rarely go amiss. Mavis?"

Mavis hummed from where she was standing, her fingers clasped and pressed to her lips, green eyes hooded. "This method...it reminds me of someone, though I cannot place who. Fairy Tail lost information - important information - to Oracion Seis in the midst of the battle. That isn't something they were looking for...but! Now is not the time. I am assigning each of you a task."

"Well get talking," Elfman said irritably from where he was settled. "We gotta be a man and get our nakama back!"

Everyone raised their voices, even those of the other guilds. Sting barked out his agreement, and Rogue stared coolly at the blank space Fairy Tail was looking at. A few mages spread out to deliver Mavis' word to those that couldn't see her, explaining what was going as quickly as they could.

Mavis jabbed a finger in the direction of where Laxus was sitting, her green eyes flashing. "You. Your team, Laxus Dreyar, will focus on limiting the destruction. Alongside you will be the Strauss siblings and those of Blue Pegasus. You will follow Mirajane Strauss' orders."

Laxus jerked his chin in acknowledgement, and Mira fisted her hand in determination, her blue eyes deadly.

"Erza Scarlet, you and Jellal Fernandes will see to Midnight once the true battle has begun. You have acquired the Robe of Yuen, and it should allow you to defeat him. There is a five percent chance that you will fail, but Jellal Fernandes' presence should limit that to three percent."

Erza nodded curtly, though there was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.

"Levy McGarden, you, your team, and Gajeel Redfox as well as Frosch, Lector, and Charle." Mavis turned her attention onto all of them. "You will be charged with dealing with the second member of Oracion Seis: Hoteye. I want Gray Fullbuster and Lyon Vastia seeing to Racer. Juvia Lockser, you and Chelia Blendy will join them. Yukino Auguria, you and those of Sabertooth will see to Angel. Finally, those that will go after the final member and leader of the Oracion Seis: Gildarts Clive, Jura Neekis, and Wendy Marvell."

Natsu bristled in rage. "What about me?!"

Mavis turned her attention onto him. "Natsu Dragneel," she addressed, "Your one and only goal of this mission is to take Pantherlily and Happy and retrieve the celestial mage known as Lucy Heartfilia. You will be accompanied by Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney. Once you have rescued her and gotten her out of danger, you three may join who you wish."

Natsu settled down, approving of his job, and Sting threw him a thumbs up the second Kinana told he and Rogue what they'd be doing. Rogue looked uncertain about leaving Frosch with Gajeel, but exchanged a look with the iron dragon slayer, and then nodded in agreement.

Gajeel would protect the three cats that were going with them.

"What about the rest of us?" Cana demanded, crossing her arms. "We're not just sitting here-"

"The Council will likely be here shortly," Makarov cut in. His eyes were firm as he spoke, telling them not to protest against what had been ordered. "Those who remain behind will assist me in dealing with them. Is this clear? It is likely that Fairy Tail will be disbanded for such matters. Even if it _is_ Oracion Seis who began this war."

There was silence as they comprehended this, and then Gajeel suddenly hauled himself to his feet with a grunt. "Well let's get a fuckin' move on then. Can't sit around all day if we're gonna be fightin'."

"Gajeel, your wound," Levy tried to protest quietly, but he shook her off.

"Gajeel is right," Freed murmured from where he stood beside his teammates. "If we don't start out now, we won't make it before anything drastic happens. From the sounds of it, they didn't take Lucy for no reason...there must be something else in regards to her connection to the clock hand."

"There's always someone who wants celestial magic," Yukino said bitterly, and Sting ruffled her hair gently in reassurance. "We've had our fair share of trouble over it, and I wasn't even born with it like Lucy was."

Natsu tucked Lucy's keys away safely and then slammed his flaming fist into his palm, onyx eyes fierce. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's go save Lucy!"

* * *

Lucy came back to consciousness with a throbbing pain in her shoulder. She clutched it lightly as she pried her eyes open and sat up, exhaustedly searching the area. As much as she hated to admit it, Lucy had woken up imprisoned enough time to realize that it was quite unlikely she'd be able to escape that easily, and she simply scooted over to rest her back against the stone wall, her heart aching with betrayal.

She'd trusted Jellal. They all had, and this was how he repaid their kindness?

She hoped Natsu incinerated him when he came.

Clenching her jaw, she studied herself. Bruises and scratches galore, blonde hair a tangled mess, and what might be a dislocated or even broken shoulder. Her clothes had been changed, though, she was disgusted to discover. She'd been forced into some kind of white dress that must have been infused with magic, because when she shifted, the floor of her cell left no grime on it.

At another time, she would have admired the dress, with its halter-neck style and billowing slim skirt, but here…

She knew it meant anything but good.

"Heh, you're a smart one."

Lucy's head snapped up at the sound of Cobra's voice. He appeared out of the shadows, and Lucy pressed back with a scowl as he leaned against the bars that trapped her, his elbows resting above his head and a smirk on his face. One eye was shut - permanently, Lucy guessed, by the scar that crossed down his face. Her work, she was proud to admit, and his gaze flashed with fury.

"Yeah, your work," he snarled, spitting a bit of venom in her direction. She flinched when it sizzled at the wall beside her head. "Now. You're gonna tell me something, and if you don't, tribute or not, you're gonna suffer."

Lucy squared her shoulders, ignoring the flash of pain. "Screw off."

He ignored that and instead narrowed his good eye. "That girl. Kinana. Where'd she come from?"

Lucy shook her head, confused. "I...I don't know, she was there before I was, and I don't know everyone's stories-"

He gave a sound of disapproval. "You ever heard of Cubellios?"

Lucy licked her lips. She'd heard of the name. Mirajane had told her of the owner of it, a massive and dangerous snake, similar to the thirteenth Zodiac Spirit. It was supposed to be a snake of myths, a serpent that had never truly existed to begin with, but Mirajane hadn't been so convinced.

 _"I've heard that Cobra acquired a companion by the name of Cubellios,"_ she'd admitted to Lucy only days before. _"Years and years ago, of course, before Oracion Seis even existed. But one day he was seen without it, and from then on, no one saw Cubellios again."_

"Yes," she admitted. "I've heard of Cubellios. It was your sidekick of sorts."

" _She_ ," he hissed, "Was my friend, and she was taken from me by some bastard named Precht. Now, how do you explain the fact that this girl, who has no last name and can resist the venom of a dragon without so much as a flinch? Huh?"

Lucy rolled her brown eyes in exasperation. "Look. I don't know what you expect me to know. I've been in Fairy Tail going on seven months at this point, okay? I've been using magic for even less." Cobra seethed, and she eyed him for a few moments. "...you think Kinana is Cubellios?"

He grumbled, looking away. "Their voices. I only ever heard Cubellios' thoughts, as I can hear yours, but it is somewhat similar to her voice."

"Well, hate to break it to you, but I don't think she remembers you."

"No shit." Cobra fell silent for a few moments, and Lucy watched him with a wary look. There was a twisted look of what might have been desperation on his face, and she hesitated, before speaking again.

"Look. I know you guys think you're doing something that'll be good for you," Lucy began, "But if Kinana is Cubellios - and that is a big _if_ \- then you're going to more than likely kill her. With whatever you're doing, I mean." He paused, studying her carefully.

"So...what," he said, cackling. "You think I'm gonna help you just on the chance that she's Cubellios? You're insane, lady. I would have dragged her ass back with us if I really thought she was Cubellios. Heh. You're pretty funny, ya know that? Just you wait...when we're done with you, you'll wish you never existed. Oh, wait...you won't even know that you're dead." His eyes flashed with a gleam of irritated guilt for the briefest of instants, and Lucy decided then and there that there was still the ability to drag him out of his dark mindset. "I can't wait to see Salamander crying and screaming over your cold corpse as it's absorbed into the very Clock we'll use to kill him."

Lucy hummed. "And I can't wait to see the look on your face when you realize the mistake you've made because Kinana will be screaming and crying for you to _stop_."

His face filled with rage and he looked ready to simply kill her then and there, but that was put to a stop when Angel's voice shouted, "Damn it, Cobra, what's taking so long!"

"Sorry," Cobra called back with a laugh. "Just screwing with the cute little fairy's mind a bit. I'm comin'." Lucy was somewhat reminded of Phantom's prisons as he simply slashed a hand through the bars, watching as they vanished. He ignored her yelp of pain as he grabbed her by the arm and hauled her upright.

"Let go of me," she spat, trying to wrench herself free, but he ignored her struggles and simply hauled her up a flight of stone stairs that were just around a corner. Lucy fell silent, defiant as she glared viciously at him, knowing fully well that she could hear the nasty insults and threats she was throwing his way.

Cobra only cackled and shoved her forward upon forcing her into a room, where a massive device rested. "We ready?" he demanded, arching an eyebrow. "We don't get all day to mess around, Brain, they're already coming."

"And we'll handle them," the white-haired man practically purred, studying Lucy with curiosity. He snapped his fingers and Jellal stepped forward, dark eyes cold and emotionless. He'd been given new clothes, she realized, a sleeveless and form-hugging shirt and some strange looking pants that she knew to be considered in fashion in Minstrel. She supposed he'd gotten their previous location in that way.

Lucy looked away from the bastard, her heart filling with rage towards him.

They'd trusted him.

And they'd had that trust hurled in their face.

"Not much longer," Midnight hummed as he dropped from a place he'd been using as a perch. He landed beside Brain without hesitation, his amused crimson eyes flashing with excitement. "Only another half hour at most and we can get started."

"Good," Brain muttered, "I'm tired of waiting."

"Aren't we all?" Angel purred, smirking slyly at Lucy as she propped her elbow on Jellal's shoulder and leaned against him.

"Aren't we all," he echoed smoothly, but Lucy saw it. She barely saw it, but she managed to catch the flinch when she touched him.

And in that moment, Lucy thought that perhaps Jellal being there wasn't all too bad.

* * *

 _Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Blue Pegasus, and Lamia Scale are on the move! And oh, if you people knew what I was planning on doing. I'm laughing to myself right now._

 _I was overwhelmed by the amount of people who thought I should continue to the Alvarez arc! It really warmed my heart to know that so many of you like it that much... I also appreciate how many of you mentioned that while you'd appreciate it continue to that point, ending it if I thought an endpoint was a good one was a good idea. Thank you!_

 _On that note: I will more than likely be continuing to the end of Alvarez. The manga might well be over by the time I get to writing it (I really do feel as if Alvarez is the last arc at this point). And I'd really like to input some things. So...have no worries: BTL has a long time before it ends! ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Alexia Colette, TaylorNReed, Tobias97, LePengwen, Kauia, The Observanc3, LoverofAllThingsGeeky24, ckc14, Tiger Arrowgirl, Uzumaki Naho, MirrorFlame, Typhlosion8, HellowJawsie, niyah606, Neko-May Resha, Guest #1, PinkFireandGoldenStars, sassykitten1701, The Age of Awesomeness, Shidake, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, keyofaquarius, Reaganbrie, Kalyani De La Luna, ToastedWeirdBrain, FireDragonPhia, TopazdesiertoFleur, OOANDISAOO, NaluLuva23, Dragondancer81, Guest #2, Guest #3, Luci, Sunflower Chrysalis, Guest 4, ashinsky, the-glowstick, Shelby143, Uchida Akira, lukabayo, sama775, NaLu and InuKag, kadianmagnanimous, Knightwalker, notsudrogneel, and Little-Miss-Anime-Luva!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	108. Chapter 108

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu watched the sunrise with a look of determination upon his face from the balcony of the inn they'd stayed at overnight after arriving in the capital city of Crocus. They'd practically rented out the entire building, and Natsu could hear the others still resting in preparation for the big battle that was approaching.

He, himself, hadn't been able to sleep. He'd been too worried about his partner, desperate to get a move on. He was tired, but he would be able to push past it until Lucy was safe. After she was safe, he'd get some sleep in either his own home or hers. It didn't really matter to him, so long as she was there.

"You should get some sleep, Natsu, you'll be tired."

Natsu glanced over his shoulder at the anxious looking Wendy, who fidgeted with her hands. She looked exhausted, her hair sticking up, and he gave a crooked grin. "Look who's talking."

She blushed. "I don't know why Mavis had me go with people like Gildarts and Jura...I'm not strong, not like you or Gray. I suppose I can use some of my spells to amplify their own power and defense, but…"

"That's exactly what you should do," Natsu told her with a firm look. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants. All of them were currently in their work clothes. No one was wearing a normal shirt or some kind of pair of jeans. Even Frosch, Rogue's cat, had donned a specially designed frog suit.

Wendy bit her lip and then offered, "I could, um, use some magic to get you to sleep for a little bit. You don't want to fall behind Sting and Rogue…"

He shook his head. "Nah, but thanks. I'll just have nightmares again. Happy with Charle and the others?"

"Yep. They're in Gajeel and Levy's room," Wendy explained. "Gajeel wanted to watch over the cats, and I guess Rogue must really trust him, because Frosch is in there with Lector." She thoughtfully touched her tongue to her lower lip, a trilling sound leaving her lips like that of a bird's call. It was a sound only the sharp senses of a dragon slayer could hear, and Natsu knew that it spoke of fear and longing for the dragon parent that could have been there if she hadn't disappeared.

The two dragon slayers watched the sunrise in peace, taking comfort in each other's presence until everyone was bustling around, ready to head out for the Clock - something that had had the people of Crocus talking, apparently, as the inn's owner had mentioned the arrival of some strange structure a few miles into the mountains.

Only when Sting came to fetch him from the balcony, explaining that the three of them would be heading out first to survey the area while the others got there, that they left and joined the rest of the mages below.

They had all split into groups, he noticed. Gray didn't look pleased to be near Lyon, though Juvia was happy to be allowed to cuddle into his side with permission. Erza stood alone, her body cloaked in a protective armor that would be changed as soon as she knew what Midnight's fighting style was like. Wendy went to join the two powerful mages she'd been assigned to help, and Gildarts gave her a friendly pat on the head, eyes warm with affection for the girl.

Somehow, they all ended up looking at the one who decided she was in charge: Mirajane.

"Here's how it's going to go," the silver-haired woman said with confidence. "Natsu's team is going to survey the situation while we head to the base of the mountain closest to the Clock. From what we've heard, the structure is massive - maybe even airborne, which means we'll have to figure that out if it is. Natsu's team will report back to the rest of us so that we know what's going on. You are _not_ to enter it. The cats will remain behind for the time being." Sharp blue eyes glared at Natsu, and he scowled in response.

"We understand," Rogue told her and his partner echoed.

"Once we have information, each team will approach from a different direction. No one will make a move until everyone is at the base of where they'll be entering. At about noon, we'll send up a signal. I want one signal from every team in the sky and then you find your assigned mage and fight. Natsu, Sting, Rogue, you three will wait until the fight has begun. While Oracion Seis is distracted, you will find Jellal and send him to Erza before doing whatever you have to do to get Lucy out. You will not join in the fighting _until_ Lucy is a safe distance away, preferably in the hands of Princess Hisui."

They'd been confronted by one of the princess' personal servants, who'd been told to wait and assist in any way. Mirajane had decided that it would be best to send Lucy back to the home of the royalty in the center of the city, away from the fighting, and the woman had agreed.

"Right," Natsu muttered, shifting impatiently. "Can we _go_ now, Mira? Luce could be hurt while we stand here mouthing off."

Mirajane rolled her eyes and waved them forward. "Go. Be back by mid morning so that we have time."

Natsu exchanged a look with the two other dragon slayers and then lunged forward at a dead run towards the mountains, positive that he would have the endurance to keep up with them despite his lack of sleep. Happy shouted a word of luck after them, followed by the rest of the group, and he threw his hand up to make Fairy Tail's symbol before they disappeared among the trees that littered the bottoms of the mountains.

From where she watched, her paws trembling, Charle watched the space before her blankly, visions of a screaming Natsu filling her mind.

* * *

Lucy ignored the soreness in wrists as she yanked desperately at her cuff, trying to rip her arm free - even if it meant breaking bones. A bruised and bloody wound decorated her flesh, but she ignored it, searing wildly as her long hair fell in her face.

They'd chained her to a wall in an empty room. Well, an almost empty room. There was a strange surface on one of the walls, a rounded midnight blue orb that protruded just barely, a beautiful star spinning slowly at its center. In the center of the room on the floor was the clock portion of the entire structure, its massive face listing not numbers, but words that she didn't understand, the words of a long forgotten language. The clock hand she'd tried to protect ticked slowly, edging ever closer to the hour.

Her heart ached as she glanced at the blue orb. Somehow, she knew that it would be the cause of all of her troubles, but she said nothing, only fought harder to free herself.

Suddenly, footsteps filled her ears. Lucy went still, listening, and then turned her head to glare at whoever came in.

She was startled to discover a grim looking Jellal enter the room, one hand holding a pen and the other holding a small piece of notebook paper. She wasn't going to bother questioning it, especially when he knelt beside her with a finger pressed to his lips to hush her before she could speak. He handed the paper over, and Lucy blinked as she saw the message already scribbled on there.

 _Sorry about scaring you. One of the types of magic I learned when playing as Mystogan stops Cobra from hearing my thoughts. I thought tricking would be better than allowing our deaths. Or mine at least. Don't speak; he can hear us._

Lucy fought back a groan of relief as she awkwardly took the pen in her free hand - her left, much to her irritation - and wrote in barely legible writing.

 _I thought as much. No need for sorry. Thought of it not too long ago. Any word?_

He read what she'd put and shook his head in answer before taking the pen back.

 _No. But there's a lot of magic nearby. Expecting allies to arrive today._

 _Know what they're planning?_

The look on Jellal's face had all of the blood draining from her face as he nodded in the direction of the frightening blue orb, his dark eyes full of anger towards Oracion Seis. And then he began to write.

 _A unnamed mage reported that I could be trusted and that you could be used to control the Clock. First is a lie; the second is not. Unless F.T. arrives soon, you'll be absorbed into the Clock._

Lucy took a shuddering breath, forcing herself not to panic at the thought, because she knew what he said was true. She glanced at the clock on the floor again. Ten minutes, she realized faintly, ten minutes until they came back.

Ten minutes for Natsu to get his ass moving.

 _I see. Any way we can prolong?_

Again, Jellal shook his head. Lucy scrubbed her free hand down her face, taking a shuddering breath. And then she calmed herself, her eyes flashing with determination. She grabbed the pen again, writing some more.

 _Keep up the act. If all else fails, I'll find a way to get rid of the problem._

Jellal stared at her with narrowed eyes. And then they snapped wide at the realization of what she meant and he shook his head sharply before standing, using his hand as a surface to write on before showing her the paper again.

 _I'll kill myself before I let you get killed, L. H. I want to earn F.T.'s trust, and if that's how, then so be it._

He said nothing else, and Lucy watched anxiously, worried for both of their sakes as he walked back towards the way he'd come, crumpling the paper they'd written on with a firm set to his shoulders.

Silently, she thought of the rage in his gaze when he'd nearly killed her back at the Tower of Heaven, and a smile curved across her lips.

Jellal Fernandes had come a long way; as the princess of Bosco, she'd make damn sure that her title was used to clear his name.

Whether Natsu approved or not.

* * *

"Holy _shit_ , this is gonna be a pain in the ass."

Natsu silently nodded his agreement to Sting's murmured words as the trio of dragon slayers quietly studied the structure before them, each standing among the branches of the tallest nearby trees they could find.

Nirvana's Infinity Clock was incredible, he thought. It was large enough that someone had taken out several full-sized mountains to hide it. It would have taken even _them_ hours to simply run from one tip to the other, and it looked like some kind of metallic fish that hovered hundreds of feet above the ground, held down only by chains that looked like some kind of anchor.

Rogue analyzed it with careful crimson eyes before deciding, "Lucy is in there; I can sense her magic, as well as that of a mage with similar magic."

"Jellal," Natsu replied. "Gotta be in there with her. Bastard." He shifted, tugging his scarf away from his nose to smell better. He felt his heart tug, wanting to go after Lucy with all of his might. Yet he didn't dare disobey what Mirajane had ordered because to do so might just mean Lucy's death.

So, he turned on his heel. "C'mon, they should be at the meeting place by now. We gotta meet up and tell 'em about these chains. Large enough that we can run up 'em and invade that way and just enough so that each team gets one."

"I believe it best that we are flown up there." Sting's blue eyes flashed. "I'm gonna ask if Lector can be shifted to our team, or the white one or Frosch. One Exceed won't make a difference, and how much you wanna bet she's somewhere around that weird looking cyclops eye at the front?"

Natsu growled. "We could fly right up to there."

"Frosch will come with us," Rogue decided, "This will be safer for him. I don't want to risk him getting lost in the fight."

Natsu and Sting exchanged a look before Sting sighed heavily and told his best friend, "Damn, Rogue, you really gotta put a leash on the little guy. Then again...he's always the one who finds what we need in the end, maybe we _should_ let him loose…"

A snarl was sent his way and Sting snickered before turning in the direction they'd come from. "Come on, let's go. We have work to do."

Natsu hopped down from his tree.

 _Hold on just a bit longer, Luce. I'm comin'._

* * *

 _Things are seriously about to go down, eh? Anyone read the new chapter? This new Spriggan guy looks interesting. I like him. He's interesting._

 _To Alexia Colette, who questioned whether or not E.N.D. will show up? I have no answer for that just yet._

 _Thanks to reviewers (lukabayo, quite-a-riot, Alexia Colette, TigerArrowgirl, The 0bservanc3, SunflowerChrysalis, Uzumaki Naho, MirrorFlame, BrokenGlass12, Typhlosion8, LePengwen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, TaylorNReed, sassykitten1701, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Kalyani De La Luna, The Age of Awesomeness, OOANDISAOO, BaddyxBitch, ToastedWeirdBrain, DragonDancer81, notsudrogneel, NaLu and InuKag, Uchida Akira, Guest4, shippersaurus, and FairyDemonDust!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	109. Chapter 109

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Several pairs of eyes watched the sky intently for Mirajane's signal, including those of Gray Fullbuster. Juvia stood beside him, and Lyon and a quiet Chelia beside her, all four ready to get to work on hunting down that speedy little bastard. He and Lyon had come up with an idea, and Juvia had agreed to be more concerned about offense so that Lyon could focus on defense and Gray could work on transportation.

He knew that Natsu was frantic, desperate to find Lucy, and he felt the same desperation. Lucy was his friend, one of the closest he had outside of those like Erza and Juvia. Natsu was iffy in that little part of his mind, but he silently admitted that he would trust the fire mage with his life.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack, followed by a flash of green; Mirajane's magic was recognizable almost immediately, and without question, he surged forward. "Let's go!" he shouted as a roar came from the other side of the massive structure they found themselves confronted by. It was echoed by others, all from the five dragon slayers present. Though, he supposed, there were technically six if one counted Laxus.

The sound was strange, one he'd never heard in his life. He could pick out each voice - particularly Wendy's trilling scream-like sound. Gajeel's was like metal scraping against one another, and Natsu's was somewhat primal almost. Sting's was almost musical; his partner's was hoarse and raspy, yet just as powerful.

And all were screaming a cry of war.

Laxus, however, kept silent, and Gray guessed it had to do with the fact that they'd been raised by dragons and Laxus hadn't.

Grateful that he'd been put in charge of their group, Gray ordered, "Juvia, send up our signal."

She beamed. "Of course, my love," she crooned, and then sent a blast of water into the air, her arm slipping into beautiful sparkling blue. And then their signal was put out, and they were sprinting at full speed up the chain that connected the Clock to the ground.

"This is insane," Lyon muttered, losing his arrogance for once as he nearly slipped. His foot slid into the empty space in the center of a chain link larger than theirs, and only Juvia's quick reaction of grabbing his shoulder and yanking him back up saved him. "What the hell is wrong with these people?"

"Who knows," Gray said drily, waiting until he was ready before taking off again.

It took him ten minutes to realize they were taking too long. "Hey, Lyon," he said suddenly, grabbing Juvia by the waist much to her delight, magic misting around his fingers. "See ya at the top."

Grinning and recognizing what his fellow ice-make mage friend was doing, Lyon readied his own magic and did the same with Chelia, who huffed in irritation. "We'll see about that."

And then a tidal wave of ice was sending them practically _soaring_ to the top. Gray kept a tight grip on the woman in the crook of his arm, hissing when she murmured something he sort of wished he hadn't heard, "Juvia. If you focus now, we'll go out or something on a job afterwards."

She said nothing but comments on what to watch out for after that.

* * *

Erza plunged forward the second that the signal went off, and a smirk curved across her lips at the dragon slayer's proud cry, the sound haunting and like that of dragons preparing for their own battles.

They would win with a cry like that behind them. And they had a fairly angry Natsu behind them, so there was that, too. She felt a wave of magic wash over her - Gray's, she realized - and then requipped herself into an armor that would increase her speed.

It took her what seemed like forever to reach the top of the chain, where she paused to look back and peer curiously back over her shoulder. They were miles and miles above the ground, and when they brought this structure down, she was uncertain of who exactly would survive.

Shaking the thought off, Erza focused on her first task: she _had_ to find Jellal. It uneased her slightly that she'd been paired with him despite Mavis' knowledge of their past, but she would trust the first master's decision in regards to the once black mage.

The ponytail her hair had been put in whipped back and forth as a screech filled the air. She listened intently as the sounds of a battle broke out. It looked like Yukino's team had been dragged into battle, but she continued forward, not daring to stop and help them.

 _Find Jellal. Try not to kill Midnight. Find Jellal. Try not to kill Midnight. Find Jellal. Try not to kill Midnight._

She repeated the mantra several times, her heart pounding in her chest as she skidded into a hall, pausing to study it before jogging forward again, panting just slightly.

Erza stopped suddenly, shaking her head in frustration as she requipped into a nice set of armor she'd recently purchased, her limbs filling with the strength of the endurance it offered. And then she closed her eyes, letting her senses sweep for Jellal's magic - something that she'd recognize anywhere and everywhere.

Her eyes snapped open.

 _There_.

She started forward again, licking her lips in thought while being careful not to accidentally bite her tongue off. Dark eyes flashed with determination.

She _would_ succeed at the task she'd been assigned.

She found him quickly after that. He came running from the opposite direction, blue hair matted with blood from a gash that had been inflicted on his forehead. His own dark eyes were wary, and then relieved. "Erza," he murmured as he slowed to a stop in front of her. "Good, we thought that you would come. And I was concerned that I would be killed along with the rest of them."

Erza eyed him with care. "Of course not," she huffed. "Cana saw your innocence in her cards. Mavis - I will explain later about her plans - has given us all instructions. You and I are taking care of the mage known as Midnight while others see to other members, and then Natsu's team will make sure that Lucy is-"

The look on his face stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Jellal?" she hesitantly asked, and he shook his head slowly, scrubbing a hand down his face.

"Lucy," he rasped, his voice hoarse, "Is in serious trouble. You took too long, they're trying to amplify the Clock's power by using her magic. She's already begun to be absorbed into the clock, Erza! Is there any sort of way you can get word to Natsu? The head of the structure. She's there."

Erza snatched a card out of her pocket, glad that Cana had given them all cards to use in case of an emergency, and rested her fingers on it before shoving the card at Jellal. "Tell him. He will listen better if it's you. You know the information better, anyways."

Jellal blinked, and then tilted his head just barely when Natsu's voice answered. "Erza?"

"Jellal," he corrected. "We have an issue. The Clock needs a sacrifice to be absorbed into it for the people using it to control it. Lucy's currently at the head of the structure and being absorbed. It doesn't help that her magic amplifies the Clock's power. You need to move _now_ , before it's too late, and figure out how to get her out of there before it absorbs her completely."

Natsu swore loudly, repeated the information to those that were with him, and then snarled, "Damn it! Why wouldn't you try and stop them?!"

Jellal gave a grim look. "Because to do so would have gotten us both killed immediately, Natsu. Cobra has a weakness if you come across him. He suspects that Kinana is Cubellios, his partner from another time. Use that against him if you find him before-"

A thought struck Erza. "Natsu," she breathed, "Mavis never created a plan for Cobra...why?"

A new voice popped in: Mirajane's. "I can send in Laxus and his team."

"No," came Gray's voice. "We have to stick to what she told us, or things will go wrong quickly."

"I agree," Gildarts added in. "Mavis knows what she's talking about. She hasn't been wrong before."

"Maybe your Mavis had a plan she didn't tell us about?" Yukino supplied.

"That's possible," Sting agreed.

Erza exchanged a grim look with Jellal; if they were all talking now, then they'd heard of Lucy's state. "If you see Lucy at all," she ordered them, "I don't care what Mavis' orders are, you get her out of there, do you hear me? Get her to Natsu and their team."

"Understood," she heard most of them agree.

Suddenly, a voice she didn't expect piped up, gasping for air. "Don't worry about Cobra, guys, I'm on it."

" _Kinana_?" Natsu snapped, "The hell, lady? He's a dragon slayer-"

"I'm more than aware. His venom can't hurt me, I'll be okay," Kinana promised, "Focus on Lucy, Natsu. Mavis sent some orders with me. Mira? You're with me, and Laxus takes your place for being in charge of that group."

"Oh." A pause. "I see. Here, Laxus, have the card…"

Erza's lips curved into a gentle smile as she heard Mirajane whisper something fiercely to the lightning mage before ordering, "Kinana, can you meet me at the bottom of the southern chain? I can fly the pair of us up."

"Of course!"

"So are we all good to continue fighting 'cause someone just threw Lyon a good few feet away. Freakin' moron's nearly as bad as Natsu."

"Say that to my face," Natsu challenged irritably.

"Boys," Erza gritted out, "Not now. Thank you, Jellal," she added as she put the card away. "Now. Let's go find Midnight, because I have a special gift lined up for him…"

* * *

"There!" Happy suddenly shouted over the wind. "I see the spot Jellal mentioned, Natsu!"

The three cats that were carrying their respective dragon slayers hovered above the massive structure, and they all studied the head of the fish. Natsu's sharp onyx eyes scanned it for weaknesses, and he growled uncomfortably at the sight of an orb that was protruding from the center. "There," he said suddenly, motioning towards a window. "Think you could break that, Sting? Without hurting her if she's in there?"

Sting nodded curtly as he and Lector glanced at the fire mage. "Yeah, should be able to. Hey, Rogue, when we get in there, do your shadow thing."

Rogue only nodded.

Sting swished his magic around in his mouth for a few seconds. And then he spat the laser at the window, watching as it shattered. Natsu ordered Happy forward, and they all slipped through it with ease. As soon as he'd been put down, Natsu pulled Happy out of the air for a quick hug.

"Thanks, little buddy." He gave him a crooked grin. "Take Lector and Frosch and go help Laxus, okay?"

"Be careful," Rogue told Frosch as he nodded his agreement to Natsu's words.

"Okay!" the frog-suited cat agreed with ease.

Once the three cats were gone, Sting rolled his shoulders and looked around, blue eyes examining everything that he found. Rogue disappeared, hiding in the shadows to watch for anyone that might come attacking as Natsu closed his eyes and sought out his partner's scent - only to stop when Sting jabbed him in the ribs.

"What?" he growled, and then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what the blond was staring at.

The orb that they'd seen from above was even bigger up close, and was a brilliant orange and yellow hue with some kind of star in the middle.

And in the middle of the star was Lucy.

His heart twisted with fear. Jellal had mentioned this, but he hadn't thought that she'd be this close…

Her dark eyes were hazed over, full of exhaustion. It took him a brief moment to realize that she was still awake, though, and she suddenly blinked before her eyes snapped open. "N-Natsu!" she suddenly gasped yanking at her wrists.

"Lucy!" he shot forward, throwing himself towards her, and Sting followed close behind, guarding his back while Rogue guarded his. A platform led up to where she'd been stuck, and he shot up those stairs, not hesitating to catch a strand of golden hair between his fingers as a sign of affection. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah...sort of. I can't...Natsu, I can't feel my hands and feet."

Sting knelt to investigate with a dark look. "That's because you're already partially absorbed, Lucy, we can't get you out of this thing without removing limbs."

"Don't touch her," Natsu barked, glaring at him for even suggesting the idea, but Sting merely gave him a look.

"It's either she loses limbs, or you lose her," he told him grimly. "Because there ain't any other way that we're getting her out of here now."

* * *

 _Natsu found her! Although it's not looking too good, eh? And look! Mavis' plan for Cobra showed up finally! Love how some of you noticed that he wasn't brought up when Mavis was ordering everyone around._

 _Just finished writing the major bit of Tenrou. So exciting, that arc._

 _Someone questioned Cobra's lack of hearing Lucy and Jellal's private conversation. I'll put it down like this: Cobra can indeed one's heart/mind, but Jellal's he is unable to due to Jellal's magic. Lucy's mind/heart couldn't be heard because she was far enough away. In the BTL world, when Cobra is far enough away, he can only hear sounds. It's when he gets within a certain radius that he can hear thoughts. :)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Alexia Colette, OwlChaser113, LePengwen, The Age of Awesomeness, sassykitten1701, Cinder Dragneel, Uchida Akira, TaylorNReed, Uzumaki Naho, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Guest, The 0bservanc3, PinkFireandGoldenStars, NaLu and InuKag, MirrorFlame, Bearsweetcuddle, OOANDISAOO, Dragondancer81, niyah606, Guest 4, zzMiya-chanzz, and Luci!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	110. Chapter 110

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu could hear the beginning of a battle not too far away, but he ignored it in favor of slapping his hands over Lucy's cheeks and pressing his forehead against hers. "I'll get you out of here with your limbs in tact," he promised, searching her gaze and earning a kind smile for his efforts.

"Thank you, Natsu," she whispered back, and then closed her eyes tiredly, suddenly slumping forward.

Panic flashed through him. "Lucy?!" She didn't wake at his loud voice, and rage overtook him for a moment. His flames exploded to life along his arms and he didn't hesitate to slam a fist into the orb above her head, never hurting her, despite Sting's shouted protest.

Sting shoved him afterwards, a glare in his eyes. "The hell are you thinking, Natsu?" he shouted in his face. "You probably just made it worse! That thing's trying to absorb magic, and you just gave it an overload!"

Natsu's eyes snapped wide, and when they turned back, his heart nearly stopped in his chest.

Lucy had sunk further in, nearly up to her elbows and knees, her back just beginning to be sucked in. And it was moving faster, Natsu realized, he could visibly see her being absorbed, and a frantic desperation flashed through him. "Shit," he whispered, and then whirled on Sting. "What do we do?!"

Sting licked his lips. "Rogue!" he called. "I want you to go find Gildarts and get him here! Lucy is our top priority right now, because without her, they can't control this thing! Maybe we can overload it to the max and it'll shatter or something."

Rogue materialized out of his partner's shadow, shaking his head. "They've begun their own fight and if we interrupt now, it'll end badly for Wendy, Sting. Perhaps we could try our Unison Raid? Shadow Drive and White Drive combined might be enough."

"...yeah," he agreed after a few moments of thinking. "It could."

Natsu growled softly, reluctant to leave Lucy to their mercy. "It won't hurt her?"

"We don't know," Rogue said honestly. "But we will try our hardest not to hurt her, Natsu. We know how much she means to you. We'd never intentionally hurt her." He gave the fire mage a quick smile, and magic flared around them as he and Sting powered up. "Just...stay back. Let's see what we can do…"

* * *

Yukino summoned Libra without so much as a lick of hesitation, and the Spirit stood before her, somehow balanced on her toes. "What would you have me do?" she asked in an accented voice. Angel stood before them; her light hair was fluttering wildly around her face, her dark eyes shining with hatred and triumph as the lightning god slayer behind the celestial mage weakly hauled himself to his feet.

"Shit," he managed to get out, wheezing for air as lightning charged along his arms again. It was black, cackling dangerously. She glanced anxiously at him, her own magic stretched by the simple summoning she'd done.

"Change the gravity, Libra," Yukino ordered. "Smash that angel thing against the ground."

"Of course," Libra murmured, tilting. Her scales tipped with her and then suddenly, every person but Libra herself were dragged to the ground. Yukino winced as her leg twisted beneath her, but ignored the pain as Angel shrieked in outrage.

Just as she'd hoped, the gravity was strong enough to utterly destroy the angel. Angel screeched her anger as it was smashed into pieces, and Libra released the gravity as soon as the dust was gone. "I did as you wished, Miss Yukino."

"Thanks Libra," Yukino said, watching as Rufus and Orga lunged forward to knock the woman out. Libra bowed and then returned to her Realm. Yukino stumbled in exhaustion to her feet, and then opened up the communications card they'd been given. "Yukino here," she said with a groan. "Oracion Seis member Angel has been taken care of."

"Well done, Yukino," a masculine voice praised. Jellal Fernandes, she knew. It was strange, not being told to hunt him down like they'd been warned to do in the past.

"Very good job," Mirajane agreed. Yukino cast the woman a look, her eyes flashing with confusion. She almost looked familiar from somewhere… "Why don't you and your team take her to Laxus' team? Rest there, we'll keep you all updated."

"Any update on Lucy?" she asked after repeating the instructions to Rufus, who helped Orga gather the unconscious woman up.

"It's bad," Natsu's voice rasped. "She's already being absorbed into this thing. Sting and Rogue are gonna overload it, see if that'll help, but when I used my magic near it, it was sucked in and only sped the process up. Lucy's unconscious."

"Be careful," Jellal warned. "If she is absorbed completely, it means trouble for everyone."

Yukino gave a yawn. "What about her keys? Leo comes out on his own, doesn't he? Put the keys in her hand or something and see if he pops up. If he does, he might know what to do."

"Right." Natsu's voice disappeared after that and didn't come back, and Yukino hoped that he was doing as she'd suggested.

"Be careful, Yukino," Mirajane ordered, and then disappeared as well, probably to deal with Cobra if the sound of a raised voice was anything to go by. Jellal murmured his agreement, and Yukino put her card away before glancing over anxiously at her friends. "Come on," she hummed, "Let's go."

* * *

"Get down!"

Gray slammed Juvia to the ground, crouched protectively over his fellow nakama as he glared at the cackling Racer, who'd come out of nowhere to launch an attack. And then he was gone, disappearing as he moved.

Lyon stood with Chelia at his back, his dark eyes scanning the area. Blood was dripping from a gash on his forehead, but he didn't seem to notice as Chelia suddenly shouted, "Gray! Behind you!"

Juvia's eyes became slits. "Do not touch my Gray," she seethed, sliding out from under him like a snake and throwing a Water Slicer at their enemy. He just barely managed to avoid the attack, and Gray was given a moment to breathe as Racer suddenly found himself confronted by a rageful water mage. He lay there, exhausted and in pain from what he suspected was a few broken ribs.

He'd heard the conversation about Lucy, about the fact that Angel was defeated. They all had; it had come just seconds before they'd "found" Racer. Gray snorted; more like he'd found them.

He coughed harshly and a sticky warm liquid filled his mouth. He groaned softly, praying that a broken rib hadn't pierced any organs. He couldn't do that now. He just simply didn't have the _time_ for such things when they were in the middle of the war.

Chelia darted over, landing on her knees beside him, Lyon standing with his back to them so that he could protect them if need be. She smiled kindly at the ice-make mage, saying firmly, "I have the same ability to heal as Wendy. Give me a few seconds and this should fix you up so that you're back on your feet and fighting."

"Thanks, Chelia," he groaned as she went to work.

Suddenly, the ground shook.

Everyone - even Racer - went still. When it trembled a second time, they all looked up - just in time for Gildarts to come flying through the ceiling. He hit the ground with enough force to send them tumbling back, and then groaned as he shoved himself to his feet, metallic limbs creaking at the effort.

Brain dropped in after him, a dark grin on his face. "You were saying?"

Gildarts promptly told him to shove something in a place that made them cringe before lunging forward. Racer cackled as he went back to work on fighting with Juvia, but this time, Lyon joined in, each having issues when it came to fighting alongside a mage that destroyed everything he touched.

And then, suddenly, the ground tilted beneath them. Chelia screamed as the pair of them went sliding and tumbling into open air, plummeting towards the ground that was miles beneath. Juvia and Lyon screamed for them, horrified, and Gray could only close his eyes, exhausted as the wind rushed past them.

He'd used up too much magic on one of the minor members. How pathetic _was_ he?

Ur would have been ashamed.

Suddenly, gravity shifted, and he yelped, eyes snapping open as a proud voice cheered, "Fro's got you!"

"Frosch?" Gray glanced up, startled by the cat's appearance and Frosch beamed, flicking his tail as another voice called, "Gray!"

"Happy," he realized, "Lector." Happy had caught Chelia and looked rather proud of himself. "I thought you guys were with the dragon slayers?"

"We were, but our job with them is done," Lector admitted, "So we're flying around with Lily and Charle looking for anyone that might fall. Glad that we were! And that we move so fast when we're flying!"

Gray laughed, and there was still an ache, but no blood came up this time, thank the heavens. He ordered, "Take us back up then. We've got some asses to kick. Find Jura. Gildarts is fighting Brain alone and I'm worried about that."

"Aye, sir!" the blue cat cried cheekily and Gray only pressed a hand to his forehead, laughing under his breath.

Mavis sure as hell thought of everything.

* * *

There was a brief moment in which Mirajane was the scariest thing that Kinana had ever seen. She'd seen her newest form of course, who hadn't? Almost the entire guild had seen it after what had happened in Magnolia.

But now…

Kinana had to admit; even _Laxus_ would have flinched away.

Cobra had come after them, of course, just as Mavis had planned in private with her. The ghost-like founder of Fairy Tail had ordered that she distract Cobra for some reason, and Kinana had agreed. It would give time to Mirajane to change forms and launch a surprise attack.

So it was a surprise to everyone there - and that included herself - that she was knelt over the enemy, her heart pounding and breath coming in pained gasps. Blood dripped from a wound on her back, one put there unintentionally by Mirajane.

"Kinana, what are you doing?" Mirajane's voice was distorted by the transformation, and she sounded furious. Kinana knew she was just shocked. Cobra was, too, his good eye staring at her with shock and confusion.

Kinana's lips twisted into a wry grin. She couldn't remember anything before her life with Fairy Tail.

 _"You were cursed,"_ the gentle Mavis had admitted, _"By the previous guildmaster, a friend of mine. Precht. He took you away from someone that you loved more than your own life. And I believe it best that we use such a thing to our advantage. Cobra would be a good addition to our side. Even if he is imprisoned after his actions. To have him help us willingly until everything is safe would be for the best."_

"Helping," she finally got out, her voice hoarse with pain. She licked her lips, tasting a metallic tang. She'd never been one for the fighting that the guild sometimes dealt with. She'd always been on standby, watching from afar.

She didn't like blood or pain.

It hurt.

Locking gazes with Cobra, she was more than aware of the change in her eyes, how her pupils became slits, the dark brown color changing to a venomous green. "Do not touch my nakama, Erik."

Cobra wheezed in surprise. "The _fu_ -"

Kinana dug her fingers into his shoulders, her breath hitched. "Mira," she finally got out. "Don't hurt him. You can't hurt him."

Mavis had sent her in after a kind touch, knowing. _Knowing_. That just one deadly touch would shatter everything, turn her world upside down. At the same time that it broke her heart, it brought her relief.

He was _alive_.

"What are you _doing_?" Mira seethed, "He's the enemy, Kinana!"

Kinana's head snapped around, a hiss on the tip of her tongue. "He is my _friend_ ," she practically snarled, her eyes flashing angrily. Mirajane jerked back in bewilderment, unused to such eyes on her friend's face.

And then Mirajane's eyes softened. "You really are Cubellios, then."

A sob ripped from her throat. Exhaustion swept through her and she collapsed, face pressed into the tensed man's chest, trembling. "Don't hurt him," she sobbed. "Don't...don't hurt him…"

Mirajane moved to gently move her away, determined to at least knock the dragon slayer out, but in a flash, Cobra was out from under her, protectively crouched over her with a snarl on his face, just daring the S-Class mage to touch her. Mirajane scowled. "I would never hurt Kinana," she snarled right back, angry at the suggestion. "You are the one who is out to destroy us all. Move. She's injured. We have healers on our side."

He didn't. His gaze was cold as he challenged, "I suspected that she was Cubellios...what fuckin' _right_ do you have to do anything to her? Your guild is the one that screwed her up anyways."

Mirajane gave an angelic smile that promised death.

"We didn't screw her up in any way. She is Kinana. She is Cubellios. And she is my nakama. And she knew walking in what this would come down to, so either you get your ass out of my way and find someone else to fight, or you help me get her out of here. Before I tear your throat out. Because I am _not_ in the mood."

There was a tense moment before he finally moved. He shifted away from the now unconscious woman, and Mirajane darted over to inspect the injury she'd left by accident. When she'd determined that it wasn't bad enough to require immediate attention, she stood swiftly, Kinana cradled in her arms. She glared at Cobra as she slid a card out of her pocket.

"Hey, Natsu," she suddenly purred into it, dark blue eyes never once leaving him. "Cobra's _all_ yours. I'm sure he'll be _more_ than willing to help you get Lucy out of there."

Cobra only groaned and declared that he was going to hell before the night was over before turning and darting off, because Cubellios - Kinana - was by far more important than this dangerous mission that Oracion Seis had set its eyes on.

* * *

 _Got some Kinabra, eh? Love that pairing._

 _MirrorFlame asked what motivated me to keep writing and updating this even though a year's gone by. My answer: partly school being a pain in the ass, partly me really enjoying writing it, and partly you lovely readers who enjoy it. :D_

 _Thanks to reviewers (ToastedWeirdBrain, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, LePengwen, TigerArrowgirl, MirrorFlame, BokoWriter16, niyah606, TaylorNReed, CinderDragneel, SunflowerChrysalis, Uzumaki Naho, The Age of Awesomeness, The Observanc3, NaLu and InuKag, shippersaurus, OwlChaser113, sassykitten1701, FireDragonPhia, Abdltf, Alexia Colette, Knightwalker, FairyDemonDust, AngelEmCuti, FairyRains, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Uchida Akira,notsudrogneel, brooke0315, zzMiya-chanzz, quite-a-riot, Guest 4, TopazDesiertoFleur, Luci ,and RandomAnimeNerd!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	111. Chapter 111

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Jellal hit the ground in a crumpled mound, and Erza had to fight the urge to charge over and make sure he wasn't dead as she lunged for the smirking Midnight again. She'd requipped into her Robe of Yuen, but it hadn't seemed to do much, much to her irritation. Furious, she lunged again, her sword lashing out.

When he reflected it, however, she realized that her new armor _was_ doing something.

It didn't rip or tear under any attack that was fired back at her. Her face supported a cut, but that was because it hadn't been protected, and neither were her arms. But the armor was doing its job and protecting vital places that would kill her instantly.

With care, she leaped and dodged until she was beside Jellal, helping him to his feet. He leaned momentarily into her to catch his breath, and it came in a shuddering gasp. "I don't understand," he muttered, "He shouldn't be able to hold us off."

Erza searched Midnight's form as he held his arms out in a gesture of challenge. _Just try,_ his body language urged.

And then it struck her. "We have to attack at once," she breathed. "He can only keep up one reflection at a time, we have to attack separately at the same time."

Jellal's dark eyes flashed with approval as he straightened, settling into the very stance she'd taught him so long ago. "I see. Then we shall fight him at the same time. Angel and Cobra have been taken down. As has Hoteye," he added when they heard Gajeel's triumphant roar fill the air from somewhere far off.

Midnight's lips turned downward, his gleaming red eyes angry. "You won't defeat my father," he warned, "By this point, with the magic those fools are putting into the Clock, the girl will be almost gone. You can't save her now, so it's best to say your goodbyes."

"Yes," Erza agreed. Her gaze was locked on Midnight, her body tensed and ready to fight as she requipped a new sword into her hand. They exchanged a look, she and Jellal, and she thought she saw a smile cross his face before they pounced, fighting viciously with every ounce of their strength.

 _Defeat Midnight_ , something told her in the back of her mind, _and our war will soon be over._

* * *

It struck him that they were making a mistake the second the dragon slayers began to unload their magic on the orb.

"Stop!" he shouted, throwing himself forward and slamming a fist against the orb when Lucy sunk in a few more inches. Her head was beginning to disappear now, and desperation filled him as he tried to slam a normal punch into it, to shatter it. But nothing worked, and within seconds, all that was left of Lucy was her face, her shoulders, and her chest.

Sting and Rogue dropped their Dragon Forces immediately and exchanged a look before Sting swore and crossed his arms. "The hell do we do?! We can't do _anything_ , or she starts - _shit_!"

Lucy's eyes suddenly sprang open, and Natsu jumped back himself when he saw the star emblazoned in orange rather than usual brown in her right eye. He gritted his teeth, glancing at the keys that he'd safely placed into the front of her dress, careful not to let his touches linger more than necessary.

Now was not the time to admit that he adored Lucy more than most people thought.

He'd do that later. When no one but they were around and she could take him seriously.

"C'mon, Luce," he said fiercely, touching her cheek anxiously. "Fight, help us, do _something_!"

"That ain't gonna do anything, Salamander." They whirled around to face the man that had appeared. Cobra stood in the doorway not too far away, his good eye watching them carefully. He stepped into the room and Sting growled. Rogue's fingers became surrounded by shadows, and he moved to stand in front of Natsu and Lucy, doubting Natsu would be willing to put up the fight necessary at the moment.

Natsu, however, ordered, "Stand down, Mira said he's okay. What do ya mean? How do I get her out of this? Tell me, or so help me, I'll turn you to ashes!"

Cobra rolled his eye. "Tch. Ya can't. That's the sucky thing about the Clock, dumbass. You can't take anything back. The sucker's put together, your girlfriend's going to be absorbed and power it - oops. There she goes now."

Natsu whirled around, and horror flooded him when he realized that Lucy was no longer there. Immediately, he gave a shout of outrage and threw himself to his knees in front of it. Tears of desperation sprang to his eyes as he slammed his forehead against it. "Lucy!" he bellowed.

Rogue whirled on Cobra, but the venom dragon slayer shrugged, not bothering to move. "Ain't nothing you can do about it. She's gone. Believe me."

"Give her back," Natsu pleaded, onyx eyes filling with tears when nothing happened. He banged his closed fist against the orb one more time. "Give her back!" He repeated this several times, his voice growing louder until he was screaming it, pleading hysterically for his partner to be returned to him.

When no response came other than the sympathetic looks from Sting and Rogue, he tilted his head back and _roared_.

The sound was like nothing any of them had heard before, anguished and full of rage. It was a scream-like sound, more demonic than it was draconic, and even from where he was fighting, Brain stopped to listen.

He wanted his _Lucy_ , damn it!

Another thought suddenly entered his mind, and Natsu's breathing grew ragged as he staggered to his feet, scales rippling into existence along his cheeks as he tugged his scarf away from his mouth. His gaze grew hard with hatred as he turned and shoved past Sting and Rogue after pushing the communications card into Sting's hand, and then even Cobra once he reached the doorway. No one dared to stop him.

Not even when heat exploded through the entirety of the structure, threatening to kill anyone and everyone inside.

Natsu stormed through the Clock like an unstoppable force, pausing only when he heard a faint cry of his name from Wendy, who was exhaustedly seeing to Jura's injuries. She looked frantic. "Natsu? Where's...where's Lucy?"

He gave a low growl. "Gone."

Wendy gave a muffled sob, a hand clasping over her mouth as he moved on, his flames crackling to life along his fists. Soon, he was a blaze of fire, his body cloaked with the flames. He sped up when he heard obnoxious laughter that he knew without a doubt belonged to Brain.

When he saw him, he lunged, ignoring the shocked expression of Gildarts as he roared, "Give her back!"

Brain laughed as he staggered back, not at all bothered by the blow. "You think you'll get the girl back now? She's been completely absorbed! Can you not feel the power pumping through the engines?" Natsu growled as the sound of mechanical pieces began to fill the air, churning loudly.

He was about to launch another attack despite Gildarts' order of, "Go back to what you were told to do, Natsu!" but stopped when a voice filled the air, emotionless and so familiar it made his heart hurt.

" _Nirvana's Infinity Clock activated. Requesting destination."_

Lucy. It used Lucy's voice.

And that just pissed him off more. He snarled, leaping forward, but didn't move fast enough to stop the man from shouting his orders.

"Set a course for Crocus! We've got some flies to crush."

"Shit," Gildarts gritted out, moving in to help Natsu.

" _Destination request accepted. Bearings set for Crocus, Fiore. Requesting orders."_

Brain gave a vicious grin as he fended off a blow from the other mage, startling Natsu when he didn't shatter into a dozen pieces. Gildarts was actually pushed back, much to his shock, something he'd never seen before.

"Destroy!"

" _Orders accepted. Objective: destroy Crocus, Fiore."_

* * *

When the voice first echoed around the place, Gray nearly tripped over himself in shock. Racer had been taken care of and Chelia and Lyon had agreed to take him down to Laxus, where they would be imprisoned by one of Freed's runes.

"Lucy?" he muttered, glancing up at the place. Juvia made a nervous sound beside him, her eyes horrified.

" _Orders accepted. Objective: destroy Crocus, Fiore._ "

"Are you freaking kidding me! Natsu failed his job!" Gray bellowed, bolting forward with a dark look on his face as Mirajane's voice filled the air, echoing from the card.

"We have to stop the Clock! If any of you have finished with your assigned mage, focus on figuring out how to destroy this place!"

"Natsu's lost it," Sting added in suddenly, making Gray pause. "Lucy's gone. She was absorbed into the Clock. We couldn't...we couldn't get her out. I'm sorry."

There was silence before Levy's voice added in shakily, "It's alright, Sting, it's not your fault."

"It isn't," Gray agreed. "Juvia and I'll work down. I think we're close to some kind of engine room. We'll make sure that it's taken out, right?"

"Right," Juvia agreed, serious.

"We'll meet you there," Levy replied.

Gray shoved the card into his pocket. "Come on, Juvia," he muttered, shaking his head. "Let's go."

"Of course." Juvia darted forward, and Gray was right behind her, half-naked. He'd lost his clothes long ago, he noted drily, amused with himself. But it was okay, because so had Lyon. Lyon was actually closer to being entirely naked, last time he checked. And that was just plain weird.

They kept running, looking for a way down a story, until Gray finally just used his magic to create a hole. The ground shook beneath them, the machine preparing to move, and he dropped into hole he'd created. "Come on," he called up to Juvia, who slipped through, trusting him to catch her.

And he did. He set her down with a faint grin, and then turned to face the massive contraptions that they needed to destroy.

Only to discover that he was suddenly quite smaller than Juvia.

"The hell?" he muttered, horrified to realize that his clothes were suddenly too big for his body.

" _Intruders detected. Safety measures activated. Balance: in progress. Time: active._ "

"Gray," Juvia fretted, shocked by the sudden sight of a child-sized ice-make mage. He looked to be around Asuka's age, and when he looked up at her, she squealed in adoration, beyond excited to see him at such a size.

"Gajeel, put me down!"

"Gihi, now you're really a shrimp!"

They glanced over to discover Gajeel entering through the hole Gray had created. And, to their shock, and older Levy - a Levy with wrinkled skin and white hair - was cradled gently in his arms, and there was a hateful look in his sharp crimson eyes.

"You good?" he asked as he set her down. She trembled, but nodded, smiling faintly.

"Yes," she croaked, glaring at her own hands.

"The hell is going on?" Gray's high-pitched voice demanded. Gajeel took one look at him and roared with laughter.

"You heard the blondie," he said, gesturing towards the ceiling. "The time thing's active. It's fuckin' with our ages. Water woman and I are good though, and I think you should be able to use magic, so let's get a move on and bring this sucker down!"

"Right," Juvia muttered, readying her magic.

Gray took up a stance as well, ice gathering at his fists.

" _Safety measure activated. Balance: active._ "

And just like that, Gajeel was leaping out of the way as Juvia turned on him, lips curving into a smirk as she tried to rip into him with her water magic Gray swore colorfully and darted back to stand in front of Levy. "Damn," he hissed.

"Balance," Levy rasped, "They've switched mages' alliances...I hope the dragon slayers are okay."

"If anything, Natsu's fine," he said drily. "Bastard's as close as you can get to evil anyways."

"I feel bad for him," she murmured. "Lucy meant the world to him." Tears gathered in her eyes as she watched Gajeel try to take out Juvia without hurting her. "What has this world come to that people would kill our friends so easily, Gray?"

Gray couldn't give her an honest answer.

* * *

 _Things are getting wilder by the second. Love this arc._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, TigerArrowgirl, Typhlosion8, LePengwen, Cinder Dragneel, Alexia Colette, SingingAngel327, NaLu and InuKag, MirrorFlame, sassykitten1701, AngelEmCuti, niyah606, RandomAnimeNerd, brooke315, Moon Stone Tiger lily, TaylorNReed, Uzumaki Naho, ToastedWeirdBrain, FairyDemonDust, OOANDISAOO, PinkFireandGoldenStars, OfInkNRoses, Guest #1, Uchida Akira, Guest 4, and quite-a-riot!) as well as those who favorited and followed!  
_


	112. Chapter 112

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Mirajane was gentle as she settled the injured Kinana beside a sleeping Yukino, smoothing her hand over her friend's cheek gently. Laxus watched from nearby, confused, and she explained quietly, "Long story short, Kinana is actually Cubellios and a good friend of Cobra's, so he's sort of shifted to our side." She brushed her hands down her skirt, and then glanced up, tired. Her eyes scanned the Clock. "Lucy…"

Laxus placed a hand on her shoulder, his gaze sharp as he gave it a gentle squeeze. "She'll be alright, Mira. I'm sure that idiot will get her out of there, even if she was absorbed into it. He has a way of getting what he wants and you know it."

She sighed softly, patting his hand with gentle fingers. "Thank you," she murmured, and then turned to the Thunder Legion with a fierce look. "Why don't you three go and help them? We'll be alright- Freed?"

There was a moment of complete silence as he glared at them.

And then Laxus was in front of her, lightning cackling as he destroyed a rune before it could even be completed. Bickslow jumped back, and Elfman grabbed his youngest sister out of the way to avoid being trapped.

Evergreen didn't move fast enough and within seconds was reduced to screaming on the ground, writhing as pain like no other raced through her veins. Freed didn't so much as flinch, only smirked and turned on Bickslow, who went to work on avoiding his blows with a bellowed, "What the _hell_ is going on?!"

"It's the Clock," Mirajane breathed, horror filling her. "It's power-"

"Bickslow," Laxus said calmly, glancing over. "You and the others good to watch him and protect the ones that need it?"

"Yeah," Bickslow called back, grinning wildly as he avoided another blow. "Go on, we got this, right, Ever?"

"Shut up," she moaned, her body trembling with pain.

"C'mon," Laxus told Mirajane, grabbing her arm and pushing her back towards the Clock. "They'll be fine. Let's see how much voltage it takes to fry this thing…"

* * *

It was dark, and she was floating in some place she didn't recognize. Her eyes searched the darkness in vain, trying to find something. A clue. A simple hint as to how she'd ended up there, or why she was in this blackness.

All she knew was that it hurt. More than anything, but she couldn't open her mouth to scream.

Suddenly, cool metal pressed over her cheek alongside warm fingers.

"Lucy," a voice murmured in her ear. "Can you hear me?"

She gave no response, instinctively closing her eyes.

"Can you hear me?" they repeated, voice gentle.

The pain was too much, she thought, her eyes slowly opening again. She couldn't see out of one of them at the same time that she could; she could see violence and more below, yet she was looking at a man with kind eyes at the same time.

His orange hair seemed to sway with an invisible breeze as he coaxed, "Speak to me. Can you hear me?"

She parted her lips to answer but found she couldn't. He seemed to recognize this and soothingly ran a thumb over her cheek, smiling gently. "It's alright," he muttered, shaking his head. "I've got you. You're alright. Take your time."

Suddenly, she spoke.

But it wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"Objective: destroy Crocus, Fiore. Weapons: in progress. Preparing to launch."

"No, no, no," he hissed. "No, Lucy, don't do that. Deactivate."

She paused. "...Weapons: deactivated."

A grin spread across his face at that, and he looked beyond excited as he said rapidly, "Balance and time, Lucy. Deactivate them. Destination and objective canceled." He could hear the Spirit King in his ears. He spoke to him urgently, giving him orders on how to fix the situation alongside the ever powerful ally that he spoke with often.

"Balance: deactivated," she murmured, "Time: deactivated. Objective: deactivated. Destination: none."

"Good girl!" he praised with a laugh, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Come on, Lucy! You can do it! I know it hurts, your magic's being sucked out. But you can do it. Wake up. Do you hear the screams and pain? That's your nakama. They need you."

A blink, and then a few more, and suddenly, Lucy was groaning in agony, her back arching and a cry leaving her lips. He soothed her reassuringly. "Loke?"

He laughed again and grinned broadly. "Hey, princess, glad to have you back!"

Lucy only closed her eyes as another voice washed over her ears.

" _Destination! Crocus! Destroy!"_

"...D-destination: Crocus," she gasped, struggling, and then hissed, "Destination: none!"

"You can do it," Loke urged, determined. "Think of your nakama. Come on, Lucy, fight!"

She physically shook her head, clearing it of the ordering voices in her head. "Leave," she suddenly ordered, her heart pounding as she slammed her hands over her ears. " _LEAVE!_ " she screamed, and Loke disappeared in a flash of light upon her demand, his gate forced shut.

And then she smiled.

"Destination," she trilled in a purr, "Fucking _nowhere_."

* * *

Out of nowhere, Juvia screamed, and Gajeel's attack immediately diverted out of shock. He'd turned his arm into a nasty looking pole that he'd been trying to use to hit her in the back of the head to knock her out, and he yelped as it struck the engines instead of her.

Levy screamed, white hair and wrinkles gone when she was confronted by a suddenly very naked Gray and immediately sobbed, covering her eyes, "Put your freaking clothes on! Please, Gray, I'm begging you!"

" _Destination_ ," Lucy's voice came out of nowhere. " _Fucking nowhere._ "

They all went dead still at that, and then Gray laughed loudly, throwing a hand up in relief and using the other to grab his jeans. "Hell yeah! Go Lucy! You got this!"

Levy was crying her happiness into her hands, and Gajeel was momentarily at a loss as to what he should do until Jellal suddenly appeared, dropping through the hole that Gray had created. He wore a grimace, and they all stared at him until he said awkwardly, "Erza is currently beating Midnight half to death. I thought I should come and assist you."

"Good choice," Gray agreed grimly, recognizing the hint of fear in his face. "Okay, we need to figure out how to bring this sucker down. You got that Lucy?" he shouted at no one in particular. "Any suggestions?"

There was a moment of silence before he received a fierce answer.

" _No. Natsu, I swear to the Spirits I work with that if you freaking try and incinerate Gildarts, I'll kill you. Erza, stop beating Midnight, he's practically dead already!_ "

Definitely their Lucy.

"She can see what we're doing," Juvia realized, and then suggested, "Perhaps Natsu can burn it down?"

Gray couldn't bring himself to stop laughing, the sound coming out of him in an endless wave as the blonde they couldn't see shouted various things, annoyed with how her nakama was acting until Gray looked back towards the engines.

"Well," he muttered, buttoning his jeans, "Let's try and bring this place down then. Time to do what Fairy Tail does best and destroy everything." He readied his magic and then without a word of warning, sent an Ice-Make: Hammer onto the engines.

They stuttered, and then continued and it wasn't long before all five of them were beating viciously on them. The machinery screamed its protests, but they kept at it until a new voice added in, "Move."

"Laxus," Levy said in surprise as he dropped in, lightning crackling around him. Mirajane peeked in behind him, smiling and giving a small wave.

"Get out of my way," he grumbled. "Go and do somethin' useful for a change, I've got the engines. I'll overload them. Be prepared to hit the ground, because we're a couple miles up." The lightning began to crackle around him violently and Gajeel, aware that he was a walking metal pole, grabbed Levy and hopped out of the hole with ease. Gray created a staircase for he and Juvia to climb out, and together they exchanged a look as Jellal climbed out behind them, face thoughtful.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. He turned to Mirajane with a sharp look. "Miss Strauss, I want everyone off of this thing in ten minutes. That includes Laxus and Natsu. Do you think you could manage that?"

"Lucy!" Mirajane called up, "Ya got that?"

" _Everyone, off!_ " she piped back. " _This is an order from Mira. Everyone needs to leave. Yes, Natsu, that includes you. Stop pouting, get that sucker out of here before he wakes up and starts shouting orders again_."

Mirajane only shook her head and gently nudged Juvia forward. "Do as Jellal says," she murmured, heart pounding.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that something bad was going to happen.

* * *

Natsu glowered his frustration. What did Lucy think she was doing, ordering them all away? He still had to help her! She was stuck in who the hell knew where-

"Come on, kid," Gildarts muttered, suddenly grabbing him and throwing him over his shoulder like a child. With the other hand, he drug an unconscious Brain, eyes firm. "They know what they're doing."

"Put me down!" Natsu bellowed as Jura came staggering after them with the help of Sting and Rogue, Wendy close behind. "I have to help Lucy, damn it!"

"You won't help her if you're dead!" Gildarts retorted. He tightened his grip when Natsu began to wriggle like a snake, and then glanced over when Cobra muttered something that had Natsu fighting even harder.

"Fernandes figured out the self-destruct."

"No!" Natsu snarled, kicking as hard as he could. "Let me go, we have to get Lucy out! She's trapped, she can't get out without us-"

 _Crack!_

He went limp.

Gildarts glanced over at Cobra with an arched eyebrow, and the venom dragon slayer shrugged. "You want him alive or not? Bastard needs to shut the hell up."

"Point taken." Gildarts chose not to question him as he shoved Brain at Cobra. "You bring him down, and then I hate to say it, but we'll have to put you in one of Freed's runes, too. You're still someone who's committed crimes."

"Yeah, yeah, figured as much."

By the time they reached the bottom of the chains, nearly half an hour had passed, and almost everyone had gathered. Some were watching the smoking machine anxiously, worried. "You don't think it'll crash into Crocus, do you?" Chelia whispered to Wendy, who anxiously shook her head.

"Lucy won't...she won't let it," Wendy whispered as Erza threw Midnight down into a pre-set rune. Freed flinched at the man's swollen face as she turned to look back up. "Where's Gray?"

Jellal pushed his way through people, Juvia close to his side with a desperate look on her face. She looked shaken, anxious, as Lyon demanded the same question, standing beside her.

"The thing that no one thought of about Nirvana's Infinity Clock," Jellal said quietly, "Is the fact that it has a self-destruct function. This will entirely annihilate it. We won't have to worry about such a situation happening ever again. The problem going with it, however-"

"Lucy," Erza whispered, and Wendy whimpered, leaning against her friend. Levy gave a darkened look at the captured Oracion Seis as Cobra easily stepped into one of the runes.

"Gray's going to set off the function. He'll have ten seconds to get down."

"Natsu!" Happy suddenly cried as he dove down to sit beside his friend, who'd been dropped to the ground by Gildarts. "Is he okay?"

"Just knocked out," Gildarts reassured. "Had to do it, or he wouldn't have left. Is everyone here then?"

"As far as we know," Mirajane replied with a soft sigh. She glanced over as Sting knelt beside Yukino, who was still sleeping, exhausted after her fight. Rogue and their cats stood nearby, anxious, as Orga told them about what had happened.

As soon as everyone but Gray was accounted for, they all turned their faces to the sky.

A voice echoed around them, filling the mountains with its gentle tone, the last that they were sure they'd hear of Lucy Heartfilia. Gray came sprinting down soon after on a cascade of ice.

" _Nirvana's Infinity Clock. Self-destruct. Activated._ "

And then they knew nothing but heat and flames.

* * *

 _Things are looking up on getting rid of the clock, but not for Lucy, eh? Anyways...next chapter is going to be great. The best out of any chapter I've written._

 _To the guest who asked about update days: I update on Mondays and Thursdays for now. When September hits, I may return to my three days a week. Maybe._

 _Thanks to reviewers (TigerArrowgirl, NaLu and InuKag, LePengwen, brooke315, Guest #1, CharonteQueen, FireDragonPhia, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, TaylorNReed, OOANDISAOO, notsodrogneel, Uzumaki Naho, The Age of Awesomeness, MirrorFlame, Fairylover13, sydneste, quite-a-riot, Alexia Colette, keyofaquarius, sassykitten1701, AngelEmCuti, PinkFireandGoldenStars, TopazDesiertoFleur, Fullmetal Pyromaniac, RandomAnimeNerd, themoonlitarcher, Guest 4, Cinder Dragneel, Knightwalker, The 0bservanc3, and Mechanical-Rose-Sama!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	113. Chapter 113

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu opened his eyes to discover that he could see nothing but smoke. There was a strange echo in his ears, as if an explosion had gone off, and Happy was screaming something that he couldn't comprehend to him. His head ached, and a thought suddenly entered his mind.

 _That bastard Cobra_ , he seethed, shooting upwards to hunt the dragon slayer down and rip him apart limb by limb for even thinking about striking him -

Screams and shouts filled the air as something streamed through the air and struck the ground hard enough to make it shake. Natsu yelped, grabbing Happy and diving out of the way of a smaller piece. He stared at the metal that pierced the ground where he'd been, and then looked up to the sky.

Nirvana's Infinity Clock was gone, but the pieces certainly weren't.

Pain flooded him as he tore off, determined to help his nakama get to safety.

Lucy was gone.

He'd never see her again.

A strange echoing scream filled the small valley that the Clock had rested in. He ignored it as he grabbed Levy around the waist and hoisted her out of the way, effectively separating her from Gajeel but keeping her safe.

"Natsu!" the solid-script mage wheezed in shock. "You're okay!"

"Of course," he muttered, shooting a glare over his shoulder at the commotion. He yanked to the side to avoid another piece, and then looked up when a glow spliced the smoke.

"What _is_ that?" Levy gasped. Her dark eyes were wide as she stared up at the glowing orb that suddenly began to splinter, fragments falling towards the ground.

"Natsu!" Happy cried, "Is that the thing Lucy was in?!"

Natsu's heart pounded. "Yeah. It was," he whispered, and then turned and dragged Levy further away. He'd drag her all the way back to Crocus if that's what required it. He could hear his nakama fighting to escape, and he thought he heard someone shout that one or two of the Oracion Seis was dead, that Freed was trying to free them so that they wouldn't be smashed.

"Gajeel!" Levy screamed suddenly. His head snapped around, and he swore when he saw the iron mage disappear beneath a piece of metal that struck him. A sob left her lips, and she moaned his name again, scratching Natsu's charred shoulders in her attempt to get back to him.

"You can't," he growled, pushing forward. "You'll get killed."

"Gajeel," she only managed to sob, "Gajeel!"

Natsu hoped that everyone else was okay.

It seemed like forever before the explosion finally ended and pieces of metal stopped falling. The orb was still in the sky, but as it didn't seem to be doing anything yet, Natsu reluctantly returned, releasing Levy. She threw herself to her knees beside the metal, shouting her boyfriend's name until suddenly, he pried his way through, body cloaked in metallic scales.

She threw herself at him and slammed her lips over his, and Gajeel returned the kiss with a signature chuckle. "Gihi," he snickered, "Calm down, woman."

"Natsu!" Wendy cried as she came jogging over. Charle hovered beside her, and Happy greeted her with relief. He caught Wendy in a hug. "We thought you'd been killed-"

"Nah," he said quietly. "I'm okay. I was helpin' Levy. You okay?"

"Mhm," she hummed, smiling gently. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed gently, sympathetic, but he said nothing. She led him over to where everyone was gathering. Several of the mages were injured, and he could smell the scent of death on the breeze.

People had died.

He hoped that Oracion Seis were the ones who were dead.

"Natsu," Erza said faintly, leaning on Gray for support. She was limping, her leg slicked with blood as she smiled at him in greeting him. Lyon was on her other side as she spoke, slipping an arm over his shoulder. "You're alright?"

"Yeah," he repeated, "I'm okay."

 _Not_. Natsu was anything but okay.

Happy knew it, too, and sat on his shoulder as he leaned against Natsu's pink-haired head. Natsu took a deep breath before asking, "Who's been killed?"

"A member of Lamia Scale," Juvia said softly, "A few of Blue Pegasus. Brain, Hoteye, and Racer of Oracion Seis. Angel's disappeared, we think she fled when she was freed. Cobra won't leave Kinana be." Amusement flooded through her gaze as she glanced over her shoulder to where the mentioned man was looking everywhere _but_ at Kinana as the young woman shouted at him for being an idiot, hands on her hips.

Natsu couldn't bring himself to so much as smile.

He would never get to do such things with Lucy again.

"Midnight?" he asked quietly.

"Alive," Erza answered. "Freed put him in one of the runes again as soon as the danger was gone." Her gaze turned upwards. "What is that?" she demanded suddenly, studying the ridiculously bright orb.

Natsu licked his lips as he answered. "We think it's the orb. That Lucy was…" He trailed off and then looked away, tears pricking his eyes. He hadn't even gotten so say goodbye to his partner before they'd killed her.

"Wonder what happens," Rogue suddenly commented, "If we poked at it?"

"Don't you dare!" Yukino gritted out, giving him a sharp look. He only shrugged and told her that it was merely a suggestion.

"Ooh, let's find out!" Sting beamed.

And then promptly spat a laser up at it with careful aim.

"Sting!" Mirajane screeched in horror just a second before it struck the glowing orb.

Silence fell as they all waited to see what would happen. They watched, and Natsu felt a wave of power wash over them just a second before the orb _exploded_. Shards exploded in every direction, beautiful streams of starlight glittering behind each of them.

"Wow," Wendy breathed in amazement.

One shard came towards them and Natsu tensed to run, but it splintered before it got close, gently sprinkling them with dust that made the dragon slayers sneeze.

Natsu was sneezing several times, trying to clear his nose when the scent crossed his nose. Heart pounding, his head snapped up, studying the shards. Onyx eyes locked on an abnormally large piece that was sent flying towards the ground, and he didn't hesitate, throwing himself forward.

"Natsu!" Lisanna shrieked as she caught Happy before he fell, "Where are you going?!"

He ignored her, shouting over his shoulder as he sprinted, "Lucy!" He left them to stare after him with looks of disbelief, all of them.

They thought he was insane, but he knew what he'd seen. "Hold on, Luce, I'm coming," he muttered under his breath, driving himself to move faster. He was barely breathing in his desperation to get there in time, and when he saw her again, this time heading straight for the ground, head first, he dove.

He barely caught her, his arms wrapping around her waist. Both went flying across the ground, rolling violently. She yelped and he gasped as they went tumbling down the side of a destroyed mountain, forcing him to lose his grip on her. When they hit the bottom, he scrambled to his knees and hands, crawling to where she'd landed.

Lucy was hurt, he could tell. There was blood escaping a cut on her temple, and her body was going to bruise from head to toe. Her white dress was ripped enough that she was practically naked, but he didn't notice. She was sprawled onto her back, gasping desperately for air.

But the smile that flashed across her face when her dark eyes locked with his told him that she was okay.

"Lucy!" he cried, nearly tripping over himself as he shot forward. He dropped to his knees beside her, and she laughed breathlessly as she shot up to throw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his scarf-clad throat. They hit the ground again, her landing on top of him.

"Natsu!" she replied with a faint giggle, her fingers digging into his back as she pressed against him. Her sticky blood stuck to his face as he rubbed his cheek happily against hers, but neither seemed to notice.

Suddenly, he pulled back, searching her gaze, and before she could open her mouth to question him, he gently twined his fingers into her messy blonde locks and pulled her lips to his in a desperate kiss.

She returned it eagerly, her eyes fluttering shut. They remained like that for moments before she pulled back to breathe. They studied each other's faces, and then laughed breathlessly before hugging one another again, refusing to let go.

Natsu could hear their guildmates looking for them, shouting his name.

But he ignored them. He could care less for them at the moment because _finally_ , as the sun began to set behind them, Lucy was safe in his arms, and everything was good.

* * *

It was a few minutes of clutching each other desperately before Natsu pulled her gently to her feet, flushing red when he saw her state of dress. Lucy couldn't help but giggle and accept the strange one-armed top he shoved at her, and she found herself smiling to herself as she pulled it on and buckled it safely around her hips. Together, they searched for her keys and found them just moments before Wendy came screaming out of nowhere.

"Lucy!" she shrieked aloud, flying at the blonde. Lucy caught her and would have toppled back with a cry of surprise had Natsu not caught them, smirking. Wendy burst into tears, burying her face in Lucy's belly as the celestial mage made sure not to drop her keys. "You're alive!"

"Hi, Wendy," she murmured, hugging her back.

Natsu watched with a stupid grin on his face, beyond proud of himself.

And they'd thought he was stupid to go running off? Ha! He couldn't wait to laugh about it in their faces!

A hand suddenly landed on his shoulder and Natsu nearly jumped out of his skin when Loke gave him a gentle smile. His shaded green eyes were kind for once instead of wary suspicion, and he said quietly, "You did well, Natsu. The Spirits thank you, and we're sure that Igneel would be very proud to call you his son."

For some reason, that meant almost as much as having Lucy back. "No problem," he scoffed. "As if I'd let her get hurt." A thought struck him and he flushed again, rubbing the back of his head as he eyed his partner's shapely legs. "Could you get Virgo to get her some pants or something, Loke?"

"No problem, have Lucy summon her." Loke disappeared as quickly as he'd come, and Natsu nudged Lucy gently with his elbow until she looked at him. "Loke said to summon Virgo."

She blinked. "He was here?"

Natsu only grinned. "Yeah, he was," he told her. He watched as she made her way over to the side to do as he'd said, and then glanced over when Wendy gave him a knowing look. "What?"

Wendy smiled gently. "Nothing. I just think we should take a nice relaxing team job when we get back. If we can…" Her smile vanished, her gaze dropping. "All of Crocus would have seen the explosion, and so many people had to have suffered in Magnolia...how can we go back to normal?"

Natsu ruffled her hair affectionately, and then glanced back as Lucy gave a gasp. She was flushed, snatching up the capris and sandals that Virgo had brought for her, and he snickered when the maid made a snide comment on her wearing Natsu's jacket.

The young woman tugged the capris over her rather curvy hips before lunging forward to hug her Spirit, who looked a bit confused by the action. Lucy thanked her fiercely and told her that she'd - once again - apologize in person to each of the Spirits before the week was out, and Virgo smiled. The maid said something that made Lucy blush again; Lucy retaliated snippishly.

"I think it'll be okay," he reassured.

And in that moment, he knew everything would be just fine.

* * *

 _You've all been wondering when the romance would finally kick in...surprise! I've been so excited to post this chapter! From here on out, we have a little break, and then...Tenrou Island! ;)  
_

 _There WAS some confusion on how Loke was able to speak to Lucy. How this happened will more than likely be explored at a later time in BTL, as it goes along with an idea I have, but for now I'll say this as a temporary explanation: when Lucy was absorbed, she DID have the Spirits' keys on her, and it was only because of that that she was able to speak with him. Had she not had the keys, she would not have been able to._

 _To SunflowerChrysalis, who questioned whether or not the guild would actually go through with sacrificing Lucy...I do think that if they truly believed that Lucy was unable to be saved and it was for the greater good alongside saving innocent lives that would otherwise be taken, they would. Definitely in BTL, and I really think it would maybe happen in the cannon verse. Just my opinion though. :3_

 _Thanks to reviewers (ToastedWeirdBrain, Typhlosion8, UhcidaAkira, heythereitsshelby, RandomAnimeNerd, The Age of Awesomeness, NaLu and InuKag, LePengwen, niyah606, Alexia Colette, TigerArrowgirl, The 0bservanc3, MirrorFlame, FairyDemonDust, LucyMarieHeartfilia, OOANDISAOO, LavenderMoonRose, TopazDesiertoFleur, UzumakiNaho, SunflowerChrysalis, Gaia Kame, NaluNom, TaylorNReed, PinkFireandGoldenStars, AngelEmCuti, Fairylover13, Carchee, Mimi Queen, KiyKat0575, Lucifer's711, YES, and EraticMind!) as well as those who favorited and followed._


	114. Chapter 114

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Lucy!" a voice cried through the door, a knock waking the sleeping blonde. "Hungry? The inn made breakfast for everyone! And the - well, the princess of Fiore is here to see you."

Lucy groaned as she dragged herself out of the bed. "I'm up, Mira," she sighed, making sure that she could be heard through the door. "Let her know I'll be down in ten minutes." She listened to the footsteps leave, and then looked around herself in thought.

It was day after the whole situation with Nirvana's Infinity Clock. Her entire body was covered in bruises from her roll down the side of half a mountain, and the gash on her temple was throbbing, indicating infection, but she didn't care. Because it meant she was alive.

Natsu was snoring away on the floor, not to her surprise. He was shirtless, his jacket still clothing her body for the most part. She'd taken the belt off during the night, annoyed with the way the buckle stabbed her. Tucking it back around her and buckling it there, she smiled warmly down at her partners. Happy was curled up beside Natsu's head, purring contently, and Natsu had removed his scarf to use it as a pillow, not wanting to leave her side for a second.

Aware that everyone would look like a mess, Lucy slipped out of the room quietly after tugging her pants on, her bare feet padding along the floor. She closed the door behind her and then thudded down a set of stairs to where a few members of her guild and more had gathered.

"Hey, Lucy!" Levy called, stifling a yawn as she waved. She was leaned over the table, head on her folded arms, and Pantherlily was purring beside her, content to nap where he was. Lucy waved in response, and then accepted a plate from a fairly awake Mirajane, who smiled and winked.

"She's in the back room," she said, pointing towards a door. "I'll keep Natsu busy if he comes looking. Most of the dragon slayers are still asleep, but Gray's barely awake and being kept busy by Erza. She won't mind helping you."

"Thanks, Mira," Lucy said gratefully and then took her plate to the door that Mirajane had indicated. She knocked and a familiar voice told her to enter. She stepped in, a sheepish smile on her face when she saw Princess Hisui of Fiore with a quiet bodyguard beside her, clothed in form hugging dress with her beautiful emerald hair piled on top of her head. "Hi, Hisui."

"Lucy!" Hisui's lips curved into a grin. "It's nice to see you again! Although I admit that I was concerned after everything that happened over the last few days…"

"The situation's been fixed," Lucy promised as she set her plate down on a small table and seated herself across from Hisui. She took a bite of bacon. "Nirvana's Infinity Clock has been permanently disabled thanks to Jellal Fernandes and the guilds."

"We'll make sure to get Mr. Fernandes a pardon from the Council," Hisui told her. "I'm afraid your friend Cobra will be joining Midnight in prison, however, as well Angel when she is caught."

"Ah, that's alright." Lucy chewed thoughtfully, swallowed, and then looked at her with a sigh. "It's been such a long time since we last spoke, Hisui. Forgive me. Are you faring well?"

Hisui snorted in a very unladylike way and rolled her eyes. "Drop formalities, Lucy, we both know that they're unnecessary. Don't worry about Bosco; your citizens are aware that you've handed the custody of the country over to me." She smiled kindly. "I will personally be ruling the country until my father can find someone suitable to deal with things there, or you return. We're seeing to Jude's funeral, too. You're invited of course."

"Thank you." The celestial mage smiled gratefully, giving a soft sigh. "Do you know how Magnolia's doing? I was taken away when it was a mess, so-"

"What happened in Magnolia?" Lucy looked startled. "The men I sent upon hearing it was in ruins said that it was perfectly fine, that the people were back in their homes like it was a normal day just yesterday." Lucy stared at her, and Hisui gave a faint smile. "I'm serious! There was nothing wrong with the area. The people think that there was some kind of widespread wave of drugs or something from the local government, but that's it."

Lucy took a moment to comprehend this, and then sucked in a bewildered breath. "What?!"

"Yeah." Hisui reached over to steal a piece of bacon despite her bodyguard's protests and nibbled thoughtfully at it. "Magnolia's completely back to normal, like nothing ever happened, and we can't figure out how. It's weird, and your guild has been driving itself to the brink of insanity trying to figure it out. Although it's nice, because the Council didn't have to worry about anything but the news."

"That is nice," Lucy admitted, relieved. She rocked back, abandoning her food for a moment. "And Crocus?"

"They think that we were doing some kind of experimental thing that went wrong. Works for me, they're not entirely wrong. We do experiments all the time over there." Hisui tapped her lower lip as she glanced towards the door, raised voices suddenly heard. "Mm, it appears Mr. Dragneel has awoken."

"He can wait," Lucy replied. She bit her lip for a moment and then shook her head, shoving a hand through her long and messy hair. She'd have Cancer take care of it later. "Thank you, Hisui. For everything you're doing."

"I know how you came to hate your position, I wouldn't want to force you back into royal deeds," Hisui murmured. "We don't mind it so much here, and Father sees it as a test. If all goes well, I may take over the country of Bosco and eventually coax it into Fiore's borders, make it a part of our country to get its economy going. You'll have to make an announcement speech so they don't think we're taking over."

"Natsu and I will be there, we'll make it during the funeral," Lucy promised, and then hurried to shove her food down her throat as she glanced at the door, a trickle of heat leaking in. "He's angry, I better head out before he throws a tantrum and blows something up. Idiot."

Hisui could only laugh at the young woman. "Take care of your Celestial Spirits," she told her with a look that slightly confused the celestial mage. She frowned, and Hisui looked over her shoulder thoughtfully, aware that her gaze was heading in the direction of her home.

Lucy frowned, but stood, excusing herself.

* * *

Leaving the room after bidding the princess farewell, Lucy was immediately met by a beaming Natsu. Who stood before a rather nasty mess of smoldering tables and people, everyone glaring at the fire mage. "Lucy!"

"Natsu!" she chimed back, voice strained. And then a scowl appeared on her face. "What the hell did you do?"

He glanced over his shoulder at the mess and shrugged. "They wouldn't let me in."

"You," she groaned, "Are a nuisance. You're like a dog, you know that? Can't go anywhere without you on my tail…"

Mirajane giggled and squeezed past him, eyes sparkling as she touched Lucy's shoulder. "You can get some clothes from your Spirits, right? And this _is_ the city you used to live in...so why don't you and Natsu stay for a few days?" She leaned closer to whisper in the celestial mage's ear, aware that Natsu was listening in with a huff. "The Council will be watching us closely in Magnolia for a while. We heard about how its state was returned to normal, and we don't want to give them any more of a reason to hate us, so could you keep him busy here?"

"No problem, Mira," Lucy mused. She glanced at her with a smile. "I'll keep him occupied. I need to visit my editor anyways, and we might actually head back to Bosco here in the next few days. I want to be there for my father's funeral."

There was a brief moment of silence from the pair she stood near, and then Mirajane admitted, "I'd forgotten...I'm sorry, Lucy, I know you weren't fond of him, but he's still your father…"

"It's fine," Lucy sighed, shrugging. "It's not any of your faults...at least I won't have to worry if I want to go there anytime. I'm going to grab some things while we're there. Some family heirlooms, that kind of stuff. I think I'd like to take over the country again some day. When I'm older, after I'm married to whatever weirdo catches my attention. So they can walk into it with me."

"Smart," Mirajane complimented, and then pushed her towards Natsu rather sharply. Lucy yelped, tripping, and Natsu caught her before she hit the ground. "Go get dressed so you can give Natsu his clothes back and then go visit the magic stores here. Maybe you can find another golden key in one of them!"

"Wouldn't that be nice," Lucy said with a smile, and then tugged on Natsu's arm. "Come on," she said, "You can wait outside the door while I get ready. Mira, don't leave until we're done, okay?"

"Sure," she agreed with ease, and then smiled to herself as she watched Lucy drag Natsu away, her fingers tangled in the end of his scarf. He followed quickly, and it hung loosely between them.

Mirajane shook her head and then sidled over to where Laxus was drinking with Freed despite the earliness, draping herself over his shoulders. "Laxus," she purred, "Could you and Freed help me with something later?"

Freed stared at her in fear.

* * *

"Thanks, Aries," Lucy said happily as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. "You, too, Cancer!" She cracked a yawn, and Aries watched her anxiously, exchanging a look with Cancer.

"You shouldn't summon two of us Zodiacg at a time," Aries told her gently.

"It's bad for your health," Cancer agreed and then promptly disappeared, returning to the Celestial Realm.

Lucy shook her head. "I have to push myself, train harder, so things like this won't happen again." She licked her lips, spinning to study herself.

Her hair had been pulled back into pigtails, and her body was clothed in a strapless white and blue dress that brushed her thighs. The ruffles were perfect, and the sleeves that had been tied on each arm held them as well. She smiled as she touched the blue ribbon at her throat, and then glanced at Aries.

"Thank you for your concern, Aries. I'm sorry about losing your guys' keys again."

Aries gave her a beaming smile. "It's no problem, Miss Lucy. No one blames you. Except maybe Aquarius, but she's always like that. Even if she shouts at you, we were all worried about you. We're very grateful that Leo was able to help you." She thoughtfully twisted her fingers together. "We thought for a few moments that we'd have to make a contract with Miss Yukino…"

"I'd never leave you guys like that," Lucy told her with a small smile. "I'll talk to you later?"

Aries bid her farewell and disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Lucy alone in the bathroom. She scooped up Natsu's jacket, folding it lovingly over her arm, and then looked at her bruised self in the mirror, her free hand rising to brush over her lips.

She remembered the kiss; she doubted she could forget it even if she wanted to. She'd been in love with Natsu for quite some time, so it wasn't exactly something she was unhappy with. She was glad that it had happened.

Yet…

She was worried. What if things changed? What if they became awkward and Natsu chose to break off their partnership, leaving her to find someone else to take jobs with? She supposed there was always Erza…

Shaking her head, Lucy met her own gaze in the mirror and scolded, "That would never happen. You're seriously stupid for even thinking that it might."

A knock on the door made her jump, and she flushed as Natsu called through it, "Hey, Luce! You done talking to yourself?"

"Sorry!" she sighed back, hurrying to open the door. Grateful that it was at least warm enough that she wouldn't freeze in her clothing yet wishing she'd had a jacket of her own, Lucy smiled at Natsu and pushed his jacket back into his arms alongside the belt that held it together. "Thanks for letting me borrow it, Natsu."

He gave her a huge grin. "No problem." His dark eyes traveled to the bandage that Wendy had slapped onto her wound. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She patted his arm reassuringly. "I'm fine. I was chatting with Aries for a minute there. They're all annoyed with me because I apparently constantly worry them. Loke said that he'd drag me to his Realm if I didn't master the Urano Metria spell...where's Happy?"

"Headin' back with the others." Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "Just you and me. They're gonna leave here soon."

"Then let's go send them off." She didn't hesitate to step forward, Natsu close behind her. His naturally overheated body was a soothing reassurance that he was there beside her instead of running off to who knew where, and she was grateful for it.

She trusted Natsu; he wouldn't leave her stranded like that ever again.

* * *

 _What happened to fix Magnolia in such a way? o.o It'll be a while before we know for certain. A couple transition chapters coming up. This chapter was the official end of the Clock's arc, so now we're in a break. ANYHOW! You guys almost didn't get a chapter today. I'm ridiculously annoyed with my being sick for four days now._

 _Thanks to reviewers (niyah606, NaLu and InuKag, jamim22, SunflowerChysalis, Alexia Colette, FireDragonPhia, OfInkNRoses, Nekokittygirl, MirrorFlame, The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, RandomAnimeNerd, HelloJawsie, Fairylover13, TigerArrowgirl, CharonteQueen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Dreamer, Gaia Kame, Lucifer's711, The 0bservanc3, PinkFireandGoldenStars, piggycat350, Mimi Queen, quite-a-riot, sassykitten171, Dragondancer81, Uchida akira, Guest 4, FairyDemonDust, Kalyani De La Luna, OOANDISAOO, Uzumaki Naho, Guest #1, Knightwalker, starra uchiha, TaylorNReed, and Aqua King!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	115. Chapter 115

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

After bidding all of their friends farewell when they left to return to Magnolia - including a huge hug for Happy from both of them - and grabbing their things, Natsu and Lucy headed further into the beautiful city with its towering buildings and hundreds of cars and people.

Grateful that Loke had stopped by earlier with a bag for her to put her things in, Lucy kept a hand on it, not willing to risk her keys being taken from her. "So. Where should we run around to first?" she asked, glancing at her partner, who had his nose wrinkled and was looking around the city with a thoughtful look.

He shrugged. "I dunno. I've only been here a few times for work and that one time when I came to stay with ya. I don't know where good places to go to are."

Lucy made a face. "You're no fun." She sighed softly, studying where they were and then started off for where she knew her editor worked. "We'll stop in and visit with my editor, and then see what we can do in regards to rooming. There should be a decently priced place up for grabs…" She frowned to herself, and then glanced at him. "Do you mind sharing a room? I don't think I can afford to pay for myself-"

"Lucy," he cut in, glancing at her. "I told you that you could have whatever ya want out of my hoard. That includes the money if you need it. 'Sides, don't you get all of that stuff in the treasuries of your place? You inherited all the money."

"I'm not going to use it," Lucy said simply. "It's going to the people of the country. I'll let Hisui know when we get to Bosco." He stared at her, stunned, and Lucy explained quietly, "He used all of the money looking for me, Natsu, how could I not return it? I owe them. And I owe you, a lot," she admitted, hugging her arms. "So I think I'd like to let you run through there and pick whatever _you_ would like for your hoard."

Natsu stopped walking to stare at her, startled. His pink hair hung in his wide onyx eyes, and he licked his lips before saying, "Really? You'd let me do that?"

Lucy giggled, ignoring the stares people were giving them. "Why not? You basically said the same thing to me, it's only right that I - oof!" She found herself nearly knocked over as she was tackled in a hug, a happy laugh echoing in her ears. "Natsu!" she huffed.

He happily tightened his grip. "Thanks, Luce," he said honestly, happily pressing his face briefly into her hair. When he pulled back, he kept an arm slung around her shoulder and yanked her down the street eagerly. "C'mon! Let's go and meet this editor lady, and maybe I can get dibs on the first printed copy of your new book!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "It's not going to be a very happy meeting," she admitted. "I'm way overdue on some deadlines…"

Natsu didn't seem to care and only grinned at her. "How bad could it be?"

* * *

An hour later found Natsu slouched in a chair, terrified for his fate as the sharp-eyed woman glared at Lucy with a fierce stare. He'd give his partner a hell of a lot of credit; she held up well under the woman's stare.

"Three weeks!" Ali hissed. "Three weeks and you haven't sent in anything!"

Lucy flushed, fiddling with her dress. "I'm sorry, I've been busy-"

"Screwing around with a boyfriend won't make money, Lucy!" Ali cried, waving at Natsu, who went stock still and gawked at her.

Lucy turned red and hurried to stop her. "He's not my boyfriend, Ali, this is-"

"I don't give a damn who he is!" Ali crossed her arms and turned her face with a huff. "I understood when you went back to Bosco, Lucy, I really did! I know how your situation there is-"

"Was." Lucy glanced over in surprise, not expecting her partner to cut in and risk Ali's temper. Ali's dark eyes turned on him and she swung her mahogany hair over her shoulder, the black tattoos on her upper arms that were shown off by her tank top seeming to gleam maliciously in the light. Natsu swallowed nervously and continued. "Bosco's king was murdered. You didn't see? Lucy's been running around trying to fix everything."

Lucy had never been more grateful for Natsu's presence than she was in that moment.

Ali's gaze softened with as much sympathy as Lucy expected from the editor - zero. "I see." She glanced thoughtfully back at her computer. "I guess I could extend the deadline - but you _have_ to have a rough draft in by the fifteenth of April, okay?"

"Got it," Lucy said, relieved. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Thank you, Ali! That's great! Any news on the last one?"

"If you'd answer your e-mails, you'd know that it was released yesterday," Ali replied. "Sold out almost immediately and second editions are being sent to bookstores across several countries as we speak." She propped a hand on her hip and examined her nails, making a face at a chipped one. Her gaze darted up to rest on Natsu for a brief moment, and he blinked, noticing the eager look in her eyes.

 _Note to self,_ he thought.

He was _never_ coming back here again.

Ali made him more than uncomfortable; she freaked him out. And Natsu Dragneel was _never_ freaked out. Growling under his breath and wishing that he could play with his fire, he hid his mouth in his scarf, hunching his shoulders as she turned back to Lucy and launched into some drawn out conversation on printing that he didn't understand.

As they talked, Natsu watched Lucy closely, his onyx eyes flashing with an anxious look.

She'd been careful not to say anything, he'd noticed. Their nakama may have thought he was stupid when it came to the prospects of things like love, but he sincerely hoped that Lucy didn't think the kiss had been a thing he'd done in the heat of the moment.

He'd done it because she was _her_ , and he'd missed her so badly his heart still fluttered with panic when he turned to discover she wasn't where he'd left her. And because she meant more to him than just a piece of his hoard. While he still did like to think of her as such, she was far more important than his hoard.

If he were to lose his hoard, Natsu would be beyond furious. He'd throw a fit, he knew, probably blow a dozen things up, but then eventually calm down and restock it as fast as possible.

If he were to lose Lucy, like he nearly had…

Well. That was a different story.

He didn't think even Igneel's presence would make a difference if he lost her.

He had no doubt that he'd have to talk with her, something he wasn't exactly looking forward to. But Natsu was unhappy with the way she moved away just as quickly as she touched him. It wasn't her fault, of course, that was just her being as worried as he was about the entire situation. But still. It made him frown every single time she did it. He liked the careless hugging and nudging and fidgeting from before. The fussing of his scarf, making sure it didn't choke him, the excited grins as she playfully shoved him.

He still didn't understand why she'd placed her trust him instead of someone like Gray, who knew how to keep on people's good sides better than he did.

But he didn't care.

He was grateful that she had.

"Natsu?"

His head snapped up, and he realized that he'd been staring harshly at the tail of his scarf for the past few minutes while the blonde he'd been thinking about was trying to catch his attention. She was watching him, amused with his lack of response. "Huh?" he muttered, confused.

Lucy snickered, and then planted her hands on her hips, arching a brow. "You said you wanted a first edition copy, didn't you?" She waved at Ali, who was holding out a book towards him.

His face lit up like a Christmas tree, and he plucked it from the editor's grasp. "Thanks!" he said eagerly, beaming down at the book. A thought slid past him, and he grinned. He'd make a special place in his hoard for all of the books he'd collected that were written by Lucy. They deserved their own place.

Lucy giggled, shaking her head, and then glanced at Ali. "We'll be off then. I thought I should stop in while we're in Crocus...I'll make sure to have at least an outline sent to you by the fifteenth."

"You better," Ali sighed, giving her a look that made Natsu shiver. "I know how you are. I swear, if you forget, I'll turn into some kind of demon and hunt you down, do you hear me?"

She laughed and waved the threat off. "Come on, Natsu. Why don't you let me put that in my bag? We can grab some food and eat while we're walking around. I guess I can show you some more stuff that I remember...anything new, Ali?"

"New hot spot for dates," was all she said. "Gardens, near the royals' place."

Lucy said nothing, only bid Ali farewell and then headed for the doors, taking his book and tucking it away safely. He looked like some kind of eager puppy as he trailed after her, onyx eyes watching her every move with a sharp care that he was sure she noticed.

When they were outside, she studied their surroundings carefully, her hands automatically falling into her bag to touch the keys that were lovingly carried there, and he noticed almost immediately. "We're fine," he told her, folding his hands behind his head with a look of understanding. "Nothin's around, Luce."

"That's what we thought when we were back home," she mumbled, flushing when she realized that he'd noticed.

There was a flash of silence before he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Not really."

More quiet as they walked, and he sneaked a glance her way.

"It won't happen again."

Lucy whirled on him, her eyes glinting angrily. "That's the thing," she seethed, "It might, Natsu! We don't know that!" He flinched in surprise, not expecting her to be _angry_ of all things, but soon realized that he wasn't the one it was directed towards.

Lucy was filled to the brim with self-hatred as she snarled, "If I wasn't so bad that I couldn't even summon a Spirit to help fend off anyone who was attacking, I would have been fine! I'm pathetic, Natsu, I require everyone's help no matter what I do!" Furious tears rose to her eyes, and she felt a flicker of embarrassment at doing this in the middle of the street for everyone to see. "I can't even go home by myself _now_ , just because I can't protect myself!" She threw her hands in the air. "Do you know how frustrating this is for me? This is the who knows how many time. I need...Natsu, I don't _want_ to be that person. I don't want to drag our entire guild down because I can't keep up with my friends!"

Natsu patiently waited for to finish her rant before reaching out to gently tug her closer, ruffling her hair and resting his forehead briefly against hers with a grin. "And that's why ya have Fairy Tail. Where the hell do you think any of us would be without the guild? I had Igneel, but there's no way I would have survived if I hadn't found them."

"That's different." Lucy sniffed, glaring. "You were too young to be out on your own."

"You went for three years without being caught by people your father sent," he pointed out. "That's a damn good accomplishment."

Lucy searched his expression for a moment, and then decided, "You're being strange. Too serious. But okay, I get it." She pulled back, cheeks a blazing red, and he smirked before demanding that she feed him something. "Like what? I can't really afford the restaurants that will put up with you lighting something on fire, you know."

Natsu folded his hands behind his head, not at all bothered by the weird looks his clothes were receiving, though the looks Lucy received made him want to rip people's eyes out. "I dunno."

"Some help you are," Lucy sighed and then led him down the street to where she knew a decent yet cheaper restaurant to be. They walked together in peace, and Lucy took a shaky breath, exhausted after her rant and still tired from the nightmares that had flooded her mind the previous night.

 _Tonight will be better_ , she told herself.

She hoped.

* * *

 _Not a busy chapter by any means, but you got to meet Lucy's editor! :D And you got to hear some thoughts from both of them, eh?_

 _Sorry about updating a bit later, I was sick as you are aware. Ended up testing positive for strep and got a (FUCKING PAINFUL) shot so hopefully I'll be back to normal soon! :D_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, TaylorNReed, FairyDemonDust, Guest #1, The 0bservanc3, niyah606, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Fairylover13, Alexia Colette, quite-a-riot, GummiBears824, NaluNom, SunflowerChrysalis, Lucifer's711, MirrorFlame, Mimi Queen, LePengwen, RandomAnimeNerd, UchidaAkira, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Guest #2, EraticMind, Guest #3, NaLu and InuKag, Uzumaki Naho, Abdltf, OwlChaser113, jamin22, Princessatj, and OOANDISAOO!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	116. Chapter 116

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"I can't believe this," Cana repeated with a twisted look on her face, utterly astonished by what she was looking at. She spun on her heel, shaking her head so that her dark hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back. "The hell is going on around here?"

"It doesn't matter," she was told by Makarov. "It happened, and we need to appreciate it."

"The thing is," Mirajane whispered as she studied the repaired building, slipping into her place behind the bar. "I'm not sure we should."

The group had returned hours before, and the afternoon was a peaceful one after all of the psychotic craziness that had happened over the course of the last few days. The guild members that had gone off to fight in the battle had either sprawled out in various places around the guildhall or had gone home to sleep for hours.

Those that had stayed behind had apparently had nearly as cool of a story to tell as those who had been in the battle at Nirvana's Infinity Clock. They'd reported coming back after finding the residents who had escaped the destruction only to find that the place had been put back together with no one able to figure out how.

The Council had been every bit as confused as they were but had used it to their advantage.

A simple memory spell from the Councilman that had put his trust in Jellal had rid the idea of magic from everyone and anyone's minds.

And it was something they all appreciated a lot, because no one had gotten into trouble thanks to such a thing happening. The only thing that had happened was a nasty scolding from the head of the Council, and a sharp letter from the king of Fiore himself.

Makarov had promptly ignored both.

"Mm," Cana hummed as Mirajane slid her a few shots of whisky without needing to be asked. "I guess it's okay...how's Lucy?"

"Good." Mirajane beamed, a fierce look of pride on her face. "She did well despite what happened. I suppose we should all thank Natsu though. If it weren't for him, I don't think she'd be alive right now. He fought so hard for her…"

"Natsu _has_ done very well, considering I asked him to take care of her in an act of desperation," Makarov agreed, taking a deep drink of his own beer. "We'll party when they get back. Then we can announce the names of those competing in the S-Class exams."

Cana's hands stilled. "...we're actually having them?"

"Of course," Mirajane hummed. "We've already picked the names out, and Gildarts, Erza, Laxus, and myself will all be participating, naturally." She giggled, touching a finger thoughtfully to her lip. "I think they'll be interesting. We've decided to pick two winners this year since we've had to skip so many."

"Mira, don't go chatting about all of the plans," Laxus grunted from where he was seated not too far away.

She beamed, her eyes gleaming. "I won't. I can't wait to see what happens though." She danced away, silver hair swaying, and Makarov shook his head as Gildarts joined them at the bar, giving his daughter a friendly grin.

Cana returned it. "I heard that you beat up the leader?"

"With some help from a pissy dragon slayer, yeah," he replied. He grinned, rubbing the back of his head, metallic limbs creaking with every movement. "Natsu decided to come help when Lucy ended up too far gone and nearly beat him half to death by himself."

"Good for Natsu," Cana said firmly, a malicious gleam in her dark eyes. "Bastard, thinking he could screw with Fairy Tail...what about the other guilds?"

"Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Sabertooth all went home," Mirajane reported as she came back. She held an empty glass in her hand and was thoughtfully wiping it dry. A gentle smile curved across her lips as she glanced over her shoulder to where Wendy was sleeping, unconscious and leaning heavily against an equally as tired Gray. The pair had begun the afternoon cheerfully, chatting, but it hadn't taken long for them to doze off. And on Gray's other side was Juvia, her head resting on her arms.

It was cute, how deeply everyone cared for one another.

 _Wham!_

Erza had arrived, and cheerfully slammed her mug onto the bar with a look of pride. "The Council has cleared his name. Jellal's, I mean," she added as an afterthought, frowning. "I was just alerted."

"Good," Makarov sighed, "That's very much a relief. I thought he'd done enough to deserve it." He studied Erza, who suddenly took on a gravely uncertain face. "And how do you feel about such matters? He was your closest friend for years."

Erza sighed softly and admitted, "I don't know...I know he wasn't to blame, but he still hurt all of us so badly. He betrayed me, even if it wasn't him, and he killed Simon…" She trailed of. "I forgive him, of course. He was possessed. At the same time…"

"We understand, Erza, don't worry," Mirajane said quietly. She glanced up at the scarlet-haired requip mage. "Believe me, we get it."

"He's still a member of Fairy Tail," Cana realized, sitting back. "He got the emblem. And it's not like we can't keep an eye on him because of it… Poor guy worked himself up about failing at protecting Lucy. I say we send him out with a few various teams, get him to know everyone, and what not."

"Smart," Makarov agreed, and then glanced at Gildarts. "I'll let you take him on first, Gildarts."

He grunted back. "Whatever. I got 'im, no worries. I'll take a decade one. Shouldn't take more than a few months at most with the strength he's got in him. I'll take good care of him," he added to Erza.

"Good to know that people are planning without me," a voice cut in with dry amusement.

"Jellal!" Mirajane said with a rather large smile, waving for him to join them.

"You'll be going with Gildarts," Makarov said without looking over. "While your name _has_ been cleared, I believe it would help the rest of the guild clear your name with them as well."

Jellal studied the master of the guild for a few moments before murmuring, "I suppose that it's a smart idea. Of course. I'll accompany Gildarts." His gaze darted to Erza for a moment, but the young woman simply smiled kindly at him and reached for a drink that Mirajane pushed at her.

Cana threw her hands up with a laugh. "I think we should do a toast!" she announced, grabbing a shot glass and holding it up. "To Fairy Tail!"

"To Fairy Tail!" those at the bar echoed and then slammed their drinks back.

* * *

Lucy hummed to herself as she peered at some objects, studying them before moving on, her mother's song leaving her lips under her breath. Her eyes glinted with amusement at one or two things, and she shoved some blonde hair out of her face, tugging her shirt down. She paused to pick something up, examining it, and then moved on.

Natsu watched all of this from where he was standing in the corner of the room, his head tilted slightly. The magic shop was peaceful after the wildness of their adventure and Crocus, and they both enjoyed it much more than they cared to admit.

"I can't believe I lived in Crocus for three years," Lucy muttered to herself.

She was about to move on when something caught her eye and she tripped over her feet, swearing colorfully much to Natsu's insane amusement. He cackled, coming over to help her up. "You good?"

" _Key_ ," she wheezed, practically climbing his arm when he offered his assistance to get to her feet. She lunged forward and brushed her fingers over the golden key, her eyes sparkling at the sight. She pulled it to her, and Natsu looked down with curiosity. "Sagittarius, I believe," she said thoughtfully, beaming.

Natsu counted thoughtfully, using his fingers to check off, and then said, "Huh. Luce, there's only one key for ya to find. Or Yukino, I guess."

"Taurus," Lucy said without looking up. "Taurus is the last one to find."

"Yeah, whoever that one is." Natsu yawned thoughtfully, scratching his chest as he nudged her towards the pleasantly watching one in charge of the shop. She took the key, checked the price tag and typed in a few things into the computer in front of her - Natsu had explained that it had special spells to keep it working among so many magical things when she'd asked, amused.

"Thank you!" Lucy said honestly as she hooked the key to her key ring. The other keys jingled softly at her hip, warming, as if they were welcoming Sagittarius to their ranks.

They exited the magic shop, murmuring to one another with thoughtful looks upon their faces. Both were silent, each entertaining themselves in some way or another, and Lucy finally spoke aloud.

"Time to head to Bosco."

Natsu's head snapped to her. "What? We haven't been here that long-"

"I need to get Father's funeral over with, explain what's going on to my country," Lucy explained patiently, biting her lip. "I owe them that after abandoning them to his wrath. I want him buried beside my mother, too. He would like that, I think. And I'd like to speak with whoever represents the royal party from Fiore. I want to make it clear that I intend to take over someday."

Natsu fell quiet at that, his onyx eyes blank, and Lucy noticed almost immediately. She gently nudged him. "Natsu?"

He hesitated before speaking. "What about us?"

"What _about_ you?"

"What are we supposed to do when you decide to take over Bosco?" Natsu glanced her way. "I'm your partner. Erza and the icey stripper and Wendy, Happy and Charle, we're all a team, and the rest of us are all a guild, Lucy. We're your family. You can't just...abandon us to take over a throne because you want to."

Lucy blinked a few times, staring at him, and then burst into giggles, laughing hard enough that she had to lean into his side. "You moron!" He started to growl and puff up, angry that she was laughing at him, and she hurried to reassure him. "Natsu, I wouldn't abandon any of you. You're my family. My only family now."

He sighed in relief, and she jabbed in the ribs with a smile. "Natsu, you and I are human. Humans grow old, and when they grow old, they can't do what they did when they were young." She gently patted his arm, meeting his gaze with a soothing look. "When I'm eighty years old, I won't be running around doing this kind of stuff with you. And I don't want to sit around doing nothing, so I'll go back to Bosco. And, if you want, you can come with me, because you'll be too old to do anything, too."

Natsu looked startled. "I'd be able to go with you?"

"You could even be a Fire Dragon King like Igneel," Lucy said with a grin, teasing. "Although with you, I'd suspect you'd be more like a Fire _Demon_ King."

"Hey!" he protested, pushing her gently so that he didn't accidentally knock her down. He'd done it once before to Wendy, and had felt horribly guilty for weeks afterward when she'd scraped her arm and created a gash a few inches long.

Porlyusica had personally searched for him and threatened to kill him if he ever did it again.

"But I won't leave you," Lucy reassured, "None of you. You'll all go with me."

"Like your little Estate could handle all of Fairy Tail," he mocked, earning a laugh from the celestial mage. He grinned, and then tugged on a loose lock of blonde hair before urging her forward. "C'mon, we'll stay one more night and then I guess we can go tomorrow…"

"You _guess_?" Lucy rolled her eyes, but was pleased by his eagerness to do as she wanted.

For the first time in a very long time, Lucy didn't mind going to Bosco.

* * *

 _Sorry about the lateness of the chapter! Not much happened once again, but next chapter we get back on track with some stuff. You'll all be pleased to know that Lucy FINALLY gets to do her first job with her team! ;)_

 _To VeronMic...I like that idea. I'd draw it myself if I had the willpower. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (RokumonChan, Guest #1, TaylorNReed, RandomAnimeNerd, Alexia Colette, Lucifer's711, LePengwen, Typhlosion8, PinkFireandGoldenStars, jamin22, Princessatj, OwlChaser113, katiebessler, CharonteQueen, NaluLuva23, TheAgeofAwesomeness, niyah606, MimiQueen, MirrorFlame, Uchida Akira, FireDragonPhia, Abdltf, AngelEmCuti, FairyDemonDust, The 0bservanc3, Uzumaki Naho, sassykitten1701, FairyRains, quite-a-riot, CheyennaBanana, 23luckyduck, ShadowRiptide, and VeronMic!) as well as those who favorited and followed!  
_

 _Now excuse me while I go comfort my english bulldog while she hides from the nasty thunderstorm..._


	117. Chapter 117

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"WE'RE BACK!"

 _Crash!_

"Natsu!" Lucy wailed as her partner eagerly threw open the door, his onyx eyes gleaming. His entire body practically radiated with excitement, trembling with his determination to do one thing and one thing only.

"HEY, POPSICLE!" he bellowed as he slammed a fist into Gray's jaw the second he had found him and run over. Gray slammed into the ground with some kind of surprised screech, confused by the sudden attack.

There was silence from everyone in the guild, and then Mirajane gave a giggle, waving at Lucy, who buried her face in her hands. "Hi, Lucy! Feeling any better? We saw your speech on the lacrima…"

Lucy flashed her a quick grin. "Yeah. A ton."

It had been nearly two weeks since she and Natsu had left for Bosco. Within days, her father's funeral had happened, his body found in the treasury with a hole in the back of his head. She'd been silently relieved to know that he hadn't suffered in any way when he was killed. Her heart had ached for the lonely and cruel king during the funeral that Hisui had arranged, and the country had mourned, though not as much as they had for Layla.

After that, they'd turned to Lucy for direction, and she remembered shaking violently as she gently explained what was going to happen. Natsu had been beside her, protecting her and reassuring her with a hand on her shoulder the entire time, his onyx eyes searching but darting to her every now and then. She'd explained that Hisui would be personally leading since Lucy wasn't ready, and that when Lucy _was_ ready, she'd take over Bosco as Hisui had promised she could.

The country had been annoyed, but only a few days later, when she'd stepped outside, they of the nearby town had come to give her their hellos and greetings, thanking her for everything that she'd done. Others had asked who Natsu was; some had even flirted with him, much to Lucy's irritation.

In all of that time, neither she nor Natsu had brought up the kiss that so clearly created an awkwardness in both. Natsu didn't touch her as freely as he once had and Lucy didn't move so quickly to grab his arm or hand when she saw something she wanted him to look at. Neither looked each other in the eye for more than a few seconds at a time, and Natsu chose not to say anything when Hisui had suggested that Lucy marry someone for political advantages eventually, because her country needed it.

He'd only glared at her darkly, both of them earning annoyed looks for such an idea.

And now, they were back.

"Lucy!" Asuka happily cried as she came scampering over to hug the blonde. Lucy scooped her up, wiggling her fingers.

"Hey, Asuka, did you miss me?"

"Yeah!" Asuka said, hugging her tightly around the neck. Lucy returned it and then set her down to send her back on her way to her mother. Bisca waved and Alzack chuckled as he picked their daughter up, amused.

"What did you just say?" Gray bellowed, lunging for Natsu. Lucy laughed as they wrestled, struggling to pin one another as some of the guild began to exchange bets. Cana laughed loudly as she held her beer up, the liquid splashing onto the floor.

Lisanna sidled over with a sly smile on her face. "So, Lucy," she said cheerfully, "Any dates we need to know about?"

Natsu froze, giving Gray the advantage he needed. Gray slammed him down, crowing in triumph for a moment before Natsu tried to throttle him.

"No," Lucy giggled, flushing. "There were a few people who flirted, but Natsu chased them off, thank the heavens. I have enough to deal with whenever Loke shows up. Speaking of Spirits…" She suddenly raised her voice. "Can I summon a Spirit, Mira?"

"A new one?" Gray abandoned his wrestling, and Juvia came to hook her arm through his, purring something that made him roll his eyes. Natsu shouted his annoyance, only to grunt and cry his anger when Gajeel appeared, burying a heel in Natsu's gut.

"Gihi," he chuckled. "Hey, Salamander, you done being a whining whipped little brat?"

"Shut up," Natsu snapped, shoving him off and scrambling to his feet. "Where's Happy?"

"Erza took Wendy and the cats out for a shopping trip," Jet called. "They'll be back here soon."

"Good," the fire mage said, pleased.

He was effectively distracted when Lucy ordered, "Open! Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!"

There was a flash of light and Lucy was brought up short when she discovered that the Spirit she'd summoned was simply a man with a horse-like costume. She blinked, and then frowned when Sagittarius gave a playful bow. "Greetings, Miss Lucy!" he cried, "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Same," Lucy replied, relaxing. She crossed her arms, cocking her head just barely. "So…are you willing to form some kind of contract with me? I'd appreciate it."

"It would be an honor to serve the daughter of Miss Layla," Sagittarius said happily.

She and the Archer went to work on forming a contract, every member of the guild watching and listening with curiosity in their eyes until she was done. Lucy didn't even look the least bit tired as she sent her new Spirit back to the Celestial Realm with a slash of the key.

And then she was hauled into the air by a playful Natsu, his grin contagious as others joined in with the cheering. "You're gettin' crazy strong, Luce!" he said happily. "Good job!"

"Uh...thanks, I think," she muttered, flushing. "Put me down, would you?"

"...no." And then he spun her so that he had her thrown over his shoulder, onyx eyes blazing with mischief. She screamed as he tore around the guild at a sprint, screeching for help, and the guild only chuckled, amused with the pair.

"I'm glad that they're back," Levy said as she seated herself beside Cana, careful not to get too close on the risk of getting wasted. Gajeel kept an eye out from afar, just in case. "It was too quiet."

"Gray will have a black eye," Lisanna giggled as Lucy somehow wriggled free and nailed her partner in the gut with a carefully aimed kick. Natsu groaned and went down, crushing she and a squeaking Juvia beneath him. Juvia wailed for him to get off, that it wasn't what Gray thought, but Gray only decided to make things worse when he tripped and crashed down on top of the fire mage and the two women. Lucy yelped at the sudden weight; Juvia screeched in excitement when his face nearly smacked against hers.

"Yay!" Asuka cried, "Doggy pile!"

And promptly threw herself onto Natsu's head, creating a mass movement as everyone decided to come over, Cana at the head of the group as she simply perched herself on the center of Gray's back and drained her glass. "Look at me!" she cheered, "King of the - _oof_!"

Gray shoved her off with ease, looking disgusted as he glared at Natsu, brushing his naked chest off. Natsu only snickered as he pulled his partner to her feet. "The hell kind of drugs is he on, Lucy?"

"I don't know," she whined, yanking free. "He was perfectly fine on our way here!"

"He was probably unconscious on his way here," Levy pointed out as she peered down at the giggling Cana, who simply lay there on her back, eyes sparkling. "Gajeel nearly knocks himself out from motion sickness."

Gajeel let a heavy hand drop onto her head. "Shut up, Levy."

"He also - mph!" Gajeel slapped a hand over his nakama's mouth to shut her up, and Lucy smiled before everyone stopped what they were doing to look over at where Makarov had shouted for them to shut up and pay attention. The door opened then, and Wendy bolted over to greet Lucy with Erza close behind. Happy slammed into Natsu's chest, wailing his happiness.

"Hey, little buddy," Natsu said gently, ruffling Happy's ears. "Did ya miss me?"

"Of course!" Happy told him, purring loudly.

Makarov smiled just barely before calling for their attention again. "Today is the first of April, and as many of you are aware, spring has come. And with spring comes new beginnings." His eyes drifted over Lucy at that, and she flushed. "So, the S-Class mages of Fairy Tail and I have come together to chose the participants in this year's S-Class exams."

There was an explosion of commotion, everyone chattering in excitement. Natsu was bouncing on the balls of his feet, flames flickering wildly around his arms and legs. "Yes!" he hissed, slanted eyes narrowing in excitement.

Mirajane paused to smile maliciously from behind the bar. "I'd appreciate," she purred loudly, "If everyone shut up and listened."

Silence fell.

"Good job," Gildarts praised her from where he lazily sat there beside Makarov's small form.

"This year's S-Class exams will happen when we arrive after leaving Hargeon on the fifteenth," Makarov announced. "Those who participate will have two chances this year to win, as we will be picking two mages to be upgraded to S-Class."

Natsu's breathing hitched, his hands curling into fists in impatience.

"After this, we'll party until morning," Makarov cheerfully informed, earning a loud cheer from the guild. "This year's participants will include Gray Fullbuster."

The ice-make mage grinned, crossing his arms with a proud look as everyone shouted and cheered for him, applauding.

"Levy McGarden."

The iron dragon slayer who'd been teasing her dropped his hand in shock, and Levy sputtered, blushing. "I-I'm not...Gajeel should be the one-"

"Juvia Lockser."

Juvia looked utterly horrified. Her blue eyes filled with anguish. "Juvia doesn't want to fight against Gray!" she cried.

Makarov ignored her as he continued. "Freed Justine."

Freed blinked in surprise, bewildered. He exchanged a look with Evergreen, who looked just as surprised as he felt about the matter. Mirajane sent him a proud look; there had been a time when Freed and the rest of Laxus' team hadn't exactly been on speaking terms with the guild. He'd grown a lot since then.

Makarov grinned, sensing the agitation in the room as everyone watched, waiting for him to finish. But before he could speak, a familiar voice piped up, soft and happy. "Natsu Dragneel will be the fifth member of Fairy Tail to participate."

"Yes!" Natsu bellowed, a tower of flame billowing out above him. Everyone threw their hands over their heads to protect them from the heat, and Lucy squealed when her sleeve suddenly lit on fire.

Mavis giggled at the sight, her hands clasped gently in front of her lips. Emerald eyes sparkled as she watched them. "Makarov," she urged when they all began to quiet down, Natsu still a flame. "Continue with the information."

Makarov chuckled, and then shouted, "Shut up, brats! Okay. You know the drill. Pick one partner, and you have two weeks to train with them. They will help you in your exam as you seem fit. On the fifteenth of April, you will meet at the docks of Hargeon at noon. Is that clear?"

"Aye, sir!" Natsu cried, practically wiggling in excitement. Lucy giggled, and Happy dropped playfully into her arms, purring as he hugged her. She returned it. Almost immediately, he had whirled on Lucy and Happy - only for a look of distress to appear on his face.

Happy solved the issue for him. "Don't worry, Natsu, you can team up with Lucy," he said slyly. "She's your girlfriend, after all."

"Happy!" Lucy wailed, silencing him. She didn't notice the terrified look that flashed across Natsu's face before it turned into a look of cheerful happiness.

As if she'd been summoned, Mirajane sidled over. "What's this? You're dating, Lucy?"

"No!" she cried, "Happy's a liar!"

"Yeah," Natsu agreed hastily, not wanting to upset her by staying quiet. "Just partners."

A hurt look flashed across her face, and he backtracked as quickly as he could, swearing colorfully. This earned a look from Bisca as she swept past with Asuka in her arms. "I mean, we're...uh...you know, seriously good friends...damn it, Happy!" he bellowed as the cat streaked away. He stormed after him, howling for him to come back so he could tear his wings off.

Mirajane giggled, and then hugged Lucy tightly. "I'm glad you're okay," she said softly, "We were all so worried about you...you're okay? Not even tired from what happened?"

Lucy shook her head. "Nope. I'm fine. I promise. I've still got a nasty bruise on my thigh, but that's about it. Natsu made sure to take care of my head injury for me." She poked the spot on her head with a smile. "All patched up. I'll have nightmares for a while, but other than that...nothing."

"Good. And it looks like you'll be hard at work training with Natsu for the next month, hm?" she said with a hum. She planted her hands on her hips and beamed. "Good luck, Lucy, the S-Class exams are hard and we won't be able to help you guys with anything on Tenrou."

"...on _what_?"

But Mirajane was already walking away with a wiggle of her fingers, leaving Lucy to ponder on just where she'd heard that word before.

* * *

 _A fun chapter! I decided not to write the entire time that they were in Bosco, as I felt it wasn't necessary. On the other hand...we get a little hint at my version of Tenrou already! ;) Team Natsu's job will be coming up shortly (wasn't exactly spot on when that starts, was I?). Several were concerned about the lack of talking about the kiss._

 _Believe me._

 _That will be discussed in due time. It will be discussed a lot._

 _To the guest who asked, I update twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays). And I'll have to say no to that extra long NaLu chapter due to where my evil plans are headed._

 _To The 0bservanc3, I haven't really decided yet. I'm still trying to sort out after the Eclipse Gate period, so! We'll have to wait and see._

 _To EraticMind, who asked about the GMG! OF COURSE! My favorite arc will be included. I have special plans for it. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Uchida Akira, TaylorNReed, FairyRains, FairyDemonDust, MirrorFlame, Guest #1, The 0bservanc3, Princessatj, AngelEmCuti, Alexia Colette, LePengwen, Typhlosion8, MimiQueen, LavanderMoonRose, Risa98, Dragondancer81, zzMiya-chanzz, PinkFireandGoldenStars, EraticMind, BrennaCoris, AJAkira, PinkBookaholic, fluffyshygirl11, sassykitten1701, Narwhals21928, and RandomAnimeNerd!) as well as those who favorited and followed._

 _Big author's note today. I apologize._


	118. Chapter 118

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Humming as she wrung her hair out to rid the long blonde strands of as much moisture as she could, Lucy stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her slim form. Her dark eyes were thoughtful as she cautiously searched the empty room for any sign of Natsu, and was relieved to discover that he was nowhere to be found.

She grinned.

It was one of the rare moments, but Natsu wasn't there. He'd been practically a stalker recently, refusing to leave her side more than a few brief moments. She couldn't blame him, though. She'd have done the same thing to anyone if they'd almost died.

Except maybe not anyone outside of their guild.

And even then, not most people in the guild because a lot of them were even weirder than Natsu.

After tugging a dress on, deciding to at least attempt with her appearance, its deep blue hue making her smile, Lucy slid on a pair of sandals and checked her bag before hoisting it onto her shoulder.

They'd spoken with Erza and Gray the day before, after the excited commotion had settled down, and they'd all agreed to decide on a job. After searching the requests that had been pinned up by Mirajane, they'd decided to take one that was a good deal more difficult than the other three jobs that she'd done. They were to capture a couple rogue mages, who had been causing issues in a smaller village.

When Lucy had nervously expressed her concerns - she'd only taken a few local jobs in her time with Fairy Tail due to all the strange circumstances - Erza had reassured her. _"You've grown a great deal stronger, Lucy,"_ the requip mage had reassured her. _"You'll be okay. That's why we're going, too. To make sure that you're safe and Natsu doesn't do too much damage."_

Lucy was pleased to know that one of Fairy Tail's strongest considered her growth.

Still, it did make her feel a bit uneasy. At least her friends would be there.

Lucy glanced around to make sure everything was in place before nodding to herself. Rent was dealt with, she noted. Natsu had done that for her without her knowledge, apparently, but she didn't mind, because she didn't really have the money, to be perfectly honest.

She was just locking the door behind her when she heard, "Hey! Lucy!"

Lucy smiled as she glanced back. "Gray," she greeted as he stopped beside her, hands shoved into his pockets. She was impressed; he still had his shirt on. Shoving her keys into her pocket and taking a quick glance at her phone, she asked, "Did Erza tell you what time we're leaving?"

He shook his head. "Just to meet at the train station at nine."

"Got it." She stretched her arms above her head, wrinkling a nose when her long hair tickled her back. "So...anything I need to know when doing jobs like this?"

Gray's lips kicked into a crooked grin. "Expect to see Juvia doing who the hell knows what. She kind of pops up out of nowhere."

"Aw," Lucy teased, "You've got a stalker. You should take her out when we get back. She deserves it after everything she did with the Clock."

"Speaking of the Clock," he drawled, and then nudged her gently with an elbow. "I can see what you're trying to hide, Lucy. You didn't sleep last night, did you?"

Grimacing and touching the makeup beneath her eyes, she admitted, "Nightmares. That's all, I'm a big girl, Gray, I can handle them. I've handled worse."

"We don't have nightmares," he pointed out. "Don't hesitate to ask for our help, Lucy. If you can't sleep, we can come and sit up with you. None of us would mind. Except Laxus, don't ask him."

"Didn't plan on it," she said drily. She folded her arms. "Don't tell Natsu, please, he's already freaking out about every little thing…"

"I won't, but seriously. If ya need us, we're here." He flashed her a quick grin of reassurance. Curiosity crossed his face as he became thoughtful, and then suggested, "It's probably because of the lacrima you were in. I think that's what the orb was, anyways. Lacrimas are full of concentrated magical energy, and that one was filled with dark magic, so it probably tried to use anything it could to grab on. If they don't go away soon, you'll have to have Wendy take you to Porlyusica to look. Might have latched on a bit too much."

Lucy blinked, and then admitted, "Maybe. I'll talk with Wendy when we get back." She shivered, hugging her arms with a thoughtful look. "When I'm dreaming, all I can see is darkness and feel the pain that I felt in there. And then I can hear everyone screaming, as if they're being torn to shreds, and some kind of malicious laughter…"

He patted her shoulder comfortingly, and then told her, "Like I said. Call, and we'll be there."

She flashed him a grin. "Thanks."

She was touched, to be honest. It meant a lot to the celestial mage that her friends would go so far for her. She received a wink in return, and then both looked ahead of themselves, each falling into silent thoughts.

When they reached the train station, Erza was already waiting. Clothed in a simple outfit that consisted of a shirt with a jacket pulled over and a pair of jeans tucked into boots, the requip mage gave a smile. "Hello, Lucy, Gray, nice to see you," she said, and then shouldered her stuffed bag. "Everything going alright since you came back?"

"Yep," Lucy said cheerfully. "Just fine. Only had one run in with some news people on the way here. What about you guys? Everything going well that I haven't noticed?"

"Perfect." Erza gave a kind smile. "Jellal has been told that he may remain in the guild. Master has decided that he'll be accompanying various teams on work to help build trust in him. He's currently gone away with Gildarts for a few months and when he returns, Laxus and the Thunder Legion will take him on for a short time. We'll take our turn after them."

Lucy was quiet for a moment. "You've forgiven him then?" She herself certainly had. The quiet mage deserved it after what he'd done to try and help them. Her in particular. She hoped that Natsu would forgive him as well.

Erza's gaze softened just barely. "Yes. I don't trust him, but he deserves our forgiveness. He's worked so hard. He's brought down dark guilds alone, and Master believes in him. So I think it would be best that we do our best to do the same as long as he stays on this path." She looked to Gray, who searched her expression.

Finally, he grunted.

"Fine. I guess I'll do my hardest to forgive the sucker," he uttered, "Good luck getting Natsu to forgive him, though…"

Lucy muttered her agreement, and then glanced over her shoulder with a frown. "Where _is_ he? I thought he was coming? We have to get going…"

As if reading her mind, her pink-haired partner came sprinting down the street, wheezing for air. He looked a bit annoyed as he skidded to a halt beside them, glaring at Gray before snapping, "I told you to wait for me, Luce!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I can walk myself. Gray and I walked here together, calm down. I didn't disappear or anything. Jeez." She propped a hand on her hip, shifting the bag that was slung over her shoulder. "Now that we're all here...shall we get going? Natsu, where's Happy?"

"Hidden," was all he said before sliding past her to head into the train station, still rather grumpy though not all that willing to hold a grudge with her. She followed, and Erza exchanged a look of amusement with Gray before they, too, stepped inside.

"I'll go buy the train tickets," Erza offered as they entered, her dark eyes searching the crowds curiously. No one seemed to remember that not too long ago, their world had been turned upside down, and it was still confusing, even to the S-Class mage.

Gray trailed behind, button down shirt hanging open and showing off his emblem as they walked, hands folded behind his head. He eyed the fire mage and Lucy carefully before suddenly speaking, smirking. "...you two makin' out behind our backs or something? You're acting weird."

" _No_!" Lucy screeched immediately, whirling on the ice-make mage with a defensive look even as Natsu turned an interesting shade of red. "Shut up, Gray! It's not...oh, my gosh, why would you say something like that?!"

"Oh," Gray said with a smirk, turning on Natsu as the dragon slayer avoided looking at anyone and stared at his feet. "But look, Natsu's turned red...you got somethin' you're hiding, you stupid matchstick?"

"Shut up, Gray," he grumbled. "S'not any of your business-"

"So there _is_ something!" he cried triumphantly, enjoying his teasing. "What are you hiding, Lucy?"

"Nothing, shut _up_ ," she wailed, burying her face in her hands. "Why won't you guys leave us alone about the matter?"

"Hm, Natsu acting weird, takin' someone to his hoard, going full out nuts in the Clock," Gray mused. He ticked off each statement on a finger, and then grinned, eyes twinkling with mischief. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were dating."

"If _I_ didn't know any better, I'd say you're about to be beaten to hell and back," Lucy threatened, holding up Loke's key to show what she meant, only to grimace, because she realized that Loke would be little to no help. _Maybe Capricorn?_

"Nah, Loke wouldn't hurt me, we're buddies," Gray drawled, and then glanced over when Erza came back. "Hey, Erza, guess who's-" He was silenced by a fist cracking into his jaw.

Natsu grabbed him by the collar of his shirt after punching him, shaking him violently. "If you don't shut up right now, I'll throttle you and then turn you to ash," he hissed in his ear, earning a startled look from Gray.

" _What_ are you doing?" the red-haired woman demanded before looking at Lucy in confusion as the woman whispered to herself, hands over her ears.

"...what happened?" she muttered, confused.

Happy's muffled voice came from Natsu's stuffed backpack, his tone full of giggling amusement.

"Natsu and Lucy are dating, Erza."

Lucy began to sob into her hands in exasperation as Erza turned on Natsu, a vicious look in her eyes. The dragon slayer howled that it wasn't true, but she took no sympathy as she grabbed him by the scarf and hauled him away, her eyes glinting dangerously.

* * *

"Hm," Mirajane hummed as she swiped the table, glancing at the sky dragon slayer and white cat that sat at it. "It looks like your vision wasn't right this time, Charle."

The white cat was quiet as she studied her paws. She looked bewildered. "I don't understand. I saw Natsu request something of Lucy, of course, but Lucy refused in my vision. She rejected his request and made him partner with Happy. It concerns me...what about the other visions?"

She remembered them with ease.

 _Lucy rejecting Natsu's demand, her voice firm as she told him no. The sight of Gray and Loke staring in sheer terror at a darkly smiling Erza, her hands laden with weapons of many kinds. Mirajane sobbing into her fingers as one hand reached out, grasping at someone who fell far below, disappearing into the mist beneath the cliff. Wendy staring in fear at a dark-haired man that she didn't recognize, his shaded eyes full of shock as he demanded to know what she was doing there. Natsu reassuring Lucy that he'd be okay, pressing his lips against hers in a quick kiss before sprinting away._

 _The scream of a monstrous creature as the battle stopped to listen._

 _Mavis, her emerald eyes pleading as she begged for him to stop._

 _A meadow of death._

"Perhaps they'll change, too?" Wendy suggested cheerfully.

Not wanting to hurt Wendy or anyone else, Charle had refrained from mentioning her visions to anyone else other than Wendy and Mirajane, who had overheard, and had hidden a few visions from her.

She shook her head, her tail curling around her closest friend's wrist in affection.

"Perhaps they will," Mirajane agreed.

 _Staring up at her silver hair whistling in the breeze in equal shock. Laughter, cruel and demonic. Screaming, frantic and horrified._

"Maybe," Charle agreed faintly, not willing to believe it.

* * *

 _New vision that hints at what's to come! I think you'll all really like Tenrou when it comes up eventually. I surprised myself with some twists I came up with at random points, and I'll say right now that Tenrou officially begins on chapter 130. We've got some happy breaking until then due to an immediate transfer into an original arc that'll lead pretty much into GMG and such afterwards._

 _To CharonteQueen, who mentioned the fifteenth of April being your birthday...I find that absolutely hilarious because that's actually my sister's birthday, too. XD_

 _To PinkFireandGoldenStars...I, too, am fond of Cana and Lucy's team, but it didn't work with my plans for BTL. XD As for the marking and mating thing...nah. I give the dragon slayers more draconic senses and actions, but not that. I will say now that they DO choose their partners with greater care than most because of their dragon parents. :)_

 _To RandomAnimeNerd, who asked about a seven year time skip...you'll have to wait and see, my friend. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (TaylorNReed, Princessatj, niyah606, LePengwen, FireDragonPhia, Alexia Colette, LavanderMoonRose, The0bservanc3, OwlChaser113, Typhlosion8, Guest #1, sassykitten1701, CharonteQueen, Nekokittygirl, UchidaAkira, MirrorFlame, PinkFireandGOldenStars, Dragondancer81, Chibi, Fullmetal Pyromaniac, AngelEmCuti, Abdltf, FairyRains, NaLu and InuKag, RandomAnimeNerd, The Age of Awesomeness, Xiaconis, AnnaYasashii, Knightwalker, UzumakiNaho, and fluffyshygirl11!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	119. Chapter 119

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Oh, wow," Lucy breathed, taking in the setting sun as it sunk into the far off waves. She stood upon the last hill that crested before the village they'd been summoned to, her friends at her side and Happy free as can be since the village was one of the very few that held the knowledge that magic was real. It was a beautiful village at the ocean, and relied heavily on fishing. Due to being so far north, the entire team wore jackets - excluding Gray, who had decided he didn't need any clothes except for his pants.

When he saw her shiver because her jacket was a fraction too thin, Natsu grumbled and shed his. Ignoring her protest, he put it around her shoulders and then spun her around so that he could button the first one at the collar. "Stupid," he muttered, "Wear warmer clothing next time."

"Sorry," she muttered. She blushed slightly as he adjusted it, fussing as he made sure she'd be warm enough. Happy cackled wordlessly.

Erza watched them with a gentle look, and then started down the hill. "Come on, they'll have been waiting on us. Master sent word that we were coming." Gray started after her, and Happy zipped through the air.

Lucy moved to follow, but Natsu grabbed her wrist, hesitant. "You guys go," he told them. "I wanna talk to Luce about something."

Erza looked back with as much surprise on her face as Lucy. "...alright," she agreed, and then told Lucy quite seriously, "If you need us, just send up a signal, Lucy. Natsu has no reason to cause you any tears, got it?"

"I guess?" Lucy flushed as they hurried off, Gray making sure to drag Happy with them after wishing her luck despite Natsu's glare. She glanced to Natsu, wary, uncertain of what he might need to talk to her about before it struck her and she had to fight back a squeak as she ripped her hand free. "Well?"

He let her. His onyx eyes dropped for a moment, filled with anxiety. "You're not mad at me, right?" he said suddenly.

"Why would I be mad at you?" She was bewildered, and she tucked a loose lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "Did you burn something again?"

He rolled his eyes. Natsu shook his head before crossing his arms, straightening. And then he launched into his rant, his face flashing with worry. "I kissed you!" he blurted. "After the Clock went nuts! I kissed you and you never said anything, but you've been not looking at me since after, and I thought you were mad! I mean, I know I can be...me, and that I get all mean 'cause you're a part of my hoard, but-"

" _Natsu_ ," she cut in, startled by the sudden explosion. She grabbed his arm and shook it lightly to stop him and catch his attention, because smoke had begun to drift out of his mouth. "I'm not...I'm not mad, you moron." She flushed a brilliant red, her gaze darting away. "It's just...you know. I didn't know what you were thinking. I didn't want to mess anything up, so I didn't bring it up."

There was a moment of silence between them, and then he gave a relieved laugh, breathless as he dropped to sit on the ground. The bag he wore on his back nearly tipped him backwards. "Good," he breathed. "I didn't want you to hate me."

"I'd never hate you," she said quietly, smiling down at him gently. "I've said it before, and I'll say it a thousand times over. So shut up and listen, okay?" She planted her hands on her hips, feeling awkward after a moment. "So if you're done worrying about nothing-"

"So...are we dating?"

Lucy choked off, snorting in shock at the question. "I don't know," she said after a moment, frowning anxiously. This sort of conversation made her nervous, and she could feel his heated stare watching her cautiously. "Are we? I don't make that decision. Alone, anyways. You're involved, too."

He blinked owlishly at her. "...how should I know?" he said defensively. Natsu raked a hand through his pink hair, trembling nervously, just as confused about the matter as she was. "I've never dated anyone."

"Hey," she said, pointing at him. The celestial mage's face felt like it was on fire. "Princess, remember? I tried once I was out and ended up a mess. I don't know how to successfully date either." She awkwardly took a step back towards the village, jerking her thumb in its direction. "Since we don't, why don't we - oof!"

The breath was driven from her as she tripped over a rock and landed flat on her back. She wheezed in surprise, blinking up at the pretty sky with its orange hues, and then scowled when Natsu began to full out laugh, cackling.

"You should have seen the look on your face!" he cried, clutching his stomach. "You...you looked so confused-"

"Shut up," she gasped, and then giggled herself because his laughter was contagious. She sat up with his help, the dragon slayer reaching over to gently grasp her hand and pull her up. They sat there like that for a few moments before she wiped a tear away and told him, "I'll make you a deal. When we get home, maybe we can try going on a date. And if it doesn't work out, we'll pretend none of it ever happened."

"Okay," Natsu agreed with ease, looking relieved. "And you promise you won't hate me?"

"I swear," she said seriously.

Looking a lot happier, Natsu ruffled her blonde hair, and then pulled her to her feet, flames flickering around him. He glanced at the darkening sky with thought and then grimaced. "Uh, we should get going before Erza comes."

"I agree," she said hastily, and then darted down the hill towards the village, swearing she could see a flash of red waiting below as Natsu sprinted after her.

* * *

The evening flashed past quickly, Erza eyeing them suspiciously as they listened intently to what the head of the village had told her. Apparently, the ones who'd been in charge of instructing them were grateful that they were there and had told Erza to tell them if they needed anything. The young woman explained that there were only two mages, but they were ridiculously meddlesome.

Lucy had listened intently and agreed that she and Gray could work together at one side of the village. Natsu had tried to protest that because they were working together for the S-Class exams, that they should be training together now, but Erza had cut him off with a pair of eyes that had him cringing behind her.

He'd agreed pretty damn quickly after that.

So when morning arrived and it came time for them all to head out and look for the mages that were apparently causing problems for the village, she and Gray exchanged a grin. "Bye, Natsu!" Lucy called over her shoulder, waving as the pair headed off.

He pouted, but waved back, Happy calling his own farewell after deciding to stay with his friend. Erza merely shook her head, long hair swinging behind her.

"Okay, Gray," Lucy decided as they headed out of the village. "I don't know what I'm doing, so you're going to have to teach me."

Gray winked in response and then searched the area around them. "Generally, you'll want to keep an eye out, ya know? Magic usually leaves odd traces. You'll find them in obvious places. It's not too hard. We'll need to start training you to sense it soon, I think. Would be good for ya."

"Probably," the celestial mage agreed and thoughtfully grabbed her keys. "Open!" she ordered, slashing one through the air. "Gate of the Ram! Aries!" Gray watched curiously as she summoned her, and Aries flushed upon appearing, apologizing. Lucy ignored the apology. "Hey, Aries. Want to help us look for a couple of bad guys?"

Aries looked surprise. "Are...are you sure? L-Leo's much better at finding people-"

"Nonsense, I summoned you. Didn't I?" Lucy smiled at her, and then propped her hands on her hips. "Come on, Gray, what are you standing around for? Keep looking." Gray snickered, and then started forward.

Between the three of them, they covered a decent amount of space over the space of an hour. Lucy searched through obvious places as well as the nooks and crannies of the trees, her author coming out as she noted that there were plenty of places mages could hide out at to disguise themselves.

Aries eventually decided to leave in case Lucy needed the strength to summon them for a battle, admitting that the Spirit King's ruling on how often Loke could appear had changed. He was no longer allowed to appear whenever he felt like it, apparently. Lucy had to give him certain permissions before he could, constricting his freedom in their world and focusing on his own.

And, Aries had stated with a kind smile, Lucy was invited to visit with the Spirit King as soon as she had time. It would only be for a few hours so that not too much time would pass in her own world. Gray had stared at them when that had happened, and Lucy had requested that Aries see if she could bring her team with her, that they deserved it, too. Aries had agreed and told her Loke would stop by with an official invitation.

"Lucy!" Gray said suddenly, calling for her. She glanced over, busy investigating a suspicious spot. She followed his voice until she found her friend and teammate standing over a strange looking plant. It was something that clearly didn't belong in the woods, a strange tropical looking flower.

"Huh," the celestial mage uttered, rubbing the back of her head. "A plant mage then?"

"Yeah." Gray squinted around at the messy trees, taking in the splintered wood and some other portions of the destroyed area. "They've been around here quite a bit. I wonder if our phones will work with this much magic around... "

"Let's try." Lucy pulled her phone out and checked it, only to frown and shake her head, putting it back. "Nope. No signal. I can't call the others. Can we send up some sort of signal with your ice?"

"Too easy for those who don't know about it to notice," Gray uttered back. "And for those who we're after to take notice...we're on our own for now. Natsu will find us eventually. He'll drive Erza crazy until he can come and find us here soon."

Lucy muttered her agreement and continued to look for the rogue mages that they were after.

Unaware of the eyes that watched her intently from the shadows.

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Natsu seethed as he sniffed at the air like a dog, his arms crossed and a pout on his face. "We're just going to sit here?"

"We've searched our area, and I've told you what we were asked to do, so yes, we are going to sit here," Erza replied calmly, not bothered by the snippish looks she was receiving. "And if you think of so much as moving a single inch in their direction, I'll knock you the hell out."

Happy, who'd been batting playfully at the tail of Natsu's scarf like a common cat, paused to plead, "Don't knock him out, he's my only source of entertainment."

"Do you not think Gray is capable?" Erza challenged. "He's in the S-Class exams this year, too, Natsu."

"I know," the dragon slayer muttered, slouching. He hunched his shoulders. "I'm just worried. I don't want a repeat of the stupid Clock." Erza's gaze softened, and Natsu hesitated as an idea struck him before asking, "Uh, Erza? How do you ask, uh, a girl on a date?"

Erza went still and stared at him. "That depends on the girl. Do you have a particular one in mind?"

"It's _Lucy_ ," Happy purred unhelpfully.

Erza smiled softly as Natsu flushed, scowling at his friend before looking away. "Natsu, it's different for everyone. Each person is special, and it has to be done in a way that only you can do. But I can promise you that if you want to ask Lucy on a date, you can start off with flowers. You can never go wrong with flowers."

Natsu nodded, noting this information for later. "Got it," he said firmly. He wrinkled his nose thoughtfully. "Do you think that place she met Mira and Levy at would be okay? Since it was how she technically met with Fairy Tail."

"That is a brilliant idea," Erza praised, and Natsu happily beamed, pleased that she agreed with his ideas.

He'd ask her when they got back, he decided, just like they'd agreed.

As soon as this hellish day was over with, of course.

* * *

 _You guys wanted the kiss brought up and here it is! Patience is everything, my friends. I once said that once it started, it didn't stop, so... ;) Look at Natsu, worrying over everything. So cute._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Uchida Akira,, The 0bservanc3, FairyDemonDust, TigerArrowgirl, The Age of Awesomeness, brooke315, Typhlosion8, Tobias97, RandomAnimeNerd, Princessatj, Guest #1, Abdltf, LePengwen, TaylorNReed, MirrorFlame, AngelEmCuti, fanomania2000, Louisilistic, quite-a-riot, VeronMic, PinkFireandGoldenStars, and Moon Stone Tiger Lily!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _Now excuse me while I go back to watching this Chinese drama I've grown fond of for some reason..._


	120. Chapter 120

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Where the hell are they?" Lucy demanded, ready to explode a few hours later. She stood in the center of the clearing that they'd looked over several times, Gray sprawled out thoughtfully in the middle of it with his arms folded beneath his head and his eyes squinting at the blue sky. "I thought they were going to come and find us at noon, Gray?"

"I don't know," he said, opening an eye to peer at her cautiously. He'd been dozing, waiting patiently. "I'm sure they'll come eventually, Lucy. Erza's nowhere near weak enough to be taken down by these kind of people. And as much as I hate to admit it, neither is Natsu."

The blonde propped her hands on her hips and looked down at him, frowning. "...can we go look for them at least?"

He shook his head. "Meeting place was that we stick to one location and they find us through the idiot's nose."

"Ugh, fine." Lucy pouted and sank into the grass beside him. She studied it curiously, taking in its lush green color. She ran a hand over it in thought, its gentle touch curling around her fingers.

Until one suddenly sprang out, latching onto Lucy's wrist.

She squawked, catching Gray's attention. He sat up immediately, only to be yanked back down by massive vine that ripped free of the ground and slammed into his chest, pinning him. A grunt escaped his mouth as he pried at it, ice creeping along to try and pry it away. "The hell?!"

A shadow parted from behind a tree, stepping into view, and the giggling woman pressed a hand to her lips in mock surprise. Her black hair rippled out behind her, green eyes flashing. "Oops."

A shape hit the ground beside her, the earth shifting beneath his feet. "Look at that, a celestial mage of all things...and look at that ring of gold…" Lucy's hand fell to her keys protectively, yanking them out of the way of grass that had begun to creep along towards them. She ripped her hand free and shot to her feet, standing defensively before Gray, who was somehow having problems with the vine that trapped him.

He bellowed out something in frustration, yanking and ripping at the vine as it doubled back and went to work on trapping his arms. "This was _not_ part of the plan, Erza!" he snarled aloud.

"What plan?" Lucy demanded, but was forced to focus as the ground rippled beneath her and threatened to open. She yanked out of the way, her mind determined, and she whipped out Virgo's key.

"Open!" she cried, "Gate of the Virgin! Virgo!"

The Spirit appeared in a flash of light, chains clinking at her wrists. "What can I do for you, princess?"

Lucy flailed her arms in the general direction of the earth mage. "Deal with him - oh! Thanks." Virgo had tossed a whip to her, its power feeding off of her own as it sprang to life, proving itself to be a celestial weapon.

She snapped it experimentally and focused on the plant mage as Virgo dug into the ground.

"Lucy!" Gray demanded, "Let me up!"

"Hold on," she gritted out as the plant mage raised a hand and some kind of fly trapping plant sprang to life, snapping at her ankles and nearly biting a foot right off. She side-stepped another, and then swore when a rather large vine sprang up and lashed out, slamming into her belly and sending her sprawling back. She rolled out of the way to avoid a nasty attack when it slammed downwards, and then snapped her whip out, catching the plant mage by the ankle.

The woman squawked in astonishment, her feet yanked out from under her, and the ground shifted and trembled, rising and falling dangerously as the earth mage began to fight with a rather irritable Virgo, who was nearly mocking him with how fast she was popping in and out of the ground, not affected at all by his attack.

Lucy turned to snap her whip at the vines pinning her friend, but the woman took her chance and lunged forward. Her fingers closed around Lucy's throat, squeezing painfully, and Lucy choked, immediately scrabbling to get her off. The pair rolled around for a moment before Lucy slammed the butt of her whip's hilt into the woman's head as hard as she could.

The mage shrieked in pain and outrage, and Lucy was able to free herself.

Gasping, rubbing her sore throat, Lucy scowled down at her as she shot up and then dropped the heavy hilt that it struck the woman's temple, easily knocking her out.

Hard to beat, yet nowhere near the power of those like Oracion Seis or even her other self from Earthland.

She grinned, proud. Deciding that if she was going to test herself, now would be the time, Lucy lashed another key through the air.

"Open!" she ordered, "Gate of the Goat! Capricorn!"

She'd never used Capricorn in combat - to be honest, she'd not used most of her Spirits in combat. She just didn't get the chance to fight very often, and she planned on changing that soon. Especially with the hell she'd been going through as of late.

"Hello, Miss Lucy," Capricorn bleated as he appeared, landing beside her. She felt the drain immediately, but ignored it, knowing she'd probably sleep for the rest of the day.

"Help Virgo," she told him, "I'm going to try and get Gray out of those vines."

"Of course," he answered, giving her a smile before launching himself at the earth mage, who barely managed to avoid the Goat's foot before Virgo was lunging at him from the ground. He twisted away, swearing loudly.

"Damn," was all Gray could mutter as Lucy went to work on prying at the vines. "You've got this job handled by yourself, eh?"

"I guess," she giggled breathlessly, and then frowned when the ice began to creep from between the cracks of the vine before splintering it in a small explosion, letting him sit up with ease. He rolled his shoulders, testing himself. He flexed his fists a few times, and then climbed to his feet, pulling her up with him.

"...you could get out that entire time," she realized.

"Yep."

"...you let yourself be caught on purpose."

"Yep."

"Erza, Natsu, and Happy aren't coming to meet us."

"Nope."

"What the hell, Gray?!" Lucy shouted, scowling at him. He only gave her a crooked grin as Virgo finally managed to grab the earth mage around the knees. She retaliated by hitting him as hard as she could on the back of the head, making him clutch it and yelp as Capricorn nailed the earth mage in the back of the head, effectively winning the fight. He and Virgo returned to their Realm without bothering them, deciding it would be safer that way.

"Ouch!" Gray uttered, pouting. "It wasn't even my idea, Lucy! Master asked that we lay low, see if you could do it as a test to see how far you've grown, that's all! I was ready to leap up and help if you needed it!"

"...I'm going to kill him," Lucy said darkly, turning on her heel. "Natsu's dead. _Natsu Dragneel_!" she suddenly screamed. " _You get your ass over here now_!"

* * *

Gray felt worse for the upcoming fate of his rival than he did for the rogue mages she'd knocked out.

A few hours later found Natsu nursing his bruises from where he'd been punched and kicked by a rampaging blonde, who'd only dared to make a snappish comment to Erza before turning on him. "I didn't even want to," he mumbled, his bottom lip poking out like a child's.

"Then you shouldn't have played along," Lucy told him, carefully swiping at a scratch on her arm. Erza watched with amusement as Gray grumpily dealt with receiving the reward they'd been promised. They'd remain until the Council sent someone to pick up their captives, who were now held in a cage of ice, courtesy of Gray.

She paused as she examined the cut and then moved onto another one. "Jeez. I don't know why you guys couldn't say anything about it."

"Master does it all the time, Lucy," Happy explained to her with a kind expression. "He uses surprise moments to see how we're all improving or something else. He did it to Natsu a couple months ago. That's when he blew up that place in Crocus."

"...when I nearly ran him over," Lucy recognized and then scowled. "I still don't appreciate it. Someone could have been hurt."

"Gray was very capable of getting out of the trap he let himself fall into," Erza told her as she came over, hands on her hips. Her armor was gone, and her dark eyes were gentle. "It was necessary, Lucy. You'll receive all of the prize money, of course. That should cover your rent for this month."

"And feed Natsu," she mused, before sighing, "Thanks. Sorry for hitting you, Natsu."

He only grumbled and rubbed a bump on his head.

"On the bright side," Erza said cheerfully, "The head of the village is grateful and wants to gift us all dinner. So we'll stay one more night and then head out in the morning. When we get back, Natsu has some things to do."

"He does?" Gray asked as he came over, confused.

Lucy looked just as bewildered. "What do you have to do, Natsu? I thought you just sit there and plot how to get my food all day." It was said teasingly, and he flushed, muttering that they needed to mind their own business as he looked away.

That only made the blonde giggle, affectionately touching his arm before scooping Happy into her arms. He purred and cuddled closer. "So...food then? I'm hungry. Jumping around like that is exhausting, too…"

"Of course," Erza said warmly, gently ruffling her blonde hair with a smile. "You did well, Lucy, very well. At the rate that your magic and strength is growing, you may be participating in the S-Class exams next year alongside whoever else is chosen."

Lucy's cheeks turned a brilliant red. "I doubt that," she mumbled, but Gray interrupted.

"Seriously," he said, "I don't think I've seen someone's magic get that strong within eight months before. Even I spent years mastering mine. I'm still trying to get it to a larger level."

Natsu piped up with his agreement, his onyx eyes glinting. "You should have seen your potential magic when you blew up the guildhall after the whole thing with Earthland, Lucy. You were burning _me_. You're gonna be crazy strong if you reach it."

"Natsu is right." Erza tapped her lower lip in amusement.

Lucy's cheeks were colored scarlet by this point, her lip sucked between her teeth so that she could bite it. "C-come on, I don't need praise, guys. I, uh, just…you know."

Gray grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her gently, ignoring Natsu's growl at the action. Happy yelped as his head was snapped around. "Lucy, this is the second time as of late I've seen you summon two Zodiacs. Not even Yukino can do that."

"...she summoned two of them?" Erza questioned curiously.

"I feel like I'm about to pass out now," Lucy offered, hoping to lessen the pride that was filling the requip mage's eyes.

"Stop being modest." Erza hit her on the shoulder, and Lucy yelped in pain, rubbing the spot. "Since you passed, Master will be informing Mira that you are now allowed to take smaller jobs on your own. Nothing more than the type you did today, but say Natsu was sick or something of the sort, you could go out on your own. You've proven that you're strong enough - are you crying?"

"That hurt," Lucy admitted, blinking back tears as she twisted to study the spot, sure it would bruise beneath Natsu's jacket. "It, uh, made my eyes water, that's all. What about proving?"

Erza chuckled and finished what she'd been saying. "You've proven that you're strong enough to protect yourself. It's a good thing, Lucy, you should be very proud of yourself for completing the task."

Natsu, done pouting, hooked an arm around her neck gently and ruffled her hair with his other hand, ignoring Happy's smothered complaints. "You did really good, Luce!"

"Thanks?" She smacked his hands away, glaring at him.

He only grinned and pulled back so that Gray could congratulate her, too, doubting that anyone could be more proud of his Lucy than him.

* * *

 _Lucy got to have some badass time, eh? Only ten more chapters until Tenrou! :D_

 _To Moon Stone Tiger Lily, who questioned the name of the Chinese drama...no idea. XD I know it's about a maid becoming empress though._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, The 0bservanc3, UchidaAkira, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Guest #1, SunflowerChrysalis, FairyRains, OwlChaser113, MirrorFlame, LePengwen, Typhlosion8, zzMiya-chanzz, Dragondancer81, HappyTurtleFanGirl, fluffyshygirl11, Fullmetal Pyromaniac, TigerArrowgirl, FireDragonPhia, TopazDesiertoFleur, Princessatj, Knightwalker, CharonteQueen, RandomAnimeNerd, quite-a-riot, NaLu and InuKag, PinkFireandGoldenStars, and AngelEmCuti!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	121. Chapter 121

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

After eating supper and gifting the Fairy Tail members their prize - which was immediately handed over to Lucy alongside a golden bracelet as a congratulations gift from the head, who recognized how important such things were - they settled down together in a building to enjoy one another's company.

Aware that Natsu was very closely studying Lucy's new bracelet from where he was nearly pressed up against her, his onyx eyes like those of an excited cat's as he contemplated how to sneak it away, Erza cleared her throat after a short while and caught their attention.

"I think," she told them with a soft smile, "That this year's S-Class exams will be fun. The three of you are participating, and I wish you all luck in it. I know that we will not be the easiest to beat, but I think one or two of you will succeed."

They stared at her in surprise. Lucy paused in petting Happy, who snored away in her lap, and then smiled brightly. "Thanks, Erza."

"I hope we fight Gildarts," Natsu said excitedly.

"...I hope not," the blonde told her partner honestly before turning her face away, her gaze thoughtful. Lucy gently ran her fingers over Happy's ears, and he purred happily. "I don't think we'd be able to even get close to beating Gildarts, Natsu."

Gray slammed a fist into his open palm, eager. "Well _I_ don't give a damn about who I fight. I'll beat them anyways."

Erza's eyes glinted at the challenge. "Oh?" she mused. "Then perhaps you will find yourself against me. That would be interesting, don't you think, Lucy?"

"...I think you're all insane," was her muttered response as she yawned, cuddling Happy closer before telling them, "I think I'm going to summon Loke and go over the constellations like usual before I go to bed. Natsu, you want to come?"

"Yeah," he said eagerly, climbing to his feet. He may not have been a celestial mage like she was, but he didn't care. He liked to look at the stars with Lucy. She was serious about them, and it was interesting to watch her expression change depending on what she was told about her friends in the other Realm.

Lucy bid Gray and Erza good night, and then slid out of the building with Natsu close behind, Happy cradled in her arms. They headed out towards the outskirts of the village, and Lucy was grateful that it was one of very few that used barely any electricity, leaving the stars shining as brightly as they had a hundred years before.

Taking a deep breath when they reached the beach that showed the beautiful black ocean, Lucy shifted the snoring Happy into her partner's hands. "I might summon Aquarius, actually," she said thoughtfully, then shrugged before slashing the key for Loke through the air. "Open!" she ordered, "Gate of the Lion! Leo!"

"You're going to make yourself pass out, Princess." Lucy turned to face him with a tired grin, and he arched an eyebrow at her. Loke's shaded green eyes darted to Natsu for a moment before he took the sunglasses he usually wore off, propping them on top of his head. "You need to be careful. Too much magic using can kill you, Lucy."

"I'm aware and I feel fine," she retorted. In reality, her arms were trembling.

He didn't need to know that.

He sighed, exchanging a look of irritation with Natsu, who shrugged. He wasn't about to try and stop Lucy from doing anything on the risk that she'd get pissed off. And he'd already dealt with that before. He knew when and where the times to do so were, and this was not it.

"Okay, which constellations are out this time of year?" Loke said grumpily, turning his attention to the stars. "I didn't bring my maps. Virgo will send them with me next time, and you're tired, so we'll make this quick. Next time, I'll quiz you on the twelve Zodiac, and then we'll get started on the silver keys you possess."

Lucy grinned and answered.

* * *

"Natsu, if you so much as think of stealing the bracelet off of Lucy's wrist, I will personally rip the hand from your body."

Natsu froze, his fingers just barely skimming the gold that encircled his partner's wrist, and then snatched his hand back in fear. "I wasn't doing anything," the wide-awake dragon slayer said hastily as Erza rolled over, dark eyes open and glaring piercingly at him.

"Mm, good," she mused, smiling slightly and then sitting up. She studied the snoring Gray - who had somehow lost everything but his underwear throughout the night - and then glanced at the quietly sleeping Lucy before stretching her arms above her head. "You remember the plan we created for you to follow?"

Natsu dropped his hand into his lap, his other one rising to scratch at his muscled and naked chest, wrinkling his nose as his pink hair fell into his eyes. "Yeah. I remember." And he did; he remembered it well, and he fully intended to go through with it. "I just gotta go and get some money from my hoard. It's gonna be kind of expensive."

"That's fine," she reassured. "But remember. Don't spend _too_ much. Lucy was raised in a setting that was beautiful and grand. She doesn't like it like most girls do. So stay simple, do what you think she likes. I'm sure she'll appreciate your attempts and your drive to do something more than she will the actual results, Natsu."

His cheeks turned a bit red as he looked down. "Got it," he mumbled. He glanced at the mentioned woman, onyx eyes gentle as he took in the way she wrinkled her face up in her sleep before her expression smoothed and she snuggled her face into the travel pillow she'd brought.

He'd heard his fellow nakama commenting on women before. Even Gray had admitted that Lucy was good looking, though he'd warned off a few of the older men in the guild when they'd considered teasing the young woman with an icy fist. Most people described her as hot, though, and he admitted that her chest _was_ larger than most people's.

But Natsu didn't care about that.

Lucy was cute because she did weird things, like mumbling and drooling a little in her sleep, her blonde hair sticking to her face. Not because her chest was big.

Snapping back into the present when Erza snapped her fingers a few times, he looked up and met her gaze. "Natsu, I don't know if you've noticed, and I doubt she wants us to say anything, but...you must have noticed the nightmares?"

He blinked once. "...huh?"

"She hasn't been sleeping well. Your snoring drowned it out, but she was having one last night. She woke me when she kicked me by accident," Erza explained. She smiled kindly down at Lucy. "Gray was still up when it happened. He mentioned that she'd been having nightmares for a days, since the Clock, apparently."

Natsu opened his mouth to respond, and then closed it, looking down at the unconscious Lucy. "She didn't...she didn't say anything… We didn't share any rooms or anything when we were in Bosco, she had to be the princess. Happy stayed with me."

"She probably didn't want you to know," Erza told him, and then sighed softly before reaching over to poke at Gray until he blearily opened his eyes and peered tiredly at her. She arched an eyebrow. "Wake up, we're going to be leaving soon."

"Yep, got it," he mumbled, rolling over and pressing his face into the pillow he'd been using. Within seconds of dozing off again, Erza looked to Natsu, who gave a devilish grin and reached over to light a fire under Gray's ass.

Well, technically over, but the effect was the same.

Gray was out of bed in an instant, shouting, and Lucy snapped awake with a gasp of shock, reeling away from the flames that suddenly lit the hut. Natsu dropped them quickly, snickering as he backed away, Gray following him with a look of deadly intent upon his face.

Erza cleared her throat and he froze, warily looking towards her, but her attention was on the yawning blonde as Happy complained about being woken up and curled up against her again. "Lucy, perhaps we should send the boys out to get some snacks for later? You and I can get dressed while they're out."

"I guess?" she said sleepily, yawning largely. She mumbled a good morning to her partner and Gray and then crawled over her blankets to grab her bag, searching through it for a pair of capris and the shirt she'd brought. Natsu's jacket had been tucked into the bag, too, for when she inevitably froze first thing in the morning.

Natsu squinted at her, silently acknowledging the dark bags beneath her eyes and the tired look she wore. He could see and recognize the look of someone having nightmares - he'd had them for months after Igneel had left. Guilty for not noticing, the fire mage grinned at her and then shoved Gray so that he'd leave the building they'd been leant for the duration of their stay.

He paused, however, when he reached the door.

He became suddenly serious, and pressed a finger to his lips. Everyone focused on Natsu, recognizing that he wasn't serious unless it was something they needed to be concerned about. Even Happy was quiet, anxious about whatever Natsu was hearing.

Suddenly, he ripped the door open, flames gusting out of his mouth at a few men who had gathered around the building. Each held some kind of weapon - a gun, a rather nice and expensive handgun.

Lucy's jaw dropped as she immediately yanked a blanket around her shoulders, and Erza requipped a gun of her own. While she preferred traditional weaponry, she held a few modern weapons that could do some serious harm.

She was particularly fond of the bazooka.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, standing beside Natsu. Heat rolled off of him as he glared, taking a step back so that he could stand beside Gray and Lucy, who had grabbed their cat friend so that he could see what was happening. The four Fairy Tail mages eyed the man warily as Erza demanded calmly, "I said, _what are you doing_?"

"The woman s-said," one finally stammered, hesitant. "That _she_ had something rare, worth a lot of money." He jerked his head in Lucy's direction, and Gray scowled, throwing an arm out to hide the celestial mage from them. "And that she wanted it...we just…"

Another befuddled man stared at the gun in his hand, completely lost.

"Persuasion magic?"

Erza glanced over her shoulder at the thoughtful Lucy, who tapped her lip. "I read about it on the Mages of Fiore website," she explained to the scarlet-haired warrior. "It allows someone to use words to convince others to do their bidding. There must be a third mage that didn't show up yesterday, one who might be the reason the other two were attacking this place."

"Great," Gray uttered, rolling his shoulders. He flicked his fingers and ice sprang up from the ground behind the people, knocking them out efficiently. "Let's get lookin' then. Once we have this guy captured, we'll call the Council back and then be on our way home by this afternoon. We splitting up into teams or what?"

"No, we should split up as lone mages for the time being," Erza muttered.

Natsu glared at her. "What? Why? It's boring without someone else, and I can find 'em in two seconds-"

"I don't want us to be persuaded to fight against each other," Erza explained. "Lucy, you can take the southern part of town. Take Happy with you. I'll go north, Natsu east, and Gray west. If you come across anything, you know what to do. A symbol. Lucy, you haven't had to do this yet...have Loke send a light flare into the air when you find something."

"Got it," Lucy said firmly. "Let me get dressed really quick?"

Gray and Natsu stepped outside to give the blonde privacy while Erza simply used her magic to change into a pair of jeans and a simple T-shirt. She pointed at the fire dragon slayer with a look of fierceness. "You," she warned, "You are to stay in your area. You will only approach someone else should they require your help, is that clear?"

Natsu shuddered to think of the punishment she'd present if he didn't listen. "Uh...yeah."

Lucy emerged a few moments later, clothed with Natsu's red fire-proof jacket pulled on to fend off the slight chill of the morning. He gave her a look of approval because one, he admitted that it looked pretty good on her, and two, it would protect her. It was amplified with magic, meant to reflect even his own.

Perhaps he'd let her keep it?

"Come on, Happy," the blonde sang, picking her small blue friend up. Happy purred and cuddled closer against her. "Let's go. See you later, Natsu, Erza, Gray." She flashed them all a quick smile, and then turned and headed south. Erza bid the men farewell before heading in her own direction, and Gray simply grunted, "See ya," before doing the same, leaving Natsu alone.

He shook his head, pink hair flying around his face.

And then he set off for the eastern part of the village, following the beach.

* * *

 _And...we continue with the job because the job's not yet over. ;) My secret BTL universe headcannon is, as stated, that Erza has a distinct love for the big weapons._

 _To Faery'sConfessions, who asked about my plans for Lucy's Star Dress and such, Tartaros, and a time skip! I do plan on such things occurring at some point, but it won't be for quite some time. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, Alexia Colette, fluffyshygirl11, OwlChaser113, fandomania2000, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, FairyRains, Abdltf, LePengwen, TaylorNReed, LovelyLovelyLovely, TigerArrowgirl, RandomAnimeNerd, PinkFireandGoldenStars, quite-a-riot, Faery'sConfessions, MirrorFlame, AngelEmCuti, and TopazDesiertoFleur!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	122. Chapter 122

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy swore as she pushed a branch out of her way. She searched the area with care as Happy purred in her arms, and then huffed when she nearly tripped and landed face first in the creek that they came across. "This is new, eh?" she mused. "Have you ever been in this situation, Happy?"

Happy shook his head. "Nope! We've never gone on a job like this before! I hope they run into Natsu...that'd be hilarious."

"It wouldn't be," Lucy sighed, "Then he'd come after us, and neither you or I could hold up against him. Erza, maybe. Gray, possibly. Not me. And not Loke, either, he said that the Spirits are only as strong as I am."

"At least this is good training for the S-Class exams," Happy suggested cheerfully. Lucy snorted in response, but silently agreed. "I'm glad that Natsu chose you, I don't think I could have helped him very much, Lucy."

"Nonsense," she scolded. "You could have helped him plenty. You're a strong little cat. And you've been his friend for nearly eight years, right? That's a lot longer than I've been friends with him."

Happy shrugged. His dark eyes were serious as he told her, "Natsu likes you more than anyone else though. You're the only one he showed his hoard to, but I guess Gajeel and Gildarts saw it when they went and hunted him down when you were in Bosco…"

Lucy smiled gently at her blue friend and hugged him closer. "How about," she said gently, "We see if he'll let you come when we run up there again? I'm sure you've deserved to go to it way more than I have, hm? I'll ask and if he doesn't agree, we'll make him. Or have Erza make him. It's only fair that you get to go."

Happy actually looked happy at that, tail flicking happily as he purred and nuzzled against her. Lucy carried him with ease for a moments - and then stopped, glancing over her shoulder. "Happy," she said. "I feel like we're being-"

Eyes glinted in the darkness of the trees as a shadowed figure stepped into view.

"...watched," she finished, and then simply snatched up her keys, summoning the first Spirit her hands came across. Sagittarius appeared beside her, a bow in hand and a serious look on his face. "Sagittarius, shoot an explosive arrow up or something. Some kind of signal."

"Of course!" he said firmly, and then drew his bow, aiming an arrow above their heads.

"There's no need for that," a silken voice purred, and Lucy actually paused to listen for a moment. Happy dug his claws into her arm, hissing for her to snap out of it, and she shook her head to clear it. Her eyes never left the mage as Sagittarius fired an arrow, and then aimed three more at the woman as they exploded over their heads in a brilliant red.

She scowled. "You should have listened. It's not nice to give away your position."

"It's not nice to trick people," Lucy retorted.

Her grip tightened on her key rings when the woman coaxed, "Wouldn't it just be easier to give up those keys of yours…? I mean, they've caused so many problems for you…"

Lucy curled a lip. "As if," she snarled, "The Spirits are my precious friends. Sagittarius, shoot something at her if she tries to talk again."

"Right!" Sagittarius agreed.

Lucy glanced over her shoulder for a second to see if there was any sign of her friends. It was to her relief that Erza appeared, panting slightly and out of breath from running. Her red hair, pulled out of her face, stuck to her sweaty forehead as she congratulated, "Good job, Lucy. You did well. Again."

"Thanks." Lucy grinned.

Momentarily, both forgot the magic of the mage, who smirked and began to speak quickly, tensing in preparation.

"Hey," she purred, "Lucy's a little hateful of you, isn't she? I mean, look at the way she's watching you...with such jealous eyes...you detest that don't you? Isn't it horrible? Couldn't you just...rip her apart?"

Lucy realized what was going to happen a second before it did. "Sagittarius!" she squawked and then dove to the side when a sword sliced through the air. Happy shrieked as she dropped him, wings snapping out so that he could get away from what was happening. "Erza, stop!"

Sagittarius fired his arrows, narrowing his eyes. "Knockout arrows, Miss Lucy!" he reported when the woman narrowly avoided them. "They won't kill anyone if they strike them, only knock them out!"

"Aim for Erza, too, then," Lucy demanded, nearly breaking her back to bend back and avoid the blow that came out of nowhere. She didn't have time to scramble away from her next attack, however, and was beyond grateful when a shield of ice shot between her and Erza's battle axe.

"You okay, Lucy?" Gray said firmly, glancing at her. He'd lost his shirt at some point, but Lucy didn't question it, instead scrambling backwards as Erza calmly spoke.

"Lucy, accept your fate," she said firmly, "It's nothing personal-"

"It's highly personal!" Lucy shrieked, "You're trying to kill me!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Lucy!" Sagittarius said suddenly. "I suggest you summon Virgo! Or Gemini!"

Lucy understood why immediately. "Right," she agreed calmly, "Gemini's brilliant, good idea, Sagittarius!" She dug through her keys for the right one, and then readied herself.

"Open! Gate of the Twins! Gemini!"

"We're here, Lucy!" Gemi cied, hopping beside her.

"We're here," Mini agreed, hugging her ankle and earning a faint smile.

"So am I," her partner's voice added in. Natsu shot out of the trees and skidded to a halt beside her and Gray, tugging the scarf away from his mouth and glancing to Lucy, onyx eyes piercing. Gray flashed him a look of irritation.

"Took you long enough!" he barked out.

"I couldn't find your scents," Natsu protested.

"Gemini," Lucy ordered, "Transform into the persuasion mage and tell me what you think we should do!"

"Of course!" The two stopped cheerfully hopping and hugged one another. There was a shimmer in their appearance, and an exact replica of their opponent appeared beside her, blue eyes calculating as the original paused to gawk, wild brown hair sticking up around her face. Gray threw up another shield to protect them from Erza's attack.

"Well?" Natsu questioned.

"We think," Gemini spoke in the woman's coaxing voice, eyes glinting excitedly. "That you should forget what's been said, Miss Erza."

As if water had been splashed on her face, Erza paused, blinking a few times. "...what?" she mumbled, studying the weapon in her hand, confused. And then she turned, pointing the weapon in the actual persuasion mage's direction. "You tricked me...I'll give you credit for such a thing. It's rare that someone catches me off guard.'

"Sagittarius!"

"Of course, Miss Lucy!" Sagittarius fired an arrow without hesitation.

The woman, caught off guard, collapsed, eyes fluttering shut.

"Good job, Gemini, Sagittarius," Lucy praised proudly, beaming at the two beside her as they lost the transformation, humming to her.

"We were glad to help!" Mini cheered.

"Glad to help, Miss Lucy!" Gemi echoed.

Sagittarius did some kind of salute that made them all stare at him in surprise. "Our pleasure."

"You guys can go back now," Lucy told them with a yawn. Natsu glared at her with a look of frustration. "What?"

"Why didn't you let us do anything?!" Natsu whined, "I came to kick some ass, not sit back and watch, Luce!"

She rolled her eyes. "We'll take another job, you can kick some ass then." She glanced to Erza anxiously. "Are you okay now?"

"Fine," Erza reassured, thoughtful. She studied the chipped ice shield and then praised Gray, "I'm impressed that your ice held up under my axe...it's made specifically to be used against maker magic, Gray, and it's one of my stronger weapons."

Gray grinned, pounding a hand into his chest with a smug look on his face. "That's a good sign for the exams."

Erza chuckled, and then studied the woman with a dark look. "Shall we punish her before we hand her over?"

"Let's just hand her over," Lucy said hastily, nudging Natsu gently. He only pouted at her and nudged her back, grumbling.

Happy cackled from where he was flying above them. "Look, Erza," he purred, "They like each other."

Natsu didn't bother to protest, and Lucy didn't either.

* * *

"My stomach," Natsu moaned later that afternoon. People gave him a weird look as he slunk off of the train and then collapsed in the middle of the pavement. Lucy rolled her eyes as she stepped off, Happy tucked safely in her messenger bag, and Gray made a sound of disgust as he peered down at him, nudging him with a foot.

"Leave him be," Erza scolded. "Lucy, help me get him up, we'll take him to the guildhall. Mira can whip up some fire for him to eat or something similar."

"Alright," she agreed, kneeling to grab her partner's muscular arm and draw it over her shoulders. Erza did the same, and together they lifted him with ease.

"Come on, Natsu," Lucy told him with a soft giggle, "Let's get you some food. Want some fish, Happy?"

A soft and muffled "Aye, sir!" came from her bag, making her smirk.

Between the pair of them and Gray, who scared off any strange looks sent their way, they made it through Magnolia, over a bridge that crossed across the canal, and down the street that led to the guildhall. Lucy grinned at the way normal people walked by their "home" without a second glance, even when they passed the wards around it and stepped inside.

"We're back," Natsu garbled out tiredly, and Happy sprang from Lucy's bag with a purr. Lucy grinned as Mirajane glanced over and gave a wave, smiling kindly.

"Hello, guys," she mused, eyeing Natsu before slipping back into the kitchen. Lisanna snickered at the look on Natsu's face and leaned on the bar, teasing, "Motion sickness, Natsu?"

"Shut up," he whined, clutching his stomach after crawling into a bar stool. He dropped his forehead to the bar and gave a groan, making Lucy roll her eyes in amusement and turn to look at Cana when the drunk wandered over. "Hey, Cana."

"Lucy, my girl," she slurred, already intoxicated. She slung an arm around Lucy's neck, leaning against her. "Ya gotta tell me. It's killin' me. How good. Is-" She hiccupped, bursting into giggles. Lucy sent a pleading look to the curious Gray, who shrugged and turned his attention on Juvia, asking what she thought she was doing by clinging desperately to his arm.

"Is your magic," Cana continued after a moment. "'Cause I wanna fight."

"Uh, how about no," Lucy told her, and then smiled brightly and called, "Hey, Lisanna, cut off her supply."

"Got it." Lisanna threw her a thumbs up and then turned to swipe at a stubborn spot on the bar.

"How about yes," Cana tried to demand, but Erza grabbed her around the shoulders and urged her away.

"Come on, Cana," she coaxed, "Let's go over here and get you some water…"

"Lu!" Lucy turned to nearly fall beneath Levy's excited grasp as she grabbed Lucy by the shoulders, shaking her lightly. "I have to talk to you!"

"Why?" Lucy squawked, and then let her pull her away from the bar. She didn't stop there, she pulled her right out of the guildhall, crossed the street, and Lucy scrambled to text Natsu that she'd be back before realizing she'd probably be back before he got the message.

"Where are we going?" Lucy wailed.

"Sh! I don't want Gajeel to know where I am."

"Okay?" Lucy lowered her voice. "Why?"

Levy peered suspiciously around them, as if expecting him to pop out of nowhere. Lowering her voice, Levy spoke, her dark eyes glittering nervously.

"Lu, I think Gajeel's hiding something from me, and the last time he did, look what happened with Phantom Lord...what should I do?"

Lucy blinked a few times, and then shook her head, smiling gently. "Ask him, Levy. You won't know unless you ask."

Levy groaned. "But I don't want him to think I don't trust him! I trust him entirely, but things like the work Master sometimes gives him worries me, and...seriously, it really should have been him in the S-Class exams, even if Master has given a somewhat special side offer for him…"

"Side offer? What side offer?"

Levy blushed. "Because of Gajeel's prior actions with spying, Phantom Lord, and knowing what he had to do for it, he offered to give Gajeel the second spot as a S-Class mage - but only if I make it, too, since we're going to partner up. Anyways, he started disappearing off at about ten the other day, at night, and I just...Lucy. What if it's for another of those kind of jobs? I don't like when he goes on them, and he knows it…"

Lucy bit her lip, not exactly happy that she'd been dragged into this situation. "I don't know, Levy," she said honestly. She gave her friend a faint smile. "Just ask him, alright? He'll tell you. Gajeel's...special in the head, but he's not that stupid. Okay?"

"I guess," Levy sighed, a small pout appearing on her face.

Lucy only smiled and not even twenty minutes later, when a rather pissed off iron mage yanked her back outside despite Natsu demanding he let her go, chasing after, wondered what the hell she'd done to earn such treatment.

* * *

 _They're back! Next chapter is where the Nalu truly starts. ;) Sorry about the later update, school started today. Ugh._

 _THAT NEW CHAPTER. AM I RIGHT. I'M SCREAMING._

 _To StardragonXX, who asked if I'm planning on ending on a certain chapter...absolutely nope. No idea when this is going to end. I've just started writing the nearing of the GMG._

 _To MirrorFlame...I don't think it's repetitive at all! I like to hear every single thing you guys have to think about my work, even if it's simple "Good job!". But thank you, I can understand. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (StardragonXX, OwlChaser113, The Age of Awesomeness, Uchida Akira, LePengwen, Dragondancer81, niyah606, Cinder Dragneel, Abdltf, FairyRains, RandomAnimeNerd, PinkFireandGoldenStars, sassykitten1701, MirrorFlame, NaLu and InuKag, and AngelEmCuti!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	123. Chapter 123

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

When she finally returned to the guildhall with Natsu close behind and Gajeel trailing behind both of them while grumbling about women, Lucy simply went to find Mirajane, sliding into a seat at the bar. Asuka was there with Alzack, chirping happily about her day while devouring some late lunch.

Lucy listened to their conversation with a giggle, amused. Apparently Bisca was helping someone with something, training someone to use a gun or something. Natsu wedged himself beside her, seating himself in the barstool beside her. "Hey, Luce-"

"Lucy!" Lisanna cried suddenly from behind the bar, "You want some of this special soup that Mira made?"

"Yes, please!" Lucy called back, licking her lips hungrily. She hadn't eaten anything for lunch after the mess that had been created over the persuasion mage - a man from the Council had come to pick her up, thanking them and apologizing for the inconvenience.

"Luce-" Natsu tried again, only to be interrupted this time by the master of the guild when he appeared behind them and called Lucy's name. She twisted to look at him, and he only smiled kindly at her as Erza came to stand behind him.

"I hear that you did extraordinarily well in the test that we had set up for you. Well, we didn't set it up of course, but you understand what I mean."

Lucy beamed, turning around completely and Natsu wanted to bellow out a blast of flame in frustration.

They were back from their job.

Couldn't he ask her out on a damn date without interruptions?! It was harder than it should have been anyways! And that was without all of the irritable interruptions.

Lucy flushed. "Thanks, Master. I do kind of wish you guys had told me beforehand though." She tucked some long hair behind her ear and then shot Natsu a brilliant grin that made him huff and look away.

Stupid Lucy and her smiles.

"It was necessary," he explained calmly. "I'm glad that you passed your test though. If you ever decide that you want to take a job on your own, let Mira know, and she'll clear you for it. Alright? Did you get that Mira?"

Mirajane, who was dishing out soup to Alzack, paused to give them a friendly grin. "Of course. Lucy can be cleared for jobs alone. Got it."

"Not that you'll be taking them alone very often," Erza teased softly, and Lucy snorted, shaking her head in amusement. Makarov smiled warmly at them, and then turned to Lisanna, who'd handed Lucy her soup and leaned over the bar to see if he wanted anything.

Impatient, Natsu hesitantly grabbed her arm as she leaned over to start eating her soup. "Lucy!" he huffed, deciding that if this got interrupted again, he'd throttle whoever did the interrupting.

"Hm?" she hummed, glancing over at him with her spoon in her mouth. She held her hair back with her free hand, and frowned, trying to eat and listen at the same time. Swallowing, she sat back. "What do you need?"

This was ridiculously hard.

But he managed to make himself ask carefully, "Uh, is your offer from the other day still good?"

Lucy paused, struggling to remember what he meant. And then realization struck her and she turned a bright red quickly shoving a spoonful of food into her mouth. He had to fight back a snicker when she coughed, burning her tongue. "Uh, yes," she wheezed. "Yeah. Still good."

Natsu took a deep breath and then asked hesitantly, "Then...tomorrow? For dinner?"

Lucy blinked, dark eyes startled as she looked at him, and then she smiled hesitantly. "I...sure. Tomorrow. For dinner. I'm fine with that. What time?"

He thought about it for a moment, noting what he'd have to do with Erza's suggestions and what he'd come up with himself, and then decided, "Uh, maybe five? Maybe half an hour later or before, I don't know. Depends on how long-" He cut off, not wanting to give away his plans, and then grinned hugely. "Just look decent. Not formal. Kay?"

"Semi-formal then. Should I dress up in my princess outfits?" she teased, resting her elbows on the bar. "I'm sure it'd be fun to walk around in those puffy freaks of nature…"

"Ooh, what's semi-formal?"

Lucy squawked and nearly tipped her soup when Mira appeared, chin propped on her open palms. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief, her eyes sparkling with eagerness as she smiled at them. "Tell me, Lucy, what's semi-formal?"

"Nothing," Lucy mumbled quickly and turned to her soup.

" _Natsu_ ," Mirajane sang as she turned on him, and sensing danger, Natsu wailed for Erza to save him before diving for the door. She skirted around the bar, clapping her hands. "Natsu, tell me, I want to know!"

Lucy downed the soup as quickly as she could, nearly scalding her throat in the process, and then hopped from the barstool. She threw herself from the bar, hiding behind Gray and Juvia at the opposite end of the guildhall, and Gray, recognizing her reason, ruffled her hair and told her, "It's safe back here."

"Oh, thank goodness," Lucy mumbled, sitting on the floor behind them. She rested her back against the wall. "Mira's being the devil."

"Always is," Gray muttered, watching as the silver-haired woman dragged Natsu back inside by his scarf, humming happily in her preparation to question him. Natsu screeched for help, but Lucy didn't dare risk her own safety by leaving her hiding spot.

Juvia stifled her laughter and then told Lucy with a smirk, "Gray asked Juvia to take a job with him so that we can practice for the S-Class exams! Juvia, not you, Lucy."

Lucy exchanged a look with Gray. "I see. Good luck, you two." She had her own challenge to get through in the upcoming days. She gently hugged her knees, waiting for Gray to give her the signal. "Who are you going to ask to be your partner, Gray?"

Gray wrinkled his nose. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that...one of the rules is that they have to be from Fairy Tail. The last time Loke was here, I heard that he got the emblem?"

"He _did_?" Lucy was shocked to hear this, eyes wide.

"Not sure, it's just what I heard." Gray shrugged lazily. "I figured maybe I could ask though. Might be fun to team up with him. Of course, I'm asking you if that's okay first, since you're the celestial mage. You wouldn't be able to summon him."

"If he actually did that, you can ask him, I guess, I don't mind." Lucy was stunned, shocked that Loke might have done such a thing. "He told me that Spirits usually stay out of guild affairs...then again. Look what he's done for us in the past…" She touched the golden key at her hip and all of them warmed. "I'll ask him for you tonight, when I get home."

"Okay," Gray said cheerfully. "How about you, Juvia? Who are you going to ask?"

Juvia was quiet for a few moments, thinking as she searched the crowd of mages around them, and then smiled brilliantly. "Juvia's going to ask Wendy. Wendy's young, but her magic would be helpful. And she's as strong as some of us."

"Hey, Wendy!" Gray shouted, waving to catch her attention. The girl skipped over, climbing into a chair across the table from them.

"Yes?" she asked, dark eyes curious. Lucy wiggled her fingers in greeting from where she was huddled, and she giggled before focusing on Gray.

"Juvia," Gray said simply, and the water mage flushed before shyly smiling at Wendy. "W-would Wendy mind teaming up with Juvia for the exams?"

Wendy's jaw dropped. "You want _me_? But-"

"Juvia thinks you're as strong as most of us adults," Gray cut in, doubting that Juvia would be able to get her words out straight when he began to tug at his shirt collar. She was eyeing him now, eager to see if his shirt would come off. "She said that she'd be honored if you teamed up with her."

Wendy gave a huge smile as she looked at Juvia. "I'd love to, Juvia," she said, smiling hugely at the water mage, and Juvia returned the smile with a flush on her cheeks.

"So," Gray said, changing the subject as he looked over his shoulder at Lucy. "Why are you hiding from Mira?"

Lucy cleared her throat awkwardly, cheeks a brilliant red as she mumbled back, "Um, N-Natsu and I are g-going on a date tomorrow evening, and she, err, overheard me say "semi-formal" so she's, uh, probably dragging that information out of Natsu."

Gray gawked at her for a moment as Wendy turned red. Juvia merely gasped and then clapped her hands together in excitement. "Oh, Juvia is glad! That means Juvia doesn't have to worry about you going after Gray anymore! Congratulations, Lucy!"

Gray rolled his eyes and then grumbled, "Can't believe that bastard landed himself a girlfriend."

Lucy cleared her throat quietly. "Uh, we're not...completely sure how it's g-going to turn out, Gray. I w-wouldn't say that much yet."

Wendy snorted softly, catching all of their attention. There was a kind look on her face as she fixed a long piece of blue hair. "Lucy," she said softly, "Our parents drilled into our head that you don't choose partners and respective others randomly. We think a lot before we make big decisions. It took Gajeel nearly two years of running in circles before Levy finally just dragged him off on a date she made up on the spot." She hummed happily, kicking her legs. "If this doesn't work, then I don't know what will for either of you."

"What she said," Gray grunted, reaching back to playfully ruffle her hair. She swatted his hand away and he told her, "Seriously though, Lucy. If Natsu ever pisses you off or says something that upsets you...you let me know, okay? I'll kick his ass."

Lucy found a small smile crossing across her face. "Thanks Gray."

He only winked. "No problem, Lucy."

* * *

It wasn't long before Lucy was finally told it was safe and she edged out of hiding, feeling a flash of sympathy when she saw a pouting Natsu at the bar. Feeling guilty and keeping an eye out for Mirajane, she edged over and then said faintly, "Natsu, I'm heading out for the night...you going to live?"

He shot her a mock glare. "I guess. No thanks to your help."

Lucy grinned in response, amused with his wordy attitude. "I'll make it up for you." Somehow. If he'd let her. Bidding him farewell and promising that she'd seem him the next day while not being at all entirely sure on when, she slid out of the guildhall, keeping a sharp eye out for any sign of danger.

When she came across none, she relaxed, and hurried along the canal to get home, already nervous for her upcoming date the next day.

* * *

Loke could hear the rumbling under the breath of the voice in his ears.

 _...him...soon...dangerous for them all...too soon, much too soon…_

"Look. I get it," he cut in irritably, "But you know as well as I do that they'll be fine. The worst that'll happen is that they're killed. Right? That might even be better than-"

 _Are you saying it's better if they're dead? Go kill them yourself then!_

"I'm not saying that they're better off dead," Loke groaned. He eyed the childish Spirits that ran past him, calling hysterically for Scorpio to save them as Aquarius came seething after them, barking about something that they'd done. Her voice was high and angry, and he waited until she was gone to continue. "I'm saying it's better than other possibilities. There's a difference there."

 _Not the point. I don't want him dead._

"You won't want her dead either when you meet Lucy," Loke mused, resting his elbow on his knee and his chin in his open palm. His shaded eyes were dark. "I refuse to let her die. She's already got a place among the stars."

 _The Spirit King agreed?_

"He felt that we owe her after all of her hard work and suffering. Some of it hasn't even come and gone yet."

 _That is a huge honor to bestow upon someone who has yet to do anything grander than Urano Metria._

"She's getting there. She can summon two of us now, thank you very much." Loke curled a lip angrily. "She's saved Natsu's life. Hasn't she? Look what she did with Oracion Seis! And when Jellal was some freak of nature fucking around with etherion!"

 _I suppose she deserves credit where credit is due. If she proves herself soon enough, perhaps she can be taught the magic of summoning a Spirit without the key, or even Star Dress. No one has mastered such spells since Anna Heartfilia herself._

Loke remembered Anna. She'd been similar to her descendant, in both looks and attitude. And in her regards to taking care of her Spirits. Of course, in a way, there were other ways they were similar, but he didn't want to dwell on her death.

Because that meant dwelling on a lot more.

Glum now, Loke closed his eyes.

"Yeah. I think she'll be strong enough to handle it."

Not even _he_ knew of what the stars knew about Lucy Heartfilia.

* * *

 _And the date is officially happening! After the date, things slowly will start picking up again. ;) Can't wait for you to see what I've done to Tenrou._

 _There was a lot of confusion about Gajeel in the last part of last chapter. He dragged Lucy out to talk, and their conversation will be a little more revealed after Tenrou is over. :3_

 _To sadmythic, who asked about adding in the moment where Asuka is threatened to force Lucy to fail against Flare...I'm not sure just yet. What I'm planning in regards to the GMG changes things up BIG TIME. In fact, I don't know if I'll include Raven Tail at all._

 _To MirrorFlame... I don't mind at all. ^_^_

 _Thanks to reviewers (StardragonXX, TaylorNReed, sadmythic, thebooknerdgeek, Guest #1, AngelEmCuti, FairyDemonDust, Typhlosion8, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Abdltf, guest, Tiger Arrowgirl, fluffyshygirl11, LePengwen, FireDragonPhia, MirrorFlame, The Age of Awesomeness, fandomania2000, MimiQueen, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, FullmetalPyromaniac, quite-a-riot, OOANDISAOO, Guest #2, NaLu and InuKag, the 0bservanc3, AnimeTookMySoul, and Enicuna!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	124. Chapter 124

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

 _June 19th, X773_

 _News reached Bosco again. In the form of Igneel, who actually came to visit for the first time in a long time. But the news isn't so bad this time! Mavis and the men who found her formed a guild of mages - one of the first - and the Magic Council of Fiore has agreed to count them as a legal guild. Can you believe it?_

 _Aquarius made Lucy cry the other day by calling her a worthless child. She apologized for the first time since I've had a contract with her. Isn't that strange. She felt genuinely bad for doing it and told Lucy that if she behaved, perhaps she'd bring back a gift for her. When I told Igneel, he laughed and admitted that he calls his adopted son names all the time._

 _I have yet to meet this child. This Natsu. He captures so much of my attention now. When I think of Igneel, I think of the child that is with him. The faceless Natsu. Igneel won't let anyone see him for some reason - not even Grandeeney, he told me. I wonder why?_

 _Jude's stricter again. We're not to leave the Estate anymore. I had to sneak out to meet with Igneel, and he agrees with me._

 _Perhaps it's better to take Lucy away?_

 _~Layla_

Lucy gave a wry smile, running her fingers over her mother's careful script. She was grateful that her mother hadn't, she decided, glancing at the time. If Layla had taken her daughter from the Estate, Lucy wouldn't have had any reason to run away, and probably wouldn't have been able to nearly hit Natsu with a car.

Thinking of Natsu had her scrambling out of bed, her heart thudding wildly.

She needed to get ready. It was nearly three, and she had no idea what she was going to wear!

He'd said semi-formal, but that still left her with a lot of choices. She studied the closet, and then snatched up her phone, pleading over text to Levy.

 _Help! What clothes? So many to choose from!_

Levy's response came a second later.

 _On my way. Glad I didn't get too close to the wards. Would have never gotten your text. See ya in ten, Lucy!_

"Oh, thank the stars!" Lucy moaned, and then planted her hands on her hips, eyeing the diary that rested on her bed. Maybe she could get one more passage in before Levy arrived? She darted over and plucked it up, throwing herself onto the bed. She paused, however, and then frowned at the diary.

"Wait a second...wasn't Fairy Tail founded long ago enough that Master was decently young when he took over? And he's the third guildmaster, too, Mira said, after Master Precht…" She said this aloud, puzzled, and then shrugged and pushed on.

Next time she saw Mavis...she'd ask.

She skimmed through nearly a quarter of the diary before finding another entry she wanted to read.

 _December 25th, X773_

 _Merry Christmas!_

 _Lucy made some cute little gloves for me with the Aries help...I didn't even realize that she'd been out and about! Perhaps my magic's weakened? I'm not sure...things have been strange recently, so muddled, so confusing…_

 _Jude reluctantly lessened his curfew, and I'm allowed to take Lucy to the gardens again! I haven't seen Igneel since our last meeting, but I know he's in the nearby mountains that border Fiore. People have complained of the lack of a white Christmas, you see? It's quite funny to hear about._

 _Leo prepared a gift for me as well! He gave me a locket, with a piece of a star in it. If I open it, he says that the star will bind with my soul and allow me to join the stars themselves. He says it's only to be used in an emergency, if there's nothing else but death, because the Celestial Realm drives humans insane. It hurts them to be there, although he mentioned that the clothes that are made there help fend off the effects. And if you wield the Spirit King's protection, it's supposed to help, too!_

 _Maybe...someday, I wish to see the stars as they truly are. I wish to join the stars when I die, but humans don't just become Spirits, do they?_

 _Besides, I have my own little star: Lucy. I couldn't just leave her._

 _Still not certain about my choice. It frightens me; I've never had a job or anything similar. If we were to leave and get to Fiore, how could I make a living for Lucy and I?_

 _~Layla_

Lucy set the book aside as a knock on the door came and hurried to answer it. When she opened it, Levy was there, her dark eyes amused. "You said it was semi-formal?"

" _Mira_ ," Lucy groaned, not doubting that _everyone_ knew.

Levy laughed and admitted, "Well, not entirely. I hope you know that the guild was betting on how long it would take. You, my friend, got me a good ten thousand jewels." She slid inside the apartment and Lucy kicked the door shut behind her. The solid-script mage checked her phone, and then tossed it onto the bed. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the diary.

"Lucy, what-"

"Mother's diary," she muttered, grabbing it before Levy's eager fingers could touch it. "I need to send it back...Loke's been keeping an eye on it for me. He and Virgo." She smiled, and then summoned Virgo with a slash of her key.

While Lucy handed it over, Levy began to dig furiously through the closet, tossing a few things out for Lucy to try on. She was disappointed by the lack of clothes - Lucy was a _princess_ , why the hell did she only own jeans and sweatpants? After searching and Lucy had sent her Spirit back, she turned and held up a nicer shirt. "It's cooler out today, so this? A elbow-length with a scarf...where's that blue one you have?"

"Somewhere in the mess you've made?" Lucy said drily, kicking clothes around, and then took Levy's suggestion and yanked it on after shedding her shirt. "What do you think?" she muttered as she picked up a pair of jeans. "Good?"

"I like them," Levy agreed with a nod. She went back to searching for the scarf as Lucy hurried to tug them over her hips, glancing at her when she cleared her throat. "Have you, erm, found anything else of interest in her diary?"

Lucy gave a wry grin as she picked up a few shirts, slinging them over her shoulder to put away. "Nothing much. Mother met Mavis. She was buddies with Igneel, knew of Natsu but never met him...the likes."

"Mm," Levy hummed, then triumphantly held up a blue scarf. "Here! This sets off your hair and makes your eyes even warmer than they already are. Go get some minor makeup on - you don't need much, it's Natsu for one, and you're pretty enough without it. I'll find some earrings -"

"I want to wear the gold hoops," she told her blue-haired friend. "Get those out. And see if you can find my flip flops would you, Levy?"

"Sure." Levy went to do just that only to stop and squeal in shock when Loke's voice mused, "Too late to help?"

"Loke!" Lucy scolded, "You told me earlier that you weren't going to be allowed to show up on your own as much!"

He only winked before telling her, "I have a gift from your Spirits, and the Spirit King sent something with me." He handed her a box that was wrapped in wrapping paper that seemed to shimmer, the stars on it shining in the light, and a letter that rested on top, sealed with an official looking red seal. "We know about your date, so if you wanna open our gift before looking into the letter-"

Lucy didn't have to be asked twice. She tore into the paper, eagerly removing the top of the box - and then stared at the pins inside. They were laid out on velvet, each gold and gleaming. Below the gold was silver. Nearly twelve hairpins and all were there, each tipped with a symbol of the zodiac in regards to the golden. The silver were tipped with a simple version of Plue's head, a lyre, and a cross.

"These are gorgeous," she whispered.

"Beautiful," Levy agreed, in awe. "How did you get these, Loke? They look brand new…"

Loke grinned, reaching over to snatch up the pin that held his own symbol, a circle with a line that curved above and to the right of it. With surprisingly deft fingers, he fixed Lucy's hair after pushing the unopened letter into Levy's hands to hold. He spun it into a loose bun, explaining how to use the pins as he pushed it into place.

"I didn't know you could do hair," she muttered, confused.

"Cancer showed me when I was bored earlier today," he said with a shrug. He grabbed a second one - Aquarius'. "You can wear more than one at once. Two is best." He pushed it into her hair as well, using it as a support to hold up what his own symbol couldn't.

"Thanks," Loke," Lucy said softly, smiling at him.

"Heard you had a date," he said simply. "Wasn't hard to figure out who with...since you won't listen to me, at least tell me you'll be careful? I'll kick his ass if he makes you cry again." This came out as a warning, and Levy mused aloud after that.

"You'll have to get in line for that. I'm sure Mira will have his corpse ready for you before you even appear."

"Good. Mira's terrifying when she wants to be." He knew that purely on what he'd heard about Mirajane Strauss, and had no issue with the idea if she wanted to deal with issues first. "Now. Read your letter, Lucy, or your friend's going to read it for you."

Levy blushed. "I'm curious," she admitted, exchanging the letter for the box and setting it down so that she could peer over Lucy's shoulder - only to scowl when she was too short to do so. Lucy laughed and moved aside so that Levy could see, too.

Loke watched their expressions closely as Lucy's eyes scanned the page, and then grinned when her jaw dropped in shock. She sputtered furiously as Levy clapped excitedly. "W-wait, the Spirit King wants to actually meet with me?"

"And your team," Levy pointed out, tapping the paper. "In two months' time. Not before, though, because you have exams to get through first. As do I...but congrats, Lucy! This must be a huge deal!"

Loke gave a dry smile. "The last human the Spirit King met with has been dead for going on eight years in your world, so I suppose it is quite a big deal for you...Layla got to see him once before her death. He was fond of her, and he's even more fond of you, Lucy.'

Lucy glanced to him with frightful eyes. "That's a good thing, right?" she demanded. "That means he likes me? because sometimes, fond doesn't mean liking, he could just like my magic abilities or whatever-"

"He likes all of you, Lucy," Loke chuckled. "Otherwise he wouldn't include your team in the message. As far as he knows, your team consists of Natsu, Erza, Gray, Happy, and possibly Wendy and Charle, so feel free to invite them along. Sorry, Levy."

"No worries," she said cheerfully, "Lucy can tell me about it afterwards."

"Summon me or Virgo when the time comes. Our Realm is still dangerous for you, so you'll be taken to a special part of it that's closer to yours. And you'll be dressed in special clothing that Virgo and Aries probably designed. You'll only be allowed to remain for somewhere close to an hour before we have to bring you back, as that'll have been like a week or two in your own time. Time works differently as you know, so Makarov will need to be alerted."

"We can do that. Thanks, Loke," Lucy mused, and then thoughtfully asked, "Before you go...Gray heard that you got the Fairy Tail emblem?"

Loke grinned, reaching behind him to touch a spot on his back. "I did. Had Mira do it when you weren't looking. I figured it might be fun to be considered a part of a mage's guild. Not that I can do much, but Makarov said it was alright. Why was Gray asking?"

"S-Class exams are coming up," Lucy explained, "Natsu wanted to team up with me, and apparently, Gray figured that you'd be a smart person to ask to team up with. You don't have to, but he wanted to know."

Loke grinned broadly. "Tell him I'm up for it. I don't mind helping him out. Our contract will be temporarily disabled for that time unless it's an emergency, but I'm fine with it. Tell him we can meet up and discuss strategies whenever he has time. And you, too, since my key will be on you…"

"I'll tell him tomorrow," Lucy promised, and then smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, Loke. For all of this."

"No problem, Princess," he teased, giving her a wink. And then he disappeared in a flash of light, and Levy was grabbing her arm, grinning.

"Come on, Lucy, you have a date to get ready for!"

* * *

 _The stars do seem to adore Lucy, do they not? Poor Natsu's at a disadvantage. Next chapter is the date, guys! See you on Thursday! ;)_

 _On another note, I'm trying to write a hell of a lot more so I can start updating three times a week again._

 _To Alexia Colette, who asked about writing a book/wattpad... I have, actually. I have an idea in my head that I've been considering for a while now that includes a girl by the name of Lark, a dragon named Ster'ka, a random merchant named Kamil, and a goddess named Artemis, though she won't be a moon goddess. As for wattpad, I actually have an account, but I've never used it. Is that a good place to start?_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Uchida Akira, Alexia Colette, TaylorNReed, Dragondancer81, The Age of Awesomeness, MirrorFlame, Guest #1, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Kauia, quite-a-riot, LePengwen, FireDragonPhia, AngelEmCuti, Abdltf, PinkBookaholic, NaLu and InuKag, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Sydneste, J Luc Pitard, ashcator2002, Nicolenya, Knightwalker, RandomAnimeNerd, and FairyRains!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	125. Chapter 125

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

She was absolutely terrified when the clock told her it was half-past five. She was perched carefully at the dining table, her laptop in front of her as she typed away, getting some writing done before Natsu showed up for their date. She was trying to distract herself until he showed up, but the butterflies fluttering away in her stomach told her that she wasn't doing a good job at it.

Finally giving up, Lucy checked her phone, and then shoved it into her purse, thoughtfully climbing to her feet. Maybe she'd run by his place and check on him? He'd texted her to wait for him, but she wasn't sure on how long it took him to get ready for something…

Shouldering her purse and checking her appearance nervously for the final time, Lucy headed for the door. Her scarf tickled her chin, and she touched the choker that had somehow shortened itself into a tight bracelet that hugged her wrist. A slight smile crossed her face at the heat that came off of it. She loved the necklace.

Clearing her throat, Lucy opened her door - and stopped dead in her tracks, her lips parting in surprise.

Natsu stood there, gawking at her like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. He'd dressed decently, in a simple black T-shirt and what looked like new jeans. His scarf was naturally wrapped around his neck - Lucy hadn't expected it to be taken off, and only smiled affectionately at it. In his hand was, much to her surprise, was a bouquet of flowers.

He shoved them at her, cheeks turning red. "Here. Erza said you'd like them. She helped me pick them out."

Lucy barely nabbed them before they fell to the ground and studied them in surprise.

Daisies, lilacs, pink tulips, forget-me-nots, pink roses, and sunflowers made it up, and Lucy decided that she'd have to look up the meanings of each because of the care of which they'd been picked. Natsu had worked hard to choose them - with Erza's help, of course. She was surprised that he'd gone to her for assistance; it was rare he did such things.

Smiling, Lucy waved him inside. "Thank you, Natsu, they're beautiful. Let me go put them in a vase, and then we'll head out. Sound good?"

He scuffed his foot on the ground, embarrassed. "Yeah."

Natsu waited patiently as she did that, relieved that she'd liked them. Erza had explained the meaning behind each flower to him, admitting that she was fond of flowers in the process. She'd told him what wasn't a good idea, and together, they'd sorted through a florist's shop all afternoon.

It had been an expensive endeavor, but he hadn't minded paying the money.

It was for Lucy after all.

When Lucy came back, it was with a small flourish. A glint of gold crossed his vision, and he noticed the new additions to her outfit immediately. "Where'd you get those?" he questioned curiously, reaching out to lightly touch one of the pins in her hair.

Lucy grinned. "Loke stopped by while Levy was around and gave them to me as a present. And I got some cool news from the Celestial Realm that I'll tell you about on our way to wherever we're going." She arched an eyebrow as they left her apartment, and she locked the door behind them before focusing on him.

He flushed again, nervous. "Uh, I thought that it'd be cool to go to the Rozlyn Cafe. Since that's where you, uh, ya know. First learned about us and stuff." He was quick to add hastily, "We can go somewhere else if you want-"

"No," Lucy said firmly. She smiled brightly at him. "Natsu. I'm not going to freak out over something. Believe me. Just drag me along for whatever you have planned and we'll have fun, okay?"

He took a deep breath. "Got it," he replied, and then gave her a huge grin, showing off his canines as he tugged his scarf away from his mouth. "Sorry. Never been on a date."

"Well, I haven't either, so it works out."

The two set off for the Rozlyn Cafe, and Natsu shoved his hands into his pockets as he questioned, "You said that you'd gotten some kind of cool word from the Celestial Realm?"

Lucy clapped her hands together in excitement and beamed. "Right! After the S-Class exams, the Spirit King invited our team to the Celestial Realm to meet with him." Her eyes glowed in an eagerness that made him snicker. "Us, Happy, Erza, Gray, Wendy, even Charle! We get to meet the one who runs the Celestial Realm, Natsu! The last human to do that was my mother, eight years ago!"

He snorted at her excited words and the way people stared awkwardly at her. Ignoring them, Natsu grinned. "That's great! I can't wait to tell Igneel when we find him. He'll be impressed. He and the Spirit King hated each other, but he knows that it's a big deal for something like that."

Lucy paused, curious. "How do you know that they hated each other?"

"He talked about it once or twice." Natsu shrugged. "Said that he was in trouble with the Spirits. Never said much else. He told me to stop asking, so I stopped asking."

Lucy tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Interesting… We won't bring it up with him though. And you can't ask where Igneel might be if that's the case, okay? We don't want to upset the Spirit King."

He puffed out a small flame and she smacked his arm for it when a child across the street gasped. "Sorry," he grumbled, though he didn't look it as he ushered the young blonde mage inside the Rozlyn Cafe upon reaching it. They picked a spot quickly; a rather nicely isolated spot, near the windows, so they could see everything that happened outside. Lucy frowned suddenly, a thought crossing her mind.

"Did we ever figure out how Magnolia was fixed up like it was?" she asked.

Natsu contemplated that for a few moments before shaking his head. "I dunno. Place had a weird feeling to it according to Wendy. Said there was a strange taste in the air. I didn't feel anything by the time we got back though, so it can't be a big deal."

Lucy pressed her lips together. "I feel like we're missing something about that," she admitted, and then sat back when a waiter came over, grinning as he greeted them.

Natsu's eyes were sharp when the man smiled a little too brightly at Lucy. Scowling at him, he grumpily ordered his drink, and then swallowed the smoke in his mouth before it left, making him choke and cough.

Lucy looked at him questioningly as the waiter finally left. "You okay?"

"Swallowed some smoke," he mumbled, wheezing out a strange cough. Once his throat was cleared, Natsu popped his back and then settled down comfortably.

"So. Anything new with the Celestial Realm outside of going to visit the Spirit King?"

Lucy grinned and rested her elbows on the table, leaning forward.

"Let tell you what Virgo told me the other day…"

* * *

Dinner went by smoothly, and Natsu was sure that he'd make Erza proud after telling Lucy that he'd pay. Mostly because he knew that Erza had specifically told him to do so.

When that was done and over with, he checked the time and then grabbed Lucy's wrist and dragged her down the street, ignoring her protests.

"Natsu," she huffed. "Stop! Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he told her patiently. "Wait a moment."

He glanced at his phone as he hauled her forward, and grinned at the confirmation text he'd received from Mirajane. Happy was with Wendy and would remain with her until the next day, when Natsu came to get him. His cheeks turned a bit red at the added comment at the bottom of the message, and he hurried to shove it into his pocket.

When they reached the outskirts of Magnolia, Lucy stopped demanding that they go and get her car and asked, "...are we going to your place?"

"Sort of," he admitted. He flashed her a quick grin. "There's a clearing a hundred feet or so behind my house. I thought that since you're a celestial mage and my partner, ya might as well teach me about the stupid constellations."

Despite his gruff wording, Lucy beamed.

Her excitement shone through, and she giggled, "I'll start with Loke's! That's what I started with! And then we'll do Aquarius, though she'll be mad because she wasn't first...Aries because Aries actually likes you, and then Virgo, because she does, too…"

Natsu listened to Lucy ramble happily about her friends in the other realm, and snickered under his breath, amused with her excitement. He loosened his grip on her wrist, and changed it so that he was simply leading her by the hand, his own tangled with hers.

It took them awhile, but eventually, they reached Natsu's house. He stopped her outside so that he could grab a blanket that they could relax on, and then came back out, leading her around his home and towards the trees.

"Here," he told her when he realized how dark it was. He shoved the thick blanket into her arms, and then held out his hand so that a flame appeared in his palm, lighting their way.

"Look," Lucy cooed, "You're like this cute little match-"

"If you call me what I think you were going to call me," he growled, threatening, "I"ll throw you to Mira tomorrow morning."

Lucy smartly snapped her mouth shut, though she cackled under her breath. "I can do the same to you," she reminded cheerfully, making him grimace.

They headed into the trees, and Lucy found herself keeping close to natsu. Despite the spring having arrived, it was still rather chilly in the evenings.

She couldn't wait for the heat of summer.

Thoughtful, she suggested, "Natsu, if this clearing is big enough, maybe we could go and train some time soon? I want to practice some of my stuff. I need to get better with my whip and increase my stamina with two Spirits if we're going to be up against people like Levy and Gajeel, or Loke and Gray-"

Natsu blanched. " _What_?! Gray's teaming up with Loke?!"

Lucy snickered. "Yep. Gray asked me, and then I passed the message onto Loke and he agreed. Loke apparently got the emblem not too long ago, so technically, it's allowed. Our contract will be made void during the time of the exams unless it's an emergency, but…"

"Ugh," Natsu moaned, "I hate them both, they're gonna be a pain in the ass."

Lucy smacked his shoulder. "Leave them be, I thought it was a really smart combination, thank you. Juvia and Wendy are teamed up. I heard that Freed requested that Bickslow team up with _him_ , so...everyone's got their team."

Natsu wrinkled his nose. "I can't wait to beat them all to hell and back." He flashed the blonde an excited smile. "We're definitely going to win, Luce!"

"I hope so," she giggled, amused, and then stopped when they reached what she was certain was the clearing he'd talked about. She studied it curiously for a few moments. "This is beautiful," she murmured. "I bet it's even better when it's the middle of summer…"

"It's great," Natsu agreed, leading her towards the center of the clearing. He doused his flame there, snatching the blanket from her and spreading it over the still somewhat yellow grass. Ignoring the crackling of it beneath his feet, he kicked his shoes off, adjusted his scarf, and then fell backwards onto the blanket, grinning up at Lucy.

She rolled her eyes, removed her own shoes, and then removed her pins from her hair so that she wouldn't hurt her head when lying beside him. She placed them safely in her purse, and then inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh scents of the night.

When she'd settled beside him, they took a moment to enjoy silence.

And then Lucy pointed to the sky. "There's Loke…"

* * *

 _The date finally happened! Yay! Throw confetti or something, because they're gonna be busy little people for a while! I find it hilarious how many people were terrified for the date, by the way. You guys worry too much. XD Not that I help with that, I'm sure...BTL is just full of fun twists. Just ask my editor, who was witness to a sudden cruel thing I did._

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, Guest #1, MirrorFlame, Alexia Colette, 808Lionfire, NaluNom, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, niyah606, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Uchida Akira, AngelEmCuti, RandomAnimeNerd, The Age of Awesomeness, PinkBookaholic, NaLu and InuKag, quite-a-riot, and TaylorNReed!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	126. Chapter 126

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"So, how was your date?"

Lucy paused in drinking her cup of hot tea to glance at the smirking Mirajane, her eyes flashing with fear, and Mirajane only laughed before reassuring gently, "I won't mess with you, I promise. I just want to know if it went well."

Lucy relaxed and set her teacup down as Mira leaned on the counter behind the bar, eyes sparkling eagerly. "Uh, I guess it was nice. Natsu brought me flowers when he picked me up, and then there was dinner at the Rozlyn Cafe. After that we went and stargazed because he thought I should teach him the constellations that I know. It was a lot of fun and he was pretty determined to do everything the way he thought I liked it." Lucy's eyes softened. "It was fun."

"Good." Mirajane beamed, snatching her empty teacup up. "I'm glad. Are you guys going to go out again?"

"Maybe after the exams." Lucy blushed. "We have to train a lot first. I feel like I'm at a disadvantage even though he says I'm not, so. We're going to go train today."

"Good. I hope you two win," Mirajane mused. "I say that to everyone, of course, but I think he deserves it after everything he's done. Personally, Erza and I both think that he's done enough to prove that he's S-Class, as well as Gray and a few others, but we have to do the formal business."

"Right," Lucy agreed with a smile. "And I agree. Natsu doesn't mind either, I think, he just wants to fight everyone. He's hoping he gets put up against Gildarts, to be perfectly honest. I hope not, because I doubt we'd win against him."

Mirajane snorted. "No one can win against Gildarts. The other S-Class mages and I included. We think he has a different plan, though he refuses to say what it is. I better get back to work," she added when Lisanna called her name. "So excuse me, Lucy, have fun training!"

Lucy waved and then hopped to her feet, touching her keys. They warmed beneath her fingers and she gave a slight smile.

She'd read more of her mother's diary when she'd woken up and had discovered something a little concerning.

It appeared that Igneel had asked something of Layla, though the diary hadn't stated what. The Spirits were entirely against the idea, refusing to allow her to agree - particularly Leo. Loke had been entirely against it according to what had been written. Lucy had asked him about it when she'd handed the diary back to him, but he'd said nothing, only smiled grimly and returned to his own Realm.

Lucy thought about this as she headed for the doors of the guildhall.

Suddenly, she was stopped by Levy's voice.

"Lu!"

Lucy glanced up, looking back towards the blue-haired woman. Levy beamed at her as she rushed over, an amused Pantherlily held in her arms and Gajeel striding behind her with large steps that she had trouble keeping up with when he caught up. "Yeah?"

Levy grinned. "Gajeel thought of something. Would you and Natsu like to spar with us? We have a spot out in the forest we've been using - it's a good four hour hike from town, but…."

Lucy blinked in surprise, and then grinned. "I'm sure Natsu wouldn't mind at all. I'll text him once I'm outside the wards...want to head over to my place with me? I'll tell him to meet us there, and then we can get some things we might need, like lunch or whatever."

"Sounds good. Right?" Levy glanced to Gajeel, who grunted in response and merely slammed a fist into his palm.

"Can't wait to beat that sucker's head in."

"We're training," Lucy reminded with a laugh. "Not fighting." She pulled her phone out as they left the building and the wards, quickly texting Natsu. She paused when she thought smelled smoke on the air, then shrugged and ignored it.

 _Hey! Levy wants to know if we could train with she and Gajeel today? They have a place out in the forest we'd be using. Work for you?_

She sent the message, and then flushed as Levy asked about her date. "I don't know why you're all so fascinated with my love life," she grumbled.

"If you think this is bad," Levy told her, "You should have seen when Gajeel and I started dating. It was terrifying. Mirajane was constantly after us, making sure that Gajeel was doing everything right, the likes."

"It is nicer than that," Lucy admitted, "But Erza helped him out a lot, so I'm sure that helped our situation stay out of Mira's control…" She trailed off when her phone indicated a text message, and checked it.

She paused when instead of Natsu, she realized she'd received a message from Gray.

 _And if you look to the north, you'll see a wild Natsu lighting the entire goddamn forest on fire…AGAIN._

Lucy's head snapped around, following Gray's instructions, and she groaned. Indeed, smoke was rising into the air, and even from where they stood, she could see the bright orange flames that licked at the trees.

"What the hell did Salamander do?" Gajeel questioned, following her gaze.

Lucy pressed a hand over her eyes in frustration, and then looked at her phone again when it made a sound.

 _Yeah. Sounds good. What time? Trying to fix something real fast though, so don't expect me back for another few hours._

She replied.

 _Really. Fixing something, are we? Care to explain the fire in the forest I'm currently looking at?_

Levy snorted, reading over her shoulder with a curious look when the response came.

 _Not me! Campers. Mayor called Gramps and he sent me out with Juvia. My flames are darker._

"I'll give him that," Lucy admitted with a slight smile as she glanced towards the flames again. "The flames are darker when he's the one who created them. They have little flecks of black, you know?"

"No. Not really, but that's kind of cool." Levy flashed her a grin. "Tell him we'll just hang out at your place until he's done. Although he might be too full to do anything. You'll have to roll him to the training spot!" She laughed and Lucy rolled her eyes, amused.

"Tch," Gajeel muttered, taking Lily from Levy with a thoughtful look. "Bastard probably wouldn't care so long as he was fed."

"He's not lying," Levy mused.

Lucy grinned and simply texted her friend, watching as a whole area of fire suddenly disappeared.

 _Alright. Be careful. We'll be at my place, okay? Tell Juvia I say hi._

She tucked her phone away and then winked at Levy with a playful look. "How do you and Gajeel feel about Uno?"

* * *

"Uno!"

"Fuck!"

"Language, Gajeel," Levy told her boyfriend with a laugh when Lucy wiggled her eyebrows and he glared at her. She placed her own card down and Gajeel stared outright at Lucy, studying the way she snickered before cautiously placing his own.

Lucy smacked down her final card and cried, "I win!"

"This is rigged," Gajeel snapped, throwing the remainder of his cards down. "Ain't no way you've somehow won six games straight."

"I won once," Levy reminded him. "You're just bad at card games. Remember the poker incident?"

"You swore not to bring that up, Shrimp," Gajeel warned, and she only laughed again before shrieking when he lunged at her. Lucy watched with a smile on her face as he pinned her to the ground with ease and playfully tickled her sides. "Apologize!"

"Never!" Levy screeched, kicking at him, but her attacks had no effect on the man who could literally turn himself into iron if angry enough.

Lucy scooped up the cards, picking up and glancing at her clock. It had been three hours of playing Uno with them, and she was concerned. She'd sent him a text only minutes before, and was expecting a response soon, but hadn't gotten one quite yet. She put the cards away, and then stood, brushing herself off.

Suddenly, Lucy's phone went off. The blonde snatched it up and inspected it, blinking in surprise when she didn't recognize the phone number. Answering the call, she tucked the phone between her cheek and shoulder, glancing at her friends as she made another cup of tea. "Hello?"

A shaky voice met her ears.

"Lu-" it said, "Ya… -ough?"

"What?" She frowned, swearing that the voice was familiar yet not able to place it. "Sorry, who is this?" Gajeel paused to glance back, watching cautiously as he realized that Lucy was dealing with something odd.

"...that...no. ...hear...?"

"What?" Lucy made a sound of frustration. "What are you _talking_ about? Maybe you should call a hospital or something if you're in trouble-"

"No hospitals...you remem -"

Lucy's throat felt thick with cotton as she demanded, "Look, this isn't funny. You're the one who called talking about Zeref a while back, right? Don't call again. Or I'm sending in Natsu, because he doesn't appreciate it either." She hung up with a scowl on her face, and Levy and Gajeel peered at her, sitting up.

"Lu? What happened?" Levy studied her curiously.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Some jerk thought it'd be funny to prank call again, that's all." She glared at the phone in her hand. "Stupid people...I might get my number changed, just to make sure…"

"You do that," Levy said seriously, her eyes flashing with concern. "We'll look into it, if you want. Just to make sure it's nothing weird or serious."

"It's fine," she sighed, and then glanced down when it rang again. This time, Natsu's name flashed across the screen, and she beamed and answered it. "Natsu! Where are you?"

He sounded exhausted as he replied, "Coming. I'm gonna need a nap and some lunch before we do anything. Is that okay?"

"S'fine," Gajeel said, overhearing. Lucy stared at him; if he'd heard that, then he must have heard the conversation she'd had with the strange person on the phone…?

The look in his crimson eyes told her he had.

"Yeah," Lucy said, clearing her throat. "Yeah, that's fine. We can play some more Uno, I guess."

"Oh, _hell_ no," Gajeel retorted, making Levy smirk and laugh again.

"Monopoly then," Lucy told them, and then leaned back, thoughtful.

"...what happened?" Natsu sounded wary now, and Lucy gave a dry smile, amused with him. How easily he could pick up on her unease. "Lucy?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, calm 're at my place hanging out, and I got a weird call again, that's all. I dealt with it. And don't start panicking," she warned when she heard a growl come over the line. "Gajeel and Levy are here, remember? Gajeel heard every word, I'm pretty sure, and he can tell you it's not all that concerning."

"Doubt it," Gajeel muttered, and she glared at him, irritated with his lack of cooperation.

"We'll get your number changed," Natsu decided, and then reassured her that he'd be there soon before hanging up.

Lucy glared again when Gajeel gave a devilish grin. " _We'll_ get your number changed, eh? Officially dating, are we?"

"Levy!" Lucy wailed, and the bookworm decided against helping her, instead smirking as she teased, "I can't wait to tell Mira…"

"You wouldn't dare!"

Levy glanced over and wiggled her eyebrows at her. "Maybe I would, Lu. I mean, I heard that the pair of you were trying to figure out how to trick Gajeel into a proposal…"

Lucy wheezed on her drink, having been in the middle of drinking some water when she'd spoken. Gajeel snorted, too, looking startled by this, his face turning an interesting shade of red that caught Levy's attention almost immediately.

"Hey!" Levy cried when he suddenly pushed her so that she tipped over. She immediately was side-tracked - something both of the two appreciated, because Lucy knew that Gajeel wasn't ready to propose just yet. They'd discussed as much the other day.

Lucy took the chance to run while she could. "I'm going to go get Monopoly," she announced, darting for the closet.

 _Thank the heavens for Gajeel's shoving!_

* * *

 _And we're starting to pick up speed again for our next arc! And just to point it out, you can see what Gajeel and Lucy talked about when she was dragged out. ;) And you were all so concerned about the date. XD It made me laugh._

 _Couple things here..._

 _I'm gonna point you guys to TaylorNReed's review for Chapter 125, as she explained the meanings behind Natsu's flowers from the last chapter. Was hoping someone would notice I chose them specifically._

A couple guests (from various chapter reviews, I'm not sure if you're the same person) asked a few questions...

About the length of BTL and how far I am with writing it. BTL's going to be over 200 chapters, mayber 300, and I just finished Chapter 157. ;)

It was noticed that Mavis is centuries old yet met Layla when she was alive. Don't worry my friend, all will be explained.

Finally, lemons. I won't be adding them. My editor and I considered a bonus one-shot for Christmas this year including one, but I think I'm going to have us not do it.

 _Thanks to reviewers (haileyscomet13, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Typhlosion8, FairyRains, SunflowerChrysalis, LePengwen, The Age of Awesomeness, FairyDemonDust, TigerArrowgirl, fluffyshygirl11, Bearsweetcuddle, Dragondancer81, TaylorNReed, FireDragonPhia, PinkFireandGoldenStars, quite-a-riot, NaLu and InuKag, MirrorFlame, OOANDISAOO, callmeportgas, PinkBookaholic, BlurryFace, and DarkFaeirie0!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	127. Chapter 127

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu arrived shortly after the phone call, slipping in through the window while no one was looking. Lucy did notice, however, when she noticed that her floor was covered in ash that had sprinkled off of him.

"Natsu!" she shrieked when she saw him curled up on her bed, sleepily watching them with exhausted eyes. The fire had been a rough one that hadn't originated from campers like he'd told Lucy. In fact, Juvia and he had agreed that it was from another fire mage, but he wasn't about to go spitting that out. The pair had agreed to keep quiet about it.

"Sorry," he mumbled, merely cuddling into the blankets. "Tired…"

Huffing, she glared down at him, aware that sharp eyes were watching them from the other side of the room. he merely peeked up at her tiredly, pleading in silence that she leave him alone.

So, she gave in. "You're cleaning this up later," she warned, reaching out to gently pat his head. She brushed her fingers over his hair for a second, and then smiled and left him to sleep, returning to her game with Gajeel and Levy.

Natsu snorted and closed his eyes to nap.

The heat had been intense, even for him. Juvia had nearly turned into steam. There had been a fatality in the destruction, and neither thought that anything would grow in the ashes for many years. He felt ridiculously ill after trying to inhale even a single ember, and it was because of that that he suddenly lurched out of the bed, pale.

Lucy glanced over her shoulder when he disappeared into the bathroom, retching. "Natsu…?"

"Fine," he gasped, voice echoing. It was strained, as if pained, and she exchanged a worried look with Levy.

Gajeel wrinkled his nose after inhaling sharply. "The hell are you throwing up? Smells horrible." As if disgusted, he went to open windows without permission, and Levy reassured Lucy that she'd watch him before the blonde darted over to make sure Natsu was alright.

She found him in the bathroom on the floor, swearing under his breath. His body was curled into a ball, his hands clutching at his stomach. Sweat dotted his forehead as he groaned, "Damn, this hurts!"

Hesitant, Lucy called, "Levy! Can you get Wendy over here?"

"Sure thing, Lu!"

Lucy knelt beside him, frowning at the heat radiating off of him. "Natsu, what happened?!" she demanded. "I thought you've done this kind of work before?" He barely responded, simply clutching at his stomach as if he intended to tear it out.

Suddenly, flames flickered at his wrists, and he shoved her away. He lunged forward, vomiting into the toilet, and Lucy winced, touching a slight burn on her arm. She touched his back, worried about her partner, but he ignored her, heaving for air.

"The flames," he gasped after a moment, voice hoarse. "I didn't...I didn't eat more than... _ugh_ …"

"Gajeel!" Lucy's voice grew in pitch, panicking as he suddenly passed out, diving to catch his head before it hit the floor. Gajeel's heavy footsteps were a relief, and he peeked in the bathroom, crimson eyes startled.

"What the hell," he muttered, ducking down beside her to peer at the shuddering dragon slayer. He expertly checked Natsu's pulse, seeming to count before suddenly shouting, "Levy! Porlyusica!"

"Wh-what?" Levy peered in, now looking nearly frightened. The phone was at her ear. "What's wrong with him?!"

"I dunno, but this ain't normal." Gajeel clenched his jaw and then shot to his feet. "He was with the water woman, right? I'll go check in with her, see what happened. Make him sick again. Watch his fangs though." He flashed his own sharpened canines. "Dragon slayers have a habit of biting when they aren't used to things like this."

"Isn't that comforting," Levy bit out, shoving him towards the door before dialing another number.

Lucy zoned out, her gaze full of terror as Natsu spasmed, drawing blood when his nails scraped over his belly. In a moment of panic, she unwound his scarf, pushing it off to the side and reached for the keys that were shoved in her pocket. She struggled to figure out who she needed to summon, and then decided that she might as well summon the one who probably knew most.

"Loke," she choked as he appeared, gaze serious.

"I've got ya," he reassured gently, inspecting Natsu before rolling him onto his side when he suddenly retched again. Lucy scurried out of the way when he suddenly vomited again. Levy appeared in the doorway again, worried as she explained to a rather crabby Porlyusica what was happening.

"Come on, Natsu," Loke said, "Up we get. Lean on Lucy." Lucy slid under her partner's arm, ignoring the sweltering heat that came off of him. "Looks like he might have eaten something he really shouldn't have."

"He ate the etherious material and didn't react like this," she argued, and then narrowed her eyes. "The only thing he was around was-"

"That fire, right?" Levy hurried back. "Porlyusica said that Gray called in claiming that Juvia was passed out. She's suffering from some kind of illness, but it isn't nearly as bad as Natsu. Master sent Erza to check it out. She says there might have been some kind of poison within the smoke and fire."

"He said campers started it by accident."

"He's a liar." Loke bopped her on the nose gently. "I've told you this, Princess. Come on, let's get him to your bed…"

With Loke's help, Lucy managed to successfully get her partner out of the bathroom, his head lolling weakly when he began to stir just barely. When they'd tucked him in, Lucy swept his hair out of his face, anxious. Levy, noticing what they'd left behind, grabbed his scarf, and draped it around Lucy's neck. Lucy barely noticed, too busy fretting, and Loke watched with a slight smirk on his face.

"Tch, and they think we should be worried about her...that idiot's worse off than she is," he said under his breath.

The response was immediate.

 _Silence, Leo. Leave my son be and make damn sure that he is healed._

Loke's lips curved into a rather malicious smirk, his shaded eyes glinting with almost deadly intent.

"Sure thing...Igneel."

* * *

He awoke to the darkness of a room and a warm body curled up against his. Soft breath puffed gently against his neck, and it took him a short while to figure out where he was and who was with him. _Lucy_ , Natsu recognized. And at Lucy's apartment. Happy was there, too, he noted; he was curled up beneath his other arm.

Lucy stirred slightly, and then returned to her heavy sleep, snuggling closer.

Natsu couldn't help but grin, and then suddenly grimaced when pain and the need to vomit flashed through him. Feeling bad, he suddenly jerked away from his Lucy and Happy and found himself stumbling towards the bathroom. Lucy was immediately awake, blinking sleepily after him, but he took no notice as he kicked the door shut behind him.

"Natsu?" she mumbled, scrubbing at an eye. Happy tiredly crawled into her lap; they'd both been up late and weren't going to get any sleep it appeared. It was a while before he came back, groaning under his breath. She didn't make a sound until he'd climbed back under the blankets, making grabby motions for her, and she smiled just barely.

"How are you feeling?" she said quietly, touching his forehead.

"Hurts," he mumbled, closing his eyes.

"I would think so." She gently poked his forehead with a finger, glaring now. "Porlyusica said that you and Juvia were poisoned by something in the smoke and fire. You're much worse off than she is though, because you were dumb and decided to see if you could eat a little bit of it."

"We were really worried," Happy added in, tail flicking as he watched Natsu through slitted eyes.

"Sorry little buddy," he said with a faint laugh. Natsu nearly purred when Lucy began to stroke his hair. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"Well, you did, and Gajeel of all people has been in and out all day, making sure that you don't react differently because you're a dragon slayer. He's been helping Porlyusica and Erza, so you kind of owe him a thanks." Natsu made a sound of disgust to her amusement. "Erza found the starting point of that fire. It was purposely lit in a special chemical solution, making it toxic. Even a few civilians are feeling sick. On top of it, the fire itself was different."

"Black."

She paused. "What?"

"The fire," he murmured sleepily, opening an eye to peek up at her. "Some of the flames were pitch black. Different than mine. Another mage started it."

"Then why did you say campers?!" Lucy snapped, glaring.

He shrugged and promptly fell asleep again, leaving Lucy to stroke his hair soothingly before grumbling to herself and curling up on top of the covers beside him. Happy purred anxiously as he curled up against her stomach, mumbling, "I hope you don't get sick, Lucy."

"I won't," she vowed. She remembered her illness from months before and shuddered.

"Thank the heavens he wasn't bringing up blood." Lucy leaned over to press a kiss to his head and then closed her eyes.

* * *

Natsu was up every now and then throughout the night, and it was the next morning that he finally settled down. Lucy got up late, determined to grab something to eat, and tucked her phone between her shoulder and ear as she booted up her laptop and nibbled at a bagel, a cup of coffee nearby.

She'd nearly offered the exhausted Happy, who slept on the table now, coffee, but had decided against it. No one needed to know what a cat was like on caffeine.

"Lucy?" Erza's voice answered, curious. Lucy had never called her before despite the months they'd known each other.

"Hey, Erza," Lucy said, keeping her voice down so she didn't awake Natsu. She clicked on the browser to open up the internet, ready to do some research for an idea she'd had. "Was calling to check in on Juvia? How's she doing?"

"Much better," Erza responded, her voice warm. "I'm with her right now; she's eating some toast. She wasn't sick at all throughout the night. She says hello, by the way, and that she hope Natsu feels better soon." A pause, and then she asked, "How is he?"

Lucy glanced back at him. He was snoring contently, hair sticking up at odd angles, and she touched the scarf at her neck as she replied, "Better. He was sick all night, but he's quieted down now. I think he'll be okay. We just have to wait for whatever it was to leave his system. He said that he thought a mage had started the fire."

"Another fire mage," Erza agreed, humming thoughtfully. "I could feel the magic...it wasn't exactly pleasant. I spoke with Master, and he said that if they need more time to recover, the S-Class exams will be pushed back. He wants a fair fight amongst the entrees. He doesn't want to kick these two out simply because they're too ill to participate. And he knows it's unlike Natsu."

Lucy sighed softly, reaching for her coffee. She took a sip, and then frowned. "Shouldn't somebody have noticed another mage like that? I mean, I'm not good at sensing magic signatures - I can't do it at all. But…"

"Mm, I thought about that. We think there were more. He was working with a group, and if they were high enough ranking mages, they could probably hide themselves with special spells. I sent Gajeel to look the burned area over; he says that the fire was something like Natsu's magic in regards to the difference being a dragon slayer creates."

"There's a difference?"

"Dragon slaying magic is...more intense, almost. Healers are capable of doing their work, but no one can heal what Wendy can heal - not even Porlyusica. Wendy can bring someone back from the brink of death. And when I say that, I mean their heart has stopped for almost five minutes. Natsu's fire is hotter than the average fire mage's. He can take control of fire that others can't. It's interesting."

"It is," Lucy agreed, glancing over her shoulder at the mentioned man. She glared at the way he was drooling on her pillow.

"I better go," Erza said a second later. "Juvia's calling me. Shall we meet at the guildhall later?"

Lucy smiled warmly at the thought of the tavern. "Of course," she said firmly, and then bid the scarlet-haired requip mage farewell before hanging up. She cracked her knuckles, and then studied the browser opened on her computer.

Happy purred contently, warm in a patch of sun on the table.

After a final check on Natsu, Lucy began to write.

* * *

 _Our lovely Natsu is not the smartest of cookies when it comes to eating random things, is he? On another note...finally showed who Loke was talking to! ;) You have a while to wait for the answers to your questions about the phone calls! Sorry guys!_

 _In regards to Seraphina's question from chapter 56...I've started chapter 158. I think I'm going to take a day soon and just throw out chapter after chapter of BTL to get a hell of a lot done._

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, haileyscomet13, NaLu and InuKag, Fire and Ice, MirrorFlame, Typhlosion8, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, AngelEmCuti, TigerArrowgirl, TopazDesiertoFleur, The Age of Awesomeness, ashcator2002, Dragondancer81, thecagedsong, sassykitten1701, OOANDISAOO, FairyRains, Knightwalker, MimiQueen, and TaylorNReed!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	128. Chapter 128

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

It was late in afternoon that Natsu finally began to feel better. Wendy had come over to check on him - she'd been out of town when they'd originally called her, and Porlyusica had been tending to Juvia - and was currently doing so as Lucy watched, a cup of hot tea in her slim fingers. Happy had perched himself comfortably atop her head and was watching intently.

The cheerful Wendy chirped, "He'll be as good as new by tomorrow morning. He managed to get most of it out of his system just by throwing it up. I've told you not to eat strange things, Natsu," she scolded, and h smiled sheepishly.

"I was curious," he said. "I wanted to know what it tasted like."

Not something he would be doing again, though.

It had _hurt_ , way worse than any kind of etherious material that he could have eaten.

He rubbed the back of his head as he glanced over to where Lucy was watching him with a worried look in her dark eyes. "We're gonna train with Levy and Gajeel tomorrow," he promised, but Wendy interrupted again.

"Lucy, maybe, not you. You need at least another three days of rest."

"Wendy," he whined, "I won't have time to train-"

"Natsu, you're fine," Wendy said in exasperation, "Otherwise you wouldn't have been nominated, right?"

"What she said," Lucy agreed, narrowing her eyes. "You're an idiot, you know that? Jeez. We've only been on one date and you're already trying to scare the hell out of me."

He merely puffed out a small burst of flame in irritation. "I'm not an idiot. I just wanted to know if I could do it really fast like I usually do."

"If a wildfire breaks out, Natsu usually just eats it and sleeps for a day," Happy explained to Lucy.

Lucy nodded to show she understood this, careful not to knock the blue cat from her head, and then grumbled under her breath as she left to dump the rest of her tea in the sink. She snatched up her phone and shoved it into her pocket, keys jingling at her hip as she plucked Happy from her head and put him on the table gently. "I have to go. Ali came by Magnolia, and we have to meet up."

Natsu perked up. "I'll go-"

"No, _you_ are resting," she said sharply, and something told Natsu that he had best listen, because he clamped his mouth shut. When she'd slipped from the apartment, he looked helplessly to Wendy, who'd watched the whole event in silence.

"She was worried," she hummed after the door was shut. "She didn't sleep at all last night, Natsu. And if she did, she didn't sleep a lot."

"She cried a lot, too," Happy said quietly, flicking his tail. "She didn't know what to do, so she summoned Loke a couple times when you wouldn't wake up." Natsu blinked when he realized that Happy was tearing up, quivering "We thought you wouldn't wake up at all!"

"Come here," Natsu sighed, and Happy zipped over almost instantly, slamming into him for a hug. Wendy watched with a gentle smile as he comforted Happy, reassuring him that he was fine. "We'll get Lucy a present to make up for worrying her," he decided aloud, and then glanced to Wendy anxiously. "What do girls like? She liked the jewelry she picked out from my hoard, but…"

"I'm sure she'll like anything as long as it's from you," Wendy decided, "But I'll help you pick something out. Are you okay to stay here, Happy? I would have brought Charle, but she stayed with Juvia and Erza."

"I'm fine. I'll sleep," Happy said happily, affectionately curling his tail around Natsu's wrist before hopping away to make his way over to the couch. The dragon slayers watched, amused, as he turned the TV on - and immediately found a documentary about fish.

"He has a special power, man," Natsu said, shaking his head, and then glanced at his friend when Wendy giggled and gestured for him to leave.

"Don't get too worked up or excited," she warned, "Or you and I are coming straight back here, got it?"

"Got it." Natsu flashed her a toothy smile, and together, they left the building.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late," Lucy announced as she dropped her bag into the booth and slid in behind it. She flashed her annoyed editor a quick smile, and Ali arched an eyebrow. Unamused by Lucy's lateness, she demanded to know _why_ Lucy was late, and the blonde was quick to explain.

"Natsu - you remember him - got really sick last night. I thought I'd have to take him to the hospital, but he's doing a lot better, so I had to make sure he was okay. He woke up just before I came," she lied.

"Mm," was Ali's only response. She rested a chin on an open palm, sharp dark eyes watching her with care. "Now. What did you want to meet about? My plane leaves in three hours."

"I'm done writing."

" _What_?" Ali's eyes flashed as she straightened, and she seemed to puff up in anger. "What do you mean you're done writing?!"

"I just...don't have the time anymore," Lucy explained. "I'm always busy with the other job I picked up." Being a mage was turning out to be a full-time job when Natsu was involved, even if she didn't take very many jobs that were offered by the guild. "If someone offers a movie deal, or other countries want to translate and sell, I'd be more than willing to help, but I'm not writing anything new from here on out. Layla Cor isn't an alias I need anymore." She smiled gently at nothing in particular, thinking of her friends.

"Your fans," she tried to insist, but Lucy stood firm.

"I don't need," she said quietly, "Any fans, Ali. I have friends now, family even. I rely on them just as much as they rely on me. I'm happy now. Much happier than when I began to write." She smiled kindly. "So...I'm ready to move on in life."

Ali took a few moments, and Lucy was puzzled by the near _fury_ that seemed to roll off of her. There was no way she could be _this_ angry over her decision...right…?

And then she opened her eyes again, giving a sigh. Ali's hands trembled as she reached out and clasped Lucy's wrist, giving a tight smile. "I see. Well, then I guess this is farewell. If you don't need me anymore, I'll be gone."

"I still consider you a friend," Lucy protested, but Ali was standing, and Lucy felt the need to withdraw from her touch. Magic flared from the necklace at her throat - and that alone told Lucy that something was very, very wrong with the woman before her.

She'd never noticed it, but there was something off that she could sense, something that made her coil backwards, her fingers touching the golden pendant at her throat. After a moment Ali smiled icily and then slid away. Lucy watched her leave without a word, and then stared when she realized that while Ali had left the building, she hadn't seen her walk off in any distinct direction.

She'd disappeared, actually.

Shaken, Lucy took a few deep breaths. Her fingers trembled as she leaned her head back against the booth. Normally, she would have called Natsu, but Natsu would have come screaming for her despite her telling him to shut up and relax at her apartment so that he'd be able to regain his strength before the S-Class exams in just over a week.

So she'd deal with the fear that filled her alone. She couldn't summon her Spirits randomly in public or anything, so this would have to do.

After she'd calmed herself, Lucy ordered a tea to go and decided to discuss it with Mirajane. The silver-haired woman would know what to do about all of this, she told herself. Or even Makarov, maybe. He'd know.

"Thanks," she murmured, taking the tea that was handed to her.

The woman that handed her the tea smiled with painted lips. Dark eyes glimmered as she tucked some long dark hair behind her ear and told her, "No problem. Hey, you know someone by the name of Fullbuster, right?"

"Gray," Lucy said, looking surprised. "Yeah. We're friends. You know him?"

"You could say that." Lucy looked a bit wary as she leaned in to whisper into her ear. "Tell him that Milkovich says hello, would you? He'll know me when he hears my name." She smiled as she leaned back, the look gentle and harsh at the same time before she whipped away.

Lucy blinked and then scampered out of the shop.

The day had been weird enough.

And she didn't want to make it even more.

* * *

Upon arrival to the guildhall, the first person Lucy hunted down was Gray. Mirajane didn't seem to be around for once - _Maybe on a job?_ Lucy thought to herself - so she figured that he would work for the telling of what had happened.

Luckily, Juvia was still resting after being ill from the fire, so Lucy didn't have to worry about her glowering at them nonstop. She dropped into the seat beside him, and he glanced up curiously when she huffed. "Hey, Lucy, what's up?"

"First off, you have no shirt on," she told him, and he swore, looking around for it before shrugging, giving up. "And second, apparently today's the day that I'm not only approached by weirdos, but that I'm supposed to figure out my editor, because I don't think people are supposed to disappear into thin air, do you?"

"Slow down," Gray muttered. "Your editor disappeared?"

"I told her I was done writing," Lucy explained as she bit her lip. She leaned back in her seat, running a hand through her blonde hair. "And she threw a fit almost. There was something about her...when she grabbed my arm, I could feel something, and the magic in the pendant acted up." She touched the dragon at her throat.

"Do you know where she is now?" Gray looked concerned for her wellbeing as he turned to face her entirely, frowning. "Does Natsu know?"

"No to both. Natsu needs to rest and she disappeared into thin air, like I said. And then, after that, I was getting some tea when another thing happened." He arched an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue, and Lucy cleared her throat. "The woman who gave my tea to me asked if I knew someone by the name of Fullbuster."

Gray became alert immediately. "Really? What else did she say?"

"I told her I did, that we were friends, and she told me to tell you that "Milkovich says hello"." Lucy frowned when Gray's face went white, his dark eyes snapping wide with shock as he sputtered. "Gray? What's...do you know her?"

"Milkovich," he rasped, "Was Ur's last name, Lucy. She didn't use it very often though, so I don't...what did she look like? Where'd you see her?"

"A little diner on the main street of Magnolia," Lucy said, puzzled. "I...she was taller than me. Really long dark hair...red lipstick, that's about all that I can remember of her. I didn't take much notice, I guess."

Gray clenched his jaw. Pressing a hand to his head, he snarled under his breath, "What the hell is going on? This...I don't even know what to think. First Natsu and Juvia getting sick from a poisonous fire and now this…"

"Natsu said some of the flames were black." Lucy rested her chin on her folded arms, leaning on the table with a frustrated sound. "But I'm with you. Something weird is going on…"

He glanced over to Lucy. "Care to take me to wherever you met your editor? Maybe we can work out what's going on starting there. And before we do the S-Class exams. It'll only distract us if we don't get it figured out."

Lucy reached for her keys. "Sure. Let me summon Loke though. He can help us figure things out, I think, and to top it all off, he might know something. Before we go though…" She covered her eyes.

"Please, Gray. I'm begging you. Put some goddamn clothes on!"

Gray looked down at his somehow naked self, as if confused. "Oh," he mused. "Yeah, guess I should do that."

* * *

 _What's this? People appearing who know Gray and Lucy's editor is acting strange? Things are picking up, yes?_

 _To lady lutka, who asked about Lucy's choker. As you can see, yes. XD Yes she does._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, lady lutka, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Mhilano, LePengwen, theShipperOfManyShips, LucyMarieHeartfilia, ToastedWeirdBrain, SunflowerChrysalis, haileyscomet13, FairyDemonDust, Tiger Arrowgirl, FireDragonPhia, Fairylover13, FairyRains, Dragondancer81, TaylorNReed, MirrorFlame, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Knightwalker, not paranoid enough, and pianemone!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	129. Chapter 129

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Hey, have you seen Luce?" Natsu asked as he slid into a seat beside Cana. The drunk was happily drinking as per usual, and glanced at him slyly out of the corner of her eye when he spoke.

"Sure have," she purred. "Went out with Gray earlier. Didn't know about what, but both looked pretty upset. Should be back soon I'm thinking. Don't worry; she made sure Gray had his clothes on."

Natsu clenched his jaw, irritated with Gray, but said nothing after that. He didn't feel like getting teased now. Not when he wanted to give Lucy the apology gift that he and Wendy, who was listening curiously from where she was sitting beside him now, had purchased with her in mind.

"Thanks," he said bitterly, pouting. He wanted Lucy to be there so that he could give it to her-

As if reading his mind, the doors to the tavern swung open and Lucy and Gray stepped in. Gray looked grouchy, and Lucy just looked plain confused, if not a little upset about something or another. Not pleased with the look, Natsu narrowed his eyes suspiciously and hopped to his feet, sidling over. "Luce!"

"Hey, Natsu," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. He frowned when she didn't ask what he was doing and sensing the incoming question, she explained, "My editor disappeared into thin air and then someone with the same name as Ur showed up. Coupled with my sleepless night...it's been a bad day."

He grimaced, knowing part of it to be his fault. "Then here." He pushed the gift he'd wrapped for her into her fingers, and she blinked in surprise. "Wendy helped."

"What's this for?" she demanded as she tore it open with her slim fingers. Gray peered nosily over her shoulder, but she didn't seem to notice as his breath stirred her long hair.

"For making you upset," he replied as she held the object up to the light. He awkwardly played with his fingers and hid his face in his scarf as she beamed at it. "Happy said you were really upset, so I thought to get you something."

It was a set of golden arm bands. Each held a zodiac sign on it, and each was inscribed the name of the zodiac that the sign belonged to. Her eyes glowed at the sight of them, and she immediately slid on one of them to test the size compared to her arm, looking delighted when the one with Aquarius' symbol fell into the right place with ease.

"I love it," she told him with an excited look, reaching around to touch it lovingly. "Thank you, Natsu, you just made my day a lot better."

He grinned, pleased with himself. Gray only snorted and called him a suck up, which ignited a brawl between the two that Lucy stepped aside to avoid. Wendy giggled as she told Lucy, having slid over to join her, "He was the one who saw them first."

"Thank you for helping him," Lucy sighed, leaving Aquarius' armband on with a fond look. She was quiet for a moment before she asked hesitantly, "Hey...can I talk to you in private, Wendy?"

Wendy blinked, and then glanced over to where Charle was watching. "Let me go tell Charle where I'm going."

"Okay, I'll let Natsu know, too, so he stops hounding everyone whenever I disappear," Lucy said drily. As Wendy hurried over to where Charle was, Lucy pulled Natsu away from his fight, smirking when Mirajane came over to deal with Gray, glaring at him. He grinned hesitantly at her, nervous, but she only told him, "Behave yourself. I'm going to take a second to talk with Wendy about some girl stuff, so don't bother eavesdropping."

"I'll make sure he doesn't," Mirajane hummed, pulling Gray over by the ear. He swore in pain, grimacing.

"Thanks, Mira," Lucy said, and then affectionately squeezed Natsu's arm before jogging over to where Wendy waited. She led the smaller girl up to the infirmary, knowing that no one was there and that it'd be the perfect place to talk. Wendy kept up with ease, not the least bit concerned, even when she summoned Virgo.

"Here you are, Princess," Virgo said in a rather plain tone, handing over the leather-bound book in her hands with a polite bow.

"Thanks, Virgo. You can stay around if you want," Lucy told her, but Virgo shook her head.

"I don't wish to draw on your magic. I'll return to you when you summon me." Virgo bowed again, and then was as gone as quickly as she'd arrived.

"What is that?" Wendy asked as Lucy flipped the book open. The dragon slayer seated herself on the bed beside Lucy when Lucy dropped onto it. She flipped through pages, and Wendy's eyes widened when she realized what she was looking at. "That's-"

"My mother's diary," Lucy said grimly. "I was reading it while waiting for Natsu to get better, and...I just…" She found the entry she was looking for and pushed the diary into Wendy's lap. Wendy immediately began to read.

 _February 2nd, X775_

 _Grandeeney visited again. I summoned her myself - well, I asked if she'd be willing to come and take a look at something troubling for me. Lucy's been feeling ill recently, and there was a strange lump that had formed beneath the skin of Lucy's stomach. She came right away - and she brought a child of her own! It turns out that five dragons have taken on human children, including Igneel. Wendy is adorable. She was orphaned by one of Acnologia's original attacks, apparently, and was very keen on making Lucy feel better._

 _It turned out to be something that Grandeeney called an anti-ethernano tumor. Even Jude was desperately worried when he heard - imagine that! Apparently they form after years of misusing one's magic…_

 _The problem is...Lucy's never used magic. She's only just begun to learn how to summon Spirits. I introduced her to my smallest Spirit yesterday. How could it have formed from such a minor thing?_

 _I'll have Crux look into it, I think. But for now, Grandeeney was able to remove it. She says that they're fairly rare, and that she doesn't think whatever it is spread. So long as it doesn't form near the heart or brain, Lucy will be fine._

 _...I hope she brings Wendy again! Despite being several years younger, they got along fabulously!_

 _~Layla_

Wendy looked startled, caressing the page with loving and gentle fingers. "We...met once? When I was with Grandeeney?"

Lucy smiled. "Apparently. I thought you might like to know. And I had some questions for you about that anti-eternano tumor...what do you know about them? Do I need to worry about it in the future?"

"More than likely, yes," Wendy handed the diary back, her eyes shining with unshed tears of happiness. She was grateful that Lucy had shown her the diary, even if it wasn't to just prove that they'd apparently met before. "They form over time, with the constant misusing of magic, just like it said. But it is strange. As your mother pointed out, you just barely used any magic whatsoever. I think you should have Porlyusica look you over, just to make sure, but...I don't think you'll need to worry about it for a bit longer."

Lucy sighed softly. "Thanks, Wendy." She summoned Virgo, handing the diary back, and Wendy waited until Virgo was gone to speak again.

"So she knew all of the dragons?" she asked hesitantly.

"She's met all of those with children, I think. She mentioned Metalicana popping by once to scare the hell out of everyone." She smiled drily. "But mostly Grandeeney and Igneel. She and Igneel were really good friends from what I can tell. They spoke of a dragon called Acnologia, and the demons that Zeref created. And my mother confided to him about my father's rather harsh behavior." She sighed heavily. "I'm getting closer to the date of her death and the dragon's disappearance."

"You think they're connected," Wendy recognized.

"I do," she admitted, frowning. "I just can't figure out how. The Zodiacs can't answer my questions about the dragons and my mother's death. So that means there's only one person who can, and that's Igneel himself."

"When we find the dragons, I bet you can ask."

"Probably. Until then, this is all I have." Lucy stroked a lock of golden hair behind her ear and then stood, touching the armband she'd slid on. "Come on, let's go see what kind of destruction Natsu's causing...and I think we need to look into how nobody's noticed magic yet with everything that happened here and near Crocus."

"Agreed," Wendy said.

Together, they left the room.

* * *

Natsu met her at the bottom of the stairs, beaming as broadly as he usually did, not at all bothered that she'd made him wait and not let him join in the conversation. Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he thrust a piece of paper into her hands. "I got us a job for tomorrow. I talked to Levy; we're gonna train the day after that."

Wendy giggled and left them to go and find Juvia, who'd made an appearance at the guildhall with Charle in her arms. Lucy watched her go, and then looked down at the job that he'd chosen.

"Hm… escorting a child to Oshibana by car." Lucy arched an eyebrow. "You do realize that this requires sitting in a car for hours on end, right?"

Natsu looked ill at just the thought of getting into a car, but remained firm. "Wendy can do that thing for me, can't she? Then I'll be okay. I can be in a car as long as my motion sickness doesn't kick in." He beamed, as if this would convince her to do it, and Lucy narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Finally, she just sighed and shook her head. "Sorry, Natsu," she said gently, "You can take it, but I don't really want to. I want to focus on training so that I won't be useless in the exams. Just because I held up against a few people doesn't mean I can against Gray or Freed. Besides, you're supposed to be resting today and tomorrow night. The ride would mess you up some more, even with Wendy's spell."

He looked a little disappointed, lowering the paper and tugging the scarf away from his face. "Okay," he mumbled, hesitant. Even if he was to take the job, he realized, it would be pointless to bring Happy. The girl wasn't aware of magic and the clients wanted it to stay that way.

Recognizing the disappointment, Lucy touched his arm with a smile. "After the exams, you and I will take a job, okay? And if you are one of the lucky people who win, maybe we can even take one of the harder jobs."

He looked satisfied with that answer. "Got it," he agreed, and then went to go and return the request to where it belonged.

Lucy watched him go with amusement and then sighed and shook her head.

Only Natsu.

"Lucy!" a voice called. She looked over to see Mirajane waving her hand to catch her attention and the curious blonde made her way over. Mirajane exchanged a look with her sister, who stood beside her with a quiet expression, and then handed Lucy an envelope. "This arrived earlier...it's for you."

Lucy studied it, frowning when she realized that she recognized the handwriting on it. She didn't make the connection until she'd suddenly turned the envelope over and discovered that there was the seal of the Heartfilia family on the other side. Her lips parted. "...this is...my father's writing?"

Mirajane's eyes flashed. "I thought it might be," she admitted as Lucy opened the envelope, sitting at the bar. Natsu wandered over, joining them, but said nothing, only watched her face with care.

Lucy pulled the letter out, and then blinked when something fell out with it, wrapped carefully in cloth. She contemplated, and then chose to read the letter to herself, setting the wrapped object aside to look at when she was done.

 _Dear Lucy,_

 _I don't suppose you wish to hear from me. I wouldn't either after all that I've done. I merely wished to congratulate you on your accomplishments...you've become a powerful mage, just like your mother._

 _You took her diary. I know you did. I'm not hateful or anything of the sort about the matter; in fact, I encourage you to read it. I've never read it myself - your mother hid it from me. I can't blame her. She was upset with me after everything that happened, and I hate myself for never making it up to her. I know we grew distant eventually, and I regret it truly._

 _There are a few things you should know. One, it was your mother's side of the family that continued on the celestial magic line - no other line in the world passes it on genetically. Only those of the Heartfilia family may be born with such magic. Be proud of this. Two, it is my side of the family that passes on the Vermillion bloodline. If you're in the guild that you claimed to be in, then you'll know of the most important member of the bloodline._

 _Finally, the Spirits._

 _Your mother trusted them with everything and look what happened. You'll know about that, won't you? You should. Don't trust them, Lucy. Particularly that nasty one, the leader of the Zodiac Spirits. Leo. There are things that they will hide from you. How ironic is it that I'm giving you the key to Taurus, a last thought that I had? Don't trust Igneel either. He was the one..._

 _I suppose I'd best tell you now. I'm ill and don't expect for much more time. On top of all of this, I heard rumors of someone searching for pieces of the Infinity Clock. I know that I don't deserve it, but perhaps we can meet and settle our differences? I don't deserve such chances, but I remember the pain I suffered when Layla died. I did not want to leave you with the same pain._

 _Jude_

Lucy had never been close with the king of Bosco - had hated him even.

Yet she couldn't stop the tears as they fell, her fingers dropping the letter as she buried her face in her hands, a muffled sound leaving her lips. Natsu remained where he was, not bothering to pick up the letter as Mirajane hurried around the bar to reassure the upset blonde.

No one noticed when the letter began to smoke and curl in on itself, the hottest of flames turning it into ash.

* * *

 _I think I once said that Jude would never make a comeback from being hated. I may have lied about that and chosen to have him return Taurus when I couldn't figure out what to do with the Spirit._

 _By next chapter, we'll have hit three thousand reviews! Holy hell! And because of it, I'll do this: if we hit 3k by tomorrow morning...I'll post a chapter on Saturday! ;)_

 _To PinkFireandGoldenStars...you are very off about the editor bit, but you'll see if you're right about the other two! ;)_

 _BlurryFace asked about Lucy's burn scar and Natsu's constellation scar. Yes, they still have them, but they don't play that much of a part. It'll come in handy later though._

 _To Lordshuvra, who asked about Zeref...you'll have to wait and see about our lovely immortal person. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomness, LePengwen, lkityan02, TigerArrowgirl, DaAnimeTurtle, not paranoid enough, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, BlurryFace, Typhlosion8, CharonteQueen, RandomAnimeNerd, MirrorFlame, Lordshuvra, FairyRains, and TaylorNReed!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	130. Chapter 130

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Everyone present in the guildhall was squirming in excitement, their eyes blazing with eagerness. Even those who weren't involved with what was to come were there, watching from the background as those who were competing for S-Class playfully messed with one another. The S-Class mages themselves stood near the bar of the guildhall, watching with amusement.

Lucy and Loke - who'd taken on a more normal looking appearance, the one he'd used when pretending to be engaged to her when they'd gone to Bosco - spoke, working out a special contract for the time being while Natsu and Gray bickered. Wendy and Juvia were nearby, Juvia looking eager as Gray ripped his shirt over his head angrily; Charle scolded Wendy, warning her not to use too much magic as Happy purred contently in Wendy's arms. Levy was telling Gajeel off for making the argument between rivals worse, and he only smirked at his small girlfriend. Freed and Bickslow exchanged a look of amusement and merely shook their heads.

From where he watched the group of those competing beside his daughter, Gildarts smirked, taking a drink of his beer. Erza was seated beside him, speaking quietly and warily to the cautious man that he'd brought back with him - Jellal. Jellal had offered to assist in the S-Class exams, as he'd been considered S-Class upon entering the guild. Laxus watched without interest, arching a brow when Mirajane smiled sweetly at him and asked about the last job he'd gone on.

Most would be remaining in Magnolia, naturally. Only Makarov, Mavis, the cats, the S-Class mages, and those participating would be going to the special island that Fairy Tail protected - Tenrou.

Evergreen was fairly upset about not going, complaining to Elfman about how everyone else on her team was, but one uttered mutter from Laxus had given her a pleased look.

The noise suddenly was cut off by Makarov's shout of "Shut up, brats!"

Everyone's attention turned on the guildmaster, who stood atop of the bar with a smug expression on his face. Lucy shifted nervously, but focused, touching the keys at her hip, and Loke chuckled under his breath, lightly touching her arm in reassurance.

Natsu gave him the nastiest of looks for that.

"As you know, we depart for Tenrou within the next fifteen minutes," he reported. "That trip will start with a train to Hargeon, where a boat awaits to take us. The trip from Hargeon to Tenrou will take about a good twelve hours at the highest speed, and when we arrive, the battle for the rank of S-Class will begin. I will explain the first challenge upon our arrival to the island. Wendy has agreed to perform her troia spell on Gajeel and Natsu both so that everyone has a fair advantage when we arrive."

Natsu groaned in relief, ruffling the flushed girl's long blue hair. "Thanks, Wendy, I owe ya one."

She beamed up at him. "No problem."

"In exchange, as it will pull on her magic, we will allow some time for resting and training on the beaches of Tenrou before we start. At noon tomorrow, I will give you the first task of three that you will be asked to complete and you'll be sent off to complete it. Our S-Class mages this year include Mira, Laxus, Gildarts, Erza, and - as he entered the guild as S-Class - Jellal. Due to circumstances, he will be accompanied by myself or Mavis for supervision."

Jellal gave a dry smile, understanding flashing across his face. "I understand," was all he murmured, not looking the least bit bothered by the matter.

"Now." Makarov turned his attention on the competitors with a grin. "We'll all be heading to Hargeon. I trust all of your luggage is in order?" There was a murmur of agreement among them, and he flashed them another smile. "Then let's go!" As everyone slipped from the guildhall, shouting farewell to their nakama, Mirajane called over her shoulder, "Lisanna's in charge!"

"Bye, Mira!" Lisanna responded, waving after her. "Kick their asses for me!"

Mirajane winked, and then hurried to catch up, playfully looping her arm through an unamused Laxus' as she did so.

"So...you can leave the guildhall?" Lucy asked Mavis hesitantly as they made their way down the street. She spoke over the sound of a car's engine when it revved up, irritated with the sound. Loke walked beside her, speaking with Gray lowly while keeping an eye on the celestial mage at the same time.

Natsu was eagerly chattering not too far ahead with Gildarts, eyes darting back to check on Lucy every now and then. Gildarts was explaining something to him, and Jellal, who remained near the crash mage, listened curiously.

Mavis gave the young blonde a gentle smile. "Yes. I can leave the guildhall...I am not entrapped to one place. I may go where I please to an extent. I must have a strong connection to the place itself, however, or the people there. For example...Tenrou Island is where my grave is."

There was a moment of stunned silence as Lucy stared at her. "...your grave is there?" she said warily. She tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, feeling nervous beneath a passing man's look when he studied her shapely legs, revealed by the short skirt she wore in hopes that it would help with her magic.

"Yes." Mavis beamed. "I was exceptionally pleased when it was placed there. It made me feel honored. I heard that you created a contract with the last missing Zodiac Spirit?"

"Taurus." Lucy beamed, touching the keys at her hip. "All twelve golden keys have been found. I'd never ask Yukino to hand her Spirits over to me, mind you, but I thought it was amazing that we found all of them."

"I am grateful that you've once again gathered them all," the softly speaking girl admitted. Mavis clasped her hands in front of her mouth. "It will do you a lot of good in the end, I believe, Lucy Heartfilia."

Lucy was quiet for a few moments before saying hesitantly, "My father...he wrote a letter before his death. It arrived just the other day, and it claimed that he was descended from the Vermillion bloodline-"

"I had a family once," Mavis hummed. Her gaze darkened, as if the memory haunted her. "They left when I was young. I suppose that you could have descended from them. But in the end, I suppose it makes you of my family. You have powerful blood in your veins, Lucy Heartfilia. It was even proven when you returned; your potential magic was enough to burn even Natsu Dragneel, the son of the Fire Dragon King."

Lucy licked her lips, and then asked, "My mother's diary...what do you know about anti-ethernanos tumors?"

"Lucy," Loke suddenly cut in, voice harsh. He'd cut off with his conversation with the confused Gray to glare at her with a nastily sharp gaze that made her jerk in shock, not used to such a look directed at her. Sensing the sudden change of mood, Natsu abandoned Gildarts mid-sentence and shoved himself between them, glaring back.

"Natsu," Happy's muffled voice warned from his bag.

Loke wasn't one bit pleased by this. "I'm not going to hurt her. Unlike some of us, I wouldn't do that."

"Loke!" Lucy snapped, angry as Natsu tensed, his onyx eyes flashing with rage.

But the Lion wasn't concerned about her being upset with him and glared furiously at her. "Don't speak of what's in Layla's diary in a place like this. Is that clear?"

Lucy was stunned, her fingers snatching up Natsu's wrist when he let smoke leave his nostrils. Gray and Mavis exchanged a curious look, Mavis' emerald eyes more amused than anything. "...alright. Yeah. No speaking of the contents of the diary in public. I won't do it again."

He nodded and then jogged to catch up with the rest of the group, who'd stopped just outside of the train station. Mavis and Gray hurried after them, and Lucy and Natsu followed at their own pace. Natsu watched her out of the corner of his eye, worried. "Why do you want to know about those?"

"About what?" Lucy said, confused, and he rolled his eyes.

"The tumor things," he huffed, crossing his arms.

"Oh, those. Uh…" Lucy squinted after Loke, and then shrugged and told him, "My mother said that I got one when I was little. The thing is, I didn't use magic period. And if I did, it was a sliver of the amount I use now. They're created when you overuse it. So I'm trying to figure that out."

Natsu lit up, looking excited for some reason, and Lucy learned why a moment later. "Those! Igneel told me about them. Sometimes, if your potential is powerful enough, they form through that. You've got really badass magic, Luce, even if you can't use most of it."

Lucy looked up, staring up at him in shock. He stared back. "What? I know _some_ things."

"Yeah, that just...really surprised me that Igneel of all people told you that." Her eyes narrowed with a suspicious look that confused him, but she pretended not to notice.

Instead, Lucy hesitantly grabbed his hand, pulling him forward. "Come on! Let's get to Hargeon. I want to get a move on."

Effectively distracted, Natsu gripped her hand tightly and gave his signature grin in response.

* * *

The ride from Magnolia to Hargeon was relatively peaceful - the only excitement being the normal argument of Gray and Natsu, who bickered over various things into Erza ordered them to stop with a sharp look in her dark eyes.

Wendy had decided against the troia spell, so it had been hilarious seeing Natsu struggle to keep up his side of the argument as the train rocked beneath him, making he and Gajeel ill with every movement. Gajeel had hid it better, propping his elbow on Levy's head and leaning heavily against her despite her pleading protests that he get off, because it was too warm and he wasn't helping.

When the group of Fairy Tail mages arrived in Hargeon, they were directed to a boat that had been lent to them by Lamia Scale. Lyon was there for several reasons, including the fact that he was to note the time of their departure and when they'd be returning. Because the ocean was a dangerous place, and the Council was strict about when people left and came back.

And Lyon greeted them with a smirk. "Gray," he drawled. "Look at you. Finally getting up there in the world."

Every guild, according to what Lucy had learned from Erza on their way there, had their own form of the S-Class exams, but only Fairy Tail had a special location for it.

All of the other guilds were curious about the place but had never dared to ask if they could go.

Gray only smirked back and crossed his arms across his naked chest. "Look who's not even in the running for S-Class."

"Gray," Makarov warned, "Lyon. I'll have no bickering. This is a serious matter, and we do need to get going as quickly as possible, so I'd appreciate it if we could see the boat?"

"Of course." Lyon greeted the rest of them with a warm look. "This way, please. Lamia Scale offered its best boat, of course. Master's orders and gift. We all wish those competing for S-Class good luck, by the way, Makarov."

Makarov chuckled. "Thank you, Lyon."

The white-haired man easily led them through Hargeon and Lucy was quick to catch Gray's arm as they walked. "Gray," she hissed. "Can we tell him about the lady that mentioned Ur's last name?"

Gray paused, seeming surprised, as if he hadn't considered telling him, and then gave a curt nod. "We'll be right back," he said hastily to Juvia, Loke, and Natsu, and then pulled her after Lyon at a jog.

They caught up to him with ease, and he beamed at Lucy. "Hello, Miss Heartfilia. I'm going to hope and assume that you're not here to tell me that you've accepted Gray's girly declarations of love?"

Lucy flashed a quick smile at his teasing, and then became serious. "No. I wish it was that simple. Err, the other day, I came across a lady who asked if I knew Gray. When I said yes, she said to tell him that Milkovich says hi."

Lyon's smile vanished quickly. "Are you sure...that they said Milkovich?"

"Positive," Lucy answered.

He glanced to Gray, who explained, "We went back to where she'd seen the woman, but the descriptions we picked up and the magic still in the area didn't match Ur. It couldn't have been her anyways...necromantic magic wouldn't have brought her back in a way that would allow her to walk among people without wreaking havoc."

Lucy hugged her arms. "We haven't figured out anything else on the matter, but I figured you should know."

"Thank you," Lyon said quietly. "I appreciate it, Lucy."

Lucy only smiled and returned to Natsu's side, leaning into him for a moment when he glanced at her curiously. "What was that about?" he demanded.

"Nothing," she answered and then beamed as the ship came into sight.

* * *

 _And Tenrou has officially begun! A lot will happen in this little arc, so be ready, my friends!_

 _Thanks to reviewers! Seriously, I never thought I'd ever hit three thousand on anything! (Typhlosion8, LePengwen, brooke215, niyah606, Kagome Lady of Darkness, the Age of Awesomeness, Guest #1, TigerArrowgirl, FireDragonPhia, NaluLuva23, ToastedWeirdBrain, Guest #2, thebooknerdgeek, RandomAnimeNerd, Guest #3, Guest #4, Dragondancer81, Katie Dragneel, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Kitten1318, Abdltf, quite-a-riot, Lady of Eldritch Literature, MirrorFlame, OOANDISAOO, TaylorNReed, sassykitten1701, and DarthGranger!) Thanks to those who favorited and followed, too!_

 _And, as a bonus...have a sneak peak of the latest chapter I just wrote!_

* * *

 _ **Preview of Chapter 159...**_

* * *

 _The blonde moaned, and then looked over when Charle suddenly gasped, her eyes going blank and searching the empty air. "Charle?" Wendy said anxiously, her eyes filling with concern when she recognized what was happening._

 _For some reason, Jellal recognized it, too. He set his cup down and studied Charle closely. "...a vision."_

 _When Charle snapped out of it after a good moment or so, her gaze found Lucy's first._

 _Her paw lifted and covered her mouth, tears filling her eyes._

 _"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "The blood...it was...oh, no…"_

No way to turn… There was smoke everywhere, filling her mouth, her eyes, her throat. A scream left her lips as she sobbed over the crumpled body beneath her, its eyes staring blankly at nothing as blood pooled around it. A shift of imagery, and a woman appeared. Her soft skin was slicked with her own blood, one arm gone. An agonized scream from a man as he fell to his knees beside the woman who knelt there in shock. A woman thrown back, hair fluttering around her as magic rushed through her veins, burning her from the inside out...a flurry of panic as people fought for their lives...a dark smile...the roaring of creatures that no longer walked the earth…

The look on a black-haired man's face as something new emerged from the white light.

Lucy's face, soaked in tears as she sang a song of defeat.

A man of black and white rising from among the ashes, a blank-looking girl at his side.

The scent of death on the air.

 _The next few words that Charle uttered chilled each and every one of them to the bone:_

 _"We're all going to die."_


	131. Chapter 131

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

 _May 29th, X775_

 _Once upon a time, there was a girl who learned the magic of the stars. The girl was taught by the Spirit King himself, and became known as one of the most powerful women in her time - a time where women with power were rarely respected unless they were able to kill men of higher power than themselves. It was a rough time period for all._

 _For dragons ran rampant. Anyone who was capable of destroying one of them were respected and she proved herself several times over, using her magic to seal these dragons away._

 _At the same time, a human man came to know the magic of dragons, labeled as a dragon slayer when he used it to slay them. They hated one another, he and the woman of the stars, but with time, grew fond._

 _I'll cut the story short, my dear, I know you read this story and wonder what the hell your mother is talking about. Yes, Lucy, I'm addressing you in the middle of my diary. I want you to read this eventually, so…_

 _What happened, you ask? This is the story of none other than our ancestor, Anna Heartfilia, and Acnologia. Igneel told me the truth behind Acnologia. Anna loved him dearly, and for her, he agreed to a request. Prophecies have been told about something stronger than dragons. He agreed to be sealed away for countless years so that he could kill it._

 _Things went wrong; time moved on and he awoke when it awoke. He learned of the death of Anna and went crazed with grief, turning into a dragon after slaughtering dozens of them. Yes; Acnologia was once a human._

 _My point is this: don't promise something you can't keep._

 _Moral of the story, right?_

 _Igneel made a request of me today that breaks my heart; but I owe him for saving Lucy, and he has come to collect. I think I might agree. Forgive me for the things that so soon must be done._

 _~Layla_

Lucy set the diary aside after marking her place, stunned by the entry. Loke, who stood nearby, plucked it up and sent it back to his Realm with a flick of his fingers before going to train with Gray, leaving Lucy alone since Natsu was running around at full speed with Happy zooming after him.

She took a deep breath, touching the scarf that Natsu had entrusted to her while he worked out.

Acnologia and her ancestor had loved one another deeply, if what he'd done for one another was proof enough. But what caught her attention was the addition at the end of the page…

 _Forgive me for the things that so soon must be done._

A part of her mother's song. And it concerned her; what other parts of it were true?

She was effectively dragged out of her thoughts when a sweaty Natsu came jogging over, his onyx eyes sparkling as he grinned down at the blonde. She'd been sitting in the shade of the beach under a tree after sleeping on the ship the night before.

They had approximately an hour before Makarov called them together, and she was nervous. Loke had reassured her that he'd be there if something life-threatening happened, but other than that, she was on her own when it came to him.

"You okay?" Natsu panted. Happy perched himself in his partner's pink hair.

"Yeah," Lucy reassured, smiling up at him. He offered a hand and she accepted it, letting him pull her up. "I'm fine."

"Good," he hummed. He helped her brush the sand from her, careful not to touch her in ways that weren't exactly welcomed, and then propped his hands on his hips. She eyed his sweaty chest with interest for a moment before flushing and looking away. He snickered and then told her, "I'm gonna come and relax for a bit so that we're fresh and ready for the exams."

"Smart," she complimented. "We'll get something to eat real fast. Sound good?"

He gave a nod, and then went to retrieve his clothes. She waited patiently for him, touching the whip that Loke Virgo had brought to her upon being summoned when Lucy had been checking in with her Spirits to see if they were ready. She was clothed in Celestial clothing, too.

She was rather fond of the outfit. A black form hugging jacket that cut off at her ribs and buttoned beneath her breasts as well as at her throat covered a white tank top that was made of a strange material that seemed to repel fire while showing off her bountiful chest. She'd been given a pair of jean shorts as well as some thigh-high boots. A belt had been added for her to hook her whip and keys onto.

Virgo had pulled hair into a high ponytail as she'd told her, _"Use the heels of your boots to grind your opponents into dust, Princess."_

Lucy still wasn't sure what to think of that, as she'd thrown a particularly fierce look in Loke's direction before returning to her Realm.

Natsu came back, clothed, and Lucy unwound the scarf from her neck, gently handing it back. He flashed her a grin as he wrapped it around his own.

Natsu had decided to wear simple clothes that would give him easy movement - the pants he seemed to wear with everything and a T-Shirt. She'd questioned the sandals; he'd shrugged and complained that he didn't like shoes that covered his toes.

She'd chosen not to question it again.

It was while they were eating that Makarov bellowed for his brats to gather.

Still shoving food down his mouth, Natsu led Lucy over and she smiled at the anxious Levy, who smiled back. The S-Class mages had gone to do whatever they'd been told to do already, and that included Jellal and Mavis.

Makarov waited until the cats had come to stand beside him before speaking.

"Noon's come and it's time for your exam to begin!"

He received only silence from the rest of them, no one moving a muscle except to shiver in anticipation. They were all well-rested, ready to get started. Lucy glanced around, noticing that Wendy was lightly gripping Juvia's sleeve in a sign of nervousness, that Gajeel had an elbow on Levy's head. Freed and Bickslow exchanged a look of confidence; Gray's eyes were determined as he smirked in her direction, and Loke looked like a cat watching a mouse as Makarov continued.

"In the trees behind me," he said, gesturing to them. "There are a series of numbered tunnels. There are five of them. Within the tunnels is your first challenge. I won't state what it is, but I don't know the order of the tunnels and will randomly be handing out numbers. Team Natsu, one. Gray and Loke, two. Juvia and Wendy, three. Gajeel and Levy, four. Finally, Freed and Bickslow, five. When you find your numbered tunnel, go into it, and your challenge awaits."

"Good luck!" Happy cried, snapping his wings out and zipping up into the air. The other cats followed suit.

Natsu grinned up at him, and then playfully grabbed Lucy's arm and hauled her forward. "Come on, let's get going!"

The others followed suit, chattering excitedly amongst themselves.

Makarov watched them go with a nearly evil look in his eyes, cackling under his breath. "I can't wait to see who gets Erza…"

* * *

When they arrived at the tunnels, the group stopped to study them before Freed and Bickslow broke off towards the tunneled labeled with their number. "Goodbye, nakama!" Bickslow laughed. "See ya on the other side!"

Lucy giggled, and then wished Levy luck as Gajeel dragged her towards theirs. "Good luck, Wendy, Juvia!" she called, and then let Natsu guide her into their own. He slipped his hand into hers when it became too dark to see, lighting a flame in his palm. "I hope this isn't too bad," she muttered.

He flashed her a grin. "Nah, we got this handled."

She returned the smile.

They followed the tunnel for what seemed like ages before it began to widen, and suddenly, they were in a cavern. It took only seconds of staring at Mavis, who was seated on a rock with her slim legs swinging to realize just what kind of challenge they were going to complete, and she groaned, burying her face in her hands.

Natsu came to the same solution and grinned evilly at the horrified looking Jellal.

"I'm all fired up now," Natsu snickered, slamming flaming fists against one another.

"Figures," Jellal murmured, and then smirked, magic gathering in his hands. "Challenge number one, defeat an S-Class mage. Mavis predicts that only three teams will pass this part."

"Well it won't be whoever got Erza," Natsu muttered, shivering.

Lucy agreed.

* * *

"This darkness is ridiculous," Gray muttered, stumbling over a rock as he and Loke navigated their tunnel.

Loke chuckled. "To you. I can see just fine. Rock-"

Gray hopped on one foot, swearing colorfully. "Thanks," he said bitingly, "For your help in directing me."

Loke shrugged. "I warned you ahead of time, you just didn't listen fast enough." He focused on something ahead of them. "This way, we're almost through." He grinned. "I can see an exit."

It took minutes to reach the exit that Loke had mentioned, and when they did reach it, both eagerly stepped into the lit cavern on the other side.

It was large and beautiful, with a small stream running through it. Large boulders lined the wall, and sitting no one of these large boulders was none other than Erza. Several swords were being twirled between her fingers, and when she looked up, she smiled largely. "Gray, Loke. This'll be interesting."

They merely stared at her in mute horror.

* * *

Juvia was nervous about peeking around into the cavern, but Wendy didn't hesitate, trusting that the guildmaster wouldn't put them in immediate danger. She smiled faintly over her shoulder at the water mage, and then focused on what was inside.

Wendy's stomach dropped as Juvia came to stand beside her. "G-Gildarts," she said faintly, nervous.

He stood in the center of the cave, arms crossed across his chest. He smiled kindly in response to her fear, winking at them. "Hey, Wendy. Juvia. Nice to see ya again."

Juvia swallowed thickly. "Juvia thinks that Juvia knows what's going to happen."

"Oh?" Gildarts gave her a playful look. "And what's that?"

Wendy drooped. "We don't stand a chance, do we."

"Not really, no," Gildarts chuckled. "But due to my magic, I'll be working differently. So we'll see if you pass or fail. Ready?"

Wendy glanced to Juvia, who took a deep breath and then gave a curt nod.

"Let's do this."

* * *

"Shit," was all Gajeel could say as Laxus studied them with an unimpressed look. He didn't want to be there - that had been obvious from the beginning. But now he had someone to beat on, and Gajeel didn't appreciate the fact that it was his girlfriend.

Levy didn't seem all that bothered, though, simply smiling in a friendly way at Laxus as her mind booked it for ways to defeat him. "I get it," she said after a moment. "Beat an S-Class mage. Come on, Gajeel, you beat the hell out of a lot of people who are probably stronger than S-Class."

"They weren't lightning mages. Do you know how hard it is when your magic immediately grabs its attention?"

"Good. You can do that, I'll do the rest." She kissed his cheek playfully. "Now stop standing around," she added when lightning began to cackle around Laxus. "And let's get this show on the road."

* * *

"Don't think," Mirajane hummed as she examined her nails, her demonic appearance drawing nothing but terror from Freed and Bickslow. "That because you're on my boyfriend's team means that I'll go easy on you two." She gave them a huge shark-like smile.

"C-come on, Mira," Bickslow pleaded, backing up as she stepped closer, the tail that came with her transformation waving behind her. "Th-there's no need t-to-"

Mirajane stopped dead in her tracks as Freed suddenly murmured something, entrapping her in circle of runes. There was a moment of silence, and then she gave a wicked grin.

"You were saying?" Freed asked Bickslow calmly as he huffed out a sound of relief.

"Nothing," Bickslow muttered. Then he grinned. "Ready, babies?"

"Ready!" the dolls floating around him echoed.

He and Freed ready for battle as Mirajane stepped out of the circle.

* * *

She let the orb roll along her shoulders, balancing it easily once it reached one hand. And then she tipped, letting it do the same until she'd caught it with her other hand. A pair of thoughtful dark eyes watched her movements, and then the owner asked softly, "Ul-"

"Ultear," she corrected hatefully, her voice nasty and sharp. "Don't you dare call me that name again."

"Ultear," she corrected with a regretful tone. She hated when Ultear shouted at her. "Are you sure that this is what we should do…? There's many innocent people involved with this…"

"We have one goal, and one goal only. The only time Tenrou Island is accessible is during the S-Class exams that Fairy Tail holds," Ultear said patiently. "So yes. This is what must be done so that we may do as we've been aiming to do for a while, Meredy."

Meredy pressed her lips together, tucking long pink locks out of her face before she questioned softly, "How do we even know that what we're looking for is here? Tenrou's home to many, _many_ things, and if we unleash the wrong one…"

"Because he sent word himself. He's ready." Ultear studied the island from the window of the plane they were seated in, and then glanced back at the other people that did various things as they awaited the order to attack.

They were all just as bored and eager, and from where he was standing in the cockpit, their leader smirked and eagerly studied the island beneath them.

 _Soon._

* * *

 _Here we go, guys! ;) Welcome to the S-Class exams!_

 _We hit 3k reviews Friday to those who were questioning the bonus chapter! It was your gift! XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, TigerArrowgirl, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, NaLu and InuKag, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Typhlosion8, Dragondancer81, JT AMADEUS1342, FireDragonPhia, Lordshuvra, kacceber, and MirrorFlame!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _Reviews are messed up for me, so if I missed your user, sorry!_


	132. Chapter 132

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

When the first blow came, Lucy wasn't ready, but Natsu was. He blocked Jellal's magic with a Fire Dragon's Roar, and Lucy yanked her whip free while she had the chance, summoning the first Spirit her fingers touched.

Gemini sprang into existence with a cheerful cry of "Piri!"

"Hello, Miss Lucy!" Gemi sang.

"Hello," echoed Mini.

Lucy smiled kindly at her Spirits, fond of them, and ordered, "Transform into the first person that you think might help Natsu. We're trying to beat down Jellal, but we're trying to not kill this time. Okay?"

"Of course!" Gemini cried, and then hugged one another. Lucy blinked a few times when they took on the appearance of none other than herself. They beamed at her with gleaming dark eyes. "If we combine magic," the Spirit told her, "We can share our magic to use Urano Metria, Miss Lucy! It will preserve your own strength for later in the exams!"

"...that is a brilliant idea," Lucy agreed, flashing them a grin. Not that she knew how to share magic, but she felt that Gemini would guide her through the action.

Natsu's fire flickered all over the place, and Jellal ducked his head, feeling the singing heat that came with it. It was hot enough to hurt, but not hot enough to leave a burn; even if they'd fought as enemies once, Jellal was now nakama, and something told the heavenly body mage that Natsu had accepted the idea for a while now.

He grinned to himself as Natsu bellowed more fire at him, and both acknowledged the fact that Lucy was attempting something with a quick glance to...two blondes? Jellal was momentarily confused, but then focused and used his magic with a quick movement, golden light spilling from his fingers to attack Natsu at his bidding.

Natsu ignored the sting of a scratch that opened on his cheek, instead swerving to avoid another that would have knocked him out entirely. He laughed, excited by the fact that he got to fight against Jellal, and he even flashed a cocky grin at Mavis when she giggled, amused by the fighting she was watching.

She'd already determined who would win, but she wasn't about to tell them who would.

"Abyss Break," Jellal suddenly said.

"Shit," Natsu swore, diving at Lucy and slamming her and Gemini into the floor of the cave, entirely breaking their focus and earning a snarl on Lucy's part. A split second later, magic slammed through the space they'd been in, crashing into the wall of the cavern. Lucy guessed that it was held aloft by a special sort of magic when it didn't give way.

Natsu shot to his feet, flaming furiously, and Gemini giggled before suddenly pressing its lips to Lucy's forehead after dragging them both into a sitting position. "This'll be faster," it reported, and Lucy closed her eyes as warmth spread through her - warmth and energy. "Try that, Miss Lucy," Gemini told her as it sprang apart.

"Right," Lucy mumbled, slightly shocked by the amount of pure _power_ she could feel at her fingertips. She turned to face the battle, whip coiled around her wrist as she brought just a fraction of the magic to the forefront of her mind. She closed her eyes, focusing as Natsu and Jellal fired blow after blow at one another.

And then her eyes snapped wide, glowing gold.

"Urano Metria."

Natsu dove out of the way when the orbs began to swirl around them, launching themselves at the amused Jellal. "What the hell, Luce!" he shouted over the roar of magic that filled the air, endless and powerful. "When did you start doing this?"

Lucy didn't answer, pressing her lips together until her spell had finished and a bruised and battered Jellal stood there. He looked pleasantly surprised that she'd done such damage, and Lucy grinned at her partner. "Like I said last night. I've been working on and off with my Spirits."

Natsu grinned at her with a ridiculously silly smile, proud of her for such accomplishments. She merely winked back before focusing on Jellal again.

To her surprise, the blue-haired man gave a breathless laugh and doubled over. He planted his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Mavis," Jellal said, glancing her way. "Be honest. They were going to pass from the second you thought about it."

Mavis merely smiled at him and kicked her feet. "Of course. Lucy Heartfilia's spell wasn't something I expected, though...congratulations, you've surprised me." She turned her green gaze on the slightly disappointed Natsu. Her eyes studied him, and then lit with amusement. "Have no worries, Natsu Dragneel. You did very well considering you were at a disadvantage. You exhausted too much energy when training earlier today. You'll have many more chances to beat people up."

Natsu blinked, and then relaxed, giving her a grin. Then he turned to Jellal with sparkling onyx eyes and told him, "You fought like a real guy this time. You didn't do any dirty tricks. I didn't have to use Dragon Force. And Lucy didn't have to throw ya off the side of a building so there's that."

Jellal's gaze flashed with a look he couldn't place, and then he smiled gently at the blonde. "You both did well." He staggered out of their way, grimacing. He'd be in pain for a while; he'd taken a heavy beating from Natsu's powerful attacks and Lucy's spell. "Follow the path out of the cave and meet Makarov on the other side. If someone else has passed, they'll be there as well. You'll have time to rest, eat, and do whatever you want until he gives you the next task."

"What about you, Jellal?" Lucy questioned curiously, making him chuckle.

"Mavis and I will join you shortly." To her surprise, he dropped to the ground, sitting there with a wry smile. "I need to catch my breath." He took a deep breath, shaking his head to clear it of the cold little whispers that filled his mind as they had for months now.

Mavis smiled kindly at them. "I'll watch him," she promised, coming to stand beside Jellal.

Natsu still looked uncertain, but Lucy touched his arm and he simply lit a flame in his palm. "...alright," he agreed. He grabbed Lucy's wrist and then hauled her towards the exit, pausing to glance over his shoulder with a frown. He watched silently as Jellal flinched and brought a hand to his head. Mavis looked anxiously down at him, murmuring something even he couldn't hear.

But Natsu didn't question it.

Instead, he turned away and set his gaze forward, eyes full of determination.

He had an exam to finish, after all.

* * *

"Loke!"

Lucy looked pleased to see her Spirit when they finally found the exit not too much later. She abandoned a slightly annoyed looking dragon slayer in favor of jogging over to where the exhausted and haunted looking Lion was sitting, a smug look on his face. A bandage had been wrapped around his head, making his already somewhat wild hair stick up.

"Lucy," he greeted warmly. "I take it Natsu passed?"

"Against Jellal." Lucy grinned. "Gray, too?"

The look that crossed Loke's face made her giggle. "Against Erza. Barely. He's currently napping." He jerked his chin in the direction of a tree. Gray was curled up beneath it, entirely passed out with scratches all over him and a nasty bruise forming. "I don't envy whoever got Mira…"

Lucy shuddered, and then glanced up when Natsu called for her. Makarov stood behind him, a kind smile on his face, and Lucy flushed and hurried over, waving to Loke.

"Both of you did very well," Makarov praised proudly. "Congratulations. We'll wait on the others to join us before I state the next set of instructions. I'll leave the four of you to rest as you want. Erza's already begun preparing a lunch for everyone," he added, gesturing over his shoulder to where the scarlet-haired woman was humming and cooking over an open fire with ease.

Lucy beamed at him, and then glanced over when Natsu said eagerly, "We get to fight S-Class again? I wanna fight Gildarts."

Makarov rolled his eyes and chose not to answer before going to sit in the shade to wait on the others.

Natsu flashed Lucy a grin. "You were badass, Luce. That spell was a hard one, right?"

Lucy only smiled tiredly. Despite Gemini's magic sharing, she felt ready to sleep. Her stamina had certainly increased since Loke had first taught her the spell, but she was far from using it on a regular basis. "It wasn't anything special. Besides, you did most of the work."

Natsu snickered and then nudged her with his shoulder. "C'mon. I'm gonna steal the fire from Erza."

"You have fun with that, I'm going over to sit with Gray and probably copy his idea," Lucy sighed, shaking her head and affectionately reaching up to push his wild pink hair out of his eyes. She frowned; it was getting long, she noted. Maybe Cancer could cut it…?

He merely gave her a childish grin that was ridiculously wide as she spiked it up for him with gentle fingers, and then dropped her hands. "Thanks, Luce!" he said cheerfully, pecking her on the cheek before darting off to pester Erza like he'd originally planned.

The blonde clapped a hand over her cheek, dark eyes wide with surprise.  
They hadn't really discussed dating or anything similar since their last date, and it had surprised her quite a bit, but…

She smiled to herself, ignoring Loke's sound of disgust as she went to sit beside Gray in the shade. Her dark-haired friend opened an eye to peer sleepily at her before closing it again.

Erza only chuckled under her breath, pretending to not notice the flushed look on Natsu's face.

* * *

It seemed like forever before the small group was joined by Jellal and Mavis, as well as a fairly disappointed Freed and Bickslow. Mirajane wore a sympathetically kind look on her face as she explained to Makarov, "They couldn't get past me. I do recommend that they be nominated next year, though."

"One pair that didn't make it," Mavis mused from where she stood beside Makarov. "I estimate that one more won't make it. More than likely the one who was forced up against Gildarts."

From where he was listening beneath the shade of the tree beside his napping nakama, Natsu glanced up. Levy and Gajeel as well as Juvia and Wendy had yet to make an appearance. Which meant one of them was against Gildarts.

He glanced to where Lucy was dozing away, her back just barely brushing his leg. He snickered; and she'd been complaining about him coming to sit with them. Gray was still passed out nearby and Natsu couldn't help but feel for the guy.

Erza was a damn good reason to sleep.

"We did it!"

Levy's voice screeching words had Lucy jerking upright with a yelp, blearily trying to hunt down the source of the loud sound. Natsu smirked at her confusion and then glanced over as the singed solid-script mage excitedly looked up at her grouchy and exhausted boyfriend. Laxus snorted, pushing past them to go and find something to eat, and Mirajane excitedly trailed after him, asking how they'd done.

Lucy dropped back down into the grass, groaning. "Tell Levy I say good job," she mumbled. She rolled over, fingers latching into Natsu's pants and hiding her face against his leg. He tensed, uncertain, and then relaxed, reaching out to ruffle her hair with a warm look.

"Where's Lily?" Levy demanded excitedly, looking around for the cat, and Makarov chuckled before answering.

"The cats are a part of the next challenge. Don't worry about it just yet. We need to wait for Juvia and Wendy first-"

"Don't worry about that, Master," a voice cut in, and Natsu's gaze snapped up. Gildarts came into view with a smile on his face. "Looks like we've got ourselves another pair of winners here. Juvia and Wendy passed. We'll need a few hours to rest though; Wendy's knocked out from helping Juvia. Poor kid tried really hard."

Mavis looked stunned. "...four teams passed? Only three were going to…" She looked exceptionally worried about this. "My calculations are never wrong."

"I told them that they didn't have to actually defeat me," Gildarts explained. "I came up with it on the way to Tenrou. If they could land a blow on me that was hard enough to make me flinch, they could pass."

Mavis relaxed. "You didn't inform me; I couldn't put that into my calculations." She smiled, entirely happy again. "Makarov can arrange for more rest time and we'll call the cats back for now. Lucy Heartfilia and Gray Fullbuster need it as well, I believe. A mere few hours of napping won't be good for then; we wouldn't want anyone collapsing and needing medical care."

Makarov agreed with this and glanced back to where the trio of mages were resting in the shade, smiling in amusement at the sight of Natsu simply watching them with a hand resting on the sleeping Lucy's head. He narrowed his eyes, recognizing the laughter in Makarov's, and then glared out right when Gildarts snickered.

"Ah, young love," Gildarts said wistfully.

"Love is important," Mavis said, her voice soft and full of surprising pain. Her emerald eyes seemed to be looking at something that they couldn't see. "Never let go of it. For it will get you through the hardest of times. If it is a true love, anyway. Bad love is something that creates unnecessary evil."

They all murmured their agreement and Natsu grumbled tiredly.

 _Stupid old people_.

* * *

From where he dozed in a field, he studied the beautiful blue sky, an arm thrown over his forehead to try and offer a little shade. There was no sign of life in the meadow, and it hurt him to admit it. He hadn't meant to, really. He'd have to wait years now before coming back and seeing if he could rest there again, like he had with her so long ago.

Crimson eyes fluttered shut so he didn't have to see the meadow of death.

He felt the air shifting around him, full of new magic and some old.

He recognized some of it. Times were changing, he realized, opening his eyes again and staring upwards.

Something told him that he wouldn't be allowed such lovely peace for much longer.

* * *

 _Gotta have some fluff in there every now and then, eh? Sorry about no seen fighting between anyone else - I felt like it would take too long to get to the important bits. ;) GMG will be different, I promise._

 _Holy fuck the most recent FT chapter gave me a goddamn heart attack._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, Sydneste, Typhlosion8, Lordshuvra, CharonteQueen, RandomAnimeNerd, Tobias97, zachfikes7, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, OOANDISAOO, Fullmetal Pyromaniac, niyah606, sassykitten 1701, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Dragondancer81, JT AMADEUS1342, MirrorFlame, TaylorNReed, TigerArrowgirl, and Abdltf!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	133. Chapter 133

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

It was late in the evening when Lucy opened her eyes again, awakened by something she wasn't certain of. Exhausted, she blearily opened her eyes, and then flushed when she realized that she was where she'd fallen asleep. Natsu had passed out, curled around her with his chin resting lightly against her head and an arm slung over her.

She turned crimson when she saw the sleepy Mirajane smiling at them with a kind look. Pressing a finger to her lips, she murmured, "I was just giving you two a blanket. Don't worry, I won't say anything. Mostly everyone else is asleep, too." She glanced over her shoulder, smiling gently.

Lucy yawned and whispered tiredly back, "Thanks, Mira. Where's Happy?"

"He's sleeping with Lisanna," she reassured. She affectionately pushed Natsu's hair from his face, and then touched Lucy's cheek. "Rest. You guys will need it for tomorrow. We'll be starting stage two of the exams, and Master wants everyone at full strength."

"Kay." Lucy gave her a smile, and then without hesitation, closed her eyes, squirming closer to the warm heat that Natsu's body offered. He stirred, readjusting himself so that he was comfortable, and then relaxed, making a happy sound in the back of his throat.

Mirajane laughed softly and left them to rest, returning to where Laxus was studying the campfire that Natsu had lit earlier in the evening. Makarov was settled beside him, along with Mavis and Gildarts. "I think Natsu will be one of the two spots we give out," she hummed.

"Let's see if he can use his head first," Laxus drawled.

Mavis only giggled, emerald eyes knowing as she looked up towards the beautiful stars above. "We'll see," was all she said.

* * *

When Lucy woke up again, it was bright out, there was the smell of food in the air, and Natsu was gone. She attributed that last one to the second; Natsu would have been awake the second he smelled food.

Yawning, she climbed to her feet and headed over to where the group was. Mirajane was smiling happily as she dished out food for everyone to have, and when Lucy glanced around, she found Natsu sitting with Erza, Gray, Juvia, and Wendy alongside Happy and Charle, cheerfully shoving his mouth full as Happy devoured a fish. Natsu caught her eye and waved, laughing happily. "Morning, Luce!"

She only flushed and turned to accept a plate of food with a word of thanks from Mirajane, who winked and sent her on her way.

"Morning," she greeted as she joined her team. Wendy beamed happily, and Juvia echoed her while Happy crawled into her lap. Lucy hungrily dug into her breakfast as she explained to Gray, "Sorry about Loke disappearing last night, he'll be back. He can't stay out of the Celestial Realm for more than a certain amount of time. I'll call for him here in a bit."

He flashed her a grin. "Thanks, Lucy." He took a bite of some bacon, crunching down happily. He shot Juvia and Wendy a smile. "Good job on getting past Gildarts by the way."

Wendy blushed, looking down at her empty plate. "It was hard," she admitted. "Even with me amplifiying Juvia's moves and fighting myself."

"All of you did well," Erza praised. Her eyes glowed with pride. "We were all very impressed with you. Jellal complimented you quite a bit, Natsu and Lucy. He says that your teamwork was impeccable, and that Lucy managed to catch him by surprise with Urano Metria. Have you been practicing?"

"A little," Lucy said, embarrassed by the praise but proud of herself at the same time. "Natsu did most of the work so that I could have the time to prepare it, and I had to share magic with Gemini or something similar so I didn't pass out mid-spell…"

"I'm amazed he held up that well against both of you." Gray tilted his head a bit, studying her curiously. "Isn't that the spell you used against the Oracion Seis?"

Lucy flinched at the reminder of the Oracion Seis, not exactly excited to be looking back at that part of her life when she'd just begun to get over the nightmares that had plagued her for so long. "Yes. When I escaped with the Clock's hand. I, uh, took Cobra's eye out with it."

"Damn, Luce," Natsu snickered. He didn't seem too concerned about the matter, though he, too, seemed uncomfortable about being reminded of it all. He reached out to steal a piece of food from her plate, and her gaze darkened irritably. She glared at him, and he shrugged, pulling back.

Happy suddenly spoke up, voice muffled from a mouthful of fish. "Charle and I have to go soon," he told them, exchanging a knowing look with Charle. "We have to get ready for the next thing, too."

Erza gave a nod. "As will I. We'll leave shortly, Happy, Charle. I'll accompany you both to your intended locations and then go to my own."

"Thank you," Charle said with a look of faint relief, "I don't believe I'd like to deal with any of the creatures that roam this place alone."

"I'll protect you," Happy offered, making them all shake their heads in amusement.

The group chattered for a short while, Juvia surprisingly at ease despite the conversation that Lucy and Gray fell into about how Loke was doing when working with him. She merely chatted with Wendy as they planned their next move, and Natsu eavesdropped on Gray and Lucy in an attempt to figure out what the ice-make mage was going to try.

It wasn't too long before someone clearing their throat caught their attention and they looked up to find a quietly smiling Jellal standing before them. "It's time for us to head out," he explained to Erza and the cats. "Makarov's going to call the participants to explain here shortly, so we'll have to hurry."

"Right," Erza said, standing quickly. "Come on, Happy, Charle, let's go."

"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered. He beamed at Natsu, who winked in response, and then let Ezra scoop him out of Lucy's lap. "Good luck, Natsu and Lucy!" Happy called as she carried them away, only a step behind Jellal. Mavis was nowhere in sight, but Lucy would have guessed she was around somewhere, watching over Jellal with care.

Natsu flopped onto his back with a smug smirk as Lucy dug out Loke's key and summoned him quickly, deciding he might as well be out now. He appeared in the usual flash of light, pushing the shades he wore further up on his nose and crossing his arms across his T-shirt-clad chest afterwards. "Hey, Princess."

"Loke," she replied, shaking her head in amusement when Natsu shot him an annoyed look. Gray waved him over, and Loke grinned, dropping to sit beside him so they could discuss their next plans.

It wasn't too long before Makarov's shout filled the air. "Alright, brats, c'mon over!"

The four remaining teams all sprang up from where they were relaxing, eagerly gathering around Makarov as quickly as they could. Gajeel muttered something to Natsu and the pink-haired fire mage glared viciously at him, but then focused on Makarov when he began to speak.

"It's time for the second exam to begin." He grinned at the looks of eagerness on their faces. "Hidden somewhere on the island are the three cats. Each has a message that is unique to them. Defending them are various mages, and the rest are scattered throughout the island. I won't state who is where, but Freed and Bickslow have joined in to help. Gildarts chose to remain, as did everyone else. Mavis will be with Jellal as always. All mages have a certain radius of space that they are required to stay in due to a spell performed by Freed."

He waved behind him. "Each cat's message will clue you into the next destination, and it'll require a bit of puzzle thinking. First come, first serve. The last one there will be eliminated from the exams, leaving three teams. I will be waiting at the location and should you try to follow me, I'll automatically expel you from this year's exam." He gave all of the dragon slayers a sharp look, earning grumbling and a blush.

"The cats' scents have all been erased by spells that Erza helped me with," he explained. "Now. Get going! Before I kick your asses back to the guildhall!"

* * *

"Oh, gross!" Lucy muttered, making a face and slipping her shoe off to try and shake the mud off of it. Disgust fluttered across her face as she looked at it. "I hate mud. Are we almost done here?"

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Girls and their hatred of mud," he grumbled, not seeming bothered by the oozing gunk around him as he sloshed through it.

"Don't say that around Erza, or she'll kick your ass," Lucy warned, and then summoned Horologium and simply slid inside to hide from the mud that she so desperately hated. The Spirit that she so rarely summoned seemed amused by her decision but said nothing.

Leaving the glass open so that she could speak, Lucy asked, "Do you really think Happy's this way? What if it's Charle or Lily? Or no one?"

"I'm certain that it's him," Natsu said firmly. "I'd recognize my little buddy's presence anywhere." He flashed her a grin, and then suddenly straightened, going on alert when he heard the crack of a twig. Narrowing his eyes, he wrinkled his nose and tried to draw in scents, but the water and mud screwed it up and he found himself simply watching.

"What's wrong?" Lucy said quietly.

"Someone's close," he answered with a curious voice. "Do you have your whip?"

Lucy flicked it slowly, letting flames that she'd snatched from him swirl down the weapon. "Yes. I do." They'd agreed that it'd be better for her to not try and spend so much magic; Horologium wasn't too much of a tug anymore, so it wasn't too bad, but she was determined to not summon a Zodiac unless necessary.

 _Crack!_

Natsu's head snapped around with smoke filtering out of the corner of his mouth. Suddenly, he ducked his head, and a sword snipped a few hairs off, making him grin when he recognized who they were up against.

Erza slunk out of the shadows with sparkling eyes, amused. "Hello, Natsu, Lucy." She'd requipped into a set of armor that Lucy hadn't seen before, and she guessed it was new. She held her hand out and the sword that had come flying flew back into her hand as if called. Lucy sent Horologium back to his Realm as she grabbed another key and snapped her whip out, ready.

"Yes!" Natsu said excitedly. "I get to fight Erza!"

"We," Lucy reminded warily. "I'm still here, don't forget. Too bad I can't summon Loke, although I think he's done enough in regards to trying to get past Erza…" She studied the key she'd taken out and nodded her approval. Capricorn would work. He was particularly good with martial arts and could get in close if Natsu couldn't.

"Loke did well last time, but I've rested and am ready to fight again." Erza suddenly gave a grin that scared the hell out of them, making even Natsu shiver nervously. He faltered for the briefest of moments and then suddenly huffed.

"If Gray can beat you, then I can, too!"

"Ah, well. Gray didn't exactly beat me unconscious, now did he?" Erza's eyes twinkled as she requipped, magic swirling around her as her armor became a different one, one that Lucy recognized as her Fire Empress armor.

An idea sparked and she looked around, searching for something as she put Capricorn's key away and reached for a different one.

Surely if armor could raise her defense against the feeling of fire, then it'd screw with her ability to deflect the opposite?

Natsu attacked first, laughing as he came at her with a blazing fist. Erza didn't hesitate to dodge it and instead went at him with a spear that appeared in her hand. Natsu jerked out of the way to avoid being impaled, and ducked down, sweeping her feet out from under her.

Erza went down, splattering mud, but was immediately back on her feet, catching Natsu with a foot to the jaw. He yelped as he staggered, and then had to avoid a second blow. "Lucy!" he snarled when he realized she hadn't done anything. "What are you-"

Lucy's whip snapped out and wrapped around Erza's wrist before it could knock him roughly in the back of the head. Her eyes glittered as she yanked, dragging the startled woman to the ground, and she hissed, "I'm working on it, calm down!"

Natsu grunted and bellowed out a blast of flame to try and keep Erza's attention on him as she climbed to her feet, her eyes amused as she glanced towards Lucy with a thoughtful look. His demand of attention worked and she turned back to him.

Lucy grinned as she found a pool of clear water. "Open!" she commanded, pushing the key into the water. "Gate of the-"

Before she could finish, the ground shook, and Lucy nearly fell into the water. She tightened her grip to avoid dropping Aquarius' key, and then glanced up. Natsu and Erza had stopped, both covered in mud, and were looking around in confusion. "What was that?"

"Gildarts?" Natsu questioned, looking to Erza,but she shook her head, narrowing her eyes.

"No, I don't believe so…" Erza looked troubled as she lowered her sword. "...I can't leave this area, or I'd go and inspect what's going on…" She frowned. "Will you check it out if I give you Happy's clue?"

"Definitely," Lucy promised as she came to join them, shoving her keys away and curling her whip up. "Something's weird...I feel like something's wrong."

Erza nodded her agreement, and then requipped into a normal outfit, her scarlet hair contrasting sharply with the white blouse she wore. Before she could say anything more, however, there was a large boom, and their heads all snapped up in time to see a red Fairy Tail emblem appear in the sky.

Lucy's heart skipped a beat as she remembered the conversation they'd had on their way there.

 _"We have different color flares in Fairy Tail for various occasions,"_ Makarov had explained. _"White means that one or more of our nakama are severely hurt and need medical attention before we continue with anything. Green means that it's safe in a certain area. Red means that there's enemies surrounding us and that we need to be cautious and prepare ourselves for war."_

Natsu's gaze darkened as Happy came zipping to join them, whimpering anxiously.

Freed's runes disappeared a moment later and the group exchanged a look before bolting in the direction of the flare, their feet slipping in the mud.

* * *

 _And here we go! Things are starting to go badly again, are they not?_

 _To GreenNinja23, who questioned on the addressing of the Nalu relationship...they'll get around to it someday. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Typhlosion8, GreenNinja23, LePengwen, The Age of Awesomeness, Lodemai04, RandomAnimeNerd, zackfikes7, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Abdltf, OOANDISAOO, Dragondancer81, FireDragonPhia, AnimusLunari, quite-a-riot, Alexia Colette, PinkFireandGoldenStars, TaylorNReed, MirrorFlame, Sydneste, T-Tawny, and YankeeSamson!) as we all as those who favorited and followed!_


	134. Chapter 134

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Wendy ignored the pain in her shoulder as she ran through the trees that littered Tenrou Island. She clasped it with her free hand, blood staining her torn shirt and her fingers, but she pretended not to notice as she ducked under a tree, fearfully looking over her shoulder. She was certain that she'd lost them, but fear drove her forward, tears rolling down her cheeks.

She and Juvia had been in the midst of trying to determine where to go when someone had come out of nowhere, slamming Juvia to the ground with a laugh. Juvia had screamed bloody murder, fighting viciously to free herself, but hadn't been strong enough physically to do anything but suddenly turn into a puddle. It had shocked the man enough that she could get away for a moment, and not a second later, Gray and Loke had come storming through the trees to help.

Wendy had been told to go and inform everyone on what was happening after she'd successfully chased off one that had attacked her, and she'd fired off a symbol before going to do as she'd been told.

The red symbol had filled the sky as she'd bolted.

Now, Wendy could barely see straight, her hands shaking as she tripped and then struggled to push herself back to her feet. She darted forward again, using her nose to try and trace _someone_ -

 _Crash!_

Wendy yelped as she hit the ground, stunned. After a few moments, she glanced up, shivering in terror. Her gaze filled with bewilderment and fear as the man looked down at her in equal amounts of surprise and shock. He wasn't too tall - taller than Natsu, for sure - with dark hair and shocked red eyes. His clothes were strange, not modern in any way, and Wendy scampered back a few steps in fear.

"What are you doing here?" the man demanded after a moment, his voice quivering just barely. "You shouldn't be here! No one should be here!"

"Th-this is F-Fairy Tail's land," Wendy stammered. "I…"

His gaze became slitted, and Wendy wanted to cry in fear. She could feel the dark magic rolling off of him. "I'm sorry," she finally managed to whimper. She wanted Charle - or one of the stronger mages with her, reassuring her that he wouldn't be able to lay a hand on her.

He studied her for a moment, then uttered under his breath, "I see...I can feel the others that are here, their magic fills the air...it appears I was right. My peace has come to an end." He straightened, staring her dead in the eye. "Leave. Immediately. Get away from here and don't come near me ever again, is that clear?"

Wendy blinked slowly in confusion, and then nodded slowly. "Um, y-yes. Th-thank you, sir." Without another word, she turned and darted away, shaking.

He watched her leave with unhappy eyes. He had no wish to hurt anyone, but...it appeared that he would not attain peace now that others had arrived. It had been near a century since he'd last seen someone on Tenrou.

He closed his eyes for a few moments, and then snapped them open, grinning maliciously.

 _I wonder if he's here?_

* * *

Mirajane ran through the trees, keeping up with Laxus with ease. Freed and Bickslow weren't far behind, followed closely by Bickslow's dolls. She'd met up with the S-Class mage and the other two after the flare had gone off, and had been worried about what was going on, joining them the second that they'd agreed to investigate.

Suddenly, a dark shape came soaring at them, and Laxus' lightning cackled warningly before dropping when a familiar voice called, "Don't! Fairy Tail!"

Pantherlily dropped into Mirajane's arms with a breathlessly claimed, "Tenrou's been invaded."

"By who?" Bickslow demanded. "This place isn't able to be found by regular humans, and we've put wards up to protect it from other mages-"

"That means nothing when our opponents belong to a dark guild," the cat said darkly and they slowed to a halt, staring at him in shock. Mirajane demanded to know what guild and he said tiredly, "Gildarts claimed they were of Grimoire Heart when I left him to find others."

"Shit," Laxus muttered, "That's not good. Bickslow, Freed, head that way, see if you can find Gramps. C'mon, Mira, they'll have brought the Seven Kin if they invaded Tenrou." His blue eyes were sharp, voice commanding. "Pantherlily, inform everyone who doesn't know if you can find them."

"Right," he agreed, and then shot back into the air, zipping away.

"Be careful, Laxus," Freed muttered to their friend, and then wished them luck before jogging off with Bickslow, Bickslow's dolls streaking after them.

Mirajane took a deep breath, her blue eyes worried for the others that were spread out across the island. But she pushed her fear away in favor of gripping Laxus' wrist and tugging him forward. "Let's go," she murmured. "Maybe we'll find Master on our way."

"Maybe," Laxus said, gaze dark, and then they darted forward again, determined to find their nakama and perhaps deal punishing blows to those who had dared invade their island.

* * *

"The hell are we up here for?" Red eyes glittered with disgust as he studied the headstone before him. It held no indication of who it belonged to, but he doubted he'd care even if he did know. He prodded at it with his finger, and magic snapped at him warningly, hot and angry.

The pink-haired woman beside him sent him a scowl. "Zancrow, don't touch things that don't belong to you."

"Lighten up, Meredy," he muttered, standing. Zancrow cackled to himself when he caught sight of black streaks that twirled in a fancy design throughout the hollow base of the massive tree they were camping out in for the time being and recognized them as ash, easily swiping his finger through one of them. It left a clear trail between one side of the black and another, and he easily popped the digit in his mouth, tasting.

"Ugh," he sneered a second later. "Disgusting. Don't know who made that ash, but it's been there for years."

"Who cares?" Meredy retorted, annoyed with her companion's neverending complaining. She understood he wanted to be out and doing destructive things, but come _on_! She glanced to her silent friend, who was watching the island with glittering eyes. Ultear didn't look any less eager than she had before, and Meredy guessed it was because she was hoping that Gray Fullbuster was somewhere down in the island.

"Ultear," she began, but was cut off by a dramatically sighing man nearby. Rustyrose cut in as if she hadn't been about to speak and Meredy made a sound of frustration.

"I agree, this is so _boring_...I want a turn! I wish to show them the grandness of what my magic can do," he purred. He swept an arm out in a grand manner - and then scowled when Zancrow cackled at his stupidity.

A fairly overweight man that was hiding in the shadows grumbled about something or another, playing with a doll that rested in his hands, and Meredy swept her long pink hair out of her face when the ever patient Azuma spoke, his gaze watching the island with care. "It nearly hurts me to tear this tree down...it's a lovely one."

"Sacrifice is necessary if we are to find our true master," the final person in the small cavern said calmly. Hades studied the headstone before him with a strange glint in his eyes, and Meredy watched him with curiosity. He hadn't taken his eyes off of it from the moment they'd arrived. "Let them squirm for a moment longer," he decided, and they murmured their acceptance of their guildmaster's order.

Meredy walked to the entrance of the cave and crouched, hands resting lightly on her knees. Her dark eyes studied the flickers of movement they could see, and she smiled to herself.

Her smile grew when a few minutes later, Hades ordered, "Meredy."

She let her magic well within her and snap around her dangerously, laughing to herself when the fighting beneath them stopped for the briefest of moments.  
When Hades gave the signal, Zancrow shoved past her with a bellow of laughter, throwing himself into the forest below. Each and every one of them - except for Hades - went to do as they'd been ordered. Meredy lingered beside Ultear for a moment, and then reluctantly went as well.

Ultear smiled to herself as she twirled the orb that rested on her fingertip. "Watch yourself, Master Hades," she hummed. "I'd leave this cave while you can. Something dark resides within it."

"I'll follow shortly," Hades muttered, and Ultear left after that.

Hades took a moment to touch the headstone in silence. "Mavis...your guild will fall. I hope that you are here to see it."

And then he, too, left the cave, his gaze dark with what some might have called evil.

* * *

"Look out!"

Lucy yelped as Happy suddenly slammed into her back, sending her face forward. She hit the ground with a cry of surprise, and both Natsu and Erza whirled back with dark expressions - before they, too, hit the ground and something soared over their head. It struck a tree, and the second that it had, Natsu was on his feet, bellowing out a blast of flames.

"Holy - Natsu! Natsu, stop! It's us!"

Natsu bristled defensively until Gray stepped into view, hands held up in surrender. Lucy groaned, sitting up and glaring at him. "What the hell, Gray?! You don't just throw ice at random people!"

"You don't just throw fire at random people, either," he pointed out and then slid into view. Loke was beside him alongside a bleeding Juvia, a scratch decorating her cheek. Her eyes were wide, worried.

"Have you seen Wendy?" she asked anxiously. "Juvia sent her for help, but-"

"No, we haven't," Erza murmured, worried about their smaller friend. "But I'm sure she'll be alright, Juvia." She narrowed her eyes as she looked around them. "I'm going to see if I can find Jellal and Mavis. Natsu, stay with Lucy and Happy. Gray, take Juvia and start looking for whoever you can find. If you find anything troubling, fire off another red flare. Loke, I'd recommend you take up your old contract and return to your Realm for the time being."

Loke nodded his agreement and told Lucy, "Summon me if you need me, and even if you summon someone else, I'll still come."

"Thanks," she murmured, and then touched his key when he disappeared in a flash of light. She turned her gaze on Natsu, meeting his, and he gave a nod before grabbing her wrist and dragging her away. "Good luck!" she called over her shoulder.

The others echoed her wish, and then went their own separate way.

"Natsu, where are we going?" Lucy called as they ran, her dark eyes wary.

Natsu hesitated before he said darkly, "I can smell the one who was behind that black fire up ahead, Luce. I want to see who it was. Stay close. I don't want you and Happy hurt."

"Well you're not fighting alone," she said firmly, and then yelped when she slammed into his back when he stopped. He shoved her behind him, releasing her wrist, and gave a growl that was more akin to an animal than anything.

Before them stood a man with blond hair that stuck up in every direction and red eyes that glittered with malice. He cackled at the sight of them. "Look at me," he chirped, "Finding the fire mage right off the bat!"

"Lucy," Natsu began, but before he could finish, she stepped out from behind him and cracked her whip in preparation, hand on a key.

"No," she said firmly. "I'm fighting. Happy, stick with me."

"Right," Happy said shakily, and Lucy smiled reassuringly at him.

Natsu hesitated, and then finally shrugged and focused on the situation at hand as another strange voice filled the air, shouting, "Zancrow! Deal with them, I need to go and find Fernandes!"

"No problem," Zancrow shouted back, and Lucy saw a flash of green as the man ran off to find Jellal as he'd said. Zancrow stepped into their view and Lucy stiffened when black flames surrounded his fists, dark and deadly. "Did you like my little gift a while back?"

Natsu curled a lip at the sight of the flames, recognizing them. "Sure. Tasted disgusting. What kind of filth do you eat to create fire that gross?"

Zancrow's smile vanished, and he scowled viciously. "The bones of little girls like your blonde there," was all he said before an inferno of black fire filled the sky around them, and Lucy threw her hands up to block the heat. She shouted a summoning of Taurus, who used his own body to shield both she and Happy so that Natsu could dive through the fire, grinning as he slammed his head against their enemy's.

"What'd you say you eat?" Natsu drawled, reeling back when Zancrow stumbled. "I thought I heard you say that you liked to eat people like my girlfriend, 'cause if that's the case, I'm just going to have to rip you limb from limb."

For the briefest of moments, Natsu's dark look matched the likes of Hades, perhaps even the dark mage Zeref himself. And then Zancrow cackled and dove forward, black fire meeting Natsu's in a swirl of flames that shot high into the sky, creating an explosion that rocked the island.

* * *

 _I'm so excited to post this chapter! We're going to have a TON of nonsense starting now and unlike my other arcs, no breaks in between this one and the next! I'm squealing! You'll be horrified by what I've done!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, TigerArrowgirl, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Lizz Cold 790, PinkFireandGoldenStars, RandomAnimeNerd, LucyMarieHeartfilia, CharonteQueen, Typhlosion8, Dragondancer81, The Age of Awesomeness, Abdltf, sassykitten 1701, YankeeSamson, AnimusLunari777, Lordshuvra, kacceber, TaylorNReed, and FairyRains!) as well as those who followed and favorited!_


	135. Chapter 135

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy's heart raced as she kept Taurus out with a word of thanks, thinking in advance. She glanced over her shoulder, searching for water, and narrowed her eyes when she realized that any water that might have been there had been turned into steam by her partner and their enemy.

"Taurus," Lucy said sharply, aware of Loke's burning key. She guessed that he couldn't get out on his own. The Spirit King had likely put a stop to it, not that she could blame him; they needed to preserve their magic if they could, and she knew that Natsu could deal with this. "Distract this Zancrow guy for Natsu, try to help him get the upper hand."

"Yes, ma'am!" Taurus agreed, launching into action. He dove past the flames as if they didn't affect him - and Lucy had the feeling that Natsu was twisting them so that they didn't harm she or her Spirit. She watched intently, waiting for the perfect moment, and Happy dug his claws into her shoulder when she lunged forward, seeing it.

"Here!" she snarled, lashing out with her whip when Zancrow went to lunge at Natsu. Natsu had seen her move out of the corner of his eye and rather than tripping over himself, the fire mage jumped upwards and came crashing down on his shoulders when her whip wrapped around his ankle and yanked him off balance.

"Ha!" Natsu laughed as he slammed Zancrow's face into the earth. He ripped away when black flames flashed up in anger, and Zancrow slowly climbed to his feet. His nose had been broken, Lucy realized, blood pouring from it, and he wore no sign of a grin now. His red eyes glittering with rage, he suddenly sneered, "Was that supposed to hurt?"

Natsu's flames rose along his arms, his onyx eyes slits as he backed up to stand beside Lucy and Taurus. Lucy frowned when she realized he was panting, his limbs trembling with the effort of staying upright. "Natsu," she whispered, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he growled back. "I'll be fine." Without another word, he suddenly fired off a Fire Dragon's Roar.

They could only watch in horror when Zancrow devoured the flames with ease, shoving his mouth full.

"Heh, your flames are pretty tasty," he taunted, wiping his mouth and ignoring the blood that he smeared. "Tastes like your defeat." He swished something around in his mouth for a few minutes - and then suddenly let loose a raging inferno in their direction.

Natsu swore when Taurus disappeared with a bellow of pain, the fire incinerating him. He copied Taurus' earlier move and blocked the flames, tucking Lucy and Happy safely against his chest and leaving his back unprotected. A laughing Zancrow came flying out of the flames, slamming into them. Lucy cried out when she was crushed beneath Natsu, Happy wailing as he tried to free himself.

Zancrow kicked Natsu away, and he grimaced, spitting blood from where he'd bitten his lip. The blond man laughed and planted a booted foot on Lucy's chest, pinning her after kicking the whip away. "Let's see what you do when I burn the flesh from her bones!"

Lucy narrowed her eyes hatefully and swung a leg up as hard as she could. She nailed Zancrow in the back of the knee, ignoring the black flames that suddenly licked at her face. "Natsu!" she shouted, and he took advantage of the situation, ramming his shoulder into Zancrow's back. Pain exploded through her and she thought she might have heard a crack when Zancrow's weight was thrown onto her chest, but she ignored it, breathless as she rolled onto her stomach.

She could tell that something was wrong, and she gasped, "Happy! I need you to go and get someone to-"

She couldn't even finish before she heard a scream of "Sky Dragon's Roar!" and a whirlwind of wind lashed through the sky and nailed Zancrow hard enough to send him tumbling away from the barely moving Natsu. He couldn't even manage a greeting, exhausted.

Wendy appeared beside Lucy and Happy, her chest moving up and down as she panted for breath. Her dark eyes were full of rage, her lips pulled into a snarl that didn't look normal on her usually sweet face. "Natsu!" she cried, "He's taking your fire! You should be empty!"

Understanding flashed across his face, and he rolled onto his back as Zancrow inhaled.

This time, the blast didn't work.

This time, Natsu opened his mouth and slurped up as much as the fire as he could. The trembling in his limbs went away and he threw himself to his feet without hesitation, smirking as he cracked his neck. "Thanks, Wendy!" he called. "I owe ya one! Help Lucy, and then get you two out of here! I've got him. Happy, you're with me!"

"Aye, sir!" the blue cat purred, zipping over to cling to Natsu's shoulder as he began to exchange blows with Zancrow again. He hid with ease, dodging every swipe that Natsu didn't, and Lucy gawked before looking to Wendy.

She smiled faintly. "I could see the fire," she said, dropping to her knees to investigate what kind of damage had been done. "He cracked your sternum," she muttered, making a face. She used her magic to fix it as quickly as she could, admitting that she shouldn't have needed to had they been safe. "You shouldn't be moving at all, but I guess the adrenaline would have made sure you did."

"We can't leave Natsu," Lucy said faintly, but she was suddenly caught by surprise when a warm calloused fingers grabbed her chin and turned her gaze upright. A flaming dragon slayer grinned down at her. "I'll be fine," he promised, and then hesitated only a second before pressing a quick kiss to her lips and darting away to deal with Zancrow when Happy warned him that he was back on his feet.

"Let's go," Wendy said softly, grabbing Lucy's wrist and tugging gently on it. Lucy spared a final look over her shoulder, and then shot forward.

She'd see him again.

She knew it.

* * *

Levy ducked under Gajeel's arm with ease, using her magic to try and catch the man attacking them by surprise. The lesser people had left, leaving the higher ups to deal with the situation at hand, and her heart raced as she and her boyfriend worked side by side to fend off the man.

"Levy, look out," Gajeel snarled, shoving her down and ducking himself. After a moment, they were back up and fighting viciously to beat the man who'd introduced himself as Rustyrose down. His magic was never ending, it seemed like, and it frightened Levy more than she cared to admit.

Using her magic to create a shield that she threw over their heads to block an attack from above, she nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand touched her shoulder from behind. She was startled when she received a wink from Gray, and Juvia flashed a quick smile as she expertly fell into step with Gajeel.

The pair of them had worked together closely before, and they were ready to do it again. "Sorry," Gray told her as he grinned, recognizing magic similar to his own. "Didn't mean to scare you, Levy."

"No problem," she gasped, using her shield to protect his side. A knife rebounded and then shifted into a gun. Gray threw up a wall of ice to protect them all as bullets filled the air.

"Natsu and Lucy are together, Erza's gone off to find Jellal," Gray began to list off. "Happy's with Natsu and Lucy. I came across the Bickslow and Freed with Juvia, and they said they'd seen Laxus and Mira recently. The only one we haven't figured out the locations of are Wendy, Gramps, Gildarts, and Charle and Lily, but Bickslow said he'd gone to find Gramps."

"Long as my cat's okay," Gajeel said darkly, and then saw an opening and took it.

A sword of iron slammed through Rustyrose's shoulder, but he ignored the pain and blood in favor of cackling like some kind of madman. "Don't you know to _look up._ "

Swearing, his gaze darted up - in time to see something come slamming down. Shoving his girlfriend out of the way when he realized it was aiming for her, he grunted in pain and found himself driven to the ground, practically impaled through the shoulder by a spear.

"Gajeel!" Levy screamed, tears rising as she dropped to shakily try to help him.

Gray was preparing to launch some kind of bazooka he'd crafted out of ice when the ice suddenly turned to water in his hands. "The fu-"

"Gray!" Juvia shrieked, tackling him when something came spinning out of nowhere.

The orb rounded around them, and then recoiled back to the one controlling it. The woman caught it on her fingertip, smirking with painted red lips, her eyes locked on Gray and Gray alone. "Gray Fullbuster," she hummed, waving Rustyrose's demand of what she thought she was doing off.

His gaze darkened. "Who the hell are you?"

She rolled the orb up an arm and over her shoulders, letting it roll back down her other arm. She grinned. "Ultear. Ultear Milkovich. I've been waiting a long time to meet you, Gray."

The look on Gray's face changed rapidly from irritation to shock, and then to rage.

A woman appeared at Ultear's side, her pink hair swirling around her. "Ultear," she hissed, "This wasn't part of the plan-"

"I'd say," Rustyrose sneered. "Always thought you'd be the one to rebel."

"Says the one who can't defeat so much as one mage and claims to be one of the Seven Kin," she hummed back, and then told the girl beside her, "Meredy. See to the blue-haired woman with him. Leave the smaller one be. I believe Rustyrose _might_ be able to handle her."

"Gajeel," Levy was murmuring, ignoring all of them as she inspected the spear that trapped him. Her hands shook as she looked up to the worried Juvia, who took up a defensive stance in front of them, angry.

"You will not touch Juvia's friends," she said darkly.

"Just rip it out," Gajeel snarled. He was sweating, blood streaking his face. "Rip it _out_ , Levy."

Gray reached over, grabbed the top, eyes never leaving Ultear. And then he yanked the spear out of Gajeel's shoulder without a moment of hesitation. Gajeel snarled in pain and Levy shrieked, but the iron dragon slayer heaved himself back to his feet, disgusted with himself.

Metalicana would be ashamed of him for falling because of that.

He'd be more ashamed if Gajeel let Levy get hurt. He took up a fighting stance, limbs quaking, but he pretended not to notice, his crimson eyes wild with hatred and pain.

Let them come.

He was ready to kill so long as Levy would survive.

* * *

"Aren't we going to do anything?"

Mavis' closed eyes snapped open at the anxious voice of the cat that hovered beside them. She stood between Charle and Jellal, knowing that both wished to bolt into the forest and search out different people, to make sure that they were okay.

"Not quite." She glanced over her shoulder, studying where she knew the headstone to be. "Not just yet. We're waiting," she explained. "I know of Grimoire Heart's guildmaster, and our lovely Kinana would want us to meet him in battle. It is because of her that she suffered such a grievous loss."

"Master Precht, then," Makarov said. The current guildmaster rested not too far away, gaze dark with rage. Pantherlily rested beside him, exhausted from zipping this way and that throughout the island.

"Precht," Mavis murmured, her heart full of pain.

Makarov knew.

He knew what had really happened when Fairy Tail had formed.

Three guildmasters in so few years...ha! Fairy Tail was much older than anyone would have thought, centuries older, but what was she to tell them? She'd told Precht, but look where that had landed him: the leader of a dark guild.

Makarov had questioned it, but she'd refused to tell him, and he'd never pushed.

Makarov was a good guildmaster, one that she truly believed that her guild would be protected by. He loved everyone as if they were his own children and grandchildren. She loved him, herself, along with every other person in the guild, and she found herself mourning that she had to make the decision she made now.

"If my calculations are correct, then there is only a few things we can do," she announced. She glanced over the island from their perch. "Jellal Fernandes, I need you to bring Erza Scarlet here. She will follow you. Go. _Now_. We need the pair of you to fight Azuma of the Seven Kin. Unison Raid should do the trick. You haven't trained to use it, but the bond between you - even if not fully repaired - will do it."

Jellal's eyes went wide, but he looked to Makarov, who waved him forward. "Do as the First commands," he ordered. "If you see any of the others, tell them where we are. I don't know where Gildarts has gone off to, but something tells me he'll be just fine on his own."

"We'll need Wendy up here for the injured," Charle instructed, and Mavis murmured her agreement.

"Got it," Jellal said. He paused, and then promised, "I'll be back as soon as Erza and I have dealt with and fought Azuma."

"Go," Mavis encouraged, smiling warmly at him.

The man who had once started off as a bitterly hated enemy of Fairy Tail had earned her trust, and she believed that he would do as promised. She closed her eyes, and then opened them again, sensing the change in the air.

Her heart would have raced if it had thudded in her chest.

She could feel him there.

 _He_ had awoken.

 _Stay safe, Natsu Dragneel...stay away from Zeref!_ were the only words she could think of as Hades appeared, his gaze locked on Makarov and seeing straight through Mavis. "Makarov...it's been a while," he mused.

"Mm," Makarov hummed as Mavis came to stand beside him. "You've created an enemy out of the worst people to make enemies of, Precht."

The ground shook minutes later when they collided, and Mavis could only watch, wistfully wishing she could have stopped the fight as she pleaded for her friend of older days to stop.

* * *

 _I'm back, guys! Thank you so, so much for being patient with me! My head feels a lot better and I really appreciate the well-wishes! It means the world!_

 _On another note...crazy things are happening, eh? ;)_

 _To anan891996, who asked my opinion on Makarov in Chapter 505: Nope. And I like his death to be honest. A lot of people are think it a stupid death for Makarov, but...he died as he lived: for his children._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Moon Stone Tiger Lily, LePengwen, Typhlosion8, Alexia Colette, RandomAnimeNerd, CharonteQueen, Abdltf, panda123love, OOANDISAOO, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Guest #1, TigerArrowgirl, Guest #2, Dragondancer81, Sydneste, Sirius Green, Snowfairymage, AnnYasashii, NaLu and InuKag, Treblemkr, The Age of Awesomeness,anand891996, Aviend, AnonymousWasHere, HelloJawsie, Guest #3, Jessaboo, LucyMarieHeartfilia, Whatstoknow, Nekokittygirl, Guest #4, LovelyLovelyLove, Guest #5, FairyRains, YankeeSamson, FairyQueenGreen, Tobias97, Aquariuswhereareyou, lkityan02, kacceber, FireDragonPhia, Guest #6, ashcator2002, Iheartwhitechocolate, quite-a-riot, IndestructibleLove, Guest #7, Shelby143, FairyDemonDust, MeowyMeow, Fire and Ice, MirrorFlame, clarebieber514, Kauia, Ladyemerald, xiaconis, ckc14, TaylorNReed, DaAnimeTurtle, and Mimi Queen!) and thanks to those who favorited and followed._


	136. Chapter 136

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Ha!" Natsu cried in triumphant when Zancrow finally rested unconscious at his feet. Happy cheered from his place on Natsu's back, and they shared a triumphant grin before Natsu got serious again. Beaten as he was, Zancrow wouldn't be moving for a _long_ time. Maybe he'd rot away? Natsu sort of hoped so.

"Happy, check the skies, but do it carefully," he ordered. "I'm going to start looking for the others, so stay close."

"Aye, sir!" Happy cried, soaring away. Natsu watched him, gave the unconscious Zancrow a final nasty look, and then jogged forward, seeking out the familiar scents of Wendy and his partner or someone else.

He knew she'd be alright, she always was.

Especially with his fierce fellow dragon slayer there to keep her company, defending her back for her.

Happy came back, his eyes troubled. "There's no one anywhere around us, Natsu. But...I could see something really weird off to the south. It looked like some meadow had just rotted away, and I think I might have seen Master Makarov to the east, fighting with someone."

Natsu was immediately irritable about the matter. The last time Makarov had actually physically been involved in a battle had been the issue with Phantom Lord, and that was a good eight or nine months before. And he didn't like that someone had picked a fight with their guildmaster.

No one got to do that and got away alive.

But he was caught by surprise when Happy suddenly dug his claws into Natsu's shoulder, trembling from head to toe. "Natsu, to the left," he hissed, tail thrashing violently. Natsu cautiously followed his instructions, and then stared.

A man was watching them, his dark hair waving in a soft breeze. Cloaked in clothing of what probably belonged to another time, Natsu found himself puzzled. "Who the hell are you, and what are you doing on our island?" he growled, growing defensive.

Even if this person was weird, they were another enemy, out to get the people Natsu cared for.

"...Natsu," the man murmured suddenly, studying the flames that flickered along the fire mage's arms without concern. He looked upset almost, and that made Natsu more nervous, almost scared. When the stranger lifted his gaze to Natsu's, he gave a hint of a smile.

Natsu was more terrified than when he'd thought he'd never see Lucy's brilliant smile again.

"I was hoping that I'd perhaps run into you," the stranger murmured, "It appears that my wish was granted."

"Who," Natsu demanded, bristling. " _Are you_?"

He looked almost disappointed. "I didn't think you'd remember me. Igneel wasn't exactly pleased with me when we last met. He was downright furious, actually. But that doesn't matter, not anymore." He tilted his head a fraction, red eyes flashing with rage. "I'm annoyed. Grimoire Heart has destroyed the peace that would have remained had they not intervened."

That small amount of rage made Natsu flinch.

Something about the man before him was terribly wrong. Natsu didn't know if it was his physical being, the strength he possessed, or the mental illnesses that Levy had mentioned existed, but something was wrong, and for the first time in a while, Natsu wished that Igneel was there for him to hide behind.

"And they've released something far worse than the wrath of mere fairies," he continued.

A scream suddenly filled the air, a piercing and aching scream that Natsu knew the second he heard it.

 _Dragon_.

His heart pounded, eyes widening with horror. The roaring scream echoed throughout Tenrou as the massive tree that hid the headstone of the First hit the ground, collapsing. Natsu grunted, his already weakened strength weakening further, and he had to fight to keep upright.

The scream came a second time, filling the skies, and a second later, something huge appeared. Its form grew and grew, its scream becoming louder as it expanded. Black scales glinted in the sunlight, and Natsu felt the blood drain from his face when he realized that it wasn't a good dragon.

"Acnologia," the man nearby mused. He scowled suddenly, and then, as if he didn't care about Natsu any longer, simply walked away.

Natsu let out a rush of air when he was gone, and Happy whispered, "Who was that, Natsu? He knew who you were…"

"I don't know, but someone just unleashed hell on us, and we _have_ to find Lucy."

Without another word, Natsu turned and sprinted after the trail he'd founded, his onyx eyes narrowed in suspicion as he struggled to stumble his way through the trees.

* * *

"What the hell-"

Mirajane barely had time to look up before Laxus was bellowing at her to move, shoving her. She bolted, the blond man close behind as they tried to avoid being squashed by the massive tree that was collapsing. They just barely made it out from under the shadow it had cast as the massive trunk struck the car, and Mirajane gave a cry when the strength she'd felt left her. She hit the ground harshly, ignoring the pain, and then simply rolled onto her back, her silver hair filled with twigs and leaves.

Laxus fell to his knees not too far away, heaving for air. Sweat dotted his forehead, and his eyes darted up to study the once magnificent tree before briefly studying the cliff nearby. A screaming roar filled his ears and even Laxus shuddered in fear at the sound.

"Where the hell is Gramps?" he snarled, furious.

They needed to regroup - all of them. Every single one of them. But they couldn't get word to everyone on where to meet up because nobody knew where anyone else was, and Laxus had the feeling that it had been done on purpose.

They'd waited for them to scatter.

Furious, Laxus let out a few lightning strikes around him, but that only exhausted him, the place that his emblem rested throbbing painfully. After a moment, the lightning mage simply flopped down, gritting his teeth.

"The fuck is going on?" he muttered.

Mirajane merely studied the peaceful sky above them - but that changed when a black shadow appeared, and sheer terror filled her usually kind eyes. "L-Laxus, what is that?!"

He turned his own gaze skyward - and then grunted when he received a sudden blow to the head. Grimacing in pain, he scowled and lifted his head to discover someone he didn't recognize smirking down. Ignoring the blood that dripped down his forehead, he demanded, "Who the hell are you?"

"Bluenote Stinger, accompanying the Grimoire Heart guild and the Seven Kin of Purgatory at my own request." His eyes shone with malice, and he ignored the monstrous creature that rose above them, baring its teeth and screaming in defiance.

Mirajane shoved herself to her knees, clenching her jaw as she demanded, "Why? Why is Grimoire Heart and the Seven Kin attacking us?"

"They're here for a little something called Zeref." Bluenote's eyes became slits. "Zeref and the legendary secret of Fairy Tail, though I've heard both have changed locations. I could care less, honestly. I just want to kick Gildarts Clive's ass. So where is he?"

"We don't know," Mirajane said honestly, her eyes wide. Her gaze darted between the cliff behind them, aware that it was there more than ever. her heart pounding as she turned her attention back on Bluenote. "We don't. He disappeared earlier."

"Liar," Bluenote snarled, whirling on her. His eyes filled with hate, and Mirajane flinched. Laxus gritted his teeth and gave him a look promising death should he touch the gentle barmaid who couldn't bring so much as a single ounce of magic up to transform.

Laxus couldn't either, and it was pissing him the hell off.

He roughly grabbed Mirajane by the hair and then shook her painfully. She gasped, grimacing in pain, and Laxus' eyes narrowed. "Where is Gildarts Clive?"

"We don't know," she cried, and then shrieked when he took her head and slammed it into the ground. She thrashed as much as she could, trying hysterically to free herself and draw up her magic to use against him, but it was no use.

Laxus forced himself to his feet, ignoring the fact that he could barely feel his legs as he numbly rocked back and then suddenly rocketed forward. He slammed into Bluenote, careful not to step on Mirajane as she lifted herself from the ground on shaking arms, crying out.

Bluenote seemed amused by his efforts and simply went with it for a moment before sweeping Laxus' legs out from under him and, with surprising ease, shoved him to the ground again.

Laxus swore, enraged that he couldn't seem to do what he usually did and simply electrocute the bastard. "What the hell," he seethed.

"The tree," Mirajane gasped, her eyes desperate. "The tree fell down, and then-"

"Shit," he muttered, and then cursed himself once more for not being able to do anything at the moment.

"Gildarts Clive," Bluenote hissed, kicking Laxus as hard as he could. Laxus forced himself not to flinch. "Where is he?"

"Not. Here." Mirajane repeated. "We don't _know_. _Please_! Stop!"

Bluenote only gave a malicious grin. "I'll stop the second he shows up."

He let the blows rain down.

* * *

"Erza!"

The call of her name brought the scarlet-haired woman to a screeching halt. Her already numb limbs gave out, and she blinked once, twice, and then rasped back, "Jellal?"

The blue-haired man staggered into view, panting for air. His face was smudged with dirt, his dark eyes narrowed as he kept looking up at the terrifying shadow that filled the sky. They were nearly beneath the massive creature, Erza realized, and her eyes filled with terror when she realized that it was a dragon. Its jaws opened and it released another, ear-shattering cry.

"Erza, get down!" Jellal suddenly tackled her to the ground. An explosion filled the air above them, and Erza hissed in pain when cinders fell on her.

"Jellal," she gasped. "Thank you."

"No problem," he said back with a dry smile. "C'mon, we've got a visitor." He somehow dragged himself to his feet, helping her up as well, and she shot him a grateful look, her armor clinking.

She'd been grateful that she'd requipped into her stronger armor a second before the strength had disappeared from her body. The man before them practically radiated power as his dark eyes studied them with care.

"Jellal Fernandes," he mused, "And Erza Scarlet. I was hoping to come across at least one of you, though I am flattered that you have both decided to greet me."

Erza pressed her lips together, and then exchanged a look with Jellal, who murmured, "Mavis mentioned a Unison Raid, but with the lack of magic in what appears to only be the Fairy Tail mages-"

"We'll have to try our own version then," Erza gritted out, straightening her back. "It's the only way, and we must save our nakama, even if it kills us." She flashed him a faint smile. "That is what it means to be Fairy Tail."

Jellal murmured his agreement, and then focused on the enemy before them. His eyes became slits. "And your name is?"

"Azuma," was all he gave before he attacked. They retaliated, Erza miraculously pulling a sword out of the air as she lashed out. Jellal couldn't summon so much as a drop of his own magic, but fought tooth and nail, using his fists and legs as hard as he could. Azuma fended both off, having a bit more trouble deflecting the sword when he was trying to protect himself against Jellal's attacks.

"How did you tear down our tree?" Erza demanded, lashing out, and he only grinned.

"That wasn't me, it was the dragon. I was supposed to, but...well, as you can see, I didn't need to." He ducked, sweeping her feet out from beneath her and she hit the ground with a gasp, the breath driven from her chest. Jellal nailed him in the side with a carefully aimed foot, and he huffed in pain.

"I know someone who can fix it," Azuma continued, and then set off an explosion in Jellal's face. He yelped, slapping a hand over his eyes. "Defeat me, and I'll tell you who."

"We don't need a who," Erza said coldly as she stood over him a few minutes later, the sword slammed through his shoulder and pinning him to the earth beneath them. She slammed a heel on his chest and leaned, smirking down at him.

"Because we don't need your help fixing it."

* * *

 _Zancrow and Azuma are down, but Bluenote, Zeref, and now something else is here! Things are nutty, are they not? Sorry for the lateness of the chapter. School's been crazy and I decided to watch TV for the first time in a while. :P I needed a break from stress._

 _Thanks to reviewers (PinkFireandGoldenStars, The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, musicalocelot, quite-a-riot, Guest #1, Dragondancer81, RandomAnimeNerd, clarelovesnalu514, Xiaconis, TaylorNReed, Abdltf, and Mimi Queen!) as wee as those who favorited and followed!_


	137. Chapter 137

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy wasn't prepared to run right into the middle of a fight, but she and Wendy both successfully found themselves slamming into a strange woman that had been fighting Gray, sending her tumbling to the ground in a mess of tangled limbs. She squawked, Wendy shrieked, and Lucy just yelped like some kind of kicked puppy.

Gray stared at the woman he'd been fighting with a look of shock written across his face. Meredy stopped her fight with Juvia to gawk as well, and Levy and Gajeel stopped in tying Rustyrose up to stare as well.

Lucy lay there, half on top of the other woman, half on Wendy, for a moment, and then scrambled to her feet, breathless. "Gray! Levy! Juvia! Gajeel!"

"Gihi!" Gajeel snickered, flashing her a grin. "'Bout damn time."

"Wendy!" Juvia practically sobbed in relief. She'd been terrified for the young blue-haired girl.

"We're here?" Lucy said sheepishly, and then stared hard at the furious woman that rose from the ground. "Oh. You. Hey, Gray! That's the one who said hello! The one from the store!"

"Yeah, figured as much," he said drily, ruffling her hair affectionately when she went to stand beside him. Wendy joined Juvia, glaring warily at Meredy as the pink-haired girl suddenly smirked. "Where's the nutjob?"

"Natsu was dealing with some fiery guy," she muttered, worry flashing through her. "But he'll be alright." _He promised._

He'd find her and show her that he was perfectly safe and unharmed.

"Here's the deal," the woman - Ultear - suddenly purred, the strange orb she held coming to rest on her fingertip. "Meredy, back away. Has your magic been used?"

"Naturally," Meredy muttered. She slid over, standing beside Ultear with a tilt in her shoulders that told Lucy that they were close - more than close. Sisters, or something similar. A weak point in Ultear's otherwise tough attitude. That was good to know.

Suddenly, Lucy's legs dropped, and she hit the ground with a groan. Gray went down beside her, swearing colorfully and Wendy and Juvia as well as Gajeel and Levy each dropped, too, bewildered. Lucy felt the keys at her side heat up and then sear at her. All except for Loke, whose key suddenly went icy cold, much to her horror.

A shadow fell over all of them, and Lucy cranked her head up in time to see a pair of toothy jaws parting, a scream like the one they'd heard a short time before yet ignored filling the air. She shrieked in fear, and Gray's eyes flashed with sheer horror.

"You can tell us where Zeref is," Ultear hummed as if she wasn't affected by what had happened, "And we'll leave you be. I'll even fix the tree for you with my time magic if you give up the location of Fairy Tail's greatest secret, too. Don't lie, Mr. Fullbuster." She smirked, leaning down so that her face was near his, dark hair falling around her shoulders. "I know when you lie."

"I think you're fucking insane," Gray moaned, unable to so much as move. "There's no such thing as some secret."

"There isn't," Levy agreed when Ultear cast him a look of disbelief. "What, do you think we hold secrets? As if. Fairy Tail is a guild of freedom, and we all trust each other. Which is more than I can say for the relationships you people have."

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, "I mean, me keeping the fact that I'm a princess from Bosco is the biggest secret that we've had. Right, Gajeel?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Gajeel gave her a look. "Been loads of different secret before that though." His eyes glinted with mischief almost, though pain was still there, his shoulder still dripping blood. "Like Salamander's hoard. Not such a secret now!"

"Or that we like to hoard," Wendy hummed. "Gems are lovely."

"Leave Natsu's hoard be," Lucy added warningly. "He won't be just normally angry. He'll beat you to hell and back, Gajeel." The iron dragon slayer only smirked in response.

"N-no secret," Meredy stammered. "Stop lying!"

"What secret are _you_ talking about?" Gray drawled. "I mean, if you want to tell us, we'd be more than happy to help you figure it out, because that'd be interesting. Right, Lucy?"

From where he was seated on the ground, having hauled himself up off the ground, Gray patted Lucy on the shoulder, and she sent him a small smile before she managed to sit up, recognizing the act as one that was making sure she was alright. Lucy touched the pendant at her throat, and it throbbed with an almost violent heat that shocked her for a moment before she could focus.

"Right," she finally agreed, beaming.

"So, since you know the truth...how about you fix our tree?" Levy said.

Meredy looked bewildered, and Lucy exchanged a look with Juvia, who nodded slightly. Meredy wasn't a bad person at heart, and Lucy didn't think Ultear was despite the damage she'd done. Something had merely gone wrong in years before, and she had thought this was the right path.

After a moment, Ultear finally decided, "Tell me where Zeref is and I will."

"We don't have Zeref either," Lucy began to protest, but Wendy suddenly said quietly, her voice trembling, "I think he'll be where the dragon is." They gave her a shocked look and she shook her head.

She'd tell them about it later.

"Why?" Meredy challenged.

"Because he didn't want to hurt anyone," she said softly, quivering. "And that dragon is screaming at us because it wants to kill all of us."

Lucy moved to look up at the large creature that had continued to scream throughout their discussion, and then stared. "It's gone," she said faintly.

"Human form," Wendy explained, looking nervously to Gajeel. He was tensed. "Not good, that means we can't see where it's going to come from-"

"To the dragon then," Meredy murmured, glancing at Ultear. "Are you going to honor the deal?"

"Of course." Ultear turned to the tree with a hum, her red lips curving into a grin. Sh paused thoughtfully, studying it, and then slowly raised a hand above her head. "But if I learn that you have lied to me, I will burn this island to the very base, Mr. Fullbuster."

Gray clenched his jaw. They would let two of their enemies walk free. But the tree was fixing itself, going upright again and he could feel the strength that had left him returning. In a flash he was on his feet, ready to finish kicking Ultear's ass, but she was gone. As was Meredy.

"Shit," he snarled. "That _bitch_."

"She fixed the tree," Lucy murmured, "And I don't think she's bad, Gray. I think she's just...upset. Come on, we have to find the others. Master will want to know that we're alright."

"I'll go with you to where he's at," Wendy offered.

"Us, too," Levy said, having stayed quiet throughout the entire ordeal. "Wendy, could you look at Gajeel's shoulder when we get there? He got a spear of sorts stabbed through it."

"Stop your worrying woman," Gajeel grumbled, "I'm fine."

"I'll look," Wendy decided anyways, and then looked expectantly at Gray.

The ice-make mage gave it a few moments before he finally decided, "I'll go with you all. I want to check on how he's holding up, and if anyone else knows what happened to make a goddamn dragons how up. I want to see where the hell that pyro is, too."

Lucy grinned as Juvia piped in that she'd accompany the group, because there was sure as hell safety in numbers. She touched Gray's shoulder gently, understanding his wanting to go chasing and hunting down Ultear, but she knew that some things were more important.

"C'mon," she ordered, and then sprinted full speed in a random direction.

Makarov had to be hiding around there somewhere...right?

* * *

His fingers dug in and scrabbled at the dirt, and Laxus swore, unable to lift himself from where he hung at the edge of the cliff. He could hear Mirajane's screaming despite the blood that came from a nasty wound on her temple, her blue eyes full of panic as Bluenote grinned down at him. "Last chance," he snarled. "Tell me where Gildarts is."

Laxus narrowed his gaze, studying the tree that suddenly rose behind him. He could feel his strength returning, his magic cackling across his skin, but confusion flashed through. Was it seriously a _tree_ that had turned him helpless?

"No? Goodbye." Bluenote suddenly slammed down, and within seconds, before he could even think of acting, Laxus found himself falling through open air with a shocked look. Mirajane gave a scream, launching herself towards the edge of the cliff, her silver hair billowing in the wind. "Laxus!" she sobbed, reaching down into the empty air despite knowing that she couldn't reach him.

Her heart filled with pain, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Laxus," she said shakily, his name a caress on her tongue. Hatred darkened her gaze and she lifted her eyes to glare - just in time to see Bluenote suddenly go flying, magic like no other making her cringe in fear.

Gildarts stood there between both she and Bluenote, having appeared out of seemingly nowhere. His eyes were deadly. "Did you think you'd get away with touching our kids? Seriously?"

"G-Gildarts," Mirajane stammered, half-relieved, half-terrified by what she saw before her.

A second later, she was hauled to her feet. She yelped, but stared at Laxus as he hauled her to her feet, the lightning he'd used to get himself to safety cackling along his skin. "Honestly," he huffed, dragging her inland. "Think some kind of fall would kill me?"

Mirajane couldn't help but sob with relief into her fingers, letting him pull her along. Her magic strengthened with every step, ridding her of the pain as she was able to focus on the situation at hand. "Sorry," she rasped when she could finally get herself to speak. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "I should have known."

"Yeah, you should have," he retorted, though his words weren't harsh. He tightened his grip fractionally and then released her, letting her walk on her own. Mirajane took another breath to calm herself, and then let it out slowly, focusing on the situation at hand.

She'd fret and worry about him later, and he would let her, teasing her gently with an attitude that only she was allowed to see as she saw to his injuries.

That was how it always went when Laxus came home.

"Where are we going?" she questioned as they jogged through the trees.

"Where else?" he grumbled. "The tree. What the hell is going on with it? Gramps never said anything about it being able to take or give magic."

Mirajane nodded to herself; she agreed with this. "The dragon," she said suddenly, voice quivering. "We'll run into it, more than likely. You can't seriously intend to fight it, Laxus-"

"I'm technically a dragon slayer, ain't I? And it wasn't exactly friendly," he pointed out gruffly. He stopped suddenly listening, and then turned on his heel and headed east. "This way. I hear fighting-"

He didn't even finish his sentence before a blast of flames came out of nowhere. Mirajane ducked to avoid the fire with a yelp, covering her head, and Laxus simply jerked his head out of the way with a furious look.

"Oops!" Natsu said as he stepped into view, looking sheepish. Happy was tucked under his arm, exhausted. "Sorry. Thought you were someone else."

"Natsu," Mirajane gasped, looking relieved to see him. She smiled brightly, and then asked, "How is everyone else?"

"Haven't seen 'em since before the dragon showed up," he replied, "But Lucy was good last time I saw her. And so was Wendy." His onyx eyes took in their blood-slicked appearances and darkened. "What happened to you guys?"

Laxus grunted. "Bluenote Stinger," he replied. Usually, he wasn't too fond of the fire mage, but it was a lot better than coming across another enemy that would take advantage of their injuries to simply maul them. "Took advantage of the lack of magic in Fairy Tail mages. Have you seen Gramps?"

Natsu shook his head. "Lookin' for him or Luce. Have you seen Luce?"

Mirajane smiled sweetly. "No, we haven't. We'll let her know you're looking for her if we find her, though. We're going to investigate the tree and the dragon-"

"Don't," he said darkly, cutting her off. "Don't go near the dragon, Mira, Laxus. It's not anything like Igneel or the others' dragons. This one wants to kill and only kill. It wants destruction. Don't provoke it."

The silver-haired woman blinked once, startled by his seriousness. But he let a growl escape him, a warning, and then turned away. "I have to go find Luce. Good luck. I'll let everyone know you're doing good when I find them."

Mirajane smiled at their nakama with a look of affection. "When this is over, you're getting some fiery food on the house."

He only flashed her a grin. "I'm gonna hold you to that. Lucy gets stuff, too, right?"

"So long as you call it a date, yes," she replied.

"Done!" Natsu gave her a final smile, exchanged a knowing look with Laxus, and then plunged back into the brush with Happy in his arms.

Because there was one thing and one thing only on his mind.

 _I've got to find Lucy!_

* * *

 _The trees up, people are after Zeref, and everyone's lookin' for Makarov! I'm going to clue you guys in on something: someone with sass will be showing up in a few chapters. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (TaylorNReed, LePengwen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, The Age of Awesomness, AnimusLunari777, kaito1412, musicalocelot, Abdltf, RandomAnimeNerd, quite-a-riot, sydneste, Guest #1, and Lodemai04!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _A quick note: I will be updating a day later due to the anniversary of BTL being on Friday! To celebrate, I'm going to gift a preview of the most recent chapter I've written! See you then!_


	138. Chapter 138

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Master!" Lucy cried, slapping a hand over her mouth in horror at the sight before her. They'd finally found their guildmaster and Mavis, but the sight wasn't one they'd expected. Makarov was on the ground, nearly unconscious, with a man that none of them recognized standing over him. Mavis was crumpled to the ground, her face in her hands.

Her voice caught the man's attention, and his gaze locked on Lucy. Shock flashed over his face, and then a greed unlike any they'd seen before. "I see," was all he said before he came storming their way, abandoning the bloodied Makarov.

"Don't touch her!" Mavis screeched, shocking all of them. "Don't let him near her!"

Gray was immediately sliding between his friend and who he expected to be Hades, a dark look on his face, and the injured Gajeel clenched his jaw as he stood beside him. Levy grabbed Lucy's wrist as the blonde summoned Loke, who immediately pressed his back against her after sliding in front of her. Wendy bravely stood between Gajeel and Gray, trembling, and Juvia hissed, "Juvia will go and find Natsu!" before sliding away.

Loke's eyes flashed as his arms went around the blonde, back still to her. "That bastard," he snarled viciously. "Lucy, we need to get out of here."

"Loke?" Lucy questioned, but before he could answer, Hades had descended upon the trio at the front. Gray used his magic to create a shield behind them that wrapped all the way around, and Wendy fired off a Sky Dragon's Roar that mixed with Gajeel's own Roar. Shrapnel and wind blasted their enemy in the face, but he didn't seem to notice, only looked amused.

"Levy," Gray shouted, "Go!"

"Right," Levy said with a curt nod, shooting a worried look at Makarov. But Mavis appeared, shoving at them with no effect. She ordered the same thing and Lucy and Levy bolted with Loke close behind.

"What's going on?" Lucy demanded, "What does he want? Celestial magic?"

"Worse," was all Loke said, pushing her. She stumbled, and then skidded to a stop when they nearly ran straight into a startled Erza and Jellal. Before they could greet one another, Loke ordered, "They need help. Hades is attacking. Go."

"Right," Erza murmured, smiling briefly and then darting off again.

Jellal paused to give Lucy a kind look. "Watch yourself," he said, and then headed after Erza.

"My magic," Lucy said after a few minutes, panting. "I can't-"

"Damn," Loke muttered, slowing to a halt. He gently touched Lucy's arm, worried. "Levy, I sense what might be Laxus and Mira. Go to them, tell them of what's happened." Levy hesitated, and he promised, "I'll step out on my own power if she needs protection. With luck, Natsu will miraculously find us."

"Alright," Levy decided, and then took off as quickly as she could in the direction he'd indicated.

"S-Class mages will definitely help against the guildmaster of Grimoire Heart," Lucy murmured, and then sent Loke back to his own Realm. She dropped to her knees, gasping for air.

She was exhausted, tuckered out from the day's activities.

But that didn't stop her from driving forward, forcing herself to her feet and wishing her phone worked in a place loaded down with magic. She trusted Juvia to find Natsu and Natsu to find her, but it would have been nicer if she could have worked out where he was via phone!

She paced herself, walking slowly through the trees and keeping an eye out for anything bad. Lucy's dark eyes scanned the trees, and it was while she was doing that that she heard a raspy and rumbling voice snarl, " _You_."

She spun on her heel and her heart skipped a beat.

Someone she didn't recognize stood there, his silver hair long and wild. His skin was marred by markings, his burning red eyes locked on her. He bared his teeth at her, the black cloak he wore billowing around him in a breeze that seemed to pick up out of nowhere.

Even Lucy, who knew she had problem when it came to sensing magic, could feel the power that came off of him.

"I…" She took a step back.

Something in the back of her mind whispered the name to her, and her blood ran cold.

Because it made sense. Everything in her mother's diary had warned her about the creature before her.

"Acnologia."

The dragon's gaze darted to a man that stepped out of the trees and stood beside him. His eyes watched Lucy with equal amounts of shock and eagerness. The dragon bared his teeth at the blonde, refusing to look away for more than an instant.

"You must be a descendant of the Heartfilia line," the second man commented, and Lucy could feel Loke's key searing at her hip. "The keys would give it away, even if your appearance did not. I was unaware that Layla Heartfilia had a child."

Acnologia's rumbling voice made her flinch. "I should rip you limb from limb for what Anna did to me."

" _Who_?" Lucy said, voice rising in hysteria.

The second person raised his chin. "You should leave, Acnologia. You're not strong enough to fend off dragon slayers quite yet." Acnologia scoffed and gave him a nasty look before turning a burning look on Lucy.

"The next time I see you, descendant of Anna Heartfilia, I will gladly watch your flesh melt from its bones and more." Lucy flinched, but watched as he turned and left without another word, snarling viciously under his breath.

The other man watched him go, and then grinned. "I wasn't aware that Acnologia was here. Tenrou has brought many interesting people to me today. When the peace went away, I never expected that."

"Who the hell are you?" Lucy demanded, exasperated and concerned.

"Zeref," a soft voice murmured. The blonde's gaze darted to her side and discovered Mavis. Her eyes were hardened with anger and hatred, her gaze glittering as she stared at the man. "This is Zeref."

 _"Zeref...it's a name. A name of a very powerful black mage that vanished into thin air four hundred years ago alongside most of his demons."_

Lucy remembered Mirajane's description of the man from when Lucy had first heard of his name, and her eyes filled with fear. Zeref didn't seem to notice Mavis as he mused, "I am Zeref. I am also known as an emperor to those of the Alvarez Empire."

Lucy's lips parted in shock. "Oh, my-"

"I should go now," Zeref mused. "I have something to deal with before I can leave Tenrou, but I thank you for protecting those that deserve nothing." That said, he turned away and simply walked off as if he hadn't just introduced himself as a black mage.

Lucy threw her hands in the air. "I...I don't understand," she rasped. "What the hell is going on? The emperor of the Alvarez Empire disappeared less than two decades ago. But Zeref's like four hundred years old? And I...my mother's diary says that the guild isn't that old, but-"

"I tell them that the guild has been around for centuries," Mavis said quietly. "Because it has. When I lived here on this island, there was a village. It was destroyed and Fairy Tail, the guild I loved, was gone. I was lonely and came here with my friends. I refounded the guild. Only my closest friend, Yuri Dreyar, was ever aware of such a thing."

Lucy blinked. "But...Hades-"

"I did not stay guildmaster for more than a year, and Precht was already old. Makarov Dreyar has been guildmaster since he left just over ten years ago."

Lucy's head was spinning, and tears boiled in her eyes. "B-but, what about Z-Zeref's age then-"

"He is immortal, the price of the magic he uses." Mavis' eyes were dark. "He created the Alvarez Empire himself and made his most powerful demon a prince of sorts. Though that's no concern thanks to Igneel." She studied the direction Zeref had gone, and her eyes filled with pain. "I loved him once," she admitted, "But I do not think such a feeling is possible now. He changed."

Lucy opened her mouth to respond, and then squawked instead when she received a tackling hug from a grinning Natsu. "Lucy!" he bellowed, "You're alright!"

"Natsu!" she laughed, throwing her arms around his neck. She forgot her discussion with Mavis almost instantly and buried her face in his scarf-clad neck, enjoying the feeling of his arms around her. "You're okay!"

"I told you!" he retorted. A pause. "Nearly got electrocuted when I accidentally attacked Laxus and Mira, but Happy and I are okay. Right, little buddy?" He smirked at his cat, who had cuddled into Lucy's arms happily.

"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered, and then looked worriedly up at Lucy. "Are you okay?"

"I ran into the others," Lucy told them. "Gray, Levy, Juvia, Erza, Jellal, Gajeel...and we found Master. Oh! Wendy is with them. For the most part, they're dealing with Grimoire Heart's guild master." Her voice faltered as she studied his face, and then asked, "Natsu...you know of Acnologia, right?"

Natsu's onyx eyes darkened hatefully. "Igneel hated him."

"That dragon was Acnologia, and I...Natsu, he knew an ancestor of mine. And my mother, I think." Natsu went still for a few short moments, and then scowled viciously. "He didn't get close enough to hurt me," she said hastily. "He was just...he left, I think. Tenrou entirely."

"He did," Mavis confirmed, "Along with Zeref."

" _What_?" Happy gawked at the First. "Like, Zeref? The black mage Zeref?"

"The very one," Lucy said faintly, her eyes searching Natsu's when he went quiet. She narrowed her gaze at him. "You saw him. The guy with the strange clothes."

"I did," Natsu admitted, and then pushed her forward. "C'mon, let's go make sure everyone's okay. Happy, see what you can do about finding Gildarts. If you can't find him, we'll be heading towards the weird jet you and I saw off on the beach."

"Aye, sir!" Happy said with a serious look. Lucy hugged him, and then let him zip off. Natsu tucked her under his arm and urged her in the direction he'd mentioned. "Let's go. They'll need help."

"Don't let Hades near her," Mavis ordered and then disappeared.

"Natsu," Lucy began, but he slapped a hand over her mouth, urging her to be quiet as they walked. They didn't know where enemies might be hiding, and he didn't want her asking questions about what had happened when he'd come across Zeref.

Something told him that he needed to keep quiet about that.

* * *

Levy sputtered as she watched Hades only begin to struggle when Mirajane and Laxus joined the mess, fighting with all of their might. Laxus looked beat up - something that surprised the hell out of all of them when he showed up - and Mirajane looked a little bloodied herself.

All of them - Laxus, Mirajane, Gray, Gajeel, Makarov, Wendy, Erza, Jellal, Freed, Bickslow, and even herself - were fighting as hard as they could, but Hades just couldn't seem to fall, and they couldn't figure out how.

It was like he couldn't be killed!

Mavis was nowhere to be found, they were all on edge with the fear that the dragon would make an appearance, Levy was worried desperately about their seven missing nakama...things weren't looking up for Fairy Tail

Until Charle came shooting out of nowhere, crying, "Look out!"

Levy's head snapped up as Gajeel hoisted she and Wendy out of the way. A second later, a shape came falling out of the sky, and Gildarts hit the ground in a crouch, Lily clinging to his back. A dark grin was on his face as he waved the dust that flew away. "I hear," he said, straightening and ignoring the fact that he'd created a crater beneath him. "That you thought it'd be smart to attack the kids, Precht."

Hades gave a malicious grin and then suddenly scowled. "Where are the other members of the Seven Kin?"

"Well, let's see. I just kicked Bluenote Stinger's ass, not that he was a member," Gildarts eyes glinted. "I believe I saw someone trapped against the earth with a sword through their shoulder."

Wendy stifled her giggles at Gildarts' expression and chimed in to all of their surprise, "Natsu destroyed Zancrow."

"Ultear is long gone," Gray mused, crossing his arms. "I don't feel even an ounce of either of her magic anywhere on the island. And we left what's his name back there. Pink girly won't be doing much. So, out of seven - including you - that leaves us...one."

"Including you," Makarov said, grinning despite a bloodied lip, "There's two of you against well over ten of my children, Precht."

"Your guild is back on that plane, isn't it?" a snide voice added in.

Bickslow cackled, giving a nearly manic laugh. Freed smirked beside him, looking just as entertained at the thought of them truly believing they could take Fairy Tail as Happy dropped onto Gray's shoulder. The blue cat purred happily, relieved to have found them all.

Hades' eyes filled with rage and Gildarts only grinned and took a page from Natsu's book. He settled into a fighting stance and raised a hand, crooking the fingers and giving Hades a challenging look. "Come at me."

As Hades did, Gray glanced at Happy. "Juvia?"

He shook his head, but snapped his wings out. "I'll help you, Gray," he said honestly and plucked the ice-make mage into the air, fully intending to help him find her.

* * *

 _Whew! Crazy chapter, eh? Some more revealed by Zeref and Acnologia. Be ready, guys. Not so fun stuff with Natsu and Lucy coming up soon!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, Lodemai04, Abdltf, OOANDISAOO, AnnaYasashii, PinkFireandGoldenStars, quite-a-riot, Sydneste, Nora, ToastedWeirdBrain, KaiserBruno, and AnimusLunari777!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _NOW! In celebration of a year of BTL! Have a preview of the last chapter I wrote! I want to thank all of you so much for the continued support you all give, and I'm sure my editor stands with me on that. We appreciate it a hell of a lot. Thank you so much guys!_

* * *

 **Preview of Chapter 168!**

 _"Is it ready?"_

 _"Yes," the serious man beside her confirmed. "Shall we begin the process of bringing them in, your Highness?"_

 _Hisui E. Fiore leaned forward, resting her elbows on the balcony and gave a curt nod, thinking of how people expected that she was in Bosco. Instead, she was home, dealing with something much more important._

 _"Yes. Begin the search for Yukino Auguria and Lucy Heartfilia if you would. Be careful. I don't think the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth or Natsu Dragneel will appreciate it."_

 _His lips curved into a smirk. "Don't worry, your Highness. We always appreciate a challenge." He turned and walked away._

 _Hisui felt a flash of guilt as she buried her face in her hands._

I'm sorry, Lucy.


	139. Chapter 139

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

" _Why_ are we going to this stupid jet instead of going back to where everyone's waiting?" Lucy demanded as she and Natsu jogged through the trees, her voice breathless. "I mean, someone could be in trouble and need us."

"I don't think they will," Natsu said firmly. He flashed her a grin, onyx eyes amused. "They've got themselves handled, believe me. And this isn't a Fairy Tail mode of transportation. As long as it stays on the ground...I'll have it destroyed from the inside and two seconds flat."

"And if it does start moving?"

"Then we're screwed." He beamed like there was no problem with that. "Look, up ahead, there's a cliff we're gonna have to climb-"

"Ouch!" Lucy shrieked in pain, slamming a hand over her head and whirling around. Expecting the worse, a blazing ball of Natsu came flying back to her, growling and ready to incinerate.

He went still, bewildered, when he saw the person who'd attacked his blonde friend. "I...what the hell am I looking at right now?" he muttered.

A mumbling overweight man stood there, a strange doll in his chubby fingers. His small eyes squinted hatefully at them, and he suddenly mumbled, "You're Fairy Tail."

"Uh...yeah?" Natsu exchanged a confused look with Lucy, who lowered her hand after rubbing the back of her head. She blinked once, and then frowned when he spoke again.

"Good. I've been told to find you...I'll destroy you from the inside out!"

The man looked so proud of himself, that Natsu couldn't help himself. He snorted, and then burst into hysterical laughter. The aching pains and injuries seemed to fade as he dropped to his knees and then began to roll on the ground, holding his stomach with tears in his eyes. "Oh, help me," he rasped, giggling like some kind of teenage girl. "Lucy, I...I can't breathe!"

Lucy giggled, looking amused at his amusement. She knew he had a damn good amount to laugh at in the world - he was the happiest person she knew on a usual day. But she'd never seen him laugh like _this_ , and in the middle of what they considered a war, nonetheless!

The man sneered, "Laugh all you want, your girlfriend's life is in my hands already!"

Natsu's laughter cut off, and even Lucy flinched as he sat up, eyes glinting with a deadly look and a grin still on his face. "The hell did you just say about Lucy?" he said, still grinning. "Because I could have sworn that you just threatened her."

The man shifted uneasily as Natsu climbed to his feet, shaking his head and giving a dark laugh. "You know, Zancrow threatened her, too. Something about bones, I think. I burned him into ash." He snapped his jaws irritably, like he was some kind of dragon. "I think I'm going to put you next on that list."

"Natsu," Lucy began, but before she could finish, she was suddenly heaving her knee up and cracking it into his jaw. Natsu's head snapped back, pain exploding through his head as he hit the ground with a grunt.

"Lucy!" he snapped, "What the hell are you doing?! You don't attack your nakama when we're in the middle of-"

"I didn't!" she cried back, and then shrieked when she suddenly felt herself bend over backwards - literally. Her fingers touched the ground, a furious ache in her back telling her that she was doing something she shouldn't have. "Natsu-"

His furious eyes darted to the man, who grinned and bent his doll further. "I am Kain Hikaru," he muttered. "And I don't like you flirting like that."

"We weren't flirting!?" Natsu shouted, bewildered, and then turned back to Lucy in time for her foot to connect with his face.

"I'm sorry!" she shrieked.

He rubbed his cheek, grimacing in pain. Lucy had a nasty kick to her… He went to dive around her and slam a fist into Kain's face, but suddenly, his Lucy was there, and she cried out in pain when the flames connected with her chest, sending her skidding to the ground at Kain's feet. Horror filled him, memories of the betrayal in her eyes when he'd last hurt her filling his mind, and his breath hitched.

He'd hurt her.

 _Again-_

 _Focus,_ a voice murmured into his ear, and his heart skipped a beat. He'd know that voice anywhere. It was one he hadn't heard in seven years, one that soothed his panic away. Lucy wouldn't leave him, it was neither of their faults. _Focus on your enemy, Natsu, and get past her. The girl will be alright._

He nodded silently and took a deep breath. Lucy was strong, and she could take quite a few of his punches if she really wanted. So he focused on the doll. If he could get the doll away from Kain, he could win: simple as that.

And Lucy would be safe.

The blonde had risen from the ground, eyes full of panic, and he tried to give her a reassuring grin that faltered, even though he felt confident that he'd be able to beat the hell out of the man. Kain would not keep Lucy from him. She was a part of his hoard, and he was _not_ pleased that this bastard had taken it.

With that mentality in his head, he suddenly grinned against, lunging forward. He could feel his surge of power, wanting to itch his cheeks when scales began to creep their way out of his skin. "Hey, Luce," he said nonchalantly as he ducked around a blow that was aimed for his head. "What's up."

"You're an idiot," she half-cried, half-laughed. He let her kick out, grabbed her around the waist, and then suddenly sprung back, bending back like she had. She instinctively threw her hands out to catch herself as she tumbled to the ground, and he used that to his advantage, springing forward with a bellow.

Unfortunately, apparently Kain had been waiting for something like that. Lucy came flying out of nowhere, shrieking as she clawed at the ground, and slammed into him. He went flying back against the cliff, and blinding pain flooded him as he was crushed beneath a massive amount of rocks that were knocked loose. He swore, thrashing to free himself. "Lucy-"

"Natsu!" she shrieked. Kain laughed, looking proud of himself. She could feel Loke pushing and pushing, but something blocked his gate like she'd decided he wasn't coming out. Her other Spirits were voicing their protest, and Lucy struggled desperately to reach for at least one of them.

He may have control over her body, but he didn't over her magic. So if she could summon one-

She wanted to smack herself.

If he only had control over her body, what was she _doing_.

"Loke!" she commanded. "Open! Gait of the Lion! Leo!"

There was a flash of light beside her, followed by a snicker. "C'mon, Lucy, you can do better than that."

She stuck her tongue out. "Shut up, and help Natsu - oof!"

Loke caught her foot with ease when it came up, and she suddenly pushed forward, landing a solid blow with her fist on his jaw. He grunted in pain, scowling. He knew exactly what was going on. "Doll, right. Natsu, could you burn it?"

"Don't think so while Lucy's connected," he gasped, voice cracking. He was digging his fingers into the ground, thrashing, and a frustrated _roar_ left his lips. The sound echoed around them, and he thought he heard an answer rumble for the briefest of seconds. Guessing it to be Gajeel - Wendy's delicate little vocal chords couldn't make such sounds - he snarled at the iron dragon slayer and cursed him for not coming to help.

Then again.

He wouldn't leave Levy.

Bastard.

Lucy narrowed her eyes. If Loke could hold her off…

"Open!" she ordered shakily, catching all of their attention, "Gate of the-"

"Shut up!" Kain demanded, swinging the doll around. Lucy hit the ground with a yelp, pain snapping through her arm when she landed roughly on it. She thought she heard a snap, and Natsu's flinch just confirmed that.

"Gate of the Virgin!" she continued, spitting blood. "Virgo!"

Another flash of light had the startled Spirit appearing near her. "Princess," she began, but Loke cut her off.

"Doll, Virgo, get the doll from that bastard over there. It's controlling her. When we've dealt with him, we have to get Natsu out of the rocks."

"Okay." Virgo turned her serious gaze on Kain and then suddenly took a surprisingly large jump into the air. She dove into the ground like it was a pool, disappearing with ease, the ground slinking back to cover the hole.

Loke wasn't pleased with her, Lucy could tell by the look in his shaded eyes as she was hauled upright, a moan in her throat. "You shouldn't summon two of us when you're like this," he snapped, blocking a blow she shot at him. "It's dangerous, you're already low on magic!"

"I don't see you coming up with any other solutions!" she snapped back at him.

"Ugh, this is so _stupid_!" Natsu shouted, opening his mouth and bellowing out an inferno of flames that Loke hauled Lucy out of the way of with ease. The flames seemed to go everywhere, striking trees and letting them burst into flame.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, "Don't light Tenrou on fire!"

"Stay away!" Kain shrieked suddenly, and Loke wheezed as he - grip still tight on Lucy - was hauled across the ground. A simple jerk had him flying into Virgo when she sprung into view, and both Spirits were sent tumbling to the ground.

"Water Slicer!"

"Juvia!" Lucy sobbed in relief as the water mage suddenly appeared, hair wild and her eyes like those of the devil himself. The sharpened attack slammed through Kain's arm without hesitation, and the hand came. Kain screamed in agony, clutching the bloodied stump to his chest.

Lucy felt the control lift and she crumpled, heaving for air as the drain on her magic suddenly made her dizzy. Natsu called her name worriedly and then groaned himself. Loke staggered to his feet and Virgo met his gaze before vanishing. The Lion hurried over to inspect Lucy, grimacing at the sight of her arm.

Definitely broken.

But she shoved him away. "Natsu," she rasped, "We have to get Natsu out of the rocks."

"Juvia will help," Juvia said, grimacing as Kain snarled at her. "But he-"

She couldn't finish before something cracked against the back of Kain's head and knocked him to the ground, unconscious. Gray looked coolly down at him, unimpressed. His dark eyes were full of fury for the guild that had dared to attack them. Finally, he looked over, expression turning into one of alarm when he saw everyone.

"What happened?"

"Give me," Natsu snarled, glaring viciously at where the doll rested beside the hand. "That goddamn doll, Gray."

Gray scooped it up and tossed it over, and even crushed beneath rocks, Natsu snatched it out of the air. He examined it closely as Juvia saw that Lucy was alright outside of her arm, and then tsked and hugged the blonde tightly. Loke, deciding they'd be safe, returned to his own Realm.

As they made their way over to where Natsu was, the dragon slayer suddenly ripped a single strand of hair from the top of the doll and then let it burst into flames, snarling furiously. His lips were drawn back in a strange grimace that made Gray hesitate before approaching, taking notice of the scales.

"Alright," he said, narrowing his eyes at the rocks. "Let's get you out of there, pyro. Happy was with me, but... Mostly everyone's fighting Hades. Gildarts showed up though, so…"

"Good," Natsu grunted. His face was white, dotted with sweat, and Lucy staggered over to drop onto the ground beside him, worried. He forced a smile to his face.

It _hurt_ , and he was a little concerned about the lack of feeling in his legs.

"I sent Happy to go get Wendy when I saw what happened," Gray told him. He and Juvia went to work on carefully moving the rocks, not wanting them to shift and crush him more. "So stay awake, you moron. You hear me?"

"Yeah." Black spots were dotting his vision, even as Lucy shifted closer, calling his name. "Whatever ya...say…"

And then he sank into the darkness around him, feeling only Lucy's good hand catching his head before it struck the earth.

* * *

 _Told you it wouldn't be good! That's okay. Sassiness will arrive shortly. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, LePengwen, ALeoWonderer, Lodemai04, AnimusLunari777, Anna Yasashii, Mimi Queen, astorytoremember, TheAliceHuntt, TigerArrowgirl, quite-a-riot, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Dragondancer81, FireDragonPhia, SolidScriptJess, CharonteQueen, RandomAnimeNerd, ArtemisMoon, and Neverstar9127!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	140. Chapter 140

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Natsu!"

He began to stir at the sound of his name, a soft voice in the back of his mind encouraging him to get up and pay attention, because it was needed. He hurt all over, and he really, _really_ wanted to go back into that peaceful place, but he supposed that if someone needed him…who was he to ignore their call?

So, with a bit of reluctance, Natsu gave a groan, opening his eyes. He blinked blearily, grimacing as he felt a slash of pain through his head. "Lu...cy…?" he croaked.

"Oh, thank the heavens!" There was a hysterical laugh, and then warmed fingers were tangled in his messy pink hair. Lucy rested her forehead against his, murmuring another word of thanks to the celestial heavens that she took her magic from.

"Is he awake?" Gray's rough voice demanded sleepily. "'Bout damn time."

"Gray," the high-pitched voice of Wendy cried, "Leave him alone, he wouldn't be walking again if I hadn't reached you in time! Give him a minute."

 _That_ had him shooting upright, catching Lucy's head so he didn't knock into it with his own. Ruffling her blonde hair, he demanded hastily, " _What_?"

Wendy smiled at him kindly and came trotting over from where she'd been seated with the dozing Juvia. "The rocks crushed your spine," she admitted, touching his lower back. "I managed to get here soon enough after that I could repair the damage, but the bones were nearly smashed. The pieces were in a dangerous position from you thrashing about."

"Oh." Natsu released Lucy, who rested her forehead on his shoulder, and he grimaced as he heard her sniffles. She gave a shaky sound, trying to get herself under control, and he finally simply turned his head and pressed his nose into her hair, murmuring under his breath to her.

"We decided to stay here and wait for you to wake up before we tried anything," Gray explained. "I sent Happy back to tell everyone what happened. He was frantic, but Lucy promised she'd take care of you, so...you've been out for a good four hours or so. We took naps to build up our strength so we can take on that plane you and Happy saw."

"Oh," he echoed. Natsu stroked Lucy's back soothingly, quiet for a moment before he tugged at his scarf and rumbled, "Any update on the others?"

"Hades is...he's still going strong with Gildarts. The others have backed off for now, resting and waiting to fight so that Gildarts can rest." Wendy spoke quietly, examining him quickly. "We need to hurry, because when I left, Gildarts was starting to tire. Even his magic isn't endless, Natsu."

"Right." Grunting with the effort, Natsu hauled himself to his feet and pulled Lucy up with him. He waited for her to brush her tears away, and then grinned hugely at her. "No more crying, woman," he scolded, "We got some ass to kick."

"Yeah," she rasped, smiling shakily. She touched her keys and the whip at her belt, flicking the whip out so that it was ready. Gray shook Juvia awake, and she greeted Natsu with a sleepy smile.

She yawned and stretched her arms above her head. "Are all five of us going? Juvia thinks it would be smart," Juvia told them all.

"Oh, hell yeah, all of us are," Natsu retorted. He stretched, working his body carefully to make sure he could feel each and every nerve ending. It had freaked him out, he didn't hesitate to admit. He couldn't imagine not walking anymore, or throwing himself around like an idiot.

In other words: he would be careful in the future.

Extremely careful.

Lucy flicked her whip thoughtfully, the end of it slithering along the ground and threatening to light itself with fire that it had absorbed from him in their play fight so long ago. "We'll need to stick close to one another. All of us. I don't...I don't want anyone hurt like that again."

"I don't have the magic to deal with it," Wendy said firmly, dark eyes searching the sky above them. "I ate some air, but I've used up so much fighting and healing everyone… If Grandeeney was here, she'd know how to fix everything faster than I can."

Silence, and then Natsu said roughly, "We'll find her someday, Wendy, don't you worry."

Wendy gave him an appreciative look for that.

They all turned to face where the plane rested not too far away, and Natsu slammed a flaming fist into his open palm. Lucy's whip slithered around them as she flicked it expertly, determined, and the temperature in the air dropped as mist gathered around Gray. Juvia's body rippled as a breeze picked up, bustling their clothing and hair.

"Let's do this," Natsu said darkly.

He sprang forward, onyx eyes gleaming with a sparkle that would have scared the life out of anyone normal.

* * *

"Ultear," Meredy whispered as she kept close to her friend. Ultear didn't look nearly as concerned as Meredy felt, and simply ignored her as she looked for the man that had practically called for them.

Zeref had beckoned, and who were they to resist his call?

"Ultear," Meredy repeated, sweeping her long hair over her shoulder. "Listen, I don't think it's smart to turn against Hades like this, you know how he is…"

"We won't have to find out. Fairy Tail will not put up with what he's done," she said darkly. Ultear didn't seem too concerned. Suddenly, the bushes nearby rustled and they both stopped to look over.

A man neither recognized came into view, his dark eyes patient and narrowed. Meredy blinked, bewildered, but Ultear raised her chin. "Jellal Fernandes," she purred, "Shouldn't you be fighting alongside your guildmates?"

Jellal proudly raised his chin. "Ultear Milkovich. You're the one who told Oracion Seis that I'd switch sides, aren't you. You're the one who brought Deliora to Magnolia, and even the one who suggested that your fire mage start a fire that you _know_ would hurt Natsu."

Meredy looked at her in shock. She hadn't heard about _any_ of this.

"So?" Ultear studied him without an ounce of guilt in her dark eyes. "Anything to hurt Gray Fullbuster. If you're in my way, sucks to be you. All that matters to me is seeing to his destruction, as well as Lyon Vastia's for what they did to me."

"Which is…?"

"Stole my mother," Ultear bit out. "Because of them, she left me to freeze in the mountains she called home. Gray came into the family, and she completely forgot about me. It's not something I will forget - _ever_." She wasn't sure on why she was telling Jellal this, but he didn't so much as give her a single judging look. Instead, he nodded slowly.

"Have you talked to either of _them_ about what really happened to your mother?" Jellal asked quietly and she blinked once. "That isn't what happened at all from what I've heard. Gray mentioned when he was drunk after the whole Oracion Seis deal that your mother had often times mourned a girl, her daughter."

Ultear tensed, furious. "You're lying," she said fiercely. "You're lying!"

"I'm not," Jellal said patiently. "Did you ever speak to Ur, ask her why she'd supposedly abandoned you? Because I can promise you that Gray would never have done such a thing you accuse him of. _Never_. He lost his parents before meeting Ur, he'd never cause someone else to have the same pain."

Meredy licked her lips and glanced to Ultear again, suddenly wary of the other woman.

She'd known Ultear for years, but to learn that she'd done so many things and not told her about it…

And Meredy wasn't exactly a fan of all the bad things they'd done. She hated it, actually, but what else could she do? She'd found herself a family in Grimoire Heart, Hades picking her up when her entire city had been demolished because of an earthquake. They'd taken her in, taught her magic - which she hadn't known existed - and now…

"Ultear," she said softly, "If we apologized, maybe...maybe Fairy Tail would forgive us?"

"They forgave me, and I nearly killed a dozen of their nakama," Jellal said quietly, eyes glowing with appreciation for the guild he was now a part of.

Meredy looked pleased by that thought, but Ultear suddenly shook her head, sneering, "How dare you, Meredy. You truly think that I'd apologize for what I've done? I know what I've seen, and I am right. If you really, _really_ think that we deserve such forgiveness, then you don't belong here."

She strode off without another word, leaving Meredy to stare off after in horror. Jellal took a step closer to the suddenly frightened pink-haired woman, who cringed away from him. "I won't hurt you," he said quietly, smiling gently.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, voice trembling, "I didn't...I never wanted…I just wanted my family…"

"I understand," he reassured. "And you can have a new one that won't make you do anything you don't want to." He offered his hand and she looked longingly after Ultear, pain clear in her gaze.

She loved Ultear. Loved her desperately.

But Ultear's methods were _wrong_.

Meredy shakily took Jellal's hand, and he gave her a reassuring grin. "If they can forgive me for the pain I caused them," he said quietly, "They can forgive _you_. What magic do you use?"

"Maguilty-sense," she whispered. "I use magic that can connect people."

"A lost magic," he murmured, nodding to himself, "Similar to what all of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin used. All of you have lost magic." She nodded to confirm that.

"Zancrow used god slaying magic," she mumbled shakily. She'd loved Zancrow, even with the insanity of his actions and love for violence. He'd cared for her, she liked to think, had played childish games with her when she was younger.

He wasn't right in the head though. She'd known that for years.  
No one should have the kind of thoughts that Grimoire Heart had.

"We need your help," he said softly, searching her gaze. "Your magic...it links people, yes? We need you to link Hades to Gildarts Clive. Gildarts is tiring, and I think that if you were to connect them, the endless energy Hades has-"

Meredy's face paled. "I'll try," she said fiercely. "But I'll only help if everyone promises to not touch Ultear. She's just...confused. She's not a bad person, I promise."

"Knowing Makarov, he'll leave that decision up to Gray, but we'll discuss it later," he said firmly, and then gestured for her to follow him. He led Meredy through the trees, back to where the magic was snaking through the air, exchanging deadly blows that would have killed most people.

"Gajeel," he heard Levy mutter as they approached the exhausted group of Fairy Tail mages that were hiding not too far away, resting as they let Gildarts - and Laxus, it appeared - deal with Hades. "It's still bleeding-"

"I'll be fine," he said roughly, shoving her hands away, not at all pleased to see blood staining her cheeks. Suddenly, his gaze snapped up, and a rumble thundered deep in his chest. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Fernandes?"

"She's on our side now," he promised, exchanging a pleading look with Erza. Erza nodded curtly. She was with him; she trusted him enough to allow it.

The exhausted Makarov did as well, and ordered, "Go ahead with whatever you're planning, Jellal. We trust you to do whatever it is."

"Thank you," he said fiercely, and then turned to Meredy. She swallowed thickly, looking from the kindly smiling Erza to him. "Meredy, right? Meredy, use your magic; link Hades with Gildarts and Laxus. I know whatever Hades feels will be reflected back on both of them, but-"

"I can make it one-way," she said softly. "I'll do that." Without a word, she threw her arms out, locking gazes on the nearby fight. She narrowed her dark eyes furiously and focused, drawing on her magic.

" _Meredy_!" Hades roared a second later, the ground trembling at the force of his voice, and she faltered, her eyes full of fear. She had never dared to turn against Hades, and she found his anger terrifying.

"We'll protect you," Erza said quietly, understanding her fear as she dropped to her knees, shivering. Meredy looked up at her as Erza came to kneel beside her, her head wrapped in bandages. She smiled kindly.

Erza, too, could see the innocence and goodness hidden behind years of Grimoire Heart's teachings.

"Any word from the others?" Jellal asked.

"Happy came back," Mirajane said, revealing the blue-furred cat dozing in her lap. "Gray is with the other four. Turns out they were attacked by the last member of the Seven Kin." Her lips trembled. "Natsu was severely hurt, crushed beneath rocks. It snapped the bones in his spine, but Happy says Wendy was able to save him."

"Good," he muttered back, and then settled back to rest against a tree. He heaved for breath, exhausted after running so much. "They'll be after that weird plane Happy mentioned-"

"It holds," Meredy whispered, cutting them off and capturing all of their attention. "Master Hades' heart." They all stopped talking to stare at her, and she cleared her throat. "It's why Master Hades is still going as he is. It holds the part of him that beats life into him. So long as the heart of his magic and soul remains, you will not defeat him."

"Well then," Bickslow said with a snicker. "Guess we'll leave it to Natsu."

"I am certain the group will see to it," Freed agreed, and Mirajane and Erza hummed their agreement, exchanging a smile.

Meredy hesitantly smiled softly herself.

Perhaps Fairy Tail wasn't nearly as bad as Hades had said.

* * *

 _Someday, my sassy child will arrive. Sorry, I'm really bad at guessing arrivals. All I know is that you people are going to love it._ _On another note...Meredy. I love Meredy. This arc is where things will definitely start to change from the canon series. The GMG and further on will completely do a one-eighty, and yeah._

 _The Age of Awesomeness, who asked about my updating schedule... Probably not. I barely am keeping up with twice a week at this point. School's been rough and I barely have time to relax, so I'm actually considering to drop down to once a week. I don't want to, but keeping up is hard._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Mimi Queen, LePengwen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, OOANDISAOO, Dragondancer81, PraetorFable, Abdltf, Sydneste, SoldScriptJess, The Age of Awesomeness, TigerArrowgirl, quite-a-riot, ArtemisMoon, and TheAliceHuntt!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	141. Chapter 141

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Wendy, you're with me and Juvia," Natsu told the small blue-haired girl with a thoughtful look. "We're gonna go through the back while Lucy and Gray go through the front of the plane. Got it?"

"Yes!" Wendy cried, dark eyes determined.

Natsu grinned at her and then exchanged a look with his partner, who looked prepared. He didn't want to let her go off with only Gray to have her back in this situation, but...as Gray had pointed out, Natsu and Wendy were both extremely low on power, and practically made up one person. And, to top it all off, he wasn't exactly a quiet person...nor would he be able to work with Gray without fighting.

So, Gray was taking Lucy on a stealth mission, and Natsu was taking the other two on a distraction job in the back of the plane. Juvia wasn't too pleased, but had promised to keep an eye on Natsu for Lucy.

It was a weird looking plane. Lucy had told them that even the customized machinery the royal family of Bosco had used wasn't this weird. It was like a jet combined with a passenger plane, and _enormous_. It was multiplied size-wise, huge, and no one was entirely certain on just how it had been able to stay in the air at some point.

Gray exchanged a grin with Lucy. "Ready to go, Lucy?"

"Yeah," she said firmly. "My magic's managed to restore itself a little bit. I should be able to summon a Spirit should we really need them, but I'm going to try and go without." She touched the whip she'd curled up, not wanting the magic that flickered along it to alert anyone of what she and Gray were going to be trying.

"You guys be careful," Natsu said firmly.

"Says the one who got crushed," Lucy muttered, smiling faintly to try and reassure him. He returned it with a huge grin, ducking in to rest his forehead momentarily against hers, eyes glinting with affection for her before he whirled away.

"C'mon, we got some destruction to cause!" he cheered with a laugh, darting away with his hands ablaze. Wendy and Juvia waved and then hurried after him. Juvia's body was already turning to water, and Lucy shot a grin at Gray when he watched after her.

"I think a date is in order when we get home," she teased, and he smirked at her.

"I'm not the one being a flirty little weirdo every chance I get," he teased back. She flushed, and then shoved him towards the cockpit. Can you get us up there?"

"Yeah, hold on." Gray stopped near the plane, ignoring the explosion that suddenly rocked the ground beneath them. He glanced up, placing his hands on the earth.

A few moments later, they were climbing a staircase of ice, and Lucy grimaced, gripping the handrail he'd made and keeping a tight grip on his arm to avoid slipping. He looked amused with the trouble she was having. "I'm going to have to teach you how to walk on my ice," he muttered, making her roll her eyes.

"Don't let Natsu and Juvia hear that," she snorted, "Suddenly, you'll be unconscious, and I'll be drowning."

That made Gray snicker.

They made it to the top and Gray made her step back before suddenly jumping up onto the windows. There was a brief moment where he realized his mistake - and then he plunged straight through, yelping as he landed among shattered glass, the breath driven right out of him. "Oof!"

Lucy peered through the broken glass at him, giggling. "You alright down there?"

"Yeah, yeah, just get in here." Lucy gave him a look and he rolled his eyes before offering a hand to help her down. She hopped down with his help, her eyes showing her appreciation before she glanced around.

"I'll give them credit," she hummed, ignoring the sound of another explosion. Natsu had things handled on their end, it looked like. "They know how to keep things clean. I mean, look at this! I don't think there's a fleck of dust!"

"Who cares about _dust_?" Gray shook his head and then glanced around before leading her down a hall. They found dozens of doors, and Lucy narrowed her eyes. She could have sworn that this plane hadn't been _that_ big…

A soft sound filled her ears. "Gray," she said, tilting her head. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" he questioned, frowning.

The sound filled her ears again. A soft hiss, like gas was leaking-

She choked suddenly. She dropped to her knees, hands at her throat, and Gray fell beside her, coughing and struggling to draw in air. When she struggled to breathe and managed to somehow do so, it burned its way into her lungs and down her throat, and she gave a cry.

Cackling suddenly filled her ears, and a voice that was terrifyingly familiar filled their ears. "Heard ya coming from a mile away. Seriously, don't you fairies know better than to just walk down strange corridors?"

Lucy's eyes flashed with shock, and Gray wheezed out the man's name. " _Cobra_?"

"In the flesh," he purred, standing over them. His good eye glinted with a look that neither could identify, a smirk on his face. And at his side, much to both of their surprise, was an unhappy looking Angel.

"What the hell?" Gray rasped, choking.

"Do you mind," Angel wheezed, glaring furiously at her companion. "None of us can breathe!"

"I can," Cobra retorted. This earned him a nasty look. " _Fine_ , I'm going, calm yourself, woman." He suddenly inhaled, and grinned as he devoured all of the poisonous gas that had filled the air. Chowing on something they couldn't see, he glanced around - and then snatched the ribbon Angel was using to keep her hair up away. He reached up and shoved it into a pipe that none of them had seen, and they all groaned, relieved to be able to breathe.

"Thanks," Lucy rasped. "Cobra, weren't you in jail or something?"

"Good behavior," he said sarcastically, giving her a dirty look. "Yeah. I was. Your little friend Kinana made some comment to your guildmaster, who got me out through some favors."

"Huh." Gray sat up, grimacing as he rubbed his head. "Cool. Works for me if you're here eating the poison that's trying to kill us."

"Well, we figured if we helped," Angel gritted out, "We'd get some good points in with Makarov Dreyar so that he could maybe clear our names and actually make some money."

"Look at you guys trying to be helpful," Lucy cooed with a grin.

"One more comment," Cobra threatened, glaring at her, "And I'll make sure you have an eye that matches mine, girl."

"Kinana wouldn't appreciate that," Lucy hummed back, and then gave him a kind smile that made him look away with a near flustered look. Clearly, he wasn't used to such kindness from people he'd tried to kill. "Seriously, Cobra, Angel. Thank you."

Angel scoffed. "Sorano. My name is Sorano Auguria, and I'd prefer if you called me as such."

" _Auguria_?" Gray sputtered. "That's-"

"Yukino is my little sister," Sorano said hesitantly. "But...I guess she doesn't remember me. She was young when I was taken from her." She smiled gently at the thought of her sister, a look that Lucy wasn't expecting on her face. "Anyways. What the hell are you trying to do?"

"Gotta find out what's hidden in this place," Lucy said, waving her hands around her. She chose not to question how they'd gotten to Tenrou of all places, guessing they'd tricked their way onto the plane or become stowaways on the ship Fairy Tail had borrowed. "We think there might be something that helps defeat the guildmaster of Grimoire Heart."

Lucy climbed to her feet with Gray's help, and the ice-make mage made sure she was alright before brushing himself up. "Cobra, we know you can hear everything, but how's your nose?"

"All my senses went to my ears, so it ain't all that good." Cobra looked down the corridor with a smirk. "Can hear somethin' thumpin' away down there though."

Lucy exchanged a look with Gray and then beamed at the pair. "Thanks for your help. Would you like to come with us? We'll make sure to keep the others off of you when we find them."

"I'll go," Sorano said firmly. "I want to atone for the sins that I've committed."

Cobra rolled his eyes. "Can't look at Cubellios if I didn't help her stupid guild."

Gray grinned and then turned to face the corridor behind them. "Let's go, then!"

The four of them raced down the hall.

* * *

What felt like ages later, Lucy wheezed, gulping down air, "Are we any closer?"

Cobra gave a dry smile and retorted, "No."

"I don't get it," Gray gasped, resting his head back. "We've been running forever!"

"The magic, I bet it's an illusion," Sorano said suddenly, lifting her gaze. She was thoughtful for a second. And then she smirked. "I know how to break it...hey, Cobra, time for an alternate version of Plan S!"

Cobra stared at her in confusion, and then seemed to get what she meant, and smirked as well. "On it!" Without another word, he inhaled sharply, turning his attention on the empty hallway, judging distances carefully.

"'S'?" Lucy said, bewildered, "What does that stand for?"

"Surprise," Sorano said with a wink, and then ordered, "Cover your ears!"

Gray exchanged a look with his blonde nakama, and then slammed his hands over his ears. Lucy copied.

A moment later, Cobra _screamed_.

Lucy gasped, pain splitting through her head at the incredibly loud sound that was nearly as loud as the dragon's had been. It echoed, amplified by the hallways, filling the air no matter where you stood on the aircraft. She recognized it for what it was though.

A roar. A dragon's cry, meant to catch others' attention, and she grinned, not daring to take her hands away from her ears as Cobra stopped.

A moment later, he covered his ears with a yelp, and a deeper, more hoarse roar filled the hallway, accompanied by a piercing trilling scream that was far more higher-pitched than Cobra's.

Natsu and Wendy had _definitely_ heard, and so had Gajeel from the very, very faint roar that came a second later, after Natsu and Wendy had cut off.

Lowering her hands, Sorano explained, "Salamander's magic is so powerful and intense that it will likely shatter whatever illusion was set up to keep people away from what we're trying to find."

"If we can keep you from getting destroyed first," Gray said, feeling the temperature in the hall beginning to rise.

A second later, something cracked. It was like a giant mirror splintered around them, and with a great screech, the shards began to shatter and fall around them until Lucy found herself staring at Natsu, Juvia, and Wendy, who looked a little bit battered, but alive nonetheless.

"Natsu!" Lucy greeted, and Juvia threw herself at Gray with a cheerful cry, practically purring as she clutched his arm.

"Juvia was worried," she told him, batting her eyelashes.

"Well, we're fine here," Gray said gruffly, ruffling her blue hair gently before indicating Sorano and Cobra when Natsu began to demand what they were doing there. "They're with us, Natsu. Saved Lucy and I from some poisonous gas. And they said they want to help, to try and clear their names like Jellal did."

Natsu's eyes scanned them. "...you nearly killed Lucy," he growled. The sound thundered deep in his chest. "Give me one good reason why I should let you do anything."

"Because you're not some big bad boss guy," Lucy retorted, kicking him as hard as she could in the shin. He hopped up and down with a bark of pain, glaring at her, and she planted her hands on her hips. "Again, they want to help. Leave them be, Natsu. They saved our lives."

"Fine," he huffed. "I won't turn them to ash."

"Thank you." Lucy planted her hands on her hips and asked, "Cobra, where do we go?"

The venom dragon slayer, who'd been watching everything with a look of amusement, inclined his head thoughtfully. "Three doors, a right, and then two lefts," he declared, stalking past them. Natsu gave him a dirty look before following, and the rest of them fell into line.

They went where Cobra instructed, following a sound that only he could hear, and when they reached what they were looking for, they all stopped to gawk, unable to believe what rested before their eyes.

For in their path stood a massive pulsing blood red lacrima, which was connected to dozens of machines.

And before the lacrima stood the man known as Zeref.

* * *

 _Sass master has arrived! One of my favorite relationships to write in this fanfic is the weird one between Cobra and Lucy. They have a sort of...I can't even explain how they work together. Constant back and forths though, I'll tell you._

 _To MirrorFlame about Lyredy...hell yes. One of the cutest pairings I have had the honor of loving. Actually have a Lyredy one-shot up if you haven't read it. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Moon Stone Tiger Lily, LePengwen, CharonteQueen, PraetorFable, FairyDemonDust, The Age of Awesomeness, RandomAnimeNerd, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Abdltf, ArtemisMoon, Dragondancer81, TheAliceHuntt, Guest #1, NaLu and InuKag, Sydneste, Elisha Silverpine, Lordshuvra, Shufflecat147, MirrorFlame, and quite-a-riot!) as well as those who favorited and followed!  
_


	142. Chapter 142

**. Between the Lines .  
**

* * *

"You!" Natsu snarled as he threw an arm in front of Lucy, ready to shield her from the man with his body. Zeref looked amused by the action, but said nothing about it. Wendy looked shaken as she ducked behind Gray, who stood side-by-side with Juvia. Sorano and Cobra exchanged confused looks.

"Me," Zeref said with a pleasant look, turning his face back towards lacrima. Suddenly, he lifted a hand to place it against the lacrima. "Did you know that curse magic is the darkest and most powerful type?" he mused nonchalantly. "Curse magic," he grinned, pressing down and watching as cracks appeared in the lacrima, "Destroys whatever you want it to destroy."

"What is that?" Lucy said quietly, stepping out from behind Natsu to stare at the lacrima.

"Hades' heart," Zeref replied, amused with her curiosity. He tilted his head fractionally. "The heart of his soul and magic, anyways. His physical heart is still within his body, but it will stop when this one does." Without another word, he dug his fingers into the lacrima and watched as it suddenly shattered beneath his touch.

Gray jerked, shocked, and Juvia gasped, "You killed him?!"

"Why not? He interrupted the peace I was having, claiming that I beckoned them here with my own words when it was truly Acnologia whispering dark thoughts into their heads, coaxing them to come and find the seal that has kept him hidden away for nearly a decade now. Miss Heartfilia there would know quite a bit about that, I'm assuming?"

"No," Lucy spat, "I don't know anything about that."

"Mm, if not now, then soon. I killed most of the Seven Kin as well; none of them deserved the gift of life." Zeref smirked about something, and then inclined his head. "I hope to meet again, but now...I have things to prepare. And something in particular to prepare _for_. Farewell, Fairy Tail…" His red eyes burned into Natsu's, and Natsu's onyx gaze glared viciously back. "...Natsu."

And then he was gone, leaving only the shards of a broken lacrima behind him.

* * *

Gildarts was lunging for an exhausted blow when Hades' feet crumpled out from under him, and Laxus, who'd been taking a step back to regather himself, grunted in shock at the sight. He knew the others were taking cover for the time being, resting while they could, and so it was only the pair of them that noticed at first.

"What the hell just happened?" the exhausted Gildarts rumbled, glancing at the lightning mage.

"Who cares," Laxus replied, stalking forward. He prodded at Hades' body with a shoed foot. "Is he dead?"

"Gildarts? Laxus?" Mirajane's soft voice called as she came trotting over, her arms filled with a sleeping Happy. Jellal was beside her, dark eyes emotionless. Laxus gave him a look of wariness before turning to face the silver-haired woman. "What's going on?"

"Hades just...dropped dead," Gildarts said blankly, kneeling to check for a pulse. "Seriously, there's no heartbeat, pulse, breath, nothing."

"...just like that, he's _dead_?" Mirajane was shocked, exchanging a startled look with Jellal.

"You're lucky that Meredy felt the change a second before he did," Jellal said calmly. "She'd connected the two of you to Hades to help amplify your power and weaken him. She dropped the connection a moment before he died."

Laxus glared angrily at that, but Mirajane soothed him with a simple touch to his arm and looked over to where Gildarts was, her large expressive blue eyes worried. "Are you alright?" she demanded when he suddenly groaned, dropping to his knees.

"Haven't had to use that much magic since I lost my limbs," he rasped, grimacing. "I can used a lot of magic, Mira, but I don't use it often enough to not feel the effects; it's like I'm some kind of new magic-user."

"As long as you're okay," she replied, and then looked to Jellal, who was quietly studying something that they couldn't see. "Jellal?"

His gaze shifted to her, and she shuddered at the look of intensity in his eyes. "I believe that the creature that was released from whatever was keeping it here will someday return to rain hell on us, and I don't think I want to be there when it does."

"A dragon, eh?" Gildarts glanced up.

"A dragon," Laxus muttered to confirm what they'd all thought. "Never thought I'd see one in that form."

"I don't think any of us thought we'd see a dragon," Mirajane pointed out.

"A dragon," Gildarts repeated, this time slightly in awe. He forced himself to his feet and cast Hades' body a final look before staggering towards where their nakama awaited news. "C'mon, we need to send some people to check in on the other group. Don't like how those kids are all alone without backup."

This time Jellal's eyes flashed with amusement.

"They have Natsu with them," the heavenly body mage mused. "I don't think much is going to get past them, Gildarts."

Gildarts threw his head back and laughed, never missing a step. "You got that right."

Jellal just hoped he wasn't right about what was to come.

* * *

Lucy leaned heavily into Juvia's side, her eyes full of exhaustion. The water mage had an arm over her shoulder, ignoring the shreds of her dress that remained after the desperate fighting that had occurred that day.

Natsu hopped down from the ledge after Sorano, Cobra, and Wendy - they'd all been shocked when the venom dragon slayer had gingerly helped Wendy down. She'd smiled thankfully at him and he'd scoffed, looking elsewhere.

"You go on," Gray told Juvia, and she slid down herself. Lucy eyed the ledge with distaste beside him, studying the drop. It was a good six feet or so. And if she tried, she was pretty sure she'd collapse and knock her head…

"Need some help?" the ice-make mage asked, and she gave him a nod.

"You slide her down," Natsu called up. "I'll catch her." His onyx eyes were dark, irritable with what had happened. No one had mentioned that Zeref knew his name, but he was certain that they were all curious. Not that he could blame them; he was curious, too.

"Got it," Gray replied, too tired himself to make some kind of biting reply. Lucy didn't protest when he awkwardly helped her slide over the edge. She dropped for the briefest of moments, and then Natsu caught her around the waist.

"I've got ya," he said quietly in her ear when she winced. She was bruised, cut up, and ached all over. But she appreciated Natsu's warm comfort beside her as they moved out of the way for Gray to hop down.

"I'll carry Luce," Natsu decided. "So we can get a move on."

"Works for me," Gray grunted, watching as Juvia carefully helped Natsu get Lucy onto his back. The blonde wrapped her arms around his neck with a groan, letting them dangle and resting her chin on his shoulder, eyes closing to doze. "I wanna check on Gramps, make sure he's okay."

The others murmured their agreement - well, the Fairy Tail mages did.

Cobra and Sorano exchanged wary looks, not exactly excited to go and confront people that they had once tried to utterly demolish. But they said nothing, nor did they try to leave as the group began to trudge through the forests of Tenrou Island.

"Jeez, Luce," Natsu teased as he walked. "You're heavy."

She didn't respond with anything but a muttered, "Shut up, or I'll feed you to Mira."

He only cackled.

Wendy giggled as she walked beside them. It was good to see her nakama back in a good mood, and she, too, was relieved that everything appeared to be over for the time being.

For now being a key term, because Wendy knew that things were far from over. Acnologia - a dragon even the Fire Dragon King had been wary of - was on the loose and Zeref, a black mage of legends, had reappeared out of seemingly nowhere, and she _knew_ that things would get bad again.

For now, though…

"Wendy!"

The cry of her name had her head snapping up. "Charle!" she shrieked in excitement, catching the white blur that flew at her. She gave a happy sob and hugged her friend tightly. A second later, they were surrounded by tired and pained friends, who greeted them excitedly and made sure they were alright.

"Lucy!" Erza exclaimed as she appeared, followed by Mirajane. The two women crowded near Natsu, both worried about their nakama. "Is she alright, Natsu?" the scarlet-haired Titania demanded. "Is she hurt?"

"I'm fine," Lucy slurred out, giving them a faint smile. "I used up a lot of magic today, that's all. I just need sleep. S'Natsu you should be worried about."

"Natsu!" a voice screamed and a second later, Lucy shrieked in shock, as she was crushed by Natsu, who'd been knocked to the ground by a relieved Happy. "You're okay! I was so worried, Wendy said your back was badly hurt-"

Natsu hugged his blue-furred friend as he rolled off of Lucy, and grinned down at him after sitting up. "We're fine, Happy. Sorry for scaring ya."

Gajeel's deep rasping voice - tired, but free of pain thanks to Wendy's healing - suddenly spoke up, demanding, "The fuck are Oracion Seis doing here?"

Even Makarov, who'd been greeted Juvia warmly, stopped to look at the awkwardly standing Sorano and Cobra. Cobra jutted his chin out and glared defiantly at them all, and Sorano shifted anxiously, dark eyes just a little bit worried.

It was Gray who spoke up, narrowing his gaze at everyone who had the nerve to give him a dirty look. "They're with us, Gramps. Saved Lucy and my life when we tripped off some kind of trap. They wanted to see if they could get their names cleared by helping us out and they did."

"What the fuck is with people thinking we're gonna clear their name when they were being giant di-"

" _Gajeel_!" Levy shrieked, slapping her hands over his mouth after reaching up as far as she could to reach. "We don't say that word when there's children around, remember? We had this conversation last week!"

Gildarts chuckled tiredly from where he stood. "Is this true, what Gray said?" he questioned, glancing to Sorano for an answer.

Sorano hesitated, and then nodded. "We hoped," she said softly, "That we could atone for the sins we committed when we were in Oracion Seis." She showed them the now blank space, where her emblem had once rested. "The guild - well, we disbanded when Brain was killed. We thought that perhaps it was time to move on from the jealousy and rage we felt - right, Cobra?"

Cobra snorted. "Can't exactly face Cubellios when I'm in jail," he muttered, looking away as if he didn't care - yet glanced to the group out of the corner of his eye and making Lucy smile to herself.

Makarov studied them for a few moments and then glanced to where Jellal had joined Erza, a curious Meredy close to them. "Well, I suppose if we're taking in a member of Grimoire Heart, Oracion Seis isn't that far off...I'm thinking I'll have a word with Lamia Scale's guildmaster. I'm sure they'd take in Meredy without question…"

"You were with Ultear," Gray said suddenly, studying Meredy curiously.

Meredy stilled, her eyes widening with worry at the name. Finally, she said softly, "Ultear...she's not a bad person. She thinks she is, but she's really not. She just...she thinks that something happened that I don't think did now that I've seen how the mages of Fairy Tail work. Her mind...it's confused, not right. Darkness has twisted it in a way that I don't know if she'll recover from. Please forgive her."

"Ultear?" Makarov glanced to Gray questioningly, and he smiled wryly.

"Ultear is Ur's daughter," he explained to the people who were confused. Understanding appeared in most of their eyes. "She...we'll talk about this later," he decided, looking to Meredy with a hint of a smile that had Juvia glaring at her over his shoulder. "With Ur's other student, Lyon. He's in Lamia Scale."

"If the guildmaster agrees, I'll have you be her escort," Makarov told him, and then waved to catch everyone's attention. "Everyone! You all did very well in this...challenge." Many of them snorted in amusement. "And as such, we'll celebrate upon returning home. Which we will do tomorrow."

"What about the exam?" Natsu cut in, frustrated. "You even said two people this year-"

"Natsu," Makarov said, interrupting him with a look of exhaustion. "We all need rest that we won't get here, and medical care. As it is, I want Porlyusica to take a look at you. I don't doubt Wendy's healing skills, but we need to make sure that something won't suddenly take a turn for the worse. And Lucy needs a bed. And hot meals and such."

He silently admitted that the guildmaster was right, even if he did pout.

"As we won't finish the exam," Makarov continued, "I talked it over with Laxus and Gildarts on the way back, and we've decided that so long as you each have the partner you chose for this exam on you, you will be allowed to take S-Class missions."

Silence, and then all of those who had come to compete cheered. Natsu gave an excited laugh, for once exchanging a grin with Gray, and Erza smiled at her team proudly.

"Even us?" Freed said suddenly, astonished. "I mean, we go on most missions with Laxus, but-"

"Even you and Bickslow," Laxus agreed, shooting his grandfather a look that just dared him to say otherwise. A slight smile crossed his face when Bickslow and Freed exchanged an excited look, pleased with the results.

"You should inform Cobra of who Hades was. And what he did."

Fairy Tail jumped, startled to see the First standing beside said dragon slayer suddenly. Her emerald eyes glittered dangerously with an emotion none of them could place, and Wendy felt as if the spirit had been off trying to find the man they'd seen.

"I agree," Gildarts murmured, "Deserves to know…"

"Right." Makarov turned to Cobra, and he looked startled to have everyone's attention on him all of a sudden. Bristling, he demanded to know what they were all looking at. Makarov cleared his throat so that he looked at the guildmaster, and then Makarov said gently, "You know of the man known as Precht, who was the reason that your Cubellios and our Kinana were cursed...the guildmaster of Grimoire Heart, Hades, went by that name before he became a black mage. He was killed today."

Cobra went still, startled by this bout of information. And then he swore colorfully, fury crossing his face as he snarled, "What the hell! I wanted to kill that fucker!"

"Well, he's dead," Mirajane said gently, suddenly stepping over to stand before them. She smiled kindly, her blue eyes sparkling with a gentle look that had him pausing in his rage. He calmed after a moment, and she looked amused. "And I'm sure Kinana will be very pleased to see you when we get home."

He was quiet for a few moments, and then he scoffed, turning his face away again.

But not before Mirajane could see the excitement glittering in his dark eyes, and she giggled before turning to head back over to where Laxus waited. She touched his arm worriedly, searching her lover's eyes before simply smiling at the nakama - old and new - around them.

Everyone was alive.

And she couldn't be happier.

* * *

 _And this is where the Tenrou arc begins to draw to its end. As you can see...no seven years skip. I've got ideas about a similar thing, but nothing is confirmed yet._

 _It was questioned on how Cobra and Angel got to Tenrou. It's near midnight as I'm posting this and I can't remember if I explained that, so we'll just put this, because it's definitely what happened but I never put it in: they arrived by sneaking their sneaky selves onto the jet-plane-thing. I apologize. This was written some time ago and I don't remember everything. ;-;_

 _Elisha Silverpine, who questioned some Nalu DTR...perhaps. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Sydneste, LePengwen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, PraetorFable, The Age of Awesomeness, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, MirrorFlame, TheAliceHuntt, Mimi Queen, FairyRains, OOANDISAOO, Guest #1, Abdltf, Elisha Silverpine, clarelovesnalu514, AnimusLunari777, quite-a-riot, and RandomAnimeNerd!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	143. Chapter 143

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

A few members of Lamia Scale were waiting when the ship pulled into the harbor of Hargeon, and they waved and greeted Fairy Tail's returning mages with warmth. It had been a week since they'd left for the S-Class exam, and they were excited to see them return the date they'd promised to come back on.

Their smiles faded, however, when the exhausted group trampled off of the boat, most covered in bandages due to wounds that Wendy had simply been too exhausted to heal.

Lucy, herself, supported one around her head, and Natsu was leaning heavily on her, one arm thrown around Gray's shoulders. And not because of motion sickness. He'd complained of back pains not too long before, and Wendy had panicked, uncertain of what was wrong.

Makarov had calmed her by saying they'd send for Porlyusica the second they got home.

"Do you have him?" Erza called as she stood at the top of the metal stairs they were using to get off.

"Yeah!" Gray shouted back, frowning. He called Natsu his rival, but he hated seeing the pink-haired moron looking like this: with sweat dotting his forehead and an agonized look that he hid the second Lucy looked his way.

Something told the ice-make mage he was in more pain than he'd let on to anyone.

"What happened?" Jura demanded. He'd come with a few other members for legal reasons - the Council demanded paperwork, and he knew that Makarov wouldn't do it.

"Long story short," Makarov told him, having been the first to step off, "Grimoire Heart is technically disbanded, the Seven Kin of Purgatory are dead for the most part, we've befriended two members of Oracion Seis and a member of the Seven Kin, and there's a dragon on the loose."

Jura stared at him in utter shock, making Mirajane giggle as she came to join them, Laxus at her side. The silver-haired woman's hair had been trimmed a few inches thanks to Lucy's Spirit's help after Bluenote had cut it unevenly in their fight. "We made it out alive and got back on time, so that's all that matters," she said firmly, watching her nakama warmly.

"Is Chelia here?" Wendy called anxiously as she came to join Levy and Gajeel at the base of the stairs, her brown eyes wide. "I want her to take a look at Natsu and a few of the others!"

"I'll send for her," Jura promised. "Lyon, why don't you help Gray with Natsu, Lucy looks like she's going to collapse."

"She's been working her magic to the limit," Makarov admitted. "Her Spirits have been a great help to us. Particularly Lyra, Virgo, Aries, and Loke."

"Careful with him," Lucy pleaded, sliding Natsu's arm over Lyon's shoulder gently and standing back beside Freed and Bickslow. The pair's eyes were unreadable, neither exactly excited to tell their teammate what had happened and hear her demanding with a shrieking voice as to why she hadn't been brought along.

Evergreen was terrifying.

"I will," Lyon promised, frowning. "What happened to him?"

"His back was crushed when they were fighting Kain Hikaru of the Seven Kin," Juvia murmured as she came to join them, her blue eyes troubled. "My dear Gray and I couldn't get there quickly enough, and he and Lucy fought him alone."

Lyon grimaced sympathetically and tried to be as gentle as he could after that.

"Would you like to rest in Hargeon before returning home? Lamia Scale can set up a place of rest for all of you in the guildhall," Jura offered politely.

But Makarov shook his head. "I have a healer friend who won't dare to come this far. She rarely comes to our guildhall, and she lives outside of Magnolia. Do you have a better set of transportation for those with worse injuries? It'd be hard to explain on a train…"

As they began to decide what would be best in regards to modes of transportation, Lyon and Gray helped Natsu a few more feet forward, and then carefully helped the fire mage slide to the ground, so he could lay there. He threw an arm over his eyes, feeling Happy squirm worriedly in his hiding place in his scarf.

"Natsu?" Lucy fretted.

"I'm fine," he rasped, "Give me a moment?"

"I'll get him some water, they've got to have a vending machine around here somewhere," Levy said, overhearing Lucy's concerned voice. She smiled comfortingly at her friend. Gildarts, who'd come to check on him alongside Meredy, gave him a look of approval.

"My magic may be able to help this healer woman locate the worst of the damage," Meredy murmured, looking troubled.

"Perhaps," Lucy agreed, smiling. She'd grown fond of Meredy. The young woman was gentle, and it was almost as if she'd regretted her time with Grimoire Heart. Lucy just couldn't see her as someone hateful and violent. She lifted her head, looking around. "Gildarts, where's Erza?"

"With Jellal, Cobra, and Angel," he told her. "They wanted to make sure that there wasn't any trouble for them. I think Makarov's going to wait a bit before sending word to the Council on his decisions in regards to those two and Meredy here."

Lyon, who'd been gawking at the newcomer for a few moments, suddenly grinned hugely at Meredy. "I'm Lyon Vastia," he introduced.

"Meredy," was all she said, looking amused.

Gray looked at the man he considered a brother in horror. "Oh, no," he whispered.

This made Lucy giggle, and look to Juvia, who looked pleased with this development. "One less love rival for Juvia," the water mage said smugly.

"How you doing, kiddo?" Gildarts asked suddenly, nudging Natsu just barely with his foot. Natsu made a strange sound of protest, a soft gurgle of sorts.

"Wendy's magic wasn't up to par when she healed him," Lucy mused, frowning. "I don't think she was able to get all of the damage. The adrenaline would have hid the pain when we were fighting, and the idiot carried me after the battle…" She shook her head. "Moron."

"Always was trying too hard," Gray muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Listen up, brats!" Makarov shouted, calling all of their attention. His eyes were sharp, darting to the people that had stopped to stare at them all with startled looks. "Lamia Scale's been kind enough to let us stay the night and get some rest before we head back. Tomorrow, I'm sending the S-Class mages, the cats, Natsu, and Wendy back in a car they're lending us. The rest of us will take the train as usual."

Lucy immediately glared, but decided not to say anything. They'd all had enough trouble without her picking a fight with the guildmaster's decision to not let her stick with her clearly injured partner.

Softly, Happy whispered, "I'll watch him, Lucy, don't worry."

Lucy relaxed, grateful for their blue-furred friend.

"Come on," she finally sighed, and watched worriedly as Gray and Lyon began to get ready to help Natsu along. "Let's go."

* * *

Lucy squirmed impatiently, her brown eyes snapping with annoyance at how slow the train seemed to be moving. "This is ridiculous," she muttered. "Ridiculously _slow_."

Fairy Tail alone had taken up a compartment on the train. One entire car was dedicated to them - partly thanks to Lamia Scale, who'd paid for the remaining tickets so that no one would overhear what they said.

Despite her annoyance, however, she couldn't help but be amused when Cobra gasped, looking ill, " _You_ think this is ridiculous?! I want to crawl out of a _fucking window_."

Lucy's lips twitched, and she exchanged a laughing look with Levy, who sat beside her. Gray sat on her other side, playfully nudging her every now and then, and Erza and Jellal sat across from them.

Gajeel, much like Cobra though not as vocal, had passed out on the seat nearest to Levy, his pierced brows drawn down in a furrowed way. Levy reached over to affectionately push some black hair from his eyes, her gaze soft with a loving look, and Lucy smiled to herself, thinking of the conversation she'd had with the iron mage so long ago.

 _"You're good friends with Shrimp. D'ya think she'll say yes if I ask?"_

 _"Most definitely she'll say yes,"_ Lucy had reassured him, smiling kindly. _"I think she'd be more than happy if you asked her, Gajeel."_

Lucy hoped that this whole ordeal would give him the push he needed.

Gray suddenly prodded at Lucy again, and she immediately jabbed him back, giving him a look. He smirked, dark eyes glittering with a teasing look. She narrowed her own playfully, and then looked up when Erza spoke softly.

"I wonder where the dragon went."

They looked over at her. Even Gajeel cracked open an eye, as if the simple mention of Acnologia had awoken him. Cobra stopped complaining to listen, though he said nothing. "I mean," Erza continued, "It's a _dragon_."

"There are other countries," Levy suggested. "Perhaps it went to Seven, or even the Alvarez Empire." Lucy flinched at the mention of the country, but said nothing, and Gray glanced at her. She shook her head; she was fine - physically.

"Perhaps," she echoed. "And it's name is Acnologia. It's the Chaos Dragon, known for the destructive tendencies it possesses. We'll have to watch out for it. My mother's diary mentioned that even the strongest of dragons had issues dealing with him."

She was pretty sure most of them had guessed Igneel, but they said nothing.

Lucy cleared her throat, and then told her friends, "I wish it wasn't an evil dragon that had been released. If this is what's going to be happening from here on out, we could use the good dragons."

Gajeel gave a choked laugh.

"Believe me, Bunny Girl. We all do."

* * *

"I ought to smash your head in!" Porlyusica snapped when they entered the guildhall. Most of the guild was cowering off to the sides of the massive main area, and Lucy flinched at the terrifying woman's harsh look. Makarov sheepishly smiled at her. "Letting your "brats" get this beat up!"

Lucy went to join Mirajane at the bar, her eyes worried as she asked, "How's Natsu?"

"He's better," Mirajane promised. "Happy and Wendy are keeping an eye on him. Porlyusica came as soon as we got back. He's asleep right now, so why don't you have something to eat?"

"You need something," Cana agreed, and then added, "Nice to see you again, Lucy."

Lucy smiled warmly at her dark-haired friend. "Hey, Cana. Nice to see you, too."

Cana rested an elbow on the bar, leaning closer. "So I hear that you kicked some serious ass…?"

"Damn right," she said with a grin.

"She and Natsu won against Jellal in the first stage of the exam," Mirajane reported with a smile on her lips. She went to fetch a glass, pouring some water in it for Asuka when the little girl came asking. She paused to excitedly hug Lucy, and then ran back to her mother with the glass of water. Lucy waved to Bisca, who smiled warmly in return.

"Asuka was asking about everyone yesterday," Cana laughed. She looked amused by the young girl. "She was really worried about everyone. Especially when Master sent word that you were back in Hargeon, but some would be arriving ahead of time."

"It was a mess," Lucy told them, and then jumped when someone ruffled her hair before dropping into the seat beside her. Gray cracked a faint grin, looking ready to sleep for a week after the tiring past week.

"Can I get something to eat, Mira?" he requested.

"On your tab, I'm assuming," she hummed, and then went to do just that.

Cana went to greet some of the other mages that had returned - she snickered when Evergreen began to shriek at her teammates, who looked pleadingly to Laxus to help calm her down - and Lucy sighed softly as she rested her chin on her arms.

Gray was quiet for a few moments, and then said quietly, "I wonder if Ultear got off of Tenrou."

"She probably did," Lucy replied reassuringly. She knew that the ice-make mage likely had mixed feelings about the dark-haired woman, who'd caused so much pain and damage to everyone, yet was a connection to his long dead master.

Lucy was eating a meal that Mirajane had brought to her when Makarov called her over. She exchanged a look with Gray, and then shoved the rest of her meal at Gajeel, who'd seated himself with Levy a few seats away. "Help yourself," she told him, and then went over to where Makarov stood with Meredy, Cobra, and Sorano beside him.

"Lucy," Makarov said when she was close enough. "Would you be willing to keep an eye on these three while I make some calls to the Council? Show them around Magnolia, stay here, do whatever. I don't want the rest of the guild pestering them endlessly, especially those who have yet to be told of what happened." He inclined his head towards a suspicious group of lesser known Fairy Tail mages, who were looking particularly unhappy at the moment.

"Sure," Lucy told him, forcing a smile to her face.

She wasn't exactly looking forward to keeping an eye on the venom dragon slayer, who had an attitude like no other…

Cobra turned a slitted gaze on her, obviously not pleased with her, and she flushed, realizing that he could hear her thoughts. Clearing her throat as Makarov left to do just that, she smiled brightly at them. Meredy awkwardly messed her hands. Sorano looked amused, and Cobra began to throw impatient looks around the guildhall, more than likely searching for Kinana.

"How about we eat, and then I'll show you guys around?" she suggested.

They all agreed.

Cobra scowled. "Where's Cubellios?"

Lucy slid a hand down her face, shaking her head in exasperation.

Sorano and Meredy she could handle alone.

Cobra was a whole other story.

 _I'll have to check on Natsu when I'm done,_ she decided, glancing longingly towards where she knew her partner was resting. Until then...she had a job to do.

* * *

 _Official return from Tenrou! Gotta love all of the new stuff happening. We'll have a teeny tiny break before a huge original ordeal starts up that'll lead to the next arc! ;)_

 _THE NEW CHAPTER I JUST STOPPED POSTING THIS TO READ IT. SPOILERS FOR TWO SECONDS. I love how Sting was a major focus of the chapter. He's one of my favorites and it's great to see him and Natsu interacting in such a way. Love that brotp. And ya know. I ship him and Yukino, so..._

 _To Compucles, who asked about Midnight... I totally forgot about him. Now that you've reminded me...he_ might _come back. And I might have a place to put him, actually, alongside another character. Thank you for reminding me about him. XD_

 _quite-a-riot questioned about Gildarts and how he lost his limbs. No idea if I brought it up, but if not, we're going to say really hard century-long mission 'cause Acnologia wasn't present at the time._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, LePengwen, TheAliceHuntt, serioushugsies, Compucles, PraetorFable, Rogue-Flamez, quite-a-riot, Elisha Silverpine, Wolv8, The Age of Awesomeness, Lordshuvra, RandomAnimeNerd, and T3amD0bby!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	144. Chapter 144

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

By the time the day came to an end, Lucy was more than happy to go into her apartment, curl up, and go to sleep. Watching Cobra alone was a job on its own, though Sorano and Meredy had been more than willing to help her out when she'd needed it. He'd been nearly as nosy as Natsu as she'd shown them around Magnolia.

She found it amazing that she'd gone through the same basic tour with Levy - and Gajeel, she supposed - only eight months before. A few less if you subtracted the time she'd spent with the others in Earthland.

The blonde stretched her arms above her head and then fell back onto her bed. Plue, who she'd summoned simply to have some company beside her, bounced with a happy sound and then swarmed into her arms quickly, making the blonde laugh gently at him.

It was nice to be home.

She frowned. She'd stopped in to see Natsu after setting the three newcomers up in some extra rooms at the guildhall, and Wendy had reported that he'd be perfectly fine thanks to Porlyusica. The pain he'd experienced coming home were torn muscles and such that Wendy hadn't been able to heal properly and that he'd only served to mess up more in the chaos they'd gone through.

 _Idiot,_ Lucy thought affectionately.

He'd been asleep when she'd visited - that was to make sure he rested properly until the next morning - and she'd flicked his cheek for worrying her like he had.

Lucy sighed and looked around her apartment. "It's been a while," she said lowly. A week that had felt like seven years had passed, and she was glad to be safely back in Magnolia. She checked her phone, finally able to do so without worrying about various things.

No messages, of course. But she didn't mind. So long as there weren't any messages, it meant that life was normal.

She was putting her phone down when it rang, and a frown appeared on her face. She checked the caller ID - and was immediately wary when she saw that it wasn't one she knew. Hesitant, Lucy summoned Loke, pressing a finger to her lips to show that she needed him to listen, and then answered as she put the call on speaker.

"Hello?" she said hesitantly.

"...are you? ...doing our...hold off...long. You…aren't you?"

Loke narrowed his eyes curiously, kneeling beside Lucy's bed. The blonde had sat up before answering, and he peered at her phone with care, gently touching it with his fingers as if he hoped it would help clarify the message on the other end.

"Who is this?" Lucy demanded, biting her lip. This was the third time she'd gotten such a strange phone call.

"...me. Don't…time...that."

Lucy pressed her lips together and looked to Loke, who shook his head silently and gestured for Plue to come closer.

Plue wobbled over and planted himself in Lucy's lap. For the first time in a while, Lucy longed to have Happy's blue-furred self with her rather than anyone else.

Pressing his hand over the phone so he could talk, Loke asked, "Recognize the voice?"

Lucy shook her head. "No."

He removed his hand and Lucy spoke calmly, saying warily, "I can't hear you."

"...fuck's sake-"

"Gajeel," Lucy decided hesitantly, covering the phone again. " _Maybe_ Gajeel, he's the only one that talks like that…but the first time was definitely a female voice. Second was male, but I don't think it was the same one…"

"So different people, and if this one is like Gajeel, I'm guessing that the others were people you secretly knew. I'm going to take a guess and say that you may be receiving phone calls from another time period," Loke said carefully.

Lucy gawked. "Excuse me?"

"There are other Spirits who help to deal with time," Loke explained patiently. "They live in the darkest parts of our Realm; I've never seen them, and I've been around for countless years. They generally keep things separate. Whatever they're doing, they must be busy, because there are holes in their work that are allowing you to be contacted by people in situations you aren't at yet."

Lucy's face paled. "Loke...what are they doing if...if this is the kind of things they're talking about. The first one mentioned Zeref-"

"I don't know," he said calmly. "I know of the past of every person alive right now, but I can't tell you the future, Princess."

"Hello? Talkin' here. You fuckers ain't exactly quiet."

They paused, looking at the phone. Lucy removed her hand and demanded, "You can hear us clearly?"

"'Course. Where the hell are you? Said you'd be at the cathedral with Salamander. Or what's left of it, anyways. Levy called and said you weren't there when she got there."

"...it's actually Gajeel," Lucy whispered in realization, horrified.

"Who else would you be talkin' to, Blondie?"

"Oh, my stars," Lucy gasped, throwing herself backwards with shocked eyes. Loke rolled his eyes and stated with a quiet tone that there wasn't anything either of them could do to stop the situation.

"The fact that the connection is cleared is just proof that you're aware of it," he explained.

"Shit," Gajeel said gruffly out of nowhere, voice hoarse. "Cathedral, Bunny Girl! You said you'd be there, so be there! We got bigger things to worry about than you and Salamander off having a good time in the middle of a war, you hear me?" And then he hung up.

Lucy's face was white as she stared at her phone. "Loke...he mentioned a _war_."

Loke drew a hand down his face, recognizing the look that appeared in her eyes. "Lucy...there isn't anything anyone can do to change the future. I suggest you keep this to yourself, too. There's no point in worrying the others."

The blonde looked uncertain, but finally murmured her agreement.

 _Still,_ she thought quietly, _it doesn't mean I can't try to change the future..._

* * *

The next morning found Lucy balancing along the edge of the canal, her keys jingling at her hip, and her eyes full of amusement. Gray had texted her earlier in the morning, not long after her alarm went off, telling her that he wanted to take the "adults" of their team - Natsu, Erza, and the pair of them - to a club that had opened while they were away.

She'd agreed excitedly, her eyes glowing. She'd never been to something like that, and she was looking forward to it.

This would be the first time since her trip to Magnolia from Crocus that she went out with a few people. There'd been her date with Natsu, of course, but that was different.

She was ridiculously excited for this.

She hoped Natsu would be able to handle going.

When she arrived at the guildhall, she searched the people that were already there for her partner, doubting he'd still be asleep. Natsu hadn't often slept longer than he needed to. The only times he'd passed out for longer than she did was after the Tower of Heaven and when he was ill from eating what they now knew to be Zancrow's fire.

Sure enough, Natsu was at the bar, chowing down as he chattered excitedly with Happy, Lisanna, and Cana. Lucy's lips twitched into a grin when she kicked the doors to the tavern closed and made her way over.

She guessed his sensitive nose must have caught notice, because suddenly, his entire upper body was turning her way, a huge grin on his face. "Luce!"

"Morning, Natsu," she greeted, smiling back. She paused to ruffle his pink hair affectionately, noticing how he had yet to spike it up, and then took the seat next to Lisanna that was open, as Cana had taken the one on Natsu's other side. "Hey Cana, Lisanna."

"Hey, Lucy," Cana purred. She winked playfully at the blonde, and then turned back to Natsu. "So...you were telling us about Zancrow?"

"Oh, yeah!" he said cheerfully. He launched into the tale of what had happened in regards to the other fire mage, and Lucy was surprised at how close to reality it was. He not once tried to over-exaggerate, or even make himself seem humbler or braver than he actually was.

Lucy smiled to herself, taking a sip of the tea that Mirajane had placed in front of her. Natsu was never one for telling stories to be grander than they were supposed to be, because why bother? Magic existed.

And only they knew about it.

"Lucy!" The celestial mage glanced over her shoulder to discover Erza waving to get her attention. The scarlet-haired woman jogged over, her dark eyes sparkling. "Has Gray told you of our plans for tonight?"

"Yep!" Lucy flashed a grin. "The club, right? Do you know what time we're going?"

Erza's lips curved into a warm smile. "We thought perhaps we could eat dinner at a restaurant as a group before we went to have some fun. Would that be alright with you? And you, too, Natsu?"

Natsu had stopped talking to stare at her. "We're going out tonight?"

"The adults of our team," Lucy explained. "We're going to go mess around in a new club that opened while we were away at Tenrou. Wendy can't go because...well, it's for adults." She sat back in her barstool with a hum. "I'm fine with it. We'll have to make sure Gray keeps his clothes on and Natsu doesn't burn the place down."

"True," Erza agreed with a low chuckle. She smiled kindly and then turned her head to look over when someone else called her name. "Perhaps we could invite Juvia? She seemed down about something, and I'm sure a night out with Gray around will cheer her up."

"Sure," Lucy agreed. "Juvia's more than welcome to come. What about Jellal?"

To her surprise, Erza seemed to blush a little as she cleared her throat and told her, "Jellal has offered to escort Meredy to Lamia Scale. The dealings with the Council went through, and we're spreading them out. Meredy will go to Lamia Scale, and Sting offered to take Sorano when Master told him how she was related to Yukino."

Lucy blinked, and then asked, "So, are we keeping-"

"Yep," Cana cut in cheerfully. "Fairy Tail has another dragon slayer. We're shipping him off with Gildarts like we did with Jellal." Her eyes sparkled with laughter. "Already tried to spout off some attitude before they left earlier, and Gildarts was having none of it."

"That's because Kinana wasn't around, and he didn't get to see how she was doing at all before he left," Lisanna told them. "She's been out doing errands for Master, and won't be back until later today."

"I wonder if that was on purpose?" Lucy said quietly, not irritable, merely thoughtful. "It's fair, I suppose. If Cobra can prove that he'll be a loyal member, then…"

"He will be."

They were surprised that it was Natsu who said so. Even Erza looked startled. Natsu shoved the last bite of his food into his mouth and explained with a full mouth, "S'not like he doesn't have a reason."

Erza gave him a warm look. "Good point. If you'll excuse me, Lucy, I need to go discuss with Warren and Max why they shouldn't be flicking food at one another…"

Mirajane came to lean on the bar beside them as they all watched her march off, and the S-Class mage giggled softly, amused. "It's good to be home."

Lucy murmured her agreement.

It felt very good to be home.

* * *

"Acnologia was released...so much for that seal that you made."

 _Don't sound so bitter, Spirit, we've done our best._

"Your best wasn't good enough, Igneel!" Loke bared his teeth angrily. The Spirit had his face buried in his ringed fingers, his back resting against a wall. He could hear all of his companions, the other Zodiacs, arguing in the room he'd left only moments ago. As leader of the Zodiac, he was in charge of decisions.

And Aquarius had bitingly told him he was doing a poor job of handling the dragons.

He knew he was. He knew he was handling _everything_ that had been left to him poorly, but he couldn't help it. It was hard to keep your head when you were constantly worried about someone left in your charge. It wasn't just physical safety he had to worry about.

If he did one wrong thing, Lucy would break mentally.

And it terrified him. He'd cared for Layla, but Lucy was...he wasn't in love with her by any means. He cared deeply for her, but not in that respect despite how often he playfully flirted with her. He liked to think of himself as a brother, or some other crazy relative. Like Gray.

Except Gray didn't have what Loke had hanging over his shoulders.

"I'll be bitter as much as I want," he said furiously, clenching his jaw. "It's your fault this is all happened. If you'd just killed-"

 _I am aware. But look at what you've seen and tell me you could have killed him._

"I couldn't," Loke admitted. "Not now. But before-"

 _I saw past what you wouldn't be able to see past, Leo,_ the dragon explained gently. _And because of that...there is a chance that both Acnologia and Zeref can be defeated. The world will be safe if they are._

"Just play right into Zeref's hands why don't you," Loke snarled. "And what of-"

 _I don't know_. Loke could imagine Igneel lifting his head to look at the stars, as if they were looking eye to eye, and his heart ached when there was a shout from where the other Zodiacs were gathered. They didn't know he communicated with Igneel on such a regular basis.

He alone knew what Igneel was planning.

 _The demons have awoken, Leo. They are gathering their forces as we speak. They won't attack for quite some time...but…_

"Thank you for informing me," Loke sighed, climbing to his feet. "I'll take it from here."

 _The time for freedom will soon come, and then we will work together far more than we have at this point. I swear it._

"And for that," Loke said tiredly. "I am grateful."

* * *

 _A somewhat crazy chapter! We'll continue chugging forward after this small little break in which some stuff happens and then we'll be heading into a bit of a longer break before striking into the next arc!_

 _Typhlosion8 caught notice of Erza on the train when she was supposed to be in the car...we'll put it as she decided to ride the train anyways._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, PraetorFable, Typhlosion8, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, RandomAnimeNerd, TheAliceHuntt, quite-a-riot, and ArtemisMoon!) as well as favoriting and following!  
_


	145. Chapter 145

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu had never been one to enjoy clubs, to be honest. He'd been to one only once before, when Erza had dragged him alongside a few others to celebrate someone's birthday - he couldn't even remember whose. He'd hated how loud the music was in his ears, the reeking stench of people's body odor. It was horrible.

But with how excited Lucy was…

He couldn't help but be excited, too.

 _"I've never done this before_ ," she'd told him excitedly when Cana and Lisanna had left them to talk. _"I've never gone out with friends like this. Besides, if we like it enough, maybe we can go out there sometime."_

She'd said it so nonchalantly. Like it didn't make him nervous to consider asking her out on another date. Of course, he _had_ called her his girlfriend, something they still hadn't cleared up…

He did _not_ look forward to that conversation, though he expected it to come soon.

Natsu's sharp onyx eyes locked on the blonde, even as Asuka chattered away in his lap about various things. The girl had been attached to him since not too long after Lucy's arrival, and Bisca had asked him to watch her while she and Alzack did some errands.

He didn't understand why everyone was so intent on going out. They'd just gotten back from Tenrou. They'd all nearly died at some point or another. Why didn't they want to mingle with their other nakama and reassure them that they were okay?

Asuka suddenly paused and looked up. "Poison!" she suddenly squeaked, fear fluttering across her face. Natsu's head cranked back, his nostrils flaring as he dragged scents in, searching for the very element she'd described, but he only found Cobra standing behind him, hands shoved into his pockets.

"Tch," he muttered, eyeing the child.

Natsu understood Asuka's fear; she'd been hurt when Cobra had attacked Magnolia alongside the Oracion Seis. "He's on our side now. Kinana won't let him hurt you," Natsu reassured her, and then glanced at the other dragon slayer. He narrowed his eyes. "Will you?"

Cobra rolled his good eye in irritation. "I ain't a fan of hurting kids."

"Oh." Asuka squinted at him, and then beamed. "Thank you, Mr. Poison Guy!"

Natsu cackled at the look of distaste on Cobra's face, and then told him, "Kinana isn't here yet, she'll be here later. She shows up around ten to help Mira, so don't expect her to just sit around."

Cobra snorted. "Wasn't gonna." His gaze latched onto the silver-haired woman, and then darted to Natsu again. "...you were raised by a dragon?"

Natsu blinked. "Yeah. Weren't you?"

"No." Cobra smiled, the look surprisingly cruel. His gaze glittered with pure malice. "I was taken as a kid. Shoved full of a venomous dragon's lacrimas. Experimented on. Cubellios was how I eventually got out."

A horrified look appeared on Natsu's face.

He was like Laxus, what they considered a second generation. Natsu's gaze darted to where Laxus and his group usually sat, but they weren't there, and he guessed that the blond lightning mage and his friends were out doing work around town.

Asuka kicked her legs, careful not to kick Natsu by accident as she informed Cobra happily, "Natsu says that Mr. Igneel was really nice."

Natsu grinned at her and ruffled her hair. "Igneel likes human kids," he told her. "When I find him, he's gonna like you, Asuka." That made Asuka squeal happily, her eyes glowing, and the dragon slayer laughed before putting her down and hopping up himself. "Come on, let's let this idiot get something to eat. We'll go find Lucy and convince her to let me light Loke on fire."

Asuka gasped. "No! I like Loke!"

"...okay, we'll convince Lucy to let me light Gray on fire." His eyes darkened with excitement at the thought.

"Okay!" Asuka slipped her hand into his and then waved at Cobra. "Bye, Mr. Poison Guy!"

Cobra only snorted and muttered under his breath, looking away.

* * *

Lucy planted her hands on her hips as she studied herself in the mirror. Her brown eyes narrowed warily, and then she glanced at the scarlet-haired woman eyeing her from behind. "Erza, are you sure-"

"It looks good," Erza promised, smiling kindly. "I thought you might not have clothes for something like this, so I found some that would look good on you. I think I've done a very good job this time around."

"I dunno," Lucy murmured. She usually stuck to her jeans and various shirts...not a pair of black pin-striped shorts that she'd freeze in and a top that had ruffles running down the front, accenting her breasts.

At least the shoes were decent.

Erza, who had donned a pair of torn black jeans and a bright blue shirt, demanded, "Did you bring the hair pins?"

"Of course!" Lucy touched the choker that she still wore, even after everything that had happened. It seemed to warm just barely under her touch. "I brought my earrings, too...I thought they'd go fine with whatever you picked out."

"They do." Erza expertly spun Lucy's hair up into an updo, eyeing the golden hair pins before choosing one with Virgo's symbol as well as Cancer's. She knew better than to use Pisces' or Libra's, as Lucy had declared she refused to wear what belonged to a Spirit she held no contracts with.

"I'm thinking about summoning Loke in the next few days," Lucy mused suddenly, stepping over to where a pair of her own ankle-high boots rested. "I need to talk with him and see when we're going to speak with the Spirit King. One evening in their Realm equals a full three months here though…"

Erza, who'd been putting up her own hair and fluffing the long red strands so they spiked up, paused and looked over. "I don't think we'll be taking any work for a week or two at least, just to rest up. But I recommend that we take some before we go. So you can pay your rent in advance."

"Loke said that he'd deal with that for me the last time we brought the subject up," Lucy replied. "And if I really needed the money, Natsu said I could borrow some from his hoard...though I don't want to do that unless necessary…"

Erza's gaze softened, and she turned to look at the blonde. "You two...I never thought I'd see the day where Natsu ended up caring so deeply for someone other than Happy. Lucy...I want to thank you for it. I know you don't think it's that big a deal, that you owe _us_ , but without you...Natsu would still be searching endlessly for Igneel and we'd constantly be worrying for someone who wanted to keep his distance from us."

Lucy's gaze softened; she'd heard of Natsu's distant attitude throughout the time that he'd been a mage of Fairy Tail after Igneel disappeared. And she was grateful that he was no longer the aggressive weirdo that she'd nearly hit with her car; now, Natsu Dragneel was a warm person who'd defend any one of them with his life.

Feeling happy now, Lucy tucked the case of hair pins beneath Erza's bed, grabbed her purse and phone, and told her, "I'm ready."

"Let me just grab some shoes," Erza replied, going to do just that.

As she did, Lucy checked her phone, frowning curiously at the message that suddenly appeared on her screen.

Mirajane had sent a text, something that rarely happened, as she was usually at the bar and not able to properly use her phone.

 _Fairy Tail mages, please check your inbox on the Mages of Fiore website when you have the chance! If you are unable to access an account, inform your partner or a member of your team, and they will be able to share the information provided._

 _Guild meeting at seven sharp to discuss what resides within the message you've received._

 _Mira_

"Huh," Lucy mused, frowning. She'd just prepared to log onto the website when Erza came out, ready to go. "Erza, did you get a text from Mira?"

Erza blinked. "A message from Mira?" She peered over Lucy's shoulder, and scanned through the message with a suspicious look. Narrowing her dark eyes, she glanced at the blonde. "Interesting. Did you pull the message up on the website? Perhaps we can look at it with Gray and Natsu in the restaurant?"

"Yeah," Lucy mused.

She tucked her phone away, winding her arm through Erza's. "First things first," she told the scarlet-haired requip mage. "Let's get to meeting our friends first."

Erza murmured her agreement.

* * *

When the pair of women reached the restaurant they'd all agreed to eat at, Lucy slipped out of the car, waiting for Erza, her eyes already searching out her friends. "Should be easy to find them," Lucy sighed, "All you have to look for is-"

"Pink hair," Erza finished, eyes warm with amusement. Her eyes latched onto something, and Lucy's own followed her gaze. Lucy giggled; Natsu stood side-by-side with Gray. He searched the people around him - some of which looked curiously at him - with disinterest. Gray had his nose buried in his own phone, his brow furrowed.

Silently wondering if Gray had already seen what was on the website, Lucy called out, catching their attention and waving in a friendly way. She snorted when Natsu lit up like some sort of Christmas tree.

"Hey," Gray greeted as they came over, frowning. He shoved his hands and phone into his pocket, looking exceptionally troubled. But rather than saying anything about what he was upset over, he looked curiously to Erza. "I thought Juvia was coming."

"She can't make it to dinner," Lucy cut in. She'd talked with Juvia earlier in the day, when Erza had been busy doing other things. "She'll be here for the fun part of the night though, I promise."

"Good," Erza said firmly, "Then let's head inside and take a look at that message-"

"You haven't read it yet?" Gray cut in.

Lucy shook her head. "I know Natsu doesn't use his account, so I figured we could all read it during dinner. Have you?"

The ice-make mage shook his head and Natsu demanded to know what was going on. Curious, but guessing he had yet to check his phone or had somehow lost it, Lucy explained, "Mira sent out a weird text message, and there's a meeting for the entire guild at seven in the morning. That's ridiculously early."

"For a guild meeting, yeah." Gray frowned. "It's usually at noon when we have one...right, Erza?"

"Mhm," she murmured. She looked uneasy. "Perhaps we should read it before we eat?"

"So we don't cause too much of a commotion," Lucy agreed.

"Who wants to do it?" Natsu demanded eagerly, and Lucy glared when she thought she saw smoke coming from the corner of his mouth. He only grinned back at her, not concerned whatsoever.

"I've got the website up already," Gray told them, pulling the phone back out. He typed in his information, went to the inbox, and then cleared his throat, reading aloud.

 _To the Mages that defend Fiore from the unknown,_

 _As expected, it has slowly but surely become harder and harder to disguise the use of magic. Magic is a brilliant creation that shines even in the darkest of nights if used properly. Not many possess it, but those who do are incredible individuals. Magic, if used properly, is something that we as mages of Fiore appreciate. It allows us to help where others can't. Or destroy if you are of a certain kind of people._

They all paused to give Natsu a knowing look. He blinked innocently, pretending to not know what they were talking about.

 _It is because of the benefits of magic that the royal family and the Council have come together and decided that it is time._

 _Time to reveal magic to the public._

 _On the first of May in the year of X785, we will ask each and every one of you, whether you be mages of a guild or mages who work on your own terms, to show off your magic in a public location at precisely noon. Should your magic be deemed threatening by your guildmaster or the Council, you will be asked to refrain from joining in._

 _To help smooth over such chaos, the Council and royal family will be hosting the first annual Grand Magic Games, a tournament in which guilds can test their strength. A list of guilds eligible will be released to guildmasters at a later time. The goal of the Grand Magic Games will to show what magic can accomplish and help improve any distraught relations with the public. The games will take place July 1st, X785 through July 7th, X785, and will be hosted in Crocus._

 _We understand how troubling this may be to some, but we thank you for your cooperation._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lahar,_

 _member of the Magic Council_

* * *

 _And we're chugging along...crazy stuff is about to start off as you can see! Our break between Tenrou and a smaller arc is literally only a couple of chapters. ;)_

 _To Unconscious Again... I always read reviews. They're what encourage me to keep going. Your guys' comments and support is what has helped me get around to writing 175+ chapters of BTL. So thank you. :)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Typhlosion8, LePengwen, TheAliceHuntt, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Abdltf, PraetorFable, SolidScriptJess, PinkFireandGoldenStars, ashcator2002, Dragondancer81, The Age of Awesomeness, NaLu and InuKag, HummingBird742, MirrorFlame, Unconscious Again, and quite-a-riot!) as well as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	146. Chapter 146

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Dinner was silent, surprisingly so. The group of four quietly ordered and ate quickly, and it was after a solid ten minutes of eating in silence that Lucy suddenly leaned in and said shakily, "I haven't...been a member of the community for all that long compared to you guys. I was wondering...just how badly is this going to go? They panicked when Oracion Seis came to Magnolia and just barely contained all of that."

Erza placed her fork down and then looked Lucy in the eye. "The last time magic was revealed," she said softly, "It didn't go well, Lucy. Surely there's something about it in your mother's diary? I believe it was in her lifetime that it happened."

Lucy thought back over it, and then swallowed thickly, remembering the entry. "Yeah," she said softly. "The day Acnologia first appeared. People throughout Fiore, Bosco, Seven, you name it. They had to have their memories wiped and thousands of people died."

"I revealed magic by accident once," Gray murmured. They glanced his way. "Vulcan out in the forest around Magnolia...got caught by some kids. They went home and told their parents. I had to pay a heavy fine for it, and they had to erase the memories of their families and relocate them."

"It's not easy hiding magic," Natsu added. He wasn't shoving his mouth full of food like they were used to; he'd picked at it instead, his onyx eyes dark. "Particularly magic like mine or Popsicle's over there...I can't eat my own fire, so sometimes it catches fire to things and I can't stop it."

"Your magic, Lucy," Erza cut in, "Is one of the best for revealing such things. I doubt I will be participating, as my requip magic takes on an intimidating shape. Of course, I could do a simple clothes swap…"

"I'll probably make some things for any of the kids around," Gray decided with a heavy sigh. "I'll see if Juvia wants to help me. Been meaning to see if she wanted to hang out anyways…"

The two women beamed at him, proud of him for such words.

"Anyways," Erza said as she sat back. "I'm astonished that we're doing such a thing. I don't think that magic has been intentionally revealed since midievil times...and then the mages were hung as witches and declared evil."

Lucy shuddered, not exactly eager to be murdered just because she was born able to do something most couldn't. "What about people like Yukino? She learned celestial magic, and Natsu was taught magic, too…"

"A person can very rarely be taught magic," Gray explained. "It takes certain qualities in a person to be able to learn it, Lucy. Not just any kid can pick up a book and learn it. Natsu was young when Igneel found him, and it was a dragon instructing him. Yukino was lucky; she found a guild who was more than willing to help her figure it out when she learned that she could do a few things normal people couldn't."

"Yukino went under harsh tests with the Council, too, since she wasn't raised on the rules with a guild," Natsu added. "I got to the guild when I was just a kid, so..."

"It all depends on circumstance then," Lucy finished, sipping at her iced tea.

"Yes," Erza murmured, sounding anxious. Suddenly, she shook her head and smacked her hand on the table. "Now! Enough talk! Natsu, finish your dinner! Lucy, stop sipping so slowly at your tea! Gray, no dessert! Juvia will be waiting for us soon!"

"Aye, sir!" the trio chimed, and did as she asked.

Erza smiled to herself, even as her heart twisted with fear.

She knew what happened when humans that didn't hold the ability to use magic used it, and it wasn't pretty. Rebellions would come, thousands would die, and people would turn on friends and family.

It wouldn't be anywhere near as smooth as the Council made it seem.

But after the mess with the Clock and Acnologia now on the loose...perhaps it _was_ time that people learned of what was to come.

* * *

When Team Natsu arrived at the club, Juvia came slithering over with ease, spotting Natsu amongst all of the people. She'd dressed in a top that cut off above her belly, and her jean-clad hips swung with each step in a way that caught several people's attention. Men all around them glared when she beamed and latched onto a rather smug Gray.

"Gray!" she said pleasantly. "I was waiting for you!"

"Hey, Juvia," Gray responded, and Lucy gave her a cheerful hello as well. "Did ya see the message and stuff?" Juvia paused, and then gave a slow nod. "What'd you think of the decision?"

"Juvia doesn't like it," she admitted. "It is asking for violence."

"We don't really have a choice though, do we?" Lucy sighed, agreeing with Juvia.

"Enough chitchat," Erza demanded, grabbing Lucy's arm and hauling her forward. She squawked and latched onto Natsu's arm, grinning at him playfully when he pouted at her. He let her drag him - well, he let both of the girls drag him - and Gray and Juvia kept up with ease.

They found themselves a corner after getting in, and Lucy dropped into a seat there, squeezing into the booth between Erza and Natsu, who nudged her gently. "Too bad we can't have alcohol," Gray muttered. "Still not twenty one. Not that that matters in the guild. Look at Cana when she was younger."

"You can't, but I can," Erza hummed, her eyes glowing with amusement.

"You wouldn't do that to us," Natsu challenged, narrowing his eyes.

"Watch me," she replied, eyes twinkling with amusement. But she didn't try to catch someone's attention. She merely tilted her head and listened to the music. "Perhaps it's time we have another karaoke night in the guild? Lucy, you were quite good the last time we had one."

Lucy blushed, hiding her cheeks. "Oh, goodness, no. I don't want to, Erza."

"C'mon, Luce," Natsu agreed with the requip mage. "You should do the song from your mom! It's a good one, and I bet it would get you to win!"

"No," Lucy said firmly, though she looked slightly happy that they were encouraging her about something so normal. She sat back. "But I'm interested to hear Mira sing, I think, I've heard she's quite good."

"She is," Gray said eagerly.

"She's got the voice of an angel," Juvia told Lucy, her blue eyes sparkling.

"She's a devil elsewhere," Natsu muttered.

"Natsu!" Erza scolded, but there was laughter in her dark eyes. She grimaced when music began to pound the air loudly and Natsu cautiously lifted his arms, folding his hands behind his head and using his arms to block his ears. "These places are fun, but the noise is kind of painful for him," she explained when Lucy cast him a curious look.

Lucy merely rubbed Natsu's raised arm with an affectionate look before turning to chat with Gray cheerfully, leaning across the table.

It was fun, and Lucy was exceptionally happy they'd decided to go to the club, even with the drama that was soon going to come. They momentarily forgot their problems and simply lived as normal human beings, playfully getting up to dance at one point.

Lucy and Juvia giggled hysterically together when Gray decked a man that had dared to just barely brush his fingers against Lucy, and when Natsu figured out what had happened after going to get something to drink, he joined in the fight that broke out.

Erza didn't bother to pull them out, too busy helping them beat the man.

When they were inevitably kicked out for causing problems, the small group wondered Magnolia, window shopping. Erza paused to actually purchase a new weapon from a shop, liking the look of a simple handgun, much to their surprise, and they waited outside for her.

Gray playfully bought them all some pretzels to munch on as they walked, and eventually, when most people began to close their shops, they reluctantly agreed that it was time to go home.

Erza and Juvia bid them farewell before heading to Fairy Hills, and Gray gently ruffled Lucy's hair before going towards his own home. When Natsu and Lucy found themselves alone, Natsu turned a pleading look on her, and she rolled her eyes, sighing, "Fine, you can sleep on the couch. But only because that meeting is so early in the day."

He gave her a heart-stopping grin that turned her cheeks a brilliant red. "Thanks, Lucy!"

"Yeah, yeah, c'mon." She grabbed his wrist and tugged him towards her apartment, biting her lip with a look of amusement in her brown eyes. He trotted after her like a child, not seeming the least bit worried by the darkness of the night around them.

Yet both knew that with morning would come a lot of change.

* * *

When five o'clock rolled around the next morning, both Lucy and Natsu were awake and preparing for the day. Lucy laughed at the cranky look on Natsu's face, as the fire mage wasn't pleased about being woken up so early.

He looked a bit happier when she made him bacon.

"Hey, Luce," Natsu said as he nibbled at a strip of said bacon, his onyx eyes troubled. Lucy, in the middle at sipping at her coffee and contemplating if he'd let her fix his hair, questioningly raised an eyebrow, and he cleared his throat before continuing. "If things get bad...and I mean _really_ bad, to the point where we have to leave, would you come with me?"

Lucy nearly spit her coffee out, choking on it. After clearing her throat awkwardly and setting the mug down, she said gently, "You know I would. But I'm not sure that it would be the same...I _am_ officially recognized as the princess of Bosco. I'm not even technically a citizen of Fiore, you know, I couldn't with what my father was trying to do. For all I'd know, the country of Bosco would turn and declare that they wanted me dead for some kind of treason."

Natsu's eyes became angry slits at the suggestion. "Then you'd come with me anyways. Screw 'em."

"One thing," Lucy stated, reaching for her coffee again with a wary look, "My mother once taught me, Natsu, was that when you are considered royalty, sacrifice is always necessary. Bosco will always be in my heart, and if it would save the country, I'd let them take me down for their sake."

"That's stupid," he snarled. Smoke flickered around his fingertips, and Lucy reached over to tap at them.

"I'm just stating a possibility," she said quietly. "It probably won't actually happen. For all we know, this idea the Council has will actually work, right? Look how easily they dealt with the media after the whole ordeal with the Oracion Seis."

Natsu hesitated, and then reluctantly settled down. "You're right," he admitted, and then glanced at the clock. "We should go soon. Gramps hates it when we're late."

"This'll be interesting," she mused back as she finished off her coffee and climbed to her feet, grabbing her dishes. "I've never been to a guild meeting before, Natsu."

"They're not fun," he replied with a grimace. "Laxus gets involved, Gildarts does if he's there. Cana likes to make an input. And then there's always Elfman screaming about something not being manly enough." He paused. "Mira and Erza might keep them under control this time."

"It's a serious conversation, I'm sure they will," Lucy sighed. She ran her fingers through her blonde ponytail, which hung all the way down her back. Then she checked the keys at her hip and went to fetch her purse and phone. "Hey, Natsu," she called as she did so, "Do you want me to fix your hair so it's all spiked up like normal?"

He watched her closely, and the blonde didn't seem to notice as he did. His gaze studied her with care and affection, watching how she did things with some interest. She was Lucy; most things she did were interesting.

"Yeah," he finally decided, remaining in his chair as she came back over, purse shouldered and ready to do just that. "Sure, go ahead." He bowed his head, closing his eyes as she began to rake his pink hair back.

It was at that moment that Natsu realized that so long as he had Lucy…

He didn't necessarily _want_ to search to the ends of the earth for Igneel; he didn't want to have to separate from her for that long.

Igneel was the Fire Dragon King, and he'd disappeared on his own.

Surely he could come back on his own, too?

* * *

 _Time for a guild meeting! Ought to be interesting, eh? And gotta love Natsu wanting to take Lucy with him..._

 _Thanks to reviewers (PraetorFable, The Age of Awesomeness, quite-a-riot, pinkdoughnuts, Fullmetal Pyromaniac, panda123love, CharonteQueen, Dragondancer81, FairyRains, ashcator2002, Guest #1, LePengwen, Typhlosion8, PinkFireandGoldenStars, MirrorFlame, RandomAnimeNerd, HummingBird742, Searching for my Rushmore, and SolidScriptJess!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	147. Chapter 147

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Everyone in the guildhall was silent when the pair of Fairy Tail mages arrived. Happy scurried over to Natsu, who entered quietly for once, and together, they all went over to where Wendy was sitting with a narrow-eyed Charle and a stiff Romeo. Her dark eyes were troubled, and she smiled faintly in greeting when Lucy slid into the seat beside her.

Natsu kept close to her after their conversation earlier, and she leaned reassuringly into his shoulder. He said nothing, but she felt his tense muscles relax a little.

Laxus and his group were back, it appeared, and none of them looked pleased. Even Gildarts had come home so soon, and he chatted quietly with Cana near the bar. Jellal was settled near them with Erza, Juvia, and Gray, his dark eyes troubled. Cobra was only a seat or two down, leaning over the bar and murmuring to a wary Kinana, who'd taken over watching him for the time being. Lisanna settled down with Elfman near them, Mirajane coming to join them after a short while. The siblings bundled close together, fretting about something or another. A couple of tables over, Levy sat with her team and Gajeel, her fingers wrapped around his wrist with a worried look and Pantherlily in her lap.

Lucy narrowed her eyes anxiously. _Everyone_ was here.

Even a few lone mages who weren't affiliated with the guild, but had come for the information.

Even the oldest members, who she rarely saw coming around.

Even the youngest, like Asuka.

Even _Porlyusica_ , who clung to the shadows as she avoided Lucy, Natsu, and Wendy like the plague.

It was a few minutes before seven that Makarov finally came out of his office and hauled himself onto the bar, looking ages older than when they'd been attacked on Tenrou. Exhausted yet determined, he called, "Alright, brats! Give me your attention!"

Everyone went silent, staring at him expectantly.

Settling down and reaching for a mug of coffee that Kinana slid him, he took a long drink, and then began to talk.

"I know," Makarov said heavily, "That you're all more than aware of what's going on. The Council's decided to reveal magic and to help smooth things over, they'll be doing a tournament in July. In just under a week, we will be showing off our skills to the world." He paused, scanning his brats' faces, and then continued.

"I've chosen which mages will be participating. We'll start with the S-Class mages, and then I'll move onto the rest of you. S-Class mages participating will include Erza, Jellal, Laxus, and Mirajane. I expect you all to keep your magic as nonthreatening as possible."

"Of course," Erza murmured, exchanging a wary look with Jellal, who just looked outright shocked that he'd been chosen.

Makarov smiled slightly, and then began to rattle off the names of who else would be participating and why some wouldn't.

"Lisanna, you'll be participating, but Elfman, I would prefer you didn't. Your transformations aren't pleasant to the children, as we all know." Elfman looked embarrassed at that, but nodded in understanding.

"Evergreen, Bickslow, Freed, you won't be participating, as I don't believe the magic you possess will be good for soothing tempers. I want a full report on how people react to Laxus though."

"Got it," Evergreen said firmly. Her eyes flashed with annoyance, but she didn't try to argue and Bickslow gave Lisanna a huge grin when she sent him an apologetic look.

"Cana, you'll be allowed to assist - we've already talked, Gildarts," he added when someone questioned it. "Gildarts won't be, just because of the power he possesses will be intimidating. I won't be either. Cobra, Kinana, you won't, I want you two in here...some people might remember you, Cobra. Gray, you will, of course, as will Juvia, Droy, Levy, and Lily. Jet, Gajeel, no for you two. Jet, your magic isn't suitable for things like this, and Gajeel, I'm afraid your looks alone are enough to frighten people."

Gajeel snorted, not looking the least bit offended as Levy patted his arm. "Whatever."

Bisca, Alzack, Asuka were told to remain in the guildhall with Cobra and Kinana, as were Wakaba and Macao, who gave Makarov a dirty look. Porlyusica was invited to stay as well, and Lucy suddenly tightened her fingers in her lap when Makarov's gaze was turned in she and Natsu's direction for a moment before turning on Romeo.

"Romeo, you and Wendy are going to be allowed to, but you two and Charle _will_ stick together," Makarov told them. Wendy flushed anxiously, and he smiled kindly at her, reassuring, before turning his gaze on Natsu. "Natsu, you and Happy will be allowed to participate, but you have to promise that no one will be burned."

Natsu met his gaze with a surprisingly serious look as he promised quietly, "I won't burn anyone, Gramps, I swear."

His lips twitched into a smile. "Good. Lucy," he began, turning to the blonde with a gentle tone. "I'm going to leave whether or not you're participate up to you. Your status as the princess of Bosco puts you at a big risk compared to the rest of us. We don't know how it would affect your country if they found out."

Lucy swallowed thickly, feeling everyone's eyes burning into her. "I thought about that," she admitted. "Natsu and I discussed it a little this morning, and I think I would like to, Master. I don't want anyone to find out later and think I'm a liar."

"If anyone tries to hurt her because of it, we'll help, right?" Natsu said sharply, narrowing his eyes at Makarov.

He snorted at Natsu. "What, do you think I'd let one of my brats be hurt? Of course we'd do something to help her. Very well, Lucy, you'll be allowed to participate as well. I want Loke summoned beforehand to participate, as he's technically a member of Fairy Tail. I've heard you can summon at least a golden key and a silver key at the same time, so perhaps you could summon one of them?"

"Lyra," Lucy said immediately, thinking of the Spirit. "Her music could help soothe any mobs that break out."

Makarov gave his approval and cleared his throat. "Good. Now that we've settled that mess...I'll give you all your positions at a later point. You'll show off a form of your magic at noon on the first of May."

The guild chattered in agreement, and he held up a hand to silence them.

"I spoke with Mavis about the matter, and she wishes you all luck."

Many of the mages became interested almost immediately, eager to hear about the girl who'd somehow vanished after Tenrou. She hadn't even said goodbye to them, and Lucy was glad to know that she was doing alright.

"Now...onto matters that I'm sure interest everyone. I've received information on who will be participating in these Grand Magic Games." Makarov grinned as everyone returned their attention to him again. "They've chosen six of the major known guilds to help promote us should those without magic need us."

"He said "us"," Natsu whispered excitedly.

Lucy rolled her eyes and elbowed him.

"Fairy Tail has been selected," Makarov announced, "Alongside Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Mermaid Heel, and Quatro Cerberus."

Cheering rang out, approval clear in all of their eyes. The previously serious air was gone, replaced with unending excitement now as they listened.

"Here's the deal," Makarov began to talk again, his eyes thoughtful. "Fairy Tail will be able to submit two teams of five each. That's ten mages. There will be a set of preliminaries to help narrow the twelve selected teams down to six. According to the rules, if we can wedge ourselves in, both teams are technically allowed to be in the last six, but considering the guilds we're up against, it'll be very unlikely. The preliminaries for such a thing will take place on June 30th. Until we head out for Crocus...I expect all of you to train hard. Is that clear? I will announce who's on the teams come June 1st so that the team will have time to train together before we leave."

Natsu's eyes glittered excitedly. "I want to be on the team that goes," he muttered to Lucy, who rolled her eyes affectionately and replied, "You'll go if Master says you can go."

The blonde cleared her throat suddenly, catching Makarov's attention. "Master," she began, "I needed to talk with you about something. Is it alright if we do it now? It doesn't have to be out here, of course."

"Sure, sure," he agreed, waving her towards his office. "C'mon, Lucy, we'll go into my office."

Lucy beamed and hopped to her feet, promising Natsu she'd be back, and hurried over to the office. She ducked into the room, closing the door behind her. Makarov scampered up onto his desk and asked, "Alright, Lucy, what can I do for you?"

"The Spirit King is interested in meeting with me and my team," Lucy explained. "Loke told me as much not too long ago. The thing is, if we were to meet with him...one evening in their world is three months here."

Understanding flashed across Makarov's face. "There won't be time for you to do such a long meeting," he murmured. "With the revealing of magic next week, the Grand Magic Games coming in July - which - I want everyone preparing for - and I want your team helping out with the Fantasia Festival in August…"

"I could talk with Loke," Lucy offered, "Prolong the meeting until the beginning of September maybe? Then we could be back in time for Christmas."

Makarov gave an approving nod. "Talk with him. And if your Spirits' king disapproves, then we'll figure something else out."

She gave a wide smile and thankfully murmured a grateful word to him. Before she left, however, he stopped her and asked quietly, "Lucy, you haven't been a member of the community of mages for as long as the rest of us...what is your opinion on this?"

"Revealing magic?" Lucy asked for clarification, and he nodded. She took a deep breath, and then admitted, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear, "I...I think, personally, that I can't decide whether or not it's a good thing. I've read my mother's diary, what happened the last time Acnologia came around, and I think that the smartest thing we could do right now is to just go with the flow and see what happens. If it goes bad, it goes bad. If it doesn't, good for us."

Makarov nodded thoughtfully, his eyes flashing with approval of her opinion, and she smiled faintly in return before slipping out of his office in search of Natsu.

"Lucy is wise beyond her years," a voice murmured to him.

"Mavis," Makarov greeted, glancing at the spirit that had appeared beside him. Her emerald eyes gleamed knowingly.

"It's good that she is. She'll need to be for what's coming."

* * *

"Hey, Luce!" Natsu said a few hours later, slapping a paper down in front of his partner. He grinned down at her when she jumped, glancing up at him with wide brown eyes. "Want to take a job with me and Happy out in the woods?"

Lucy looked at him for a good long moment, and then rolled her eyes. "I guess? What's it asking and who's requesting the job?" She took the paper as he began to explain.

"A magic shop owner wants some of these rare herbs that are protected by a forest wyvern in the woods," he told her. "I can take care of the wyvern with whatever Spirit you summon and you and Happy can collect the herbs!"

Lucy nodded slowly to herself. "I could do that," she agreed, and then smiled largely at him. "Sure. Go clear it with Mira." She handed the paper back, already deciding that they'd leave in the morning and hopefully be back by nightfall. Natsu happily patted her head, and then went to do just that.

"Pst," Cana suddenly hissed as she slid into the seat beside her. Lucy immediately became wary, noticing the glass of beer in her hand. "Lucy."

"What?" Lucy asked cautiously.

Cana grinned. "Did you hear about Gajeel and Levy?"

Lucy immediately became curious and leaned closer. "What about them?" She was slightly hopeful; had Gajeel finally gotten around to asking Levy? She hoped so. He'd been dancing around for quite some time now.

Cana's eyes danced as she settled down and murmured to the blonde, "Rumor has it that Gajeel's going to ask her to marry him." Lucy tried not to pout; she'd already known that. "But we're trying to keep the rumor out of Mira's ears, if you catch my drift."

"Done. I won't say a word," Lucy promised with a laugh, thinking of what would happen if Mirajane found out. She shuddered. It wouldn't end well for poor Gajeel, who'd be put through the wringer before shoved into a situation that wasn't him to ask Levy. "I hope it happens soon," she admitted.

"Same." Cana's gaze darkened, and she rested her chin on her open palm with a sigh. "We could use something good in these dark times. I've been reading my cards lately, and...I feel like something isn't right. We're missing a _huge_ clue when it comes to all of this. My cards say Hisui suggested it, but I can't figure out why."

Lucy gave her friend a strange look. "Why were you looking into who suggested it? Who cares? It's too late to go back on it now. We just have to prepare for it and see what happens. It's out of our hands right now."

"I suppose," was all Cana said, and then suddenly grabbed Lucy's ponytail and dragged her hair back, dumping her beer down her throat with a cackle. "Have a drink Lucy!"

"Natsu!" Lucy wailed after swallowing and choking, coughing as she cried for her partner to save her from Cana's evil clutches. "Help!" She tried to spring to her feet and get away, but Cana trapped her there.

Natsu's head snapped around, but amusement lit his gaze. "Have a drink, Luce," he laughed, and Lucy sputtered as Cana tried to force her to have more alcohol.

Laughter filled the guildhall and everyone was amused with the pair's actions as Lucy eventually just summoned Loke - only for the Lion to playfully tease her about it.

It was a good day.

Even if they didn't know what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

 _Suspicions all around, hm? Anyhow...I have this idea that no matter what universe is involved, Cana is determined to constantly make Lucy as drunk as her. Now excuse me while I go read the new chapter that just came out._

 _On another note, I've just written up to half-way through day five of the GMG and you will all hate me. My editor can confirm it._

 _Typhlosion8, that word always confuses the hell out of me and I likely did misspell it. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (FairyDemonDust, LePengwen, thebooknerdgeek, MirrorFlame, pinkdoughnuts, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Typhlosion8, Dragondancer81, GreenNinja23, TheAliceHuntt, HummingBird742, zsummern, FairyRains, The Age of Awesomeness, quite-a-riot, Lucifer's711, The-Lone-Lemon, and Abdltf!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	148. Chapter 148

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Where are we going, Natsu?"

Natsu glanced over his shoulder at the blue cat that had taken position on his shoulder and grinned at the anxious look his friend wore. "Don't worry, Happy, we're almost there. I promised I'd take you to my hoard, didn't I? I have to grab somethin' out of it, so…"

Happy lit up excitedly, and his tail curled up as he purred, "Yay! What are we grabbing out of it? Are we needing more money for food?"

Natsu shook his head. He wrinkled his nose in thought and then admitted, "I don't know what I want to get out of it yet, but I want to get Lucy a present again. I'm running out of ideas though. She's already got a necklace and the earrings, and then Loke brought those hairpins for her…" He thoughtfully studied his own ring, thinking of the gloves she'd gotten him that he hadn't worn in quite some time. He'd have to find them and pull those out again whenever he had the chance. "I thought I should get her something new."

"Do you have any books?" Happy suggested. "She likes those."

He shook his head. "The only books I've taken there are the ones she gave me." He pouted. "This sucks, I can't just give her money as a gift!"

He carelessly walked over the symbols that he'd carved into the ground, ducking into the cave that made up his hoard. Happy stared at them in awe, and then turned his attention back onto what was coming. His eyes went wide at the sight before them.

"Wow," he purred. "It's a mess in here!"

Natsu threw his head back and laughed. "I still haven't cleaned up in here after what happened before Oracion Seis screwed us up." He puffed out flames, lighting the cave, and looked around with a crucial eye. "Alright, look for whatever you want to help me, but Happy, I won't be held responsible for what happens if you try to steal anything."

"If I want something, I'll ask first," Happy vowed, earning a nod of approval.

Natsu didn't mind giving things to his closest friends, but heavens forbid they tried to take it.

Unless it was Lucy, she could have anything that she wanted when she wanted it.

He was fine with that.

He could practically imagine Igneel prowling around his hoard as Natsu ducked around a particularly large pile of jewels that he'd gotten from Wendy in exchange for some gold. Beside it was a smaller lump of iron, showing just who he traded less with.

He paused to forage through some half-melted gold, amused that it was still usable, and then grinned hugely. "Hey, Happy, I have an idea…"

* * *

After running around town - mostly to speak with a few owners of magic shops on whether or not the idea he'd had was possible - Natsu returned to Fairy Tail's guildhall, immediately seeking out his partner. He slid in quietly for once, his onyx eyes searching until he found her bickering playfully with Cobra as Kinana laughed and shoved something into their hands.

He grinned. Cobra was still quiet, refusing to take part in discussions with most people, still watched with wary eyes, but Lucy was one of the very few who simply approached him like a normal person and messed with him. Natsu didn't exactly like it, but he appreciated Lucy's attempts to be friendly.

"Lucy!" he called, cutting into their conversation with ease and sliding over. Happy pulled himself out of his hiding place, shaking himself before letting Lucy pluck him out of the air and hug him. The blonde smiled largely up at him and he cackled at the irritation on Cobra's face before asking, "Can you summon Loke? I gotta ask him something. I'm trying to do something, but I dunno if it'll work and he might."

She blinked, surprised. "Sure. I was wondering where you've been all morning. Usually you'd have come barging in like a dog that's caught a scent." Lucy spun her chair around with ease, pausing to make a snide comment to Cobra. "Mind you, he also has both eyes to see with…"

Cobra bared his teeth at her, as if irritated, but Natsu saw the glimmer of amusement in his good eye. "Shut up, Blondie, or I'll shear that hair of yours off."

Natsu cracked a grin at their banter and then shifted impatiently. "C'mon, Luce, someone's waiting on me!"

"Okay, okay." She frowned, as if a little annoyed that she didn't know what he was up to, and dug out Loke's key. Within seconds, she'd summoned Loke, and the Lion bowed playfully to her.

"Hello, Princess, what can I do for you?"

"Not me," Lucy told him, "Natsu needs something - Natsu!"

Natsu ignored her as he dragged Loke a few feet away by the collar of the suit he wore. Loke yelped, wailing that he couldn't breathe. When he released the Spirit, Natsu received a nasty look. "The hell, man?" Loke muttered, rubbing his neck.

"Could Lucy's whip be infused with gold that's been absorbing a dragon's magic for the last who knows how long?" Natsu demanded. Suddenly, he heard a snicker coming from the bar, and he whirled on Cobra, looked him dead in the eye, and threatened, "If you tell her what I'm doing, I will personally take out your other eye, you eavesdropping bastard!"

"Like to see you try, Salamander!" Cobra called back with a cackle before turning his gaze back on the irritated blonde beside him. Kinana laughed from where she was standing, smiling as Lucy and Cobra went back to bickering.

"Anyways, can it?" Natsu said, turning his attention back onto Loke, who was watching him warily.

Adjusting his tie and pushing the shades he wore up, Loke replied, "Maybe. More than likely, yes. Why? Are you trying to create a gift for her?"

Natsu gave a curt nod, rubbing the back of his head. "We don't know what's going to happen when we reveal magic," he said quietly. "I thought a present that would help protect her would be better."

Loke studied him for a few moments, and then said quietly, "I'll give you credit, for an idiot, you're pretty smart, Natsu. I think that's a brilliant idea."

Natsu beamed. "Good! So can you get the whip for me? She doesn't use it often enough, but with magic coming out, she'll be able to carry it in view, I think, and won't have to hide it-"

"I'll come with you to the shop you're getting all of this done at," Loke cut in. "I don't know how our magic will respond to yours or Igneel's, so it's better to have the process be supervised just in case."

"Okay." Natsu hadn't been exactly looking forward to the idea, but he'd long ago accepted that it was a possibility. So he called to his partner, "Luce, I'm borrowing him for a while! Will you be good or does he need to somehow use his own magic?"

"I'll send him away if I have to," Lucy replied with a warm smile, her eyes gleaming with amusement. Natsu guessed that she knew he was up to something, but he didn't mind. As long as she didn't find out what it was until after he'd given it to her…

Natsu led Loke out of the door, his eyes thoughtful. He'd never been alone with Loke, to be honest, and it made him a little self-conscious as they made their way towards the hidden magic shop.

It was while they were walking that Loke said quietly, "Igneel would laugh if he knew what you were doing right now. He once claimed that his child would never know how to do things properly, but here you are, doing things like a normal person."

Natsu's onyx eyes snapped to him. "...you know Igneel really well, don't you."

"Yes," Loke said with a wry smile and a strange look that Natsu couldn't read in his eyes. "Perhaps even better than you. I knew him from when he first met Layla. They were really good friends you know." He snorted. "I don't know how much of Layla's diary Lucy's told you about, but her mother was close with the dragons. Particularly Igneel and Grandeeney. She told him once that she wanted you and Lucy to be friends, even if she hadn't met you. She's probably pleased with how things turned out."

Natsu smirked at that idea. "Even though I'm a pyromaniac?" he said.

"Yes, even if you're a pyromaniac." Loke smirked and then suddenly became serious, his eyes losing the amused glint in them. "Natsu...I shouldn't say this, but I hate the dragons, so I'm going to say it anyways. The dragons _will_ return, and quite soon, I think. Much sooner than anyone thinks."

Natsu's gaze snapped to the Lion. Hope blossomed in his chest as he admitted quietly, "I think I knew that they were going to come back soon." He pressed a hand over his chest, and then pulled his scaled scarf away from his mouth, fingers lingering on it. "There's something weird in my chest, I can feel it. I get nervous whenever I think of Igneel coming back, like I need to run and never look back. But it doesn't make sense. I want to go towards him, not away."

Loke paused mid-step. "Have you mentioned this to Lucy?"

"No." Natsu shook his head.

"Good, don't." Loke shook his head. "Ignore that, Natsu. If anything, you need to run straight to Igneel and never think about leaving." Natsu gave him a curious look, but Loke pushed on, instead admitted, "We never really explained why we hate dragon slayers for the most part."

Natsu's gaze sharpened, effectively distracted. "No," he huffed. "You didn't. And you need to talk with your little friends about it 'cause I thought my head was going to get lopped off when Lucy summoned the bull guy!"

Loke snickered, and then told him, "I won't tell you yet, because Lucy has yet to read about it. But when the time comes...I'll tell her to tell you, or read it alongside you. And then you two can choose whether or not to inform the others."

Natsu studied him for a good long moment.

And then he snorted. "You bastards hide everything."

Loke shook his head with a heavy sigh, remembering the pain of the punishment that had come with what he wanted to explain. It was hard, keeping it all to himself. As much as he disliked the fire mage for what he was to Lucy and more, he deserved to know.

And so did Lucy.

But it could wait.

It had already been nearly eight years since it had begun.

A few more months wouldn't kill anyone.

* * *

"Be careful!" a friendly passerby warned Lucy as she balanced along the edge of the canal, her phone in hand as she texted Levy about something or another. Their conversation was random, spiking off in weird ways. But she didn't mind; it was nice to have company who wasn't really there after Natsu's strange disappearance.

Loke had long since returned to his own Realm, she knew. But she hadn't bothered to summon him and ask what Natsu had been up to; she trusted her pink-haired friend, and believed he'd come through in the end to explain what all of the secrecy was about.

Smiling to herself, the blonde sent her message to Levy, and then stretched her arms above her head after putting her phone away. She'd spent a good portion of the afternoon bickering back and forth with Cobra, and then had done a minor job with Wendy at the girl's request in the evening. They'd split the pay, and Lucy had been pleased to come up with just enough to pay her rent for the month of May.

The celestial mage paused when her phone went off, and she smiled when she discovered that it had been Yukino who'd messaged her. They'd chatted for a lengthy amount of time the previous day, when Yukino had asked her opinion on the entire matter of revealing magic, and Lucy was pleased that the other woman shared her worries.

Tomorrow, on the thirtieth of the month, she'd spend the day with her four teammates as well as Charle and Happy, and then, on the first…

Well.

She wasn't sure about what that day would bring.

They all had ideas on where they were going to stake up and show off their magic - Natsu had chosen near the Rozlyn Cafe, much to Lucy's amusement - and Erza had decided to go to a more male-dominated working area to show off some kind of outfit she'd recently purchased. Gray was going to a park known for the amount of children that liked to play there. Wendy and Romeo had agreed to stick near the tavern, which would lower its illusion wards with Mavis' help, according to Makarov.

Lucy had decided to go to a park that was more known for couples. It wasn't a noisy place, but plenty of people passed by. And Happy had offered to go with her to make sure that nothing weird happened.

For that, she was grateful.

And Loke would be with her. She'd summon Lyra while he was already out and about, and he'd told her that he'd put on a light show for people to look at. Hopefully without burning their eyes or anything, because Lucy wasn't entirely sure on how bright Loke's regulus magic was.

Her brow furrowed.

She didn't want him to blind people…

"Lucy!"

Her head snapped up and she stumbled, nearly falling into the canal. Catching her balance, she gave Natsu a dirty look. "Watch it, you scared me!" she scolded. She frowned. How long had he been waiting on her doorstep for her to come home? Usually, he would have broken his way in...

Ignoring her irritation, the dragon slayer eagerly told her, "I got you a gift!"

She jolted. "You did?"

Natsu gave her a huge grin and hopped to his feet, hiding something behind him. Lucy approached cautiously. "Loke had to help me, and Happy went with me to my hoard to get some gold for it," he explained, withdrawing what he'd hidden behind his back. His eyes glowed with pride as he placed her whip in her hands.

On a normal basis, Lucy wouldn't have been impressed.

But she could _feel_ the warmth in it, sense the fire that danced along just beneath the surface. The handle had been turned into gold with dragons and lions carved into the hilt - she guessed that Loke had made a secret demand on that - and the actual whip glittered gold as well, the material soft yet hard to the touch.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, stroking the whip lovingly.

"Do you like it?" he asked anxiously, his onyx eyes wide with fear that she wouldn't.

"I do," she reassured, giving him a huge smile. She reached up hesitantly, still uncertain about showing such affection as she smacked one hand over his cheek playfully before softening her touch into that of a caress. "Thank you, Natsu," she said softly, drawing him down so that she could rest her forehead against his. His eyes fluttered shut for a moment, and she smiled warmly when she felt his hand come up to press her head more firmly against his own.

And then he pulled back, smirking. "I'm hungry. Can you make me something to eat?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Come on in."

* * *

 _Peaceful cute chapter! Gotta love the Nalu gifts._

 _Also! My editor NighttimeWonder left a little gift review for you guys to see on the first chapter!_

 _To the guest who asked about drunken Lucy...patience, my friend. I've been planning that chapter for a specific moment. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, The Age of Awesomeness, Typhlosion8, Elisha Silverpine, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Dragondancer81, pinkdoughnuts, TheAliceHuntt, HummingBird742, FireDragonPhia, FairyRains, Sydneste, Guest #1, RandomAnimeNerd, MirrorFlame, and BrokenGlass12!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	149. Chapter 149

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy's heart twisted with fear as she sat on a bench in the guildhall. Her fingers clutched Natsu's tightly, and his own gloved hands squeezed hers gently in reassurance. His onyx eyes were fierce as he reassured Happy that he'd be fine on his own, that he needed to stick with Lucy.

On her other side was Loke, having showed up with his own magic. His shaded eyes were serious, his lips set in a frown. He was close enough that his arm brushed hers, but Lucy couldn't help but want to hide against her most powerful Spirit like a child.

Who wouldn't be scared on a day like this?

Levy was quietly sitting with Gajeel, their heads close together. He murmured something to her, and she replied with a reassuring smile. He was going with her, he'd announced, though he wouldn't use his magic.

Gray and Juvia spoke quietly to one another, having agreed to do their work near one another so that if trouble arose, they could help each other out. Lucy smiled at the sight of how close they were, and then arched an eyebrow when she realized that their fingers were tangled together. _When did that happen_?

"Lucy?"

Lucy's gaze darted to her companion's. Natsu searched her eyes for a second, and then gave her a signature grin, showing off his teeth. "I'll meet you here at three, kay?"

"Yeah," she agreed, relaxing. She returned the smile warmly. "Three. I'll be here."

He turned his attention elsewhere as Happy curled up in the blonde's lap. He purred in greeting, and Lucy dropped a hand to touch his head affectionately. She was grateful that he was going with her. Even with Loke there, it'd be nice to have a member of her team at her side.

"Alright, brats!" Makarov's voice suddenly shouted and they all immediately looked to him. He stood on the bar, hands on his hips with a serious look in his dark eyes. "Nearly eleven in the morning. That means there's one hour left. You have that long to get to your places. Does everyone have a call card from Cana just in case your phones stop working?"

Echoes of "yes" rang out through the room, and Lucy touched her purse, where she'd put her own card. If an emergency happened, they were to use the card to get into contact with the others.

"Good, good. Now, go out and go to your places, those that are participating! The rest of you, I want you gathering information. I want to know precisely how each and every non-magic-using man, woman, and child reacts to this, am I clear?"

"Aye, sir!" Natsu cheered above them all, making several laugh.

"Gildarts is on standby should anything big happen," Makarov finished. "Should you need anything, merely ask. Good luck, brats! And remember that we're nakama. Your pain is our pain. If you need help, whether it be to avoid injury of the flesh or heart, we will help you."

Lucy smiled to herself, comforted by such words. She supposed that was the goal, though. Climbing to her feet, she tugged Natsu upright. He'd promised to walk with them until he needed to head in the direction he'd planned to go, and she appreciated it.

Loke clambered to his feet and glanced at Lucy. "Ready?" he asked over the noise of everyone else.

"Yeah," Lucy said with a sigh. "Let's go, Loke."

* * *

They left Natsu at a street corner, bidding him farewell. Lucy gave his gloved hand one more squeeze, and he grinned broadly at her, onyx eyes sparkling as he made his way towards his chosen space. Alone with Loke and Happy, Lucy began to lead them towards the park she'd chosen.

"At least we won't have to worry about keeping Natsu's habit of combustion under control," Lucy muttered, making Loke snicker. She didn't bother to hide Happy as they walked, his tail twitching every now and then.

They were going to show him off soon anyways.

"Alright," Lucy said, checking her phone when they reached the park. She dropped her purse to the ground and settled onto a bench to wait, Loke falling into the seat beside her with an amused look. He'd protect her, she knew. "We've still got a good half hour before we have to do anything…"

"Here," Loke said, pushing something into her hands. "Read your mother's diary. You need to hurry up and finish it soon. I think things are going to start happening soon, and it would be good for you to be caught up at that point."

Lucy paused, the diary held lightly in her fingertips. "What do you mean things are-"

"Read," he cut her off without hesitation, giving her a pointed look. "Distract yourself. Your fidgeting is driving me insane."

Lucy blinked, realizing that she'd been irritably moving about, just like he'd said. She opened the diary with a sigh, amused and grateful that her Spirit seemed to recognize that she was worried.

 _October 31st, X775_

 _Many things have happened since I last wrote in my diary, and none of them are good._

 _Acnologia's been popping in and out for the last few months, causing issues for the Councils. Bosco's own Counsel communicated with Fiore's as well as those that belong to other countries on what to do about him, but there isn't really anything that can be done...I've talked with Bosco's Council and they say it doesn't look good._

 _I had to talk with my husband, Igneel, and Grandeeney about Lucy and the amount of magic she exerts. It's like a dam that has been overflowed by rain; she used it once and now we can't stop it. She's constantly running a fever, and she's in bed so often…_

 _Igneel was the one who suggested sealing a portion of magic off. I asked Leo, and he agreed that it was smart. Grandeeney offered to do it, and I decided to call for Mavis Vermillion, who sent word claiming she'd dealt with something like this._

 _Jude was reluctant, but agreed to go through with it since Lucy's life is at risk._

 _The process went smoothly, and now Lucy's running around with Pisces and Taurus in the courtyard. I fell ill myself, but with Leo and Capricorn's help, my health has returned to its normal status, and I feel fine._

 _I wonder if that portion of magic we hid away will ever come back?_

 _I need to go...Mavis wants to have tea and discuss something._

 _~Layla_

Lucy ran her fingers along the page with a frown. "...my magic was sealed up?"

"A portion." Loke gave a huge yawn, and Lucy silently admitted that he looked very much like a lion in that moment. "Don't worry, it was just to keep you from overdoing it. You were quite fond of working yourself to the bone without meaning to. The part came unsealed when you came back from Earthland, but don't worry." He shot her a grin. "We've been keeping an eye on it."

"How comforting," Lucy said sarcastically. She checked her phone, and then pushed her reading material into her Spirit's hands. "Alright," she said shakily, "Let's get this show on the road."

 _11:59 a.m._

Lucy roused Happy, and the blue-furred cat yawned as he clambered onto her head, his eyes worried. "I'll protect you, Lucy," he murmured to her, and she affectionately touched his head.

"I know," she said quietly, trusting him.

She checked her phone again.

 _12:00 p.m._

A second later, there was an explosion of magic that shocked the city. Lucy smiled as she felt heat and cold surge through the area, guessing it to be Natsu and Gray. She could hear the rumbling of thunder that accompanied Laxus' lightning, and the wind began to blow a bit.

Loke's fingers glowed as he let light gather in his palms. Lucy waited until eyes were attracted to Loke, fear and amazement, curiosity and nervousness showing, and then smiled gently at a child that watched Loke in awe before turning her gaze on Happy when the cat snapped into the air, wings beating easily to keep him up.

Gasps filled the air, as well as terrified chattering and cries when Lucy slashed a key through the air. "Open!" she called, summoning Aries first. "Gate of the Ram! Aries!"

Aries appeared in a bright flash beside her, fumbling with the wool dress she wore. The horns on either side of her head gleamed in the light of the day, and she stammered, "P-Princess, we agreed th-that you'd summon Lyra!"

"I didn't know you were going to summon her," Loke mused, the light around him brighter than before. It danced through the air, and Happy batted playfully at an orb that began to hover around him, purring loudly, "Loke's jealous!"

"Am not," he said playfully, amused.

"Oh, my - the cat talked," some shrieked, and immediately silence fell. Lucy had been expecting utter chaos. Not people stopping in silence to see if Happy would speak again. He blinked at the person who'd talked.

"Of course, I'm talking," he huffed. "I'm not some stupid regular cat!"

"...Momma," a boy whispered, "Can I touch it?"

Lucy stepped forward, already reaching for a second key. "Sure. Happy likes to be petted, don't you, Happy?"

"Yep!" Happy flew down, and the mother of the child dragged her son away. Horror and terror flooded her gaze.

"Monsters," she whispered.

Lucy faltered.

Another person echoed her, and then the hysteria began.

People shoved one another as they tried to get away. Others tried to get closer.

In the distance, Lucy heard a gunshot, and she prayed that it was Bisca or Alzack.

Pain suddenly exploded through her arm, and Lucy clenched her teeth when someone yanked a blade back that they'd attacked her with. Aries cried out when he turned on her, using her wool to protect herself, and Loke dove at the man with light blazing, baring his teeth.

"How dare you touch Lucy!" he snarled, throwing the man away with ease. He placed himself protectively in front of her, and Lucy grimaced in pain, ignoring the blood that dripped down her arm.

Aries gently touched her. "Princess-"

"I'm fine," Lucy said through clenched teeth. "Happy-"

"Here!" He dug his claws into her shoulder without meaning to. "Loke, I'm going to take her to Natsu!"

"No," he countered, ignoring Lucy's protests. "Get her to the guildhall, Happy. Have Wendy take a look at that stab wound, alright?"

"I'm fine," Lucy protested irritably, grouchy that they were apparently forcing her to go. She grumbled as Happy lifted her to the sky anyways, and Aries vanished as soon as they were free.

Lucy clasped a hand over her mouth at the sight of Magnolia beneath them.

People were running everywhere, screaming and fleeing. Some ran away, others bravely towards the mages, who easily deflected weapons like knives or scissors. There was smoke in several parts of town, and Lucy could see Juvia and Gray working to put one out from where she was.

"Oh, my stars," she whispered. "Happy...this was a terrible idea, what was the Council thinking?"

"I don't know," Happy said honestly, diving for the revealed guildhall. He dropped Lucy gently in front of it, and Lucy bundled him in with her. She could feel the twinge in her magic that told her Loke had gone back to his own Realm.

She hoped he was okay.

* * *

"Lucy!" Wendy cried, smelling the blood immediately. She came bolting over, and Lucy's lips parted at the bruise that was forming over one eye. Charle, who was clinging to her shoulder gently, explained that someone had thrown a rock at the small girl.

"Bastards," Lucy snarled. She hugged Wendy tightly and glanced around to see who was there.

Asuka was cuddled against Bisca, asleep in a corner. Alzack was with them, his eyes worried. A few of the lesser mages were hovering around, nervous, and Kinana came bustling over with Cobra not far behind when she saw Lucy. "Master's gone into his office to contact the Council," she explained, helping Wendy inspect the blonde. "He'll be out shortly. What happened?"

"I was stabbed a bit," Lucy admitted.

"You were _stabbed a bit_?" Cobra questioned, snorting in amusement at the way she'd put it.

This earned him a glare from Kinana, and she pushed at his shoulder. "Erik!" she hissed and Lucy was a bit startled to hear her use a name that Cobra didn't use himself. He didn't seem to be bothered, only smirked at her.

Wendy inspected the wound. "I won't heal it," she told her. Her dark eyes were wary, tired. "I need to wait and see if I should use my magic on worse injuries. If everyone's back and I have the magic, I'll do it this evening. Kinana, could you bandage it?"

"Yep!" Kinana flashed the blonde a smile as Wendy rushed over to greet a pained looking Cana limped in, blood slicking her leg. Lucy watched the doors anxiously, and Happy told her fiercely as Kinana ran to go and get some bandages, "Natsu will be okay...right?"

"Right." Lucy rested her head back, her heart aching.

This was rough. She remembered the feelings she'd felt learning of magic and how real it was, but this was way different. Feelings were being amplified, brutally shoved out of people who were shocked and scared.

 _What was the Council thinking?! Hisui, why did you not stop this?!_

It seemed like ages before someone else came in, and everyone looked over to discover Lisanna and Mirajane, their blue eyes darting this way and that. Elfman bolted over to check on his sisters, and then looked over when they were followed in by Gajeel and Levy. Levy cradled Lily in her arms, blood slicking her cheek from a gash that had opened. Gajeel was glowering viciously over his shoulder at something.

"Levy!" Lucy called, rushing over with Happy and Wendy. Charle chose to remain where she was, gently entertaining the now awake Asuka. "Levy, are you okay?"

"A bit shaken," she admitted, "People are rioting in the streets like the world is ending."

"For them, it appears to be," a grim Makarov said as he came to check on them. Mirajane smiled faintly at him when he stood beside her. "Are you all okay? I don't like that my children are getting hurt over such a matter…"

"We're fine, Master," Levy promised. "I just have a cut. Lily nearly got trampled, but other than that, we're alright." She smiled at Gajeel. "Right?" He merely grunted, not looking happy whatsoever.

Lucy guessed it was because his girlfriend had been put in danger.

Lisanna sighed softly. "Mira and I got away with a few scrapes and bruises, but nothing more. I'm sure that people like Laxus are getting off way worse than we are."

"I hope the others are going to be alright," Mirajane fretted, biting her bloodied lip. "I'll go make some food for them to eat when they get back…" Lucy gave her friend a sympathetic look as she pushed past Lisanna and Elfman to go do that. She was likely trying to distract herself, upset by what was happening.

"Move, move, move!"

They all looked over as Gray exploded through the doors, followed by Juvia. The water woman looked unharmed, terror clear in her eyes. A second later, there was an explosion outside that rocked the building, and Asuka cried out in fear. Gray threw himself at the ground, throwing his hands over his head to protect it when the doors didn't close in time, throwing debris into the guildhall despite the wards around it. Juvia simply turned to a puddle before anything could reach her.

"What the hell is that?!" Lucy shrieked.

"Someone," Gray gasped as Gajeel and Elfman darted over to slam the doors shut, "Got their hands on some kind of molotov with more than just alcohol in it."

Happy's tail lashed. "I want to go get Natsu," he pleaded to the blonde holding him. "Please, Lucy!"

"Yeah, I think that might be smart," Lucy said, voice strangled. "Be careful though, okay?"

"I promise." He hugged her, and then bolted out a cracked window, not daring to go through the doors. Lucy watched him go and then whipped around to help bandage up a gash on Gray's side, her heart pounding.

 _What the hell did we do to deserve this?!_

* * *

 _And the reveal has begun! Things are crazy now. Wait til you see the first job that Lucy and Natsu take after this. It'll be nuts._

 _On another note...I've started commissions. Including writing commissions. If anyone's interested. Fairy Tail stuff is accepted. Just let me know. Put some awkward coughing right here 'cause y'know._

 _To fhenk Swagneel, who asked about the lines...when you go to edit a document on the fanfiction website under "Doc Manager", there will be a bar in the area where you have the bold, italics, and underlining part. You click on it and the bar appears. :3_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, TheAliceHuntt, fhenk Swagneel, PraetorFable, pinkdoughnuts, quite-a-riot, guest #1, LePengwen, Abdltf, TigerArrowgirl, Dragondancer81, HummingBird742, Sydneste, lordshuvra, FairyRains, PinkFireandGoldenStars, BrokenGlass12, NaLu and InuKag, RandomAnimeNerd, Alexia Colette, Fullmetal Pyromaniac, and Lodemai04!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	150. Chapter 150

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

By the time evening fell, most of the mages in Magnolia - even a few lone mages that Lucy had never seen - had gathered in the guildhall for the protection it offered. Kinana and Mirajane as well as Lisanna and a few other mages bustled this way and that, offering food and bandages to those who needed it. Wendy helped those with major wounds, her bruise looking worse with every passing hour. Romeo ran around to help her, too.

Lucy found herself in a corner with Gray and Juvia, her eyes watching as Jellal and Erza went to join the other S-Class mages that had come in. She leaned tiredly into Gray's shoulder, and the ice-make mage kept glancing down to check on Juvia, who was curled up on her side, her face buried against the outside of his thigh.

With Natsu and Happy having yet to return, her heart was in stressed out pieces, her dark eyes darting up with hope every time the doors swung open, but with no luck. Gray patted her shoulder silently, reassuring her without words, but it did nothing to comfort her in the way she needed.

"I'm sure he'll show up soon," Gray muttered, yawning. "That pyro wouldn't be hurt from something like this, Lucy. I mean, look what he survived on Tenrou. Not just anyone walks away from having their spine crushed."

"He had Wendy," Lucy pointed out, chewing on her lip and hugging Plue to her. She'd summoned the small Spirit when Happy's absence had been too much and she'd needed something warm to clutch to her.

"How's your shoulder?" Gray asked, glancing down to the bandaged part, and she touched it thoughtfully with a grimace.

"I'll survive," she sighed. It stung a bit, but Lucy didn't care much at the moment. Others had fared worse. Bickslow, for example. Someone had pulled out a hidden handgun and outright shot him in the chest. He was in the infirmary with Porlyusica and his team - excluding Laxus, who'd been dragged down to the S-Class meeting be held in Makarov's office.

Lucy had never really been too scared of the lightning mage, but he'd looked furious enough to make her fist her hands in the shirt Gray had been wearing at the time.

She'd been a mage of Fairy Tail and seen some weird things for some time now, but this was different than anything she'd experienced.

Suddenly there was a scream, followed by a blast of heat that Lucy would have known anywhere. "Natsu!" she gasped, shooting to her feet as others rocketed up, ready to fight should they need to. She cracked the locked door open, keeping her head low to avoid anything that might be thrown or shot her way, and Natsu, who'd had his back pressed up against a locked door with his arms around Happy darted through the slit she made. Fire licked at every inch of his flesh, which was decorated with wounds.

And scales, she realized as he fought to catch his breath, his magic running rampant as he found himself surrounded yet again, disoriented enough that he didn't seem to recognize most of them.

When someone - Wendy, Lucy recognized - made a step towards him, he _exploded_.

Flames burst from him, flickering into an inferno as he flinched away, his breath coming in heaving gasps. Happy flinched, but didn't seem to be in any danger as he tried to comfort his friend, tail curling comfortingly around his wrist. "Sorry!" he shouted above the flames and the commotion around them as every mage dived away. "He got cornered and attacked! Someone fired a gun and it hit him in the shoulder!"

Wendy edged as close as she could, using the wind to bat flames away from her. Natsu whirled on her, but she didn't flinch back, only danced away after examining what she could. "It's not going to kill him, but it'll hurt. When he's calmed down, I'll heal it."

"The question is, how do we calm him down?" Alzack muttered, and then snatched up Asuka before she could go running to the fire mage.

"I've got this," Lucy reassured, and then said firmly, "Natsu, stop that and get over here." Blazing onyx eyes turned on her and she raised her chin. He wouldn't hurt her. He'd sworn he wouldn't. His gaze became slitted, but she took another step forward and repeated herself. "Natsu. Stop."

"At least he came home in one piece," Gray grunted from where he sat.

Juvia, who'd sat up with a groan, murmured her agreement and offered to douse the flames that were sprouting along tables. Steam almost came off of her, and most others felt sweat beginning to dot their brows.

It took nearly ten minutes to calm Natsu enough that Lucy could get close, and she wondered what had made him panic in such a way. It was so unlike him. Usually, he could get out of situations like that with a grin on his face.

This…

This was entirely new. For all of them.

When she'd managed to get her hands on him, Lucy ignored everyone else and slapped her hands over his cheeks. She dragged him closer, ignoring his scales, and rested her forehead against his comfortingly. "Natsu," she said fiercely, "You need to calm down so that Wendy can look at you. You're acting like...like you're actually a dragon or something right now, and you're scaring everyone."

She'd seen his mind go blank with rage a few times. It had done it back at Tenrou, with Zancrow, when Oracion Seis had come after her and he'd thought she was dead. She'd seen it from her place in that damn orb, where she'd thought she was going to die from the pain ripping at her.

So what had done _this_?!

It seemed like ages of trying to breathe normally before he wheezed, "Right...sorry, Luce."

Smiling in relief, she patted his cheek warmly and called for Wendy. Wendy skipped over and ignored the horror on Natsu's face when he saw her injuries. Gently, she dragged him closer to her level, and then inspected the wound that Happy had mentioned. "...the bullet's still in there."

"Great," Natsu huffed, twisting his head to look. Lucy watched as the scales began to go away, and she blinked.

There'd been more than the last time he'd done Dragon Force.

"What happened?" Lucy demanded as Wendy pushed Natsu down. He sat down, releasing Happy, and Wendy knelt beside him to dig out the bullet, ignoring the pained look that flashed across his face.

"I don't remember," he admitted. "One second, I was doing my magic, the next I got shot, and then there were people everywhere. And then I woke up here."

Happy crawled into Lucy's lap, purring soothingly as she rubbed his ear. "I found Natsu fighting off one of those stupid mages who take advantage of the chaos to cause problems. The guy who shot Natsu shot the other mage first and killed him. Natsu got shot, and then tried to get away, but someone came at him from the other direction and he got cornered pretty fast after that. He used Dragon Force to push past them and come back here."

"I see," Lucy muttered, anxious. She bit her lip, narrowing her dark eyes as Makarov came over finally, gaze troubled. "Master-"

"Are you alright, Natsu?" he demanded. He'd heard the commotion when Natsu had first come, and had come out to check on him. But with Natsu in an unfriendly state, he hadn't approached.

"Yeah." Natsu flashed a grin, showing off his teeth with a proud look as Wendy finally dug out the bullet, handing it to Lucy. "I'll be fine."

"Good." Makarov returned his smile, and then glanced towards a window. They could be smoke pouring out of a nearby building, and he sucked in a deep breath before releasing it. "The Council got back to me; Magnolia's actually one of the worst places. Crocus is the worst, of course, but I got word from Sabertooth that the Council was expecting that. Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus reported that there was only a little panic that was quelled within minutes. The people in their towns seemed to like the idea, actually."

"No fair," Natsu said with a pout. "We got attacked for showing off our magic, and I made damn sure that I didn't let my flames get near anyone."

"It'll calm down, soon," Makarov reassured, drawing a hand down his face. "Just...make sure no one leaves the guildhall until we're told it's safe to, alright?" He left them after that, and Wendy pulled away after fixing up Natsu's wound.

"Miss Porlyusica and I have to sort through injuries and figure out who needs healing the most," Wendy explained. "She'll probably decide not to work on you two...she really doesn't like you for some reason."

"I don't understand why," Lucy sighed in acceptance, and then raked her hands through her hair as Gray came over, dropping to sit with them. Lucy questioned him about Juvia, but he told her that the water mage had gone to sit with Gajeel. Apparently he knew ways to help keep the stressed woman in solid form.

Wordlessly, Gray bumped a fist against Natsu's, smiling grimly. "Good to see ya, pyro."

"Same," Natsu snorted.

Wendy giggled at them and left to go and tend to some other people, calling back, "Make sure your guys' wounds don't get infected, okay?" Charle followed her, much to Happy's disappointment.

"At least Lyon's side of things is going okay," Gray said wistfully.

Lucy smiled to herself, amused. The pair of men pretended to argue over everything, but she knew they were close. She was distracted when Natsu grabbed her arm to inspect her bandages, frowning. "What happened?"

"Someone swung a knife," Lucy said truthfully. "Loke stopped him and Happy got me out of there soon after. It's deep, but it'll be fine, Natsu." She smiled reassuringly, and then nudged him with her shoulder. "So stop looking like that."

He blinked, and then flashed her a grin, nudging her back. He was careful not to touch her injury, she noticed. He was making sure she was okay before anything else, as usual, but she didn't really mind.

Gray licked his lips with a heavy sigh, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand. "Hey," he said gruffly out of nowhere, "You guys mind if I sleep here? Exhausting day and all. And the beds upstairs are being used for the more injured people as well as Asuka, Wendy, and Porlyusica."

"Go ahead, we'll keep quiet," Lucy promised, smiling at her friend.

He patted her uninjured shoulder and then flopped backwards with a yawn. "Don't worry, Lucy. Everything will be fine."

Natsu muttered his agreement.

Lucy only smiled, amused, and went back to stroking Happy, pretending she didn't see the way Natsu was watching her face.

* * *

"We don't have to drag them here forcefully!"

"Well, the Spirit King wants to see them now!"

"Princess wouldn't appreciate it."

"Too bad!"

Loke rubbed his temples with a grimace, hating that he'd been dragged into a situation like this. The ten Zodiacs that had contracts with Lucy sat there in a circle, each Spirit offering their opinion on the fact that the Spirit King wanted to speak with Lucy Heartfilia immediately, whether she had the time or not.

Loke had done the math with great care, not wanting to take Lucy away for longer than she could spare. Twelve hours in the Spirit Realm equaled out to three months in the Realm that Lucy lived in. Which meant there were four hours to each month. Loke knew of the Grand Magic Games that were coming, that Makarov would announce the teams on the first of June.

So that gave Lucy a four hour period at most.

He sucked in a sharp breath, and then spoke, cutting off the others. Virgo's gaze snapped to him instantly, as did Aries'. Aquarius looked triumphant, as if she thought that he'd agree with her like Scorpio had reluctantly done.

"We won't drag her here," he decided. As leader of the Zodiac Spirits, they followed what he said on a regular basis. Aquarius glared at him then. "But I'll tell her that she's been summoned immediately. With her team or not, the Spirit King wants to speak with her."

That seemed to satisfy everyone. Aquarius pouted. "I wanted to drag her here," she mumbled, and Loke laughed before turning to Sagittarius when he spoke.

"I don't think," he stated, "That Miss Lucy is aware of the truth behind her Realm revealing magic. Shouldn't we tell her?"

"I'll leave that up to the Spirit King," Loke decided, climbing to his feet. He yawned, looking very much like a lion as his fangs flashed. "I'll go get her now. Virgo, go inform the Spirit King that I'll be bringing her shortly."

"Alright." Virgo dusted her knees off as she stood, and then headed off to do just that.

Loke flashed a grin; Virgo was the only other Spirit besides the King himself that knew what he knew. They were all wise in what surrounded Lucy Heartfilia, knowing what she would deal with at some point in the future. But they weren't as aware as he was.

And even she didn't know that he communicated with Igneel on a regular basis.

 _We can't help unless you help us, you stupid constellation._

Speak of the devil… Loke rolled his eyes and raised his chin as he let himself be drawn into the other Realm, tugging on Lucy's soul to guide him to where she was. He could sense her surprise already.

"And you know that I can't speak about that, or I die. Sorry, Igneel. You guys are on your own."

* * *

 _Things are crazy, the Spirit King is impatient, and WE'RE AT CHAPTER 150!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, thebooknerdgeek, Typhlosion8, FairyQueenGreen, TigerArrowgirl, Guest #1, LePengwen, HummingBird742, zsummern, MirrorFlame, Lucifer's711, lordshuvra, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Guest #2, PinkFireandGoldenStars, TwinDragons0268, Elisha Silverpine, FairyDemonDust, Searching for my Rushmore, Abdltf, FairyRains, RandomAnimeNerd, PraetorFable, pinkdoughnuts, Fullmetal Pyromaniac, and quite-a-riot!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _As a gift for 150 chapters..._

* * *

 _ **Sneak Peek of Chapter 180!**_

 _The woman's companion leaned thoughtfully against the column he'd been standing near, gaze studying the arena. "Quite the idea," he said suddenly. "Tomorrow they fight in teams. Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia will use Unison Raid to defeat-"_

 _She flinched, and he cut off, neither wanting to remember._

 _"Make it illegal," he said. "Claim it's a law your father plans to announce soon. Gather some forces loyal only to you and arrest both of them. In the meantime, arrest the other one for her keys for something else. The Sabertooth guildmaster's not quite as so lenient with laws. He won't approve and will want to argue, but the guild is loyal to the law and will hand her over."_

 _She shifted uneasily. She didn't like this skulking around, waiting for July 7th. Couldn't they just...start now? Why that day? She knew that day hurt the slayers more than any other day of the year. They'd be distracted. They wouldn't focus on what they needed them to focus on._

 _Hisui inclined her head. "Got it. Easy enough. I'll gift Lucy a portion of Fiore's land for what I'm doing to her here," she added with a grieved look. "I feel so bad…"_

 _"Don't." The man's voice darkened into a hateful tone. "She won't survive this."_

 _The tone he said it in made her shiver, even as she leaned into him, taking comfort in a presence she no longer felt safe around. He returned the gesture. She missed him more than ever now. He would have been able to snap him out of it and return them to the light._

 _But he was gone._

 _Her eyes misted over._

"Help him," _he'd rasped, blood bubbling at his lips. He'd cupped her cheeks weakly, drawing her head to rest briefly against his. Tears had rolled down her cheeks. She'd sobbed hysterically, her knuckles white as she pleaded for him to not leave them._ "You have to help him. He can't be alone. It's not his fault. Remember that, okay? He'll be lost."

 _She could still feel his warm sticky blood seeping through her fingers from the deadly wound in his gut and it made her shiver, mourning him with a soft sound in the back of her throat._

 _Fingers danced up and down her back in an attempt at soothing her._

 _It only served to bring her more fear._


	151. Chapter 151

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy first became aware of a gentle poke on her arm when she opened her eyes to pitch blackness. She was confused by the hardness of the floor beneath her until she realized that they'd all gone to sleep in the guildhall after their exciting previous day. She was curled up against Natsu, who was snoring away in her ear, his arm thrown over her.

Yawning, Lucy mumbled unhappily and shrugged off the next poke, snuggling closer.

Until the poke became a nasty jab that made her flinch in pain. "Ouch," she said grouchily, sleepily squinting over her shoulder.

Catlike green eyes seemed to shine in the dark at her.

She gasped in shock, accidentally elbowing Natsu, who snapped awake with a grunt and rumbled unhappily in the back of his throat like some kind of dragon. "It's just Loke," he realized sleepily, yawning loudly.

"Nice to see you, too," Loke drawled under his breath and then poked at Lucy, who was beginning to fall asleep again. "Nice try, Princess, wakey wakey. You've been summoned by the Spirit King."

 _That_ did the trick and she shot upright, hissing in pain when she bonked heads with her pink-haired companion. He yelped and whined, "Ow!"

"The hell are you two doing?" Gray's sleepy voice asked from nearby and Natsu finally just lit a fire in his palm, scowling over at where he knew Gray was. Gray sat up when he realized that he was being included in the conversation now, stretching his arms above his head.

"What do you mean I've been summoned by the Spirit King?" Lucy snapped. "I told you that I wanted to come after the Grand Magic Games-"

"Yeah, well, times change. We weren't expecting the revealing of magic to result in so much chaos, and things are being pushed along a lot sooner than we originally expected, Princess." Loke left no room for argument. "I know we said you could bring along your team, but I don't think we have the time to grab more than those around us if you want to get back before the first of June. We'll have four hours to the dot to speak with the Spirit King."

"I'll stay," Gray sighed after a moment. "I'll let everyone know what happened. So they don't freak out. Can't say I appreciate you choosing this kinda moment though."

" _Thank you_ ," Lucy said seriously, tackling her friend in a tight and grateful hug. "I owe you big time, Gray." Gray grinned and returned the hug, and Natsu glowered furiously at them from over her shoulder, his eyes blazing. When she pulled back, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and grabbed the drowsy Happy.

"Alright, how are we doing this?" Natsu looked expectantly at Loke, who winked in response.

"We've pulled you into the Realm before," he mused, "This time, watch carefully, you idiot. Can't say that you're going to be all that welcome in our Realm, but oh, well. Not like you'd let her go alone." He pressed two fingers to each of their foreheads, and with a flash of light they were gone. Tucking the shocked Happy under his arm, Loke saluted Gray.

"Thanks, Gray," he told him. "I'll bring them back on the first if I can. Got it?"

"Got it. See ya, Loke." Gray flashed him a grin, and then watched as he, too, disappeared with a flash brighter than the one before. It woke a few people and it wasn't long before the lights had been turned on and everyone was looking around with confused and sleepy looks.

Most eyes turned on the calm looking ice-make mage, who shrugged his shoulders and demanded, "The hell are you all looking at?"

A tired looking Cobra stared at him from slitted dark eyes and then scoffed, resting his head down again on the bar. "Tch. Put some clothes on."

* * *

"Wow!"

Happy couldn't help but gasp as he was handed back to Natsu, who was gawking around them in amazement. Lucy couldn't believe her eyes, studying the stars that sparkled around them with awe. They glowed, constellations outlined with the faintest of lights, and she easily picked out Aquarius'.

"It's beautiful," Lucy breathed.

"Yes, well, we're on a limit here, so…" Loke grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward. Natsu hurried after him, his eyes studying everything. "We need to get you into new clothing and then to the Spirit King. And then out, because this place can kill you two. Happy might be okay. He's kind of like your Spirit Plue, Princess."

Lucy let him drag her, too distracted by the beautiful place they found themselves in, and Natsu had to jog to keep up. Happy found himself a place on Natsu's head, freeing up the fire mage's hands.

"Virgo!" Loke called despite the fact that no one was around. He walked along a path that seemed to form beneath his feet until they reached a gorgeous park that seemingly materialized out of nowhere, with a pavilion in the center. "Virgo, where the hell are you?!"

"What is that?" Lucy asked curiously, gesturing to the building at the center of the starry park. Rather than green grass, stars danced beneath their feet, and several Spirits laughed as they played among them.

"Where the Zodiacs meet for important matters," Loke told her. "I have the biggest and most badass seat there. We're the only ones allowed in, and the other Spirits are severely punished if they go in and aren't summoned there - Virgo!"

The Virgin Spirit appeared beside them, floating down as if she'd stepped off of some balcony above. Her blue eyes were amused as she bowed. "Greetings, Princess, Master Natsu, Master Happy."

Natsu beamed. "Hey, Virgo."

"I brought the clothes," Virgo informed the Zodiac leader. She held up an arm full of cloth, and Loke grabbed Natsu's arm and tugged him away after being given some of it.

"Come on, Natsu, this way. We'll get you dressed in these and then when Lucy's done, I'll take you two to the Spirit King."

"But Luce-" he began to protest, though it didn't do him any good.

Lucy watched him go with a giggle, and then let Virgo lead her a short distance away. She blinked when a building seemed to appear out of nowhere, glittering among the stars it stood on. "Here," Virgo ordered, stopping inside. Lucy blinked, recognizing that it was nearly empty. "It's a storage house, though we don't store anything."

With Virgo's help, Lucy got dressed, tugging on a dress that was held up by a string. It floated around her in several layers and Virgo slipped some special slippers over her feet before pulling her blonde hair up with a bandana of sorts. "There," she stated when finished. "You're done, Princess."

"Thanks, Virgo," Lucy murmured, yawning hugely before following the Spirit back outside. Loke already waited there with Natsu, who looked distinctly uncomfortable in his own outfit. He wore an outfit similar to one of the few that Lucy had seen him in, with strange pants that belled out a little near the ankles and a vest. Both were made of a material that was pitch black yet shone with stars at the same time. He'd kept his own sandals, and his scaled scarf was wrapped around his neck. Simple leather cuffs decorated each of his upper arms, and he puffed his cheeks in irritation.

"You look handsome, Natsu," Lucy promised as he plucked unhappily at his clothes. He flushed at her compliment, and then jabbed a thumb at Happy, who wore a vest as well. "Loke didn't even ask before shoving clothes on Happy."

"It'll help keep him sane," Loke told them, grabbing Lucy's wrist and hauling her forward. Virgo bowed, amusement in her eyes as she watched them leave, Natsu jogging after them. "I don't know about you, but rabid Happy isn't a fun idea."

"It'd be hilarious," Natsu muttered, cackling at the thought and earning a glare from Lucy.

Because the blonde did _not_ want to figure out what rabid Happy was like when he was already enough trouble as it was.

Loke led them through the Realm without hesitation, his stride confident and quick. Lucy had problems keeping up with him, to be perfectly honest. But Natsu made sure to keep an eye on her as Loke tugged her along, not willing to give her a moment to so much as breathe as they went.

Suddenly, they came upon a massive building. Loke stopped before the doors that towered above them by hundreds of feet. "Wait out here," he ordered, "I'll be back in a moment. Shout for one of your Spirits if any of you start acting strange so that we can get you out of here immediately. The Spirit Realm messes with your sanity before it attacks the rest of you." He flashed Lucy a grin, and then ducked inside, leaving them alone.

"...so he brought us here," Natsu said slowly, "Knowing that we might get killed in the process?"

"We've got the clothing from here, and that alone helps protect us," Lucy reminded him with a gentle smile. She patted his arm. "And on top of it, the Spirit King will help us. Remember? I doubt the king of a Realm would summon us here without intending on letting us leave in the condition we arrived in."

"...you're really trusting for someone who hasn't met this Spirit before," Natsu pointed out suspiciously.

She flashed him a smirk. "They're Spirits. And as far as I can tell, there's not been a single one that has hurt us. Right?"

"I guess." He puffed out a flame irritably and Lucy took Happy into her arms, cuddling the tired feline.

"Are you alright after everything that happened, Happy?" she asked, smoothing a hand over his blue-furred head.

"Yep!" he said cheerfully, purring as he let her pet him. His tail curled happily over her wrist. "I'm fine. No one can get near Natsu when he's angry." Natsu rolled his eyes, but wore a smug looking smirk as he turned his eyes away to study the place around them.

While most of the Spirits that had appeared to see what was going on glared hatefully at him, their eyes full of distrust and outright disgust, he ignored them, instead taking in the beauty of the stars that surrounded them.

Because the Celestial Realm _was_ beautiful.

And he was more than aware that it wasn't just anyone who got to see it. The last person to see it had been Layla Heartfilia years ago. It was considered an extremely rare and special honor that he'd been allowed to come with Lucy - especially since they all seemed to strongly dislike him.

He heard the whispers of Spirits around them as they gathered, greeting Lucy with warm smiles and welcoming words alongside Happy. He only received furious and hateful glares and sneers.

"What's _he_ doing here?"

"Kick him out! Before he brings death to us all!"

"He's the reason that everything happened!"

"Can't believe that Leo brought him here…"

"Is the Spirit King finally doing something about the problem?"

"Ooh, I hope so, it'd be fantastic to be rid of that _monster_ -"

Natsu's eyes snapped up. A growl thundered in his throat, smoke leaking out of his nostrils as he snarled, "Who the hell said that?" He turned on his heel, rage-filled onyx eyes searching for the Spirit who had dared to claim he was a monster. Flames flickered furiously at his fingertips - until Lucy cleared her throat and grabbed his arm, shaking her head.

"Natsu," she said quietly, her breath warm over his cheek as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Don't listen. Shut your ears and think about Igneel or something until Loke comes back out, okay? We're in _their_ home. We can't do random things that might upset them."

Natsu ripped free of her, bitterly laughing and snapping, "But I'm a monster, right? So it's okay that they get to say that. Not like I'm not."

"Natsu Dragneel," Lucy snapped, puffing up angrily - only to be stopped when Loke slid back out, his eyes glinting behind his shades.

"What the hell do you all think you're doing?" he snapped irritably, glaring out at all of the gathered Spirits. Most hurried away the second he spoke, and those that didn't received venomous looks from both Loke and Lucy. "Get back to work."

"Thanks, Loke," Lucy said quietly and then let Happy crawl onto Natsu's head, purring soothingly to his friend.

Loke only rolled his eyes. "They're bored; most of them haven't had contracts with people in well over a thousand or so years. Ignore them, Natsu. The last that they heard of the dragons and their dragon slayers is information from a decade or two ago. They know nothing."

Natsu merely scowled, onyx eyes blazing with anger - until Loke spoke again, a grin appearing on his face as he bowed playfully to Lucy. His shaded green eyes shone. "The Spirit King is ready to see the princess now, so head on in. I'll wait out here for all of you, and I'll send you home when you're done."

Lucy blinked, exchanged a look with Natsu, and then shrugged, slipping past her Spirit.

Just before Natsu could head after her, Loke grabbed his arm and leaned in to mutter, "Remember who the Spirit King is and what power he possesses, Natsu. Lucy's become a favorite of his; mess with her in anyway, and you'll have made yourself an enemy. Thousands of enemies, to be precise."

Natsu couldn't help but give him a wide-eyed look of confusion.

 _What the hell is he talking about?_ the fire mage wondered silently, and then followed after his blonde companion, catching up to her with ease.

"Everything okay?" she asked, glancing up at him.

He merely shrugged and tugged his scarf away from his mouth before slipping his hand into hers.

"Yeah," he lied. "Perfect."

He took a deep breath to calm the dark anger he could feel festering in his heart, remembering what Loke had said about the Spirits' lack of knowledge.

And then he forced a smile to his face.

"Let's do this."

* * *

 _I always feel bad for Natsu when I bring in the Spirits. ANYHOW! Onto other important matters!_

 _Sorry about updating late. Senior year of high school is a stressful time full of lacking opportunities. On the other hand..._

 _Anyone want a BTL-based one-shot for Christmas? I'm thinking about writing a one-shot on how Yukino got involved in magic just for fun. Since Christmas in BTL won't happen for quite some time._

 _Thanks to reviewers (HummingBird742, TheAliceHuntt, lordshuvra, LePengwen, Tigerarrowgirl, Kinzerly, CharonteQueen, FireDragonPhia, Abdltf, PinkFireandGoldenStars, ashcator2002, MirrorFlame, zsummern, The Age of Awesomeness, Guest #1, PraetorFable, Alexia Colette, Guest #2, ILoveanime2010, pinkdoughnuts, RabidFairyShakesTinyFist, and RandomAnimeNerd!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	152. Chapter 152

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy had never been more anxious in her life. She knew of the power that the Spirit King possessed, that she had a lot to work for after being declared a favorite of his alongside her mother. To top it all off, she was semi-dating someone that most of the Celestial Spirits appeared to hate with a passion.

Yep.

Lucy had a lot to live up to.

But she said nothing as she slipped her hand safely into Natsu's, taking comfort in his calloused touch, and he flashed her a quick grin as they walked through the doors and down the hallway. It was a few minutes of walking in silence, Happy's tail lashing nervously, before they reached the throne upon which the Spirit King was seated.

He was a massive humanoid Spirit, towering above them by several hundred feet, with what looked like armor covering almost every inch of his form. His glowing red eyes regarded them with careful curiosity and when he spoke, his voice was loud and booming. "Lucy Heartfilia," he said, greeting her first. "At last we meet. And what interesting company you keep. The son of Igneel." His gaze narrowed as he studied Natsu. "Of all the residents of your Realm, I did not expect to meet you, Natsu Dragneel."

Natsu blinked, startled, and then gazed up at him with an equally suspicious look that earned him a sharp squeeze on the hand from his partner. "Nice to meet ya," he said finally, earning an approving look from Lucy and a purr from Happy.

He would remember what Loke had said.

To make enemies while in the Spirits' Realm would only bring danger and upset Lucy, and he didn't want that.

Lucy smiled largely at the Spirit King and told him, "My company may be interesting, but I'd trust both Natsu and Happy with my very soul should it ever leave my body."

Natsu felt a little smug about that, proud that Lucy would trust him so much. No one in the guild would have said something like that before she'd showed up and he appreciated it a lot. The fire mage waved smoke subconsciously away from his face, and Lucy frowned a little, but he shrugged. He couldn't help it; smoke came out sometimes.

Thoughtful, the Spirit King mused, "Mr. Dragneel is certainly not what I thought he would be, that is for certain. But onto other matters, as your time here is limited, old friend!" He grinned, much to Lucy's surprise. "The Realm in which you live is changing, is it not? You have revealed magic."

"It didn't go well," she admitted. She remembered the man with the knife coming after she and Happy and touched her shoulder with a grimace. "By the time we return home, a month would have passed, though, so we shall see what happened in the time we were away. Hopefully it won't be as chaotic and Natsu, Happy, and I will be able to go home."

"I admit that it surprised me," the Spirit King muttered. "It has been many years since magic was shown. Fifteen years, to be precise. Since Acnologia ran through Fiore and caused devastation. Seven years before my Spirits went behind my back and did what I told them not to…"

Lucy's attention was caught, and so was Natsu's.

"That was when the dragons disappeared," he muttered. "In X777, Igneel vanished."

"In any case," the King continued on, as if he hadn't spoken, "It is a shock to us. Though we may not interfere, we would be more than willing to assist you should you require it, my friend. We would pull you of life-threatening danger should it be required, though I must say that such an invitation isn't offered to any of your friends."

Lucy pressed her lips together unhappily. "Not to be rude, sir, but if it's not extended to my family, then I don't want such an offer."

The Spirit King chuckled, not looking the least bit offended by what she'd said. "Of course not. Then I will take back the offer that I have given. We will remain as we always have, watching from above. Unless you're Leo, who takes matters into his own hands. I am aware that you have begun to read your mother's diary? And that you have met Zeref?"

The name of the black mage sent shivers down her spine. "Yes. I'm nearing the end of my mom's diary, and both Natsu and I came across Zeref twice on Tenrou Island." She exchanged a look with Natsu, who stiffened, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, as if he wanted desperately to know what the Spirit King did about the leader of the Alvarez Empire.

"Then you will know to be wary of him, and I pray that you finish the diary soon, as it will provide important insight that will assist you in the future." The Spirit King shifted just barely, his eyes thoughtful. "It contains information that only Leo is entirely aware of. Layla Heartfilia, Leo, and Igneel alone know of everything that has happened in the past and what will happen in the future. They have done what they could to prevent it, and I praise all of them despite the fact that I was forced to punish Leo for his participation."

Lucy listened to each and every word with care, her eyes watching him. She never once zoned out, making sure that she would be able to remember all of this, because she had the feeling that it was important.

Natsu blinked. "Wait, hold on, just how long did Layla know Igneel? You never said anything about them knowing each other except for the one time in Earthland." He frowned at her, and she flushed, glaring at Happy when the blue-furred cat snickered at her.

"They knew each other for seven years. From the day they met to the day my mother died and your father disappeared," Lucy admitted sheepishly. "They talked often. Supposedly, I liked him. You never got to meet my mother, I think." A frown suddenly appeared on her face and she looked up. "Spirit King, why is that? Why don't I remember anything? Surely I was old enough to remember a dragon when she died."

"Another of their plans," he mused. "I had no hand in such a thing. When Igneel is found or shows himself, I suggest you ask him. I ask that you don't speak to Leo about it."

In other words, Loke wasn't allowed to speak in regards to the situation.

It struck Lucy in that moment that her Spirit was involved in whatever had happened to the dragons and to her mother. Lucy's eyes widened a fraction and then narrowed. She should have thought about it before; the way he'd encouraged her to read the diary yet told her to not say anything about it aloud, the way he'd sneer Igneel's name whenever the dragon was brought up, even the flash of grief that would flicker over his expression when Layla was brought up.

It was all connected.

Lucy wanted to drop everything and read her mother's diary, but she couldn't. She had to finish this, and then, when they got back, she'd read every single entry in that diary a thousand times to see if it held the answers she sought.

And then...she'd find out _everything_.

"So Igneel did have something to do with Momma's death," Lucy said softly, and Natsu's onyx eyes flashed with wariness at that. She couldn't blame him; her much loved friend - perhaps boyfriend when they got around to discussing it - might be the son of the dragon that had killed her in some weird way.

"Onto other matters." The Spirit King waved the conversation away like it was nothing to him, which made Lucy all the more suspicious. "I have called you here to discuss something. We are incredibly suspicious about something we're uncertain of. I can sense that something odd is going to happen, something that will involve even the Spirits. I ask that you be careful in the upcoming months. It worries me, old friend."

Lucy smiled kindly at the Spirit King and bowed her head, impatient to leave. "We will. Thank you for the warning. I'll keep an eye out, as will Happy and Natsu, right?"

"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered, eyes glowing with pride. Natsu nodded curtly.

"Good." The Spirit King looked pleased. He made another gesture, this time towards the door. "Then I will bid you farewell. Leo has arranged it so that you will be returned within four hours, and I believe that you still have two before you are to leave. Feel free to allow him to escort you around our Realm until that point. While it's rough on human minds, I believe the three of you will be able to handle it for another two hours."

Lucy's eyes flashed with amusement. "Again, thank you. If you'll excuse us then, we'll take advantage of your offer." She beamed, and the Spirit King returned it with a grin. Natsu could see the adoration for the blonde girl clear in the Spirit's eyes, and it made him scowl.

The Spirits all doted on his Lucy, but they all hated him, and no one would say _why_.

"Come on, Natsu!" Lucy said a moment later, winding her arm through his and smiling brightly. His rage melted away, replaced by that fierce emotion he felt every time he looked at her. "Let's go explore! Loke will show us around properly, and he'll keep the other Spirits in line while we do."

"...yeah," he said, grinning down at her with his signature smirk. Happy cheered, flicking his tail, and Natsu laughed. "Let's go."

* * *

"Is it complete yet?"

Her green eyes flashed as she looked over her shoulder, her entire body tensed and ready to fight. But she relaxed when she recognized who was speaking to her. His tall form towered over hers, dark eyes narrowed. "No," she admitted after a moment. "It's nearly done though."

She turned her head to look out over the city, guilt flickering through her. She could just as easily warn them, but warnings would do no good. They wouldn't save lives like this would.

"Do you not think he speaks of lies?" her companion asked a moment later, his voice troubled. "Something with this sort of magic...surely it's dangerous."

"More than likely it is," she agreed. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ears, sucking in a nervous breath. She heard the sounds of fighting from below, and assumed that someone had come across a mage and started a fight. The guards of the city would be there to break it up in minutes. Just as they'd been doing for nearly a month now. "You made sure to contact the strongest guilds in Fiore and alert them that they were invited to compete starting the thirtieth?"

"Of course." He nodded, eyes flashing. "I sent word to all six, particularly a few that your father was interested in."

A call of her name caught their attention, and both paused to look over their shoulder. A woman dressed in uniform clothing bowed respectfully upon her approach, and then told them, "Your guest calls for you. He says that he wishes to speak with you about matters relating to something that you're working on."

"Oh!" She clasped a hand over a cheek, and then told her, "Go, tell him that I will join him shortly." She watched the woman go, and then turned back to the man beside her with a fierce look. "Everything will be alright. It always is. My father wouldn't approve of this, which is why we aren't telling him, remember?"

"Of course," he sighed in response. "And neither would the chancellor… Don't forget. I'm with you the entire way, my lady."

She smiled gently at him. "I know, and I'm grateful for it. I will always be grateful for your support." She touched his arm gently, and then strode inside. The man followed her, fully intending to be with her in the meeting with their guest.

He didn't trust him. Nor the dark-eyed maiden that accompanied him, to be honest. But he'd put up with them. Both of them. If it helped the girl that walked in front of him…

Then let the world burn.

* * *

 _Any phrase containing the words "let the world burn" catches my attention, I'm sure you've noticed. Next chapter, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy go back to their own Realm and find out what happened in the time they were gone! ;)_

 _Now off I go, to pray that snow cancels school tomorrow..._

 _Thanks to reviewers (HummingBird742, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, LePengwen, CharonteQueen, ashcator2002, Sydneste, Trigger-Happy Texan, Promiselight, The Age of Awesomeness, Tiger Arrowgirl, pinkdoughnuts, PinkFireandGoldenStars, and RandomAnimeNerd!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	153. Chapter 153

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Disorientated, Lucy swung her arms out to try and catch her balance. Beside her, Natsu stumbled and Happy yelped as he fell to the ground, swinging his tail out of the way before it could get stepped on. The duo caught themselves, and then looked around.

Loke hadn't taken them home for whatever reason. They stood at the edge of Magnolia, which looked nearly empty. Lucy exchanged a worried look with Natsu, and then wearily edged inside with her partner beside her.

While the Spirit Realm had been gorgeous, both had been anxious to come back, yet neither had known what to expect. Emptiness was not something they'd considered. In fact, they hadn't considered emptiness at all.

They walked down the main road of the town, none of them daring to say a word. Happy nervously let himself be carried, not wanting to catch anyone's attention. While it was later in the evening, Lucy doubted this many people could be in bed asleep, and it worried her greatly.

When they reached the guildhall, Lucy could sense that the wards that had hidden it from regular people's eyes were gone. There was no point to them now. Not with magic revealed. But she could see that the lights were on inside, and relief flooded her. She jogged inside, Natsu eagerly following.

Without hesitation, much to her amusement, he slammed the doors open and bellowed, "We're back, bitches!"

"Natsu!" Lucy cried, horrified by what he'd said. He only grinned at her, eyes flashing, as they were immediately under the silent attention of everyone that gawked at them from within the building.

And then Cana threw her head back and laughed. "Welcome back, guys," she called, and Mirajane smiled pleasantly, greeting them with a quiet smile. Others echoed their greetings, quietly and loudly, and Lucy beamed when Erza threw an arm around her and slammed her in for a tight hug.

"I'm glad to see that you two are okay," she said with a fiercely affectionate look. She affectionately gazed at her friend, and then turned her attention on Natsu when the fire mage was tackled in a happy hug by Wendy.

"You're back!" she cheered.

"We're back," he agreed with a chuckle, ruffling her long hair. "Where's Gramps?"

"We're waiting on him," a tired looking Gray yawned as he sidled over. He blinked sleepily at them. "We've been staying here since you two left. Haven't really left the guildhall too much. Things are better in other places, like Lamia Scale's town, or Crocus, but they haven't improved here. The king's sending in some forces to help. There's a curfew out until then."

"Great," Lucy sighed. "Good to see things haven't improved. It's the first, right? We're here on time?"

"Yep." Gray ruffled her hair and then pounded a fist against Natsu's without a single insult. Natsu seemed to sense that what he didn't want their usual insult-throwing or their brawls. He just wanted peace. "Master's going to announce who's competing in the Grand Magic Games, and then he'll want to talk to you."

"And then I have a diary to read," Lucy said darkly, her eyes narrowing.

Natsu blinked, glancing at her, and she promised, "I'll tell you what I've read after I'm done."

"Thanks, Luce," was his simple response. He nudged her with his elbow, and then stepped aside so Levy could eagerly greet her friend, hazel eyes sparkling as she questioned how the Spirit Realm had been and more.

It was while Lucy and Levy were chatting about various views on the matter that Makarov's familiar voice rose above their own. "Alright, brats, settle down! Do you want to hear Fairy Tail's teams or not?"

As if he'd destroyed everyone's abilities to talk, they all fell silent. Every pair of eyes was turned upon the guildmaster as he shuffled around paperwork - applications, Lucy realized all stamped with approval.

"Alright. Here's what's gonna happen," he told them. "I'm going to speak about who is invited to compete and should you not want to, I will have a word in private about why and perhaps who can replace you if your reasons are truly convincing. Is that clear?"

"Aye, sir!" everyone chimed in unison, most squirming in their seats.

"Alright. We'll start with Fairy Tail Team B," he decided. "As I put their team together after the first because it took longer. It's been ruled that each team can only have two S-Class mages. On Team B, we'll have Mirajane!"

The silver-haired woman dropped the glass she'd been drying, shock written in her blue eyes.

"Laxus!" Makarov's gaze darted to his grandson, who gave a curt nod, looking thoughtful as his three friends grinned their excitement. "Gajeel, you'll be joining in. I want Juvia on Team B, and finally, we'll be putting our own Wendy on there, as well, since I'm sure Chelia will be taking part."

Wendy's jaw dropped, even as Gajeel grinned excitedly. Juvia clapped, looking pleased, and Gray gave her a congratulating grin. Cana looked disappointed, as did a few others, but then took on a new look of hope.

"Team A took me less time to put together because I decided to keep most of a team together," he explained. "Team A will consist of Erza."

Erza's dark eyes snapped up, dancing with excitement as she murmured, "Thank you, Master, I will see to it that we do our best to win."

"Good, I hope you do," he replied. Makarov grinned, and Natsu gave an awkward jolt, trying to keep from squirming in hopes that he was picked. "Just from Erza, I'm sure you'll know who else has been picked. Lucy, Gray, I'm counting on you to help keep Natsu under control. I don't want the stadium blown up, is that clear?"

"YES!" Natsu bellowed, a blast of flames accompanying his cheer. His grin was so wide that Lucy thought his cheeks would tear. Gray smirked, pleased, but Lucy shifted uncertainly. She wasn't too sure that she _wanted_ to be so heavily relied on for something like this.

"The fifth member, as Wendy has gone with Team B," Makarov finished, "Will be Jellal. He's worked with all of you. And I'm trusting that the five of you can handle working as a team to win."

"Hold on a split second," Cana cut in. "I don't understand. These are all people who've been to Tenrou. What about the rest of us? Don't we deserve a chance?" Her dark eyes blazed with frustration. "I know we want to win and be stronger than the others, but we have magic, too, you know."

"She has a point," Mirajane pointed out softly. "And for that reason, I believe I'd like Cana to take my place. I'll be on standby, of course, should anything happen to another member on either team. I'll be first in line to take their place."

"Does anyone else have any protests," Makarov called after giving his approval, earning a beaming smile from Cana. The brunette looked pleased with this development, her eyes glowing. No one said anything, though a couple mages looked disappointed that they hadn't been chosen. Most were understanding, however, agreeing with his choices.

Cobra said nothing, though his lips were turned downward, disappointment written across his face; apparently he'd wanted to compete as well.

Lucy opened her mouth, thoughtful, not believe she wanted to be put on a team and compared with four people who could destroy a country should they want to, but Makarov moved on before she could say anything. It was frustrating, but she forced herself to smile when his sharp eyes turned on she and Natsu. "Come to my office, you two, I want to have a word…"

"Alright," she mumbled. Lucy handed Happy off to Wendy, who cheerfully headed away so that the blue-furred cat could talk with Charle. Happy didn't seem to mind, calling a farewell to them as they went.

Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrist and led her through the people that had gathered to question them. Lucy promised that Natsu would answer all of their questions later - she had a diary to read, after all - and followed her pink-haired companion into the office that Makarov practically lived in.

She took note of the piles of paperwork shoved aside and snorted before focusing on the guildmaster when he cleared his throat, peering at them. "Why is it always you two disappearing off to who the hell knows where?"

"The Spirit King wanted to talk about a few things," Lucy explained apologetically, "I'm sorry. He passed on a warning, though. He could sense that something odd will happen soon, and wanted me to be cautious."

"I see. I'll keep an eye out myself," Makarov murmured thoughtfully, and then told them, "I'm glad that you're back. Let's see...in regards to important information on what's happened, there's a curfew. Nine o'clock in the evening to six in the morning, you're to remain in your home or wherever you are." They both nodded to show that they understood. "Mages are to not travel alone. Always have someone with you though I doubt that'll be an issue. I doubt I've ever seen you two apart for more than a moment."

Lucy smiled sheepishly at that, and Natsu looked proud for some reason. Lucy didn't know why, but she chose not to question it; he was Natsu, after all.

"Did everything go well?" Makarov asked after a thoughtful moment. "I know it's rare that they allow humans into their Realm due to the dangers that it possesses."

Natsu snorted, and Lucy elbowed him, explaining when Makarov furrowed his brow, "The Spirits hate him for some reason, ignore him. It was lovely. Loke showed us around to various places, and my Spirits were more than willing to help out and show us around."

"I'm glad to hear that," he replied, and then waved them off. "Off with you. Meet with your team, discuss tactics, etc. Let me know if you have any questions or a problem arises."

"Aye, sir!" Natsu said happily, in a good mood now that he was allowed to participate in the Grand Magic Games. He turned sharply on his heel and scurried outside with Lucy right on his heels. They made a beeline for their friends, who stood there with a patient Jellal, waiting on them.

"Hey," Lucy greeted cheerfully, her eyes glowing.

Gray chuckled and rolled his eyes before saying seriously, "Alright, we've got some serious ass to kick at these Games. My suggestion to start out training wise before we have to leave is that we take an S-Class job." His gaze darted to a patiently listening Jellal. "We've never really worked with you in a controlled sort of setting, so it'll help us figure out how we all work best."

Erza voiced her approval. "I believe that would be a good idea, Gray. I'll talk to Mira about difficult jobs." She slipped away to go and speak with the pleasant barmaid, and Jellal watched her leave with a slight smile on his lips before turning back to them.

"I'll do my best to help where I can," he promised quietly.

"Of course you will," Natsu retorted, "You're a Fairy Tail mage now. If you didn't try your best, then we'd all kick your ass." That made Lucy and Gray exchange an exasperated look, both shaking their heads in amusement at their friend.

Erza came back a short time later, waving a paper with written information on it. "Here," she hummed, and Happy came over after a moment to see what they were going to do. "I got us a stealth job. We could all use a good lesson in stealth. Particularly you, Natsu. I don't want any blown up factories."

"I didn't blow up a factory recently," he said glumly. He pouted, annoyed that they didn't seem to think he was capable of getting around in a stealthy manner.

"Says the one who ran from an explosion and nearly got hit by my car," Lucy said under her breath before saying louder when he glowered playfully at her, "Where, what's the problem, and who's the client?"

"We're actually going to take the train to the northeast," Erza said thoughtfully, tucking her scarlet hair behind her ear. "The client is a wealthy young lady who wants us to escort her from Magnolia to Clover Town, where she's going to be staying with an even wealthier aunt. A maid of hers will accompany us, as well."

"Ooh, escort job," Lucy said bitterly, remembering Amelia Swanson from so long ago. "My favorite."

Gray didn't look very pleased either, to be honest. But other than agreeing with Lucy's comment, he stayed quiet and blinked innocently when a glare was sent his way. Displeased with their responses, Erza continued, "Miss Sandra Blaublume is currently being pursued by a family enemy. That's where we'll come in. We're to get her to her aunt, who apparently has security bested only by the royal family's."

Lucy snorted, thinking of the security she'd gotten past when escaping Bosco. "Ah, well, security isn't always the best no matter what people say." She waved the comment off with a smug look. "I'm sure we'll be able to handle the job easy. Erza, you and I can focus on Miss Blaublume, and the boys can take care of anyone who shows up."  
"Yes!" Natsu cheered, slamming a fist into his open palm, flames flickering.

Jellal suddenly cut in. "This won't be like any job that you've taken before," he reminded. "With the reveal of magic, it won't just be Miss Blaublume they're after. Someone may come after us for being mages."

They all sobered fairly quickly.

And then Lucy planted her hands on her hips, raising her chin proudly. "Let them come. We haven't done anything wrong. We're just as normal as they are, aren't we? I mean, I didn't even know magic was real until last year."

That calmed them down, and Natsu threw an arm proudly around her shoulders, pressing his head to hers affectionately, and she only laughed and beamed at him, happy.

* * *

In the darkness, he rustled, sensing something on the wind. The others copied, each shifting, longing to stretch and see the blue skies that had been out of view for so long.

Change was coming.

And soon, they would be free.

* * *

 _Mysterious stuff. This little Blaublume arc is actually one of my current favorites. i think it's an important one in regards to realistic approaches in what would happen if something this big occurred in a real world scenario. So. Expect some brutality soon._

 _Sorry about the late update, guys! My dog is sick and I was up every two hours the past two nights taking care of him. He needs water forced into him so he doesn't get dehydrated and I was really drained yesterday, so I just kinda sat there with Kingdom Hearts and did nothin' else._ _On that note, the BTL Christmas one-shot is underway. And to those of you who were interested, I did get that snow day. XD_

 _To Alexia Colette, who asked on where I live that I get snow. I don't want to give specifics, but we'll say northern parts of the US. We get a lot of cold fronts from Canada. XD The low for last week was -40._

 _To NorthernButterfly, on Charle/Carla's name...I know. But I think Charle looks prettier, so I spell it that way. ^_^_

 _To quite-a-riot, on the matter of the Celestial Realm visit...it wasn't meant to be more than a visit at first, but the reveal happened and he (the Spirit King) thought it best to rush it along. The King mainly wanted to meet Lucy, inform her of something odd happening, and I needed an excuse to shove along the diary for people to see, so. There was also the matter of me wanting to show how little things improved in a month faster than actually writing it. |D_

 _Thanks to reviewers (HummingBird742, The Age of Awesomeness, TheAliceHuntt, zachsn, LePengwen, pinkdoughnuts, Alexia Colette, RandomAnimeNerd, PinkFireandGoldenStars, NorthernButterfly, quite-a-riot, Dragondancer81 **(I HOPE YOU'RE ALRIGHT, HOSPITALS AREN'T FUN!)** , and MirrorFlame!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _Sorry about the long author's note! ;)_


	154. Chapter 154

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

A few days later, they were ready to escort Miss Sandra Blaublume to Clover Town.

Lucy had to admit that it was odd, exchanging Wendy for Jellal. The last time she'd worked side by side with him had been the whole ordeal with Oracion Seis. They'd worked together at Tenrou, too, but not in close quarters. They'd barely spoken to one another after Natsu and she had defeated him.

She even missed her little healer friend. And Charle seemed to be missed if Happy's sad look was anything to go by as they made their way down the street.

It was odd to not have to hide the blue-furred cat. He was allowed to sit comfortably on Natsu's head like they were within the guildhall. They were all weary at the same time, not wanting to have to deal with any anti-magic protesters, but the only person who approached was a hesitant older teen.

"Um," she stated nervously, her eyes wide, as if recognizing that the five of them were very capable of hurting her should she offend them. "I...you're mages, right? Like, the ones that were all over the news. Well, I guess you still are. This kinda thing is big, naturally."

Recognizing a chance for what it was, Erza smiled kindly. "Yes, we're mages of the Fairy Tail guild located a few streets over." She gestured to her companions with a hum. "I'm Erza, a requip mage, and these are Jellal, Gray, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy." She pointed to each in turn. "Natsu's a fire dragon slayer," she continued, and Natsu didn't hesitate to light his arms on fire, making the girl jump.

"Natsu," Lucy hissed, hitting him as hard as she dared on the arm and ignoring the fire that jumped around. She smiled then at the curious teen. "I use celestial magic, a form of magic that's rarer than Natsu's, see?" She showed the girl her key ring. "They're connected to Spirits in another Realm."

The girl grinned, looking fascinated. She turned her gaze on the two men, who exchanged an amused glance. "Ice-make," Gray said simply, holding a hand out and allowing his ice to create a Fairy Tail emblem. "Jellal here uses heavenly body magic."

"Which," he muttered with a wry smile, "I don't believe this to be a place to show off."

Lucy thought of his magic and shook her head, agreeing.

"I'm Happy!" Happy added cheerfully, flicking his tail, looking excited when the girl asked if she could hold him. He purred contently when she hesitantly patted his head after Natsu had reluctantly handed him over.

"Cool," she said after a moment, looking even more excited. After thanking them for their time, she bustled off, typing on her phone, and Erza and Lucy exchanged a look of glowing excitement.

"This is great," Gray said, enthusiastic. "Even one good interaction like that...it'll help us out big time. Maybe things can finally calm down!"

"I would be able to go out and eat again," Natsu said wistfully, thinking of all of the restaurants he couldn't enter without hatred being directed their way. He'd offered to take Lucy on a date again - much to everyone's surprise, he'd done it without help this time - but when they'd arrived, they'd been banned from entering.

Apparently everyone recognized the emblem of Fairy Tail now.

Natsu had been furious, but Lucy had been understanding and instead had offered to watch a few movies with him back in her apartment. He'd reluctantly agreed and _may_ have been responsible for a fire that showed up out of nowhere a day later.

They had to hurry after the encounter, but they still made it to the girl they were supposed to escort on time.

Lucy took the chance to study her.

Unlike Amelia Swanson, Sandra Blaublume was a gentle girl, no older than Romeo or Wendy. She wore big skirts and hats, and her wide blue eyes watched them innocently amidst a massive amount of blonde curls.

At least the girl would be easier to handle.

Her maid on the other hand was a pain in the ass.

"Don't touch Miss Blaublume so casually," she sniffed, sneering at Lucy when the blonde beamed and touched her arm in greeting, hoping to calm the anxious girl down.

Of course, Natsu didn't appreciate when the maid slapped Lucy's hand away hard enough to turn it red. He turned a furious gaze upon her. _Just try and do that again_ , he dared, and Gray ended up being the one to steer him away from her.

As usual, they fell into their usual pattern. Erza dealt with the client in a quiet and orderly manner, Gray watched with cool and calculating eyes, and Lucy dealt with whatever chaos Natsu decided to cause. It was only Jellal who awkwardly stood off to the side, his eyes studying the way they moved and acted with one another. They hadn't gone on many jobs with one another, but the four-member team knew precisely what the others were going to do.

Even _Happy_ had his job, which was entertaining Sandra Blaublume.

So it startled him when Lucy broke some sort of protocol. She left Natsu to Gray, who looked unhappy about having to make sure that Natsu didn't burn anything, and she came to stand before the blue-haired mage with a wide grin. "Aren't you going to help?"

Jellal snorted. "With what?" he said, arching a brow. He gestured towards the others. "I believe you have such a thing handled."

Lucy couldn't help but giggle at that. Smiling to herself, she crossed her arms and admitted, "Maybe. But this is supposed to be a team-building exercise, remember? You have to take part, too, so we can figure out how things are going to work when we all have to work together."

Jellal shook his head, offering her a hesitant smile. "Lucy," he said quietly, looking amused with her. "I understand that you're trying to allow me to work with you as if I never tried to kill any of you, and I appreciate it. Truly, I do. But you're not the only one who remembers such things. I will not forgive myself for what happened. _Never_."

Lucy was startled. She opened her mouth, and then closed it. She didn't know how to respond. How did you respond when someone said something like that?

She was relieved when Erza came to the rescue.

Erza studied Jellal's face for a moment, taking in the twisted guilt, and then suddenly slapped him as hard as she could, eyes blazing. Everyone stopped; Gray and Natsu gawked, horrified that someone had angered Erza so much. Jellal looked shocked, too, uncertain of what to do as he touched his cheek.

Erza proudly raised her chin, scowling. "That is in the past. We will never forget what has transpired between us and you, Jellal, but we have forgiven you entirely. If you do not even attempt to forgive yourself, than I will strike you until you do so."

To Lucy's surprise, Jellal snorted in amusement. "I'm sure you will, Erza," was all he said before heading over to speak with Gray and Sandra Blaublume, who'd turned wide curious eyes on the tattoo over his eye. When Erza had gone, Natsu practically tackled her, eyes wide with fear, and Lucy laughed.

By the time it was time to leave, they'd all settled down, and Jellal had found his place among them. He often times was beside Gray, keeping an eye on everything and watching for danger, and Erza looked pleased.

"Here," Natsu said suddenly. Despite the fact that it was June, he draped his scaled scarf around Lucy's neck a smug look on his face as he carefully arranged it. She let him, arching a brow at him patiently as she waited for an explanation. "So people know if they mess with you, they're pissing me off."

Lucy's lips twitched in amusement. "Thank you, Natsu," she told him, tugging it away from her mouth and then grinning up at Happy when he dropped to her head and purred, "I like that you're a couple now. It makes you look less stupid when you do weird things like this."

Natsu flushed, but Lucy smiled gratefully at the blue-furred cat. "I like that we're a couple, too," the blonde stated, and then headed over to help Sandra Blaublume's maid put some suitcases in the large car they'd be using to drive to Clover Town. He watched her with thoughtful onyx eyes, and then turned away to go and stand with the other males.

It appeared the girls had this part handled.

It seemed like forever before their journey was actually under way.

Lucy expertly dealt with Natsu's motion sickness as he practically hung out the window, his face nearly green. The maid rode up front with the driver, much to their relief, giving directions to the driver, and Lucy enjoyed the fact that they got to ride in a limo where the seats faced one another.

Sandra - she'd told them to call her such - was seated between Gray and Jellal with Happy in her lap, looking happy to play with the cat, and Lucy was seated between Erza and Natsu, carefully watching to make sure her boyfriend didn't suddenly throw himself out of a moving vehicle.

Lucy found it a bit odd to call Natsu her boyfriend, but she supposed that's what he was.

And she didn't mind a bit.

She loved him deeply, though she hadn't admitted such words to him, and she knew he felt the same. It was a nice feeling, one that provided safety and warmth that she hadn't had as a child.

Lucy smiled at Sandra suddenly when she giggled at something Happy did and then offered, "Would you like to meet one of my Spirits, Sandra?"

Her blue eyes flickered up. Curiosity evident in her wide gaze, she agreed.

"Open!" Lucy ordered after taking her keys out. She slashed a silver key through the air, and despite his sickness, Natsu recognized the key. "Gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!" With a tiny flash of light, Plue appeared before them.

Sandra clapped her hands in delight. "It's adorable," she declared as Plue looked curiously to Lucy. Lucy scooped him up and placed him in Sandra's lap, reminded of how hard it had been the first time she'd done an escort mission to summon the small Spirit. "What's its name, your Highness?"

Lucy was startled. Natsu jolted, head snapping around, and everyone else in the car stiffened, ready to leap to Lucy's defense, but the blonde only smiled and told her, "Lucy. My name is Lucy, and his is Plue."

Sandra nodded to herself. "You don't act as the princess of Bosco anymore," she realized, reminding herself of such a thing. "I forgot, forgive me." The girl frowned. "Bosco's economy has improved under Princess Hisui's influence...do you plan to take over some day?"

"Perhaps," Lucy mused. "When I'm too old to continue running around doing ridiculously stupid things with my friends."

Sandra perked up. "Like what?"

Gray grinned. "Looks like Miss Blaublume here wants some stories, Erza. Which ones should we tell?"

Erza smiled, giving a chuckle. "Perhaps," she mused, "You would like to hear of what truly happened when there was an explosion in the mountains near Crocus a few months ago?"

Natsu grimaced as he ducked back into the car for a moment. "Can we not? That's not one of my best moments. And Luce still has nightmares."

"Do you?" Gray looked to the quiet blonde, who made a face. "Really? I didn't think you did anymore, you looked fine…"

"I _am_ fine," she retorted, sniffing indignantly. "I'm perfectly fine. They don't...they don't come all the time. Just sometimes. Mostly when I'm not expecting them. It's fine, Erza, tell what happened. Natsu, if you don't want to hear, just shove your head back out the window."

It was Jellal who made Lucy nervous suddenly. The blue-haired mage studied Natsu quietly for a few moments with sparkling dark eyes and then said slowly, "I am curious as to just how Natsu is aware that you still have nightmares."

Erza went deadly still, and then slowly turned to face Lucy and Natsu. Both froze, and then Natsu lunged forward, trying to throw himself out of the limousine. "Natsu!" Lucy shrieked, dragging him back in, and then cringing when Erza demanded, "What is this? Have you been sharing a bed?"

"N-no," Natsu squealed as Happy laughed alongside Gray. He shot his buddy a glare. If he said anything... _I won't give you fish for a whole month, Happy!_

"He uses my couch when he stays over," Lucy agreed, her dark eyes wide. "The nightmares wake both of us up, that's all. I swear, Erza. I promise." Natsu nodded quickly, his onyx eyes frightened.

Gray bellowed out large gusts of laughter, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement at all of this, and Sandra giggled alongside him. Jellal watched, chuckling as well.

Plue just looked plain confused.

* * *

 _And off we go on the important mission! Fun fact: I'm the daughter of a fluently speaking German and in a German class, so that's why I decided out of randomness that "blau" (blue) and "blume" (flower) was a good choice. Also, an update on my Peke: he's all better now. ^_^_

 _On that note, MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS! If you take a look, I wrote a BTL one-shot on how Yukino joined the world of magic! I'm pretty happy with it, so. You're welcome to take a look!_

 _To LePengwen, on an ending date...my friend, I still have several more arcs to go through and am like just starting writing the whole Eclipse Gate portion of the GMG, so. My goal is to have finished writing it before I head to college next year though!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, TheAliceHuntt, Promiselight, PraetorFable, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, zachsn, MirrorFlame, The Age of Awesomeness, MayraLilacBunny, pinkdoughnuts, Sydneste, Alexia Colette, HummingBird742, thatonegirlwho, J Luc Pitard, RandomAnimeNerd, and quite-a-riot!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	155. Chapter 155

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy didn't think they'd ever reach their first stop. And neither did Natsu, by the way he gratefully slunk out of the car. He curled up in a ball on the pavement as the driver went to work on getting gas for the limo, and Lucy crouched beside him, lightly prodding at him with an amused look.

"Natsu, we really need to figure out how to permanently get rid of that motion sickness," she laughed, hugging Happy to her chest as Erza escorted Sandra around to stretch her legs. Gray went inside with them; Jellal chose to stand with Natsu and Lucy, leaning against the side of the car. The maid had gone inside as well.

She could feel the stares on their backs. They were curious or hateful, some even a little amused.

Mostly angry and full of hatred though when they saw Happy.

Lucy was tugging the scarf away from her mouth in a similar fashion to what Natsu did when he first registered a sound that the rest of them wouldn't hear: the clicking of someone turning the safety on their gun off.

Instinct alone had him suddenly rolling, tucking Lucy safely beneath him and pressing she and Happy into the ground, resting on his elbows with his arms on either side of her head. The gunshot went off and Lucy gasped, forgetting her complaints. Jellal suddenly yelped in pain, and people scattered, screaming and dropping to the ground to cover their heads.

Gray came sprinting out of the gas station. "What's going on?" he called when there was another shot, and blood blossomed along his chest, where a bullet had skimmed. He ducked back to hide behind the building.

Natsu glanced up, eyes seeking the gunman, and when he found him, rage like no other surged through him.

How dare that _bastard_ fire a gun off near Lucy?

He didn't hesitate.

Natsu threw himself at the man, catching him completely by surprise. He bellowed in fury as the man slammed the gun's butt against his temple, trying to knock him out, but he ignored the pain and instead didn't hesitate to snap the man's wrist back. The man screamed in pain and dropped the gun. Natsu kicked it away and then reared back, onyx eyes burning with rage.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted, "Look-"

Pain exploded through his stomach as a fist sank into it. He coughed, thinking he might have tasted blood. He dropped, struggling to catch his breath before an elbow slammed into the base of his spine. He distantly heard Lucy summoning Loke in a panic, and Erza's voice commanding Jellal to get down.

Natsu blinked blearily. He could hear screaming and fearful sobs.

"Sandra!" Gray roared, racing across the parking lot to where she was standing, spinning in confusion and trying to figure out where to go. He tackled her, and she sobbed in fear.

Natsu met his gaze distantly, aware that blood was trickling into his eyes. Shaking his head, he finally knocked the man beneath him unconscious. He could smell gasoline, and his head snapped towards the building, where someone was locking the door, eyes dark and a hysterical smile on his face.

It struck him what was going to happen.

"Get down, it's going to blow!" he screamed to his friends, and then forced himself to move as fast as he could past them. Erza and Jellal had dove behind a car, Loke was crouched protectively over Lucy and Happy behind a fairly thick roadblock that temporarily resided there. Gray jerked his head back to peer at him with shock, and then ducked it down, protecting Sandra.

Natsu shoved past the man who'd locked the door, slamming an elbow as hard as he could into his face, and then broke through the glass door, ignoring how glass cut his face and hands. He slapped a hand over his nose.

Gas. He could smell it, leaking into the air. One match, and everything would go up. He could hear the man fumbling in his pockets for a lighter, and Natsu shot around a shelf. He could hear a woman moaning on the ground, the man who'd been at the cash register gasping desperately beside her.

No one else was there.

"Shit," he rasped, a realization striking him.

There wasn't enough time. Not with the clicking of the lighter.

He dragged the woman closer to the man and then circled himself in flames, careful not to burn them as he threw himself over both, protecting their faces and heads from danger. He trembled a little, scared for the first time in ages.

He could survive flames.

Explosions were vastly different.

" _Boom_!" the man laughed, and then hurled the lighter inside.

Natsu screwed his eyes shut, and the woman sobbed against him, terror in her eyes.

And then there was a blast of heat so great that it threw Natsu to kingdom come.

* * *

 _Boom!_

Lucy screamed as the gas station exploded. Loke pressed her to the ground, covering her head before his own, and he hissed in pain when something hard cracked against his shoulder, driving him to the ground. A wave of heat washed over them, and her fingers tangled in Natsu's scarf, fear for her partner running rampant in her.

"You okay, Princess?" Loke rasped after a moment, pulling back and grasping his shoulder. He flinched. _Broken_.

It would heal quickly.

"Yeah," she croaked, looking around. Lucy released Happy, who scampered over to Gray and Sandra to help there. She could see Erza inspected the gunshot to Jellal's chest. He had leaned back, face pale, head resting against the car. It had caught him beneath the collarbone, on the right side of his body. And it looked like it hurt him to breathe.

Gray was rolling off of the sobbing Sandra. She cried into her fingers, her blue eyes full of tears. When Gray caught her looking his way, he threw a thumbs up to show that they were both okay, though a little shocked from what had happened.

"Natsu?" Lucy called hoarsely. "Natsu!"

There was nothing but silence from him. Her fingers tightened on the scarf and she looked desperately to Loke. Loke shook his head, eyes admittedly worried for the dragon slayer as he forced himself to his feet. They could hear sirens, telling them that there was help on the way.

But Lucy didn't think the help was going to come soon enough.

Flames towered miles high above the destroyed building, and Lucy sent Loke over to Erza to see if he could help her see to Jellal's bullet wound. Loke reluctantly left her side to do as she asked, and Gray sent Sandra over to them as well before coming to stand beside her.

"Natsu?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"I think he was inside," she managed to get out in a choked voice. "What...Gray, what was that?"

"Anti-magic terrorists, probably," he admitted. "We've had some problems with them. You wouldn't know after being gone for a month, I completely forgot to tell you. It's bad. They do stuff like this and claim that it's us."

It wasn't long before the fire department and police showed up with some ambulances in tow. Lucy looked back to see a few responders tending to Jellal. His eyes were wide, his lips pressed together tightly in pain. Erza kept close, worried as a few policemen saw to Sandra, asking about what had happened.

When they were approached, Lucy ignored the policeman's question and demanded, "There's people inside. We need someone to put the fire out."

The policeman shared a long look with her. "From the symbol on your friend here's chests, you're mages, right? Fairy Tail?" She nodded. "Then you'll know that sometimes, there's no saving people. I'm sorry, ma'am, that explosion...it was seen several miles over."

"You don't understand," Gray cut in angrily. His eyes blazed with fury. "One of our guild was inside! The bastard's a fire dragon slayer, man, he doesn't exactly feel the heat! Debris, maybe, but the explosion wouldn't have killed him!"

"We don't know that," the policeman began.

"He _eats fire_ for heaven's sake!" Lucy cried, "He literally can't feel heat!"

The policeman studied them for a moment, and then sighed. "I'll see what I can do, ma'am, sir, but there's not…" He trailed off, studying something behind them. They looked over their shoulders, and Lucy could have cried in relief had she not started laughing.

The flames were no longer roaring into the sky; they were being sucked back into the utterly demolished building, towards something they couldn't see. It wasn't long before they were put out entirely. Ignoring the policeman's warning, she and Gray lunged forward, the ice-make mage providing ice to cover what would have burned them as they ducked in side.

"Natsu?" Lucy called.

"Here," she heard him call hoarsely, voice thick with agony.

She and Gray charged forwards, and when they found him, Lucy clasped a hand over her mouth. Gray swore colorfully and ran back out, calling for Erza.

The building had given way near where Natsu still crouched protectively over two bodies, his onyx eyes flashing with fury and pain. The roof had caved in, and it was through sheer will and determination that he'd burned it away.

He hadn't escaped unscathed, though.

Something had fallen before he could catch it with his fire, a metal pole that had slammed through his side and impaled him, trapping him where he was. He was trying not to move, his body trembling as he focused on making sure the two he'd protected were safe.

"Oh, no," she breathed. "Natsu-"

"They're alive," he managed to get out. "They're just knocked out. Lucy, can you... _shit_ , this hurts. I need you to get the lady out of the way."

"Right," Lucy said, "I'll...hold on, Erza and Gray are coming. After we get the guy out of the way, I'll have Gray put something underneath you. So that you don't have to hold yourself up. Just until we can get you out of here."

"Kay," he slurred, exhausted. Lucy dragged the woman out from underneath him after pressing her forehead against his ash-stained one. The woman groaned as Lucy pulled her up, drawing an arm around her shoulders. She was just reaching the door when Gray and Erza came sprinting across the parking lot with a couple policemen and firefighters close behind, followed by a pair of paramedics.

"Here, I'll take her," a firefighter offered, taking the woman and swinging her up so that he could carry her. Lucy headed right back inside with the others, instructing Gray on what she wanted him to do.

"Hold on, you stupid pyromaniac," Gray muttered as Erza dragged the man out. Natsu grunted, struggling to hold himself up so he didn't drag himself down the pole. With care, Gray created slabs of ice until Natsu could simply lay there, waiting patiently for the people around him to get the pole out.

"Mages, right?" a medic asked as he knelt beside Natsu, investigating the wound. Lucy kept close to Natsu's head, running her fingers through his hair. She had no idea where Happy had gone, but assumed that he was still with Sandra. She nodded to the medic, and he cleared his throat. "Any chance you've got someone with magic to heal?"

"In our guild, but not here," Erza told him as she investigated the damage. "We have a girl that specializes in sky magic. But she wouldn't make it here for hours."

"Damn," the medic muttered. "Right. Can you saw at the pole? It'll be easier to remove him if the pole can be cut."

Erza thought quickly over her weapons and then looked to Gray when he spoke up. "I can make a saw. With my ice. I specialize in ice-make magic that isn't alive." He went to work, crafting a chainsaw that he was sure would work, and Natsu groaned quietly when it whirred to life.

"Hold still…?"

"Natsu," Lucy told him.

"Hold still, Natsu," the medic ordered.

"No problem," Natsu croaked. He shuddered in pain when Gray went to work under the careful eyes of the people around him, and Lucy did her best to comfort him, her brown eyes full of tears. Loke limped in, glaring when a policeman tried to stop him, and came to crouch beside Lucy.

"Princess, I can't stay here for much longer," he rasped. "Gotta go back to my Realm. You got things handled?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Loke," she murmured, never taking her attention off of Natsu. "For everything. I'll summon you later...I know you're injured, I'm sorry, it's just-"

"I understand," he reassured, cutting her off. He gave Natsu a sorrowful look, and then disappeared in a flash of light.

A few gawked, but then went back to work, saying nothing about the display of magic before them. Natsu grunted, heat washing off of him dangerously when Gray suddenly cut through the top of the pole, and Erza caught it before it fell.

"Damn it," he rasped when Gray moved on more cautiously to the bit beneath him. "Just lift me off, you stupid popsicle."

"We can't, Natsu," Erza told him, waving for Gray to keep working. Natsu groaned in pain when it jerked, making him jolt, and Lucy pressed her lips together. "Hold on a moment longer, he's almost through."

"Lift me _off_!" he suddenly demanded, rage coloring his voice. "Get me _off_ , I need off, Erza!" He shifted, and shoved away from Lucy, sending the blonde tumbling back. She grimaced, ignoring the flames that began to flicker along his hands, a warning sign to those who knew him.

"Stop moving, Natsu!" Gray barked, "We're working on it! This isn't exactly easy! It broke inside of you. If you move, you're going to make it worse. After we get the pieces out, you can cauterize the wound."

"Happy's gone to fetch Wendy," Erza added. "Flying will get them here fairly fast."

Sweat dotting Natsu's head, he went still, gasping for air, and Lucy crawled closer.

"Fuck," he hissed.

Lucy bit her lip, silently wondering how herboyfriend got himself such dangerous injuries.

* * *

 _This is the chapter I most wanted everyone to get to in the mini Blaublume arc! I've just written into the Eclipse Gate part of Fairy Tail and holy hell it's going nuts there. Anyhow! I wanted a realistic approach, as I might or might not have said. So here's me being realistic: humans are crazy. Humans do this sort of thing. And I thought it important to include something like this that would happen if this was a real world scenario._

 _To ashcator2002, who asked about me doing all of the arcs in my own way...not all of them. I'm skipping over the movie (the phoenix one) and I'm going to be changing up what happens after Tartaros. A LOT. The Spriggan 12 are still not a certain thing at this point, and I certainly won't even be following close to what's going on in the manga right now because it doesn't match with everything I've set up for BTL thus far. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, TheAliceHuntt, quite-a-riot, The Age of Awesomeness, Fire DragonPhia, yorusorra, MayraLilacBunny, HummingBird742, ashcator2002, BrokenGlass12, NaLu and InuKag, Trigger-Happy Texan, pinkdoughnuts, and Abdltf!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	156. Chapter 156

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

It seemed like ages before Natsu was finally freed.

He laid on his back, nearly unconscious as the medics did their best to do what they could there. It was after a moment of impatience that he finally reached for what was still in him and yanked.

Lucy shrieked when she'd seen what he'd done, but he didn't give a single damn about what she thought at that moment. His stomach rolled, the pain making him want to lose his breakfast more than any car could, but he focused past it and lit flames to keep medics away.

He'd done this before. Before Lucy had come into the picture, before he'd so much as looked towards his nakama as friends and family. When he'd taken those long jobs alone with Happy, he'd done this.

Natsu ignored them all, doing what he could to dig out the metal still in his side. He plucked shards of the metal out and ignored the blood that began to pool beneath him. He knew instinctively that it hadn't pierced anything important. It had shredded muscle and flesh, but that was it.

He'd be fine when it healed.

He upped the heat on his hands, and Erza's eyes flashed with understanding. "Natsu," she said, "Careful."

"I know," he said hoarsely, going to work on cauterizing his injury so that he didn't bleed out. He had to bite back a shriek. It _hurt_.

But when he was done, it felt a hell of a lot better, and he demanded that Lucy get him something to drink, much to her amusement. She asked a firefighter who'd been watching, and he went to fetch it for the fire mage.

"Thanks," he groaned in relief when it was handed to him.

Water had never tasted so good.

He ignored everyone's protests and sat up, sipping contently at it. Gray and Lucy sat on either side of him, Gray allowing someone to finally tend to his own injury, which had left a deep gouge in his chest. Lucy checked the phone in her pocket, ignoring the cracked screen as she leaned slightly into his uninjured side, the trio leaving Erza to deal with matters. "Levy texted me. Gajeel's coming, too."

Natsu pouted. "I don't wanna see the iron freak."

"Too bad," Lucy retorted. "He can see if there's any metal left before Wendy's fixed you up." She turned her attention on Gray. "Do you know where Jellal went?"

"Hospital," he admitted. "Erza said that they decided they needed to get the bullet out. He agreed and told us to go on ahead without him. He'd be fine. But Erza and I are going to stay, and Natsu is, too, I guess. She suggested that you and Gajeel go on and take Sandra to where she needs to be and then come back."

Natsu huffed, unhappy, but didn't say anything against it. The client always came first, he knew. It was something they'd been taught for years.

Lucy bit her lip in distress, but finally agreed. "Has it really been like this," Lucy whispered. "Since we left?"

"Most weeks, yeah." Gray scrubbed a hand tiredly down his face. "We've dealt with things like this since magic was shown. There's a lot of people out there who hate us, and quite a few who would kill themselves trying to prove us to be bad. Natsu managed to get us a hell of a good shout out though, saving those two people. Sandra's maid was killed though."

"So...this is both horrible and good," Lucy sighed. "We lost people and Natsu and Jellal were gravely injured, but we won at the same time because someone somewhere _might_ have footage of Natsu saving the two people's lives?" She glared at Natsu. "And you shouldn't be sitting up!"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I've done this before. I used to get hurt like this a lot when Happy and I went out alone."

There was an uncomfortable silence, and then Lucy scoffed, hit the back of his head as hard as she dared, and left him to sit alone beside Gray, who thanked the medic that slapped a bandage over his wound. Rubbing his head, Natsu demanded, "The hell did I do now?"

Gray threw his head back and laughed, exhausted after the entire ordeal.

"Holy hell, you're an idiot, Natsu."

* * *

By the time Wendy and Gajeel arrived an hour or so later, Charle, Happy, and Lily in tow, Natsu felt like his side was on fire. He heaved for air, sweat dotting his forehead. Erza had long since gone to join Jellal at the hospital, and Lucy and Gray were answering questions for the news, more than willing to do so. A policewoman had offered to stay with Sandra until they were done.

The news crews exploded when the three cats flew in with Gajeel and Wendy, dropping them with ease. "Natsu!" Happy cried, zooming over to his friend. Natsu greeted him with a faint smile.

"Hey, little buddy," he croaked.

Wendy jogged over, Gajeel following with Lily at a leisurely pace. Lucy spared a worried look over her shoulder but couldn't go over, as a woman shoved a microphone in her face.

"Let me see," Wendy demanded, pushing the remainders of Natsu's shirt away. He hissed when she touched the painful area, and then waved for Gajeel. "Gajeel, can you tell if there's any metal left?"

He grunted as he dropped into a crouch, surprisingly gentle when he prodded at the wound, his crimson eyes thoughtful. "I can sense it. There's one in there. Maybe a couple inches long, digging into a rib, I think."

"Got it." Wendy pressed her lips together. "Charle, I need a scalpel if one of the medics can spare it-"

"I got it," Gajeel huffed, rocking to his feet and heading over to an ambulance that was there for Natsu should he need it. They'd refused to leave after recovering the maid's body.

"Hold on just a second," Natsu said, eyes going wide. "What are you needing that for, Wendy?"

Charle gave him a look. "Honestly," she sniffed. "For as stupid as you can be, you have to know why she needs a scalpel-"

"No," Natsu growled, flames flickering to life. "You're not gonna cut me back open, Wendy."

For once, the girl gave a bratty look and snarled right back at him, "You're the patient, I'm the healer, and you do what I say, Natsu." Charle snorted, looking fairly proud of her, but Natsu just openly gawked at the younger dragon slayer as she called for Lucy.

Lucy hurried over after apologizing to the people demanding questions just as Gajeel came back with a scalpel in his hand. "What's going on?" she asked, eyeing it.

"Natsu has another sliver of metal in him," she explained. "Because he closed the wound, I have to cut it back open, but as you can see, he's being a baby." She scowled when a wave of heat came off of the fire mage, warning them away. "It's digging into his a rib. I need to get it out before I can use my magic."

Lucy looked at her boyfriend for a long moment, and then rolled her eyes. "Are you serious, Natsu? Being impaled and cauterizing your own injury, fine, but Wendy wants to make one little cut so that Gajeel can probably pull the sliver out, and you throw a tantrum like a three year old?"

"It's different," he whined.

"No," Lucy sighed. "You're a baby like she said. Okay. How are we doing this, Wendy?"

Natsu slitted his eyes furiously as Wendy instructed the blonde to distract him. He let flames creep along his arms and up his neck warningly, ready to fend them off unless they knocked him out, but stopped when Lucy grabbed him by the shoulder, trapping him.

"Should just knock the bastard out," Gajeel muttered, crimson eyes watching everything Wendy did. "Then we could do it in two seconds."

Natsu scowled at him, opening his mouth to fire an insult off, but stopped when he saw the look on Lucy's face. She wore an expression that radiated exhaustion and worry, for all of them and Loke. She looked ready to break down and just start crying, but warded the tears off as she rested her head on his shoulder and mumbled, "Please just let them do what they need to do."

"...fine," he muttered back, giving Gajeel a glare before reaching out to grab Happy. He briefly pressed his face into Lucy's hair, clenching in his jaw when he felt the pain of what they were doing, but used Lucy and Happy to keep the flames away.

Lucy gratefully flashed him a dull smile that made him frown, and then pulled away when Wendy declared they were done, her hands settling over the injury to heal it. Natsu groaned in relief when she was done and hopped to his feet, stretching and bending over to the side a few times much to a medic's horror.

"Good, all done," Natsu said, pleased. "I'm gonna go with you guys to take Sandra home," he told Lucy. Lucy frowned, but didn't disagree much to his relief.

Suddenly, sharp onyx eyes turned on his partner, piercing and deadly. "Did you get hurt, Luce?"

Lucy shook her head. "You and Loke did a very good job of keeping me out of the action," she said wryly, and then went to go help out Gray again when she saw how overwhelmed he looked.

"What'd I do?" Natsu said, looking to his two fellow dragon slayers with wide eyes. "Did I do something?"

Wendy giggled, happy again after Natsu had let her heal him. Gajeel gave him a look of sheer shock as he said, "Holy hell, you're hopeless. Damn, I dunno why Levy thinks you're gonna be able to survive a goddamn relationship...you scared the hell out of her, dumbass. She saw you impaled on a freaking pole. She's probably gonna have nightmares for years about this."

"Oh." His brow furrowed in thought. "But I'm okay now."

Gajeel scrubbed a hand down his face and then suggested, "Imagine her impaled, Salamander. Instead of you."

 _That_ had the desired effect and he scampered after his girlfriend, calling her name. Lucy glanced up as he tackled her in a tight hug, cutting her off mid-sentence, and she tripped, squawking and toppling to the ground. She found herself crushed against an over-heated fire mage, the cameras turned on them as she blushed, and Gray snickered.

The newsman frowned in confusion and turned to Gray for an explanation.

"They're dating," he said simply.

Understanding filtered onto his face and he suddenly grinned, waving for the camera to focus on all of them. Natsu scowled, but helped Lucy to her feet, draping an arm around her shoulder as Happy came to sit on his shoulder. Wendy trotted over with Gajeel after a moment, Charle and Lily in her arms.

"And you're members of Fairy Tail, correct? The mage guild in Magnolia?" he asked.

They all nodded, Gajeel looking a little bit annoyed when the newsman turned to him. "Can we ask what kind of magic you all do? We know Mr. Dragneel here does fire magic - we caught that on camera. We know your cats talk and fly. But what do you do?"

"Salamander ain't just a fire mage, first off," Gajeel grunted, jerking a thumb at Natsu. "He's a dragon slayer. Same here, except I'm an iron dragon slayer. The little brat here is a sky dragon slayer."

Wendy gave a toothy smile as Charle scoffed and said darkly, "Just give away all of our secrets, why don't you."

Happy's tail flicked as Gray explained his magic and Lucy explained hers, and then whispered to Natsu, "Natsu, you don't think that weird guy from Tenrou will see this, right?"

Natsu shuddered at the thought.

* * *

Red eyes watched intently as the pink-haired man tackled the blonde in a tight hug, muttering apologies into her ear after they'd hit the ground. His gaze narrowed for a moment, and then filled with acceptance. Finally, he glanced over his shoulder, aware that someone had joined him. "You spoke with her?"

She raised her chin, her voice soft. "Yes. You don't have to do this, you know."

He scoffed. "And let the world turn to hell because of him? If we do this, we win. We'll win against all three of them. The deaths, the pain...avenged."

She shook her head, long silver hair flowing around her shoulders. "This is _wrong_ ," she whispered. "You know none of them would have wanted this, I know you do." Her dark eyes tightened with pain as she pleaded, "Please, for _him_ , stop this madness!"

His expression twisted with anger. "He's _gone_ , dead! We're all that's left! If you're not going to help, I'll feed you to the-"

She cut him off. "No, no, I'll help. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just...I miss them. I miss all of them, especially him."

The man she'd been speaking to calmed down, scowling at nothing before his soft whisper filled the air.

"I miss him, too."

* * *

 _Because I'm so far ahead in writing this, I sometimes forget about little sections I write. I forgot about the last one in this chapter and squealed because it's the beginning of a very confusing mess that I'm excited about._

 _Thanks to reviewers (thatonegirlwho, Guest #1, PinkFireandGoldenStars, JT AMADEUS1342, Dragondancer81, FairyRains, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Sydneste, Alexia Colette, LePengwen, pinkdoughnuts, Guest #2, HummingBird742, MayraLilacBunny, quite-a-riot, LucyMarieHeartfilia, Abdltf, The Age of Awesomeness, ashcator2002, TigerArrowgirl, Afairiestail, and TheAliceHuntt!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	157. Chapter 157

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

It was another two days before Sandra was delivered to her aunt. Lucy felt guilty about it, but the aunt had reassured them that it was fine. She'd received a call from Sandra, who'd told her that she wanted to make sure Jellal was doing okay before joining her. When they finally had gotten the young girl to her family, the aunt had been beyond grateful, praising them for their troubles with a large donation check to the guild.

Lucy had been pleased when the news people had shown up again to make note of this, asking she, Natsu, Happy, Wendy, Charle, Lily, and Gajeel for interviews. While Gajeel had been grouchy about his, the rest of them had been eager to agree.

They'd all hurried home after that, eager to see how their friends were doing.

When they'd arrived at the guildhall, they were all greeted with exciting news: the curfew had been lifted and a few people had stopped by, curious to see how the guild worked and if they could see mages work magic. Under a request from the Council, who'd been happy with this, they'd begun to have a sort of show every day at noon in a park near the guildhall, soldiers from the royal family's personal army making sure no violence broke out.

Many of the guild had worried over Natsu upon their return, asking how he was feeling after seeing everything on the news. He'd merely done a flip off of a table to get them off of his back, hanging happily off of Lucy afterwards.

Mirajane had given them a few teases about their relationship, as had Cana, but other than that, everyone seemed to have grown used to Natsu and Lucy being a couple. When Lucy had mentioned her relief, Mirajane had laughed and told her, "There's no 'just Lucy' or 'just Natsu' anymore, Lucy. There's only 'Natsu and Lucy'."

Lucy had flushed, but hadn't said she was wrong.

It was on the day they'd come back, while Natsu had wandered off to eat and perhaps even spar with Gray, that Lucy summoned Loke. Already knowing her intent, he'd presented Layla's diary with a flourish, murmuring quietly, "Don't show anyone else until you've finished it, Lucy. This...what you'll soon be reading will be hard for several people to understand, alright?"

"Right," she muttered, smiling faintly and taking the diary from his hands.

Loke left, and Lucy knew Natsu had seen her, because she could feel a heated stare on her. But she ignored him, and she trusted that he'd stay away for the time being. She'd promised to share with him, of course, and he truly believed she would.

She flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for and took a deep breath before reading.

 _January 1st, X776_

 _Only the stars and I know what Igneel has been hiding for all this time, and I regret that I have to admit that I disapprove of what he's done. At the same time, however, I can understand. He did what he thought was right. I won't state the secret in written words. It is not one that should be anywhere but in someone's mind._

 _Lucy's magic is growing unpredictable again. We've decided that it would be best to block off any mention of magic from her memories. Mavis will be returning to help, as her magic surpasses my own. She and Igneel will perform the necessary magic. The Spirits are upset, of course, but understand. They hope that Lucy will someday see them again._

 _Supposedly, blocking magic from her mind will reset her own...or something like that. It will help her heal, and that is all that matters to me._

 _It pains me to admit that against Jude's wishes, I have accepted Igneel's proposal. A year and a half from now, when magic is at its strongest point - a point it won't reach until August 8th of the year X888 - I will do as he asks._

 _Forgive me, Lucy._

 _This is not what I wanted for my daughter...for any of us._

 _~Layla_

Lucy's hands trembled as she flipped through the pages, skimming various entries. Nothing of importance happened for quite some time.

And then, she reached a date that had her stopping dead in her tracks.

 _July 7th, X777_

 _As the sun fell today, I did what was asked of me. With Leo's help...with the help of Igneel and Mavis...oh, it hurts to state this. It hurts me deeply, to admit what I've done._

 _Today, at the place where everything began, the four of us sealed the last of the dragons away._

 _Igneel, Grandeeney, all of them._

 _Leo has been banished for his part in this; the Spirit King specifically told him not to and he was sent to live in Igneel's hoard until a celestial mage of the Heartfilia bloodline can find him on their own. He cannot help, or ever speak of what I've done without the holder having prior knowledge, or his key turns to dust._

 _My Leo...I'm sorry._

 _I can no longer use magic, and it hurts terribly. I miss them, the Spirits I've cared for for so long. I sent them all - except for Taurus, who wished to be kept in the Heartfilia vault - to Mavis. She has agreed to hide them all for me._

 _But how can a ghost do such a thing? Yes, she told me. She has never been alive. Not since those treasure hunters retrieved her from Tenrou Island. My memories are so jumbled, for she has told me that she was once very much loved by Zeref, the emperor of the Alvarez Empire…_

 _But how can a ghost be loved like that? Has Zeref been around longer than we thought?_

 _And Lucy…_

 _Oh, my dear Lucy, if you choose to read this, I'm sorry._

 _I am so, so sorry._

 _I can feel time slipping through my fingers, and Jude has sent you away so that you don't have to watch me wither away within hours; the lack of magic in my veins has crippled me, and I fear I won't see tomorrow._

 _But I hope you know that I did not choose to give my life up for no reason._

 _It was to protect you._

 _Please, when you are able...find Leo. Tell him how sorry I am. And I want you to find Natsu and stay with him, so that neither of you have to be alone. I love you, Lucy._

 _Forgive me, please._

 _Farewell._

 _~Layla_

Lucy stared at the page. She read it again, and then over and over several times as tears gathered in her widened eyes. Finally, the diary dropped to the ground from her fingers, her hands shaking so violently that she nearly jabbed her eye when she went to swipe the tears away.

She hadn't expected it.

They'd suspected that Layla had something to do with the dragon's disappearance, but to read that Layla Heartfilia had killed herself sealing them away…

But, she supposed, one good thing did come out of this.

Two, even.

One, the dragons were quite possibly alive.

And two, they had a clue on where they might be.

"Lucy?"

The sound of her name had the blonde's head snapping up, shaking her out of her stunned stupor. She licked her lips, and then smiled faintly at Natsu when she saw that he'd begun to approach, hesitant. He hadn't wanted to get too close, knowing that Lucy didn't want him to see her mother's diary yet. But his onyx eyes were full of concern, and the smoke that curled from his nose and the corners of his mouth told her that he was ready to fight whatever had made her cry.

But he couldn't fight death itself.

His actions caught others' attentions, and immediately, Erza was storming over, demanding furiously, "What has happened? Why are you crying? Did Natsu do something again, Lucy?"

She gave a broken laugh. "N-no," she managed to choke out, her dark eyes flashing with amusement briefly. She took a deep breath, and then croaked, "I'm fine. I just...I read something from my mother in her diary and it upset me, that's all."

Levy, who'd been reading a book and had stopped to look up when Natsu had spoken, gave her a sympathetic look, and Natsu finally took Erza's approach as a signal. He strode over, opening his arms, and she didn't hesitate to tackle him in a tight hug.

The warmth he offered drove away the grief, reminding her that while her mother was gone, her father never to be forgiven for what he'd done due to his death, she still had a family. Erza decided to join in the hug without asking, making Lucy laugh when Natsu cringed in pain, his head slammed into her chest.

And suddenly, it was a guild-wide hug.

Lucy squawked when Wendy and Levy tackled them tightly, followed closely by Happy. Cana squished herself in with a drunken laugh and Mirajane scrambled over the bar with Lisanna. Elfman joined his sisters fairly quickly, and Juvia dragged Gray over. Even Jellal was dragged in somehow. Several others joined in, excluding Cobra, Laxus, and Gajeel, who gave the group blank stares.

Smashed up against Natsu with her family around her, Lucy smiled, pressing her forehead lovingly against Natsu's. He grinned, onyx eyes glittering with relief as she closed hers. A happy rumble filled the back of his throat, and Lucy wondered if it was a dragon slayer thing.

For the briefest of moments, his lips brushed against hers, and then the contact was gone.

Lucy snorted softly, and then pulled back, laughing loudly when Happy screeched that he wanted to hug Lucy personally. She tucked the blue-furred cat against her chest and kissed his head.

When everyone finally went back to what they were doing, Lucy picked her mother's diary up and summoned Loke, giving him a long look when she tenderly placed it in his hands. "We need to talk," she said quietly.

Loke sighed softly. "I guessed as much. I'll use my own power tonight. So it doesn't draw on your strength." He gave her a kind smile. "Just remember, Lucy. Even if you know everything, I still can't speak of many things. I'll do my best to answer questions."

"Right," she murmured, and then looked over her shoulder at Natsu, who'd gone back to scarfing down Gray's food while the ice-make mage wasn't looking. His attempts failed and Gray saw him after mere moments, scowling viciously before launching himself at him.

"And...Loke? Say nothing about the dragons to Natsu."

"Of course not, Princess." Loke smiled at her and as he turned to leave, Lucy thought she heard him say something that chilled her to the bone.

"To think this is all because of his stupid choice."

* * *

 _I was so involved in drawing a BTL scene that I nearly forgot to update! Check out my tumblr if you want to see it. I'm pretty proud of it._

 _Layla's diary has been finally read and it's confirmed about her involvement with the dragons! ;) More information about everything will be revealed some day. I promise._

 _To the guest who asked, I have written out to chapter 195. And I just finished everything with the Eclipse Gate. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (MayraLilacBunny, Typhlosion8, TigerArrowgirl, GreenNinja23, Abdltf, Trigger-Happy Texan, The Age of Awesomeness, HummingBird742, PinkFireandGoldenStars, TheAliceHuntt, Dragondancer81, Veron Mic, FairyRains, Guest #1, LePengwen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, quite-a-riot, RandomAnimeNerd, pinkdoughnuts, and Celestail68!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	158. Chapter 158

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

When evening fell, Lucy left the guildhall with the intent of summoning Loke in the privacy of her home. She bid Natsu a silent goodnight in the form of a simple smile and a wave. As if understanding that she didn't want his company, he grinned at her and waved enthusiastically before turning back to Happy and launching into some sort of conversation with him.

When the celestial mage stepped out of the guild, she paused to look up at the stars, her brow furrowed in thought.

Just what had happened?

There were records of times when no one knew what happened.

It was as if periods of history had been erased.

And Lucy admitted that it concerned her. What had been so bad that people had erased so much?

"All does not need to be revealed at once," a voice said quietly beside her and Lucy, who'd been walking along the canal, nearly jumped out of her skin and right into the chilly water beneath.

Mavis' emerald eyes flashed with amusement, and Lucy found herself remembering that, in some way, she was related to Mavis. It was an odd thought, she realized. The fact that she was descended from celestial mages and the First. But it was warming to realize that while Mavis may be a ghost, she was the closest Lucy had to a blood relative.

Sighing, Lucy asked, "I take it you're joining Loke and my conversation?"

"Of course." Mavis smiled secretively. "While there is much we cannot tell you, Lucy Heartfilia, there is plenty we can. I do ask that you refrain from asking much about the dragons' current location, or what happened to them when they were sealed away."

"Got it." Lucy felt a stab of disappointment. She'd promised to talk with her boyfriend about the matters in her mother's diary, but she'd wanted _that_ kind of information to explain why her mother had done what she'd done.

But, she supposed, as Mavis had said…

Information would come with time.

And the day the dragons were found, they'd be able to fill in the blanks left by a full diary.

When they reached Lucy's home, they slipped inside. Lucy ushered Mavis past the landlady, who peeked her head out and squinted suspiciously at Lucy. The blonde reassured her that Natsu wouldn't break in that night - that had been a long explanation. One that Lucy hoped to never again have.

When they'd gotten upstairs, Lucy wasn't surprised to see Loke patiently waiting, seated on her couch. She'd felt him draw on her strength only moments before, when she'd been chatting with the landlady. She greeted him, dropped onto the couch beside him, and then waited until Mavis was perched on the armrest to demand, "Alright, start talking."

Loke rolled his eyes. "Why don't you ask questions and we'll see what we can tell you?"

Lucy turned her gaze on Mavis and narrowed her dark eyes. "First up: you were always a part of what happened with the dragons. We knew that Igneel, Loke, and my mother were a part of what happened after a while, but why did you never attempt to tell me that you were, too?"

Mavis was quiet. "The spell that we performed was not pleasant. It is what killed Layla Heartfilia." Mavis' emerald eyes flashed with sorrow.

Lucy's eyes stretched wide as she stared. " _Oh_."

Mavis gave a tired smile. "At least I was not in possession of a magic I'd held onto for so long. That had been passed down years before to its next holder. We who hold such magic are destined for great losses." She turned her gaze on Loke, who was quiet. "I'm sure that Lucy Heartfilia wishes to ask many questions, Loke. That is the one I wanted to share." Without another word, she vanished, as if she'd never been there.

"I'd like to tell you an edited version from my point of view," Loke decided when Lucy had focused all of her attention on him. "If that's alright with you. Your questions can be asked afterwards."

Lucy blinked, and then nodded slowly. "I think," she murmured. "That's a good idea. I guess you'll have to leave some things out, right? Like where the dragons are and what not?"

"Yes, I'll have to leave most things about the dragons out," Loke admitted. The Lion was silent for a moment or so, and then settled down with his hands clasped thoughtfully in his lap. He pressed his lips together. "Alright," the Spirit finally muttered. "Let's see...where to begin…

"I guess I'll start with the discovery of my key? It was before you were born, Lucy. Not long after Layla became engaged to Jude, actually. It was before he became so controlling, when he was still a kind man who would do anything for his wife and country. She found my key in an antique store, apparently, and I was surprised when she summoned me. No one had summoned me for near four hundred years...I was suspicious at first. I don't like to say this, but I _am_ the strongest of the thirteen Zodiac Spirits, and I'm rather picky on who I make contracts with because of it. I like to stick to the Heartfilia line, apparently, because when I found out who Layla descended from, I agreed.

"Layla was a good master, and it stunned me when I learned that she possessed all of the golden keys. She even held the key of Ophiuchus, the thirteenth Spirit, one that Yukino now holds. Ophiuchus has accepted very few masters and mistresses in the time since his creation. I was, to put it simply, impressed.

"And then, you were born." Loke's gaze softened with warmth at the memories, and Lucy's lips twitched. "I didn't think Layla would ever love someone more than she loved her Spirits - Jude even admitted to coming second once, I'll have you know - but there you were, and she loved you fiercely. The Spirit King himself could sense the potential magic you possessed, and we told Layla. She was pleased, of course, as she'd hoped to have a child who would inherit her magic.

"Time went on - such a short amount of time for us, but so long for you humans - and you grew up. When you were still young yet old enough to be able to understand what we needed you to do, Layla met Igneel.

"Igneel...I will forever hate him. But I guess he's done what he's had to do, just like everyone else in the world. The only one who's done more to help is Layla herself. They became exceptionally good friends as Jude began to withdraw, and that friendship continued for seven years. Until the day Layla died."

Loke suddenly took a deep breath, hidden green eyes darkening. His entire body tensed, and anger colored his tone.

"On the first day of the year of X776," he said with a scowl, "Layla agreed. Igneel had been thinking of sealing all of the dragons away for years. Some were causing problems for the mages that were trying to keep magic hidden. And then there was the matter of Zeref and his hideous creations. So he asked if Layla would perform a spell that would do it. Both knew what it would entitle, and when Layla brought the matter up with me, telling me she'd agreed and wanted my help, I was so angry that I refused to make an appearance for a while.

"It was the day after your memories of us and your magic were dealt with that I finally let her summon me again, and she explained her thoughts. I hated it, I still do."

"The Spirit King told you not to help my mother," Lucy realized.

Loke nodded. "I was told that if I assisted as Layla wanted, I'd be punished, and I was. You know what happened to me from the diary. Under Layla's request, I was sent to remain in Igneel's hoard until you came along, or one of your children decades down the road. It took me ages to figure out how to get around it. I didn't tell you what I needed, or who I really was, or anything similar. I merely found you through the whispers of the Spirits you possessed at the time and was able to kidnap you."

Lucy gave him a good natured glare. "I still need to get back at you for that."

He only rolled his eyes and then continued.

"Anyways, I helped her go through with it on the seventh of July in X777. We went to the designated location and waited. When everything was ready, Mavis and Layla began to seal them away, and I let Layla snatch at my power when her own began to fail. When they were done, Layla was nearing death. I couldn't help her...I took Layla home. She died that evening. The Mavis you see sent her keys to where she wanted, and you know about afterwards."

Lucy was quiet as she thought over this. And then she asked, "Loke, there's still something I don't understand. How is Fairy Tail centuries old - Mavis, too - when it was founded not long after she met my mother?"

"Mavis explained that she was immortal for a time being," Loke told her. "Fairy Tail has not always been the Fairy Tail that you know. Once, it was located alongside Mavis' home village on Tenrou Island. But the guild was destroyed by the black dragon Acnologia before Anna sealed him away for four hundred years. Mavis refounded it, and to keep her immortality a secret, lied to the others about the matter."

Lucy nodded to herself, and then added with a frown, "And the periods of missing history? What of that?"

Loke said nothing before finally sighing heavily. He rested his head back, and then said quietly, "You have to understand, Lucy. We Spirits see and know all. We've been here for as long as we can remember. We remember watching humans first learn what fire was. We remember watching you slowly learn and comprehend what the future could be. But that...period you mentioned. I can't explain it to you just yet. When the time comes, I'll tell you."

Lucy wasn't entirely happy with that, but she smiled nonetheless. "Alright," she murmured back and then glanced up when there was a knock on the door, followed by a whined, "Lucy, can I come in? I'm hungry."

Loke snorted, rolling his eyes again. "Can't he go to his own home? He does still have one, right?"

"Oh, shush," Lucy scolded with a slight smile on her face. "Come on in, Natsu! We're not doing anything important now." Natsu cheerfully slid inside, Happy clasped in his arms and she arched a brow at him. "You better not have been listening in."

He beamed at her. "I wasn't. Hi, Loke."

"Natsu," he said irritably, as if bothered by Natsu's mere presence. He scowled, and then turned back to Lucy. "If you come up with more questions, let me know. I'll tell you what I can. If you choose to include Natsu or anyone else, make sure that you are very careful about what you tell them."

"Understood," Lucy sighed. She watched him leave with a flash of light and then turned her troubled gaze on the innocent looking fire mage when he asked, "What's wrong?"

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "What do you know about July 7th, X777?"

* * *

 _Learning a little bit more. Just a teeny bit. Nothing will really be cleared up entirely in regards to July 7th, X777 for QUITE some time. On that note, when I finish writing chapter 200, I'll give you guys a sneaky peak. And expect some serious Cobra involvement soon._

 _To the guest who asked, yes. I am doing the Alvarez Empire arc, I'm just not sure quite yet how I'm going to mix it up. ;) *whispers off to the side* Remember how I said I wasn't sure about the Spriggan 12? They're comin' in later, guys._

 _CupcakarmaNaLu, you'll have to wait and see about E.N.D. XD_

 _To the other guest, I'm not sure about length. I just finished chapter 195, so we're definitely hitting 200-250, but I'm not sure about 300. I'll be doing the major arcs of the manga that are left (GMG, the Eclipse Gate, Alvarez, Tartaros, etc.) as well as some smaller ones, including an anime exclusive and some original stuff._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Mimi Queen, LePengwen, Dragondancer81, Guest #1, Guest #2, PinkFireandGoldenStars, TheAliceHuntt, CharonteQeen, Guest #3, Trigger-Happy Texan, Fairy Rains, quite-a-riot, Celestail68, MayraLilacBunny, Guest #4, RandomAnimeNerd, and CupcakearmaNaLu!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	159. Chapter 159

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy's eyes snapped open, staring blankly at the ceiling above her. Her breath came in harsh gasps and she shook a little as she came to terms with reality. After a moment, she let a soft breath of relief out and threw an arm over her eyes.

Nightmares were a pain in the ass.

And since she'd joined Fairy Tail, they were all she dreamed of.

Her hand smacked something warm and there was a snort of annoyance. She stiffened irritably as a muffled voice mumbled, "Stop, that hurt."

"What the _hell_ ," she seethed, "Are you doing in my bed, Natsu Dragneel?" Awake, she turned and slid up to rest on a propped elbow. She glared down at him and he blinked tiredly up at her from shadows onyx eyes, his pink hair hanging in his face. Furious, she scowled down at him.

An entire week of avoiding her and he decided it was okay to crawl into her bed?

 _Bastard! I should kick you to the curb!_

Natsu didn't seem to know - or care - what he'd done wrong, because he simply squinted at her and then grabbed her by the waist. She squawked in surprise when he merely tugged her down and buried his face in the pillow. "Tired."

She squirmed, smacking his shoulder. She received a wisp of flames in her face for her efforts. "Natsu," she hissed again.

"M'sorry," he slurred, ignoring her when she tried to squirm out from under his arm. She was a bit annoyed with how easily she was pinned, to be honest. She went still, narrowing her gaze. He rolled his head to he could peek up at her from beneath his bangs, looking a little anxious despite his exhaustion. "Didn't mean to. I was thinking."

Lucy took a deep breath, struggling to hold onto her anger while he stared at her with large puppy-like eyes. Finally, she let it go. Rubbing a hand down her face, she rasped, "I'm mad at you, you jerk."

For a week now, Natsu had avoided her. Not that she could blame him entirely; the horrified look on his face when she'd quietly informed him that her mother had died sealing his father away at an unknown location was enough to tell her that he didn't know what to say. It had still hurt walking into the guildhall only to realize he'd left the moment she'd turned onto the street.

When the guildmaster had demanded a group go out to show magic to the expectant town, she'd volunteered alongside Levy and Erza, fully expecting him to go with her. She'd been hurt when he'd remained silent, onyx eyes locked on a space above her head.

Lucy _knew_ that everyone had noticed.

But they'd said nothing, respectful.

Even Mirajane had said nothing, only a quiet, "Make up soon, okay?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated, voice clearer this time. He watched her nervously now, as if concerned he'd be removed from where he was comfortably arranged. "It's...your mom died 'cause my dad asked her to. I didn't...I don't know what to…" He made a frustrated sound and hid his face in the pillow.

As per usual, however, Lucy understood fully.

"I know," she muttered, running her fingers lightly over his head. She flushed when he squirmed so that he could lightly rest his chin on her shoulder, studying her expression. "It's hard to figure out how to react to that kind of thing. There's nothing you or I can do, so why don't we just keep on the path we were on before? We need to focus on the Games. And why would you not go to the couch?"

"Because the bed's comfy?" He scoffed as if it was common knowledge. "I took my shoes off. See? And I took my scarf off, too, since I know you don't like when I sleep with it on."

She smiled a bit. Lucy prodded his naked shoulder with amusement. "And your shirt, apparently. Infected with some of Gray's habits, are we?"

He scowled playfully at his blonde girlfriend and then demanded, "It's the middle of the night. Why'd you wake up?"

"Nightmare." She wrinkled her nose and he puffed out smoke playfully. Lucy bit her lip before admitting, "Dreamed about the guy from Tenrou. He was...I don't even know where to begin describing what happened." She shuddered, not wanting to, and fell silent for a few seconds. "It was bad."

 _Pricking, prodding, ripping at the flesh of the person beneath him, all in the name of his country…_

Natsu snorted and then closed his eyes, tightening his grip on her. "I've got ya Luce. I won't let anyone hurt ya. I'll protect you with my life if I need to."

Despite her annoyance, she smiled a fraction and made herself comfortable, her head resting against his.

"I know."

* * *

The guild seemed to release a huge huff of relief when they walked into the guildhall together the next day. Lucy glared when Levy practically sobbed her relief, crying, "You're okay, I'm so glad. It was like I was suffocating. Gajeel took a job without me because of it."

Natsu gave her a look, bewildered. "The hell are you talkin' about? Of course she's okay."

"Lucy!" Mirajane called, her voice strained. Lucy's head snapped around and she blinked when her friend gestured for her to come over. Natsu furrowed his brow, torn between going with her and figuring out if Happy had gone to Wendy and Charle's like he usually did when Natsu ended up wandering around at night.

"Just Lucy," Mirajane added, giving him a glare.

"Okay." Lucy flashed her boyfriend a smile and then sidled over to the bar, watching as he frowned and went to search for Happy. "What can I do for you, Mira?" Levy slid into a bar stool beside her, ignoring Mirajane's irritated frown.

"I want to help," Levy told her. "I've got nothing to do, remember? Gajeel and Lily are out, and Jet and Droy want to try a harder job on their own. I told them I'd pay for lunch if they did it successfully."

"...I think it's smart, but...Master doesn't want her to have the assistance," Mirajane admitted and then turned to Lucy. "We're leaving for the Games in precisely two weeks. Master requested that you take Cobra on a job outside of Magnolia in that time - without Natsu. The Council is demanding a report on what he's been doing, and Kinana's needed here. They'll trust your report more, anyways."

"Because I'm of royal blood," Lucy said bitterly and then propped her chin on an open palm. "I don't mind, actually. It'll be interesting enough as long as he learns to shut up and watch what he's doing. Is this another one of those test missions?"

"In a way." Mirajane's lips twitched into a smile. "Master's curious on how you'll do without your team, and he thinks that you'll do the best when it comes to getting along with him outside of Kinana."

"Huh. I see. Does he know yet?"

"Nope," Levy snickered, cutting in. Her hazel eyes danced with amusement. "They left that to you."

"Why do you know so much about my work?" Lucy asked, giving Levy a playful glare. She poked the short woman. "What else do you know?"

"That Natsu finally got himself back on track with being a good boyfriend?" Levy shrugged. "Happy likes to talk."

"...I'm going to throttle that blue cat," Lucy said with a dark look on her face as Mirajane cooed. "Alright, where's that bastard? I might as well get to telling him that he has to do something other than sit there with Kinana."

"He's actually been looking bored." Mirajane giggled. "He might appreciate this. I'll see to Natsu if he doesn't listen. Erza won't mind helping me deliver punishment."

Lucy shuddered at the images that conjured. Leaving her friends to do what they wanted, she hunted down Cobra, surprised that he'd arrived so early. He was grouchily sipping at a glass of water, watching her approach from narrowed eyes. When she got close enough, he snipped, "What are you? My babysitter?"

Lucy arched a brow. "What are you? A baby pouting because you have to be supervised? We know that you're trying to help us now and not try to use me as fuel for some ancient creation, but the Council doesn't entirely believe it. We're going on a job so that I can create a fantastic report to give to them."

Cobra scowled in a moment, thinking about what she'd said, and then gave a curt nod. "Fine."

"Good. I'll find one for us and let Natsu know that he's not allowed to come." Lucy moved to go and talk to the dragon slayer, and then paused when Cobra snickered.

"Good luck tellin' him he can't come. Dragon slayers don't like when they can't see their treasures, Blondie. Don't forget that." Cobra received a shocked look and he shrugged his shoulders. "What? I don't have a hoard, but I know about 'em."

"...mind your own business," Lucy muttered, frowning. She tilted her chin up proudly and crossed the guildhall back to Natsu. The dragon slayer was happily slurping down a drink that Mirajane or Kinana had offered, but when she came over he looked up. "Hey, Natsu," she began.

"Yeah?" He set his glass down, as if expecting that he wasn't going to like what was coming. "What do ya need, Luce?"

Still annoyed with him for his behavior over the past week despite him apologizing, she retorted, "Don't 'What do ya need?' me, Natsu. I'm taking a job with Cobra for Master. The Council wants a report on how he's doing. You're staying here with everyone else."

Natsu's jaw dropped for an instant and she wasn't surprised when began to try and argue. "But, Luce! You _never_ go on jobs with other people! I'm your _partner_ , why can't Erza or Gray or someone else do it? We're a team!"

Lucy snorted to herself. "Master asked Mirajane to ask me and that means I need to do it. And they'll trust my opinions more than someone else's in the guild, we think. I was and still am the princess of Heartfilia family. Natsu, my word holds a lot of power in things like this. To top it all off, I'm the one Cobra tried to hurt to begin with. Cobra's really changed - for the most part, I know you're eavesdropping you bastard - and I think we need to do what we can to help him. That means that you need to stay here and behave while I'm gone. It won't be more than a day or two."

Natsu glowered at her, onyx eyes blazing with anger. "It's not fair!" he snapped. "You're my partner! Not anyone else's! It's not like me going would be bad! I could help, Lucy!"

Aware that people were starting to look over and be nosy, Lucy scowled. "I said no, Natsu. Mirajane's going to make sure you stay here, by the way, just thought I'd tell you." He barely flinched at the subtle threat. "Have you ever thought that I might want to try a job on my own? This'll be - in a way - my first solo mission. I've only ever taken work with you guys."

"So?" He clenched his jaw, smoke leaving his nostrils. "It's better that way, we have fun-"

"We do," Lucy cut in firmly. "I love going on missions with you and the others, Natsu. Usually something goes wrong, but I have fun. But sometimes, I need to test how much farther I can go without having you trying to step up and protect me from every little thing, okay? I have my Spirits. The arrogant jerk who's still eavesdropping-" She spared a glare at Cobra. "-can do a decent job of helping. So just...stay here. We'll do something when I get back, before we go to the Games."

Natsu opened his mouth to protest some more, and then clamped it shut, scowling irritably. "Whatever," he huffed, and then pointedly turned away from her. Instead, he looked at Happy, who'd arrived mid-argument, and the blue cat jumped.

Lucy ran a hand down her face and shook her head. Levy gave her a sympathetic look while the silver-haired woman gave Lucy a proud look.

From where she sat beside Wendy at a table, Jellal across from both of them, Erza stared openly at Natsu, a look that promised violence should he act any more out of hand on her face.

Lucy decided against sitting at the bar and instead went to join them. Erza gave her a warm smile as she slid into the seat beside Jellal, a groan escaping her as she planted her head on the table. "Natsu's always been annoyingly clingy to those he is close to," Erza murmured, reaching over to rub her back.

"It's part of being a dragon slayer," Wendy said apologetically. "His instincts consider you a part of his hoard. Your hair really doesn't help. It's the closest color to gold that I've ever seen. It's natural for him to try and keep an eye on you at all times."

Charle sniffed. "What a brute."

"He needs to know that he can't be around like this and say that I can't go off without him," Lucy muttered into the table. "Especially after he avoided me for a week."

"Why _was_ he avoiding you?" Wendy asked. Erza gave her a curious look as well and Jellal tried to keep from looking too interested while sipping at some tea.

Lucy hesitated. Loke had told her to be careful about the information she gave away. Taking a deep breath, she admitted, "Um, my mother...Igneel requested something of my mother. Wendy, you know my mother and yours met."

Jellal choked a little at that, but said nothing.

"Mhm," Wendy hummed. From where Charle was sitting irritably beside her on the table, there was a snort.

"Well...let's just say that my mother is the reason all of the dragons have disappeared." Lucy kept her voice low, not wanting Gajeel to hear. Wendy's eyes flashed with shock. "And because she did what she did, she died. When I told Natsu, I guess he saw it as his father being the reason my mom is dead. He didn't really know how to react."

Erza nodded thoughtfully. "He's never really had reason to worry about the feelings of others when it comes to his actions." Tucking a lock of scarlet hair behind her ear, she said with a sigh, "We'll keep an eye on him while you work with Cobra."

Lucy gave her a long look. "Mira told everyone."

"Of course."

The blonde moaned, and then looked over when Charle suddenly gasped, her eyes going blank and searching the empty air. "Charle?" Wendy said anxiously, her eyes filling with concern when she recognized what was happening.

For some reason, Jellal recognized it, too. He set his cup down and studied Charle closely. "...a vision."

When Charle snapped out of it after a good moment or so, her gaze found Lucy's first.

Her paw lifted and covered her mouth, tears filling her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "The blood...it was...oh, no…"

 _No way to turn… There was smoke everywhere, filling her mouth, her eyes, her throat. A scream left her lips as she sobbed over the crumpled body beneath her, its eyes staring blankly at nothing as blood pooled around it. A shift of imagery, and a woman appeared. Her soft skin was slicked with her own blood, one arm gone. An agonized scream from a man as he fell to his knees beside the woman who knelt there in shock. A woman with her head thrown back, hair fluttering around her as magic rushed through her veins, burning her from the inside out...a flurry of panic as people fought for their lives...a dark smile...the roaring of creatures that no longer walked the earth…_

 _The look on a black-haired man's face as something new emerged from the white light._

 _Lucy's face, soaked in tears as she sang a song of defeat._

 _A man of black and white rising from among the ashes, a blank-looking girl at his side._

 _The scent of death on the air._

The next few words that Charle uttered chilled each and every one of them to the bone:

"We're all going to die."

* * *

 _New vision! And the Cobra and Lucy job is about to begin! Love writing Cobra and Lucy's brotp. So much fun._

 _Anyhow. Notes. You've all noticed my lack of updates, I'm sure. If you follow me on tumblr, you'll notice I've been consistently tired for like a month now. It got ridiculously bad for the last week. I had a breakdown over labeling parts of a brain in my anatomy/physiology class because it along with stress got to me. I have an appointment on the twenty-fifth of the month for it. I've been feeling a little more awake today and updated. So. I apologize. You'll have an update next Friday!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, Guest #1, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, TheAliceHuntt, LePengwen, pinkdoughtnuts, thebooknerdgeek, Celestail68, PinkFireandGoldenStars, NaLu and InuKag, The Pure-Blooded Aristocrat, Sydneste, Trigger-Happy Texan, and Pokibal123!) as well a those who favorited and followed!_


	160. Chapter 160

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The next morning found Lucy up bright and early. This time, there was no dragon slayer in her bed. In fact, Natsu was nowhere in sight as Lucy sipped at her morning coffee, her eyes locked on the news that she'd turned on to listen to as she'd eaten some toast.

She grimaced at the sight of the Fairy Tail mages stumbling around trying to do what they could after the explosion at the gas station. She felt horrible for the terrified looking Sandra, who clung desperately to Gray's arm as he bellowed out an order to someone.

Lucy felt sick when Natsu finally stumbled out of the debris, his entire side covered in blood. Even with Wendy's care, it had left a horrible scar that he sometimes rubbed, as if it still hurt him on occasion.

She had to give her partner credit, even if he was being a jerk to her at the moment.

He had the ability to come back from the brink of death like no other.

Lucy forced herself to climb to her feet and wash her dishes quickly. She made a face as she grabbed her belongings, which included her purse, her phone, her celestial keys, and a bag that contained everything she needed for travel. She'd told Cobra they were leaving as early as possible, which meant getting to the train station at six in the morning.

After shutting the TV off and locking up, she headed out.

The train station wasn't too far away and she found herself checking her phone when she arrived. Cobra would - hopefully - show up soon enough. Kinana had promised her that if he didn't, she'd deal with the idiot.

Lucy had been grateful for the threat that had been so clearly directed at Cobra.

Because it meant that he was more likely to cooperate.

The celestial mage hummed under her breath as she pulled up a text she'd received from a number she didn't recognize late in the previous evening. Her eyebrows rose as she read it.

 _When the fuck do you get back from the job?_

Lucy squinted. "...Gajeel?" she questioned quietly, wondering if he'd taken her number from Levy's phone. Her suspicions were confirmed when she found another message had been sent.

 _Gonna ask Shrimp soon. Need ta know if she's gonna like the ring._

"Aw," Lucy crooned to herself, amused with the iron dragon slayer. She quickly fired back a text that promised she'd be back in a few days, and that she'd help him make sure it was a ring that Levy would like.

"You done gettin' excited over stupid girly things yet?"

Lucy nearly dropped her phone in surprise. "Damn it, Cobra," she hissed, casting him a slightly annoyed look that he smirked at her proudly. "Jerk."

He ignored her comment and demanded, "The hell are we doing anyways? You never told me."

Lucy dug in her pocket and pulled out the paper that held the job description. Handing it to the venom dragon slayer, she explained, "Outside of a small town, they're having a ton of issues with some mages that went rogue after the reveal of magic. We're going to take a train to Hargeon, and then fly out and help them. We'll split the pay fifty-fifty, of course."

"How many mages?" Cobra questioned, scowling at the paper and shoving it into the pocket of the pants he wore. He ignored a few curious looks his eye got him as they made their way into the train station.

"I don't know," Lucy admitted. "At least seven, I think. Different magic has let the residents figure out that much. For all we know, we could be up against an entire guild of them."

She wouldn't lie. When Mirajane had offered the job to her as a suggestion, it had frightened her. This was a rather large job that she would prefer to have more people helping on, but she supposed Cobra wasn't far behind them when it came to being S-Class. It was likely he'd be participating in the exams before long.

"What about that little sky dragon?" Cobra questioned. "She not comin' to make sure no one's hurt? Thought that was her...thing."

"It is," Lucy said, "But Master doesn't want anyone else going with us for some reason or another. I don't know why." She raked a hand through her blonde hair, and then lifted her phone to look at it went it buzzed.

She scowled when she recognized it as a text from Natsu. Not bothering to look at it, she shoved the phone back into her pocket, earning a snicker from Cobra.

"Shut up," she muttered before taking a deep breath and continuing. "Alright, let's get going. We'll have a few minutes between the train ride to get to the airport and hope that we make our flight. We should be in Dawn City by this evening, and tomorrow we can start the actual work portion."

Her phone buzzed again and she ignored it despite the irritable look that flashed across Cobra's face.

He followed her through the train station, saying nothing until they were waiting with tickets in hand for the train to arrive and Lucy's phone buzzed a third and then fourth time.

"Can you look at your goddamn phone?" he snapped. "The stupid sound it makes when it vibrates is hurting my ears, Blondie!"

"Okay, okay," she said grudgingly. She pulled the device back out and scanned the few texts with a scowl on her face. She touched the choker at her throat for comfort.

 _Sorry 'bout last night and stuff. You're badass and can do things on your own. I don't like that you have to go with that bastard alone. He tried to use you as a power source, even if he is tryin' to do good stuff now. Can't you take Happy at least?_

 _When are you leaving and where are you going? There's riots in Clover Town._

 _Luce, c'mon. Answer me, woman._

 _LUCY._

Just as she was reading the last message, he decided calling worked, too.

She answered the phone with a scowl planted on her lips. "Natsu, can you give me a minute before you start freaking out? Holy hell, I'm just trying to get on a train before I respond."

He faltered. "Oh," he muttered. "Sorry." She snorted, rolling her eyes as Cobra cackled again. Natsu seemed hesitant to speak and she had to make it a point to clear her throat. Hastily, he spoke. "I, uh, am gonna take a job with Happy and Wendy and Charle while you're gone. We're gonna go to Hargeon and help Lamia Scale with some showing off. They want some more exciting things that they haven't seen there. Lyon and Jura are trading places with us."

"Good." Lucy smiled to herself and checked her ticket before sliding into a seat. Cobra dropped down beside her. "Don't be rude to anyone, got it? That'll make them look bad."

"I know."

"I'll call you when we get to Dawn City, okay?" Lucy glared when Cobra made a mocking face. "I need to focus on not taking out Cobra's other eye."

Cobra bared his teeth at her. "Bite me, Blondie."

Natsu snorted. "Okay. Talk to you later, Luce. Be careful."

"I will."

 _Click!_

Lucy lowered her phone and then gave Cobra a threatening look as she retorted, "Don't forget, I can kick your ass if you piss me off enough."

Cobra curled his lip, showing the sharper than average canines. "I'd like to see you try." Huffing he jerked his chin up and rested his head back, hunching his shoulders as the train began to move.

Lucy pulled a book out of her bag and settled down herself, a smirk curving across her lips.

 _I bet the sounds from the plane are gonna kill his hearing._

"Mind your own goddamn business, Blondie."

"Make me."

"Gladly."

Lucy cackled, and he gave her a dark look before going back to ignoring her.

* * *

That evening, they left the airport in the small town, and Cobra looked like he was about ready to revert back to being a mage of Oracion Seis. His sharply glaring eye kept darting around and locking viciously on anyone who dared look his way. Lucy tried not to laugh.

She received more glares than anyone else for the laughter she had to struggle to hold in.

Ignoring her temporary companion's scowling irritation, Lucy dialed Natsu's number. They started down the sidewalk, Cobra refusing to get into anymore moving vehicles. He didn't answer, and she shrugged before sending a text that they'd arrived and that she'd call him in the morning since he hadn't answered.

Lucy responded to various texts as they walked. When she was done, she put her phone away, and then informed Cobra, "I got us two rooms last night before I went to bed. Make sure if you decide to leave and wander around you let me know so that I can make note of you coming back in the report I have to make, okay?"

"Tch, whatever," Cobra grumbled.

Lucy snickered again, and rolled her shoulders. The people around them gave them a wide berth and suspicious looks - until one stopped and squinted at Lucy. The man's eyes flew wide in recognition, and then he darted over. "You're the princess of Bosco! The one who joined the Fairy Tail guild!"

They both watched him carefully. "I am," Lucy agreed. She touched the keys at her hip, wondering if this man would be trustworthy.

He bowed respectfully, his eyes glowing. "Your Highness, we're honored that you've finally arrived. It was a friend of mine who made the request to the guild. We saw what you and your team did on the news and thought you might be able to help us out."

Lucy beamed, relaxing. "Please, call me Lucy. This is Cobra," she added, waving to the annoyed dragon slayer. "He'll be helping me with the job you sent us. We're going to get to work tomorrow morning."

"Great," he replied eagerly. "They won't stop attacking us. You'll see the damage tonight...they always attack around midnight. Make sure you don't go out, and watch yourselves. They're known for burning buildings to the ground, too."

Lucy remembered the mess of ashy black they've seen from the sky and nodded. "We'll be careful, thank you for the warning."

"We aren't stupid," Cobra muttered under his breath and then scowled when Lucy elbowed him to get him to shut up. "Tch."

"Shush," she muttered back, and then hummed and turned back to the man they'd been talking to. After a few more words, he bid them farewell and wished them luck before rushing off. She started forward again and Cobra moved after her, lowering to mutter in her ear. She jumped at the sudden proximity.

"He's a liar." He pulled back when she looked up at him in confusion. "He was lying, Blondie. He's actually one of the mages we're looking for. He was really excited that we're here." He narrowed his eyes. "Generally, that means they're planning something big for us."

"Great," Lucy replied with a groan. She raked a hand through her golden hair. "Guess we have no choice but to wait and see what happens."

Cobra snickered. "You keep forgettin'. I hear _everything_. They're gonna blow up the main government building tonight. They've got a friend who ain't a mage. He knows his way around pyrotechnics."

Lucy gave him a long look. "You're really useful, you know that?"

"Just 'cause I haven't taken any jobs or did any with Oracion Seis doesn't mean I can't do things," he huffed. "I just put my efforts into somethin' else."

"I can see that." Lucy planted her fisted hands on her hips. "Alright, Cobra. Let's see what else you can do. We're going to try and help this place. Tonight, I want you to deal with whoever's going to try and blow the building up."

Cobra blinked once in surprise, dark eyes studying her closely. "Okay…? What the hell are you going to do?"

Lucy lifted her keys and waved one in the air. "Capricorn and I are going to make sure that we follow them to where they're base is. I'm assuming there'll be more than one."

Cobra's good eye narrowed. "So I'm gonna distract the ones trying to blow the building up and you're going to make sure that you figure out where they're hiding?" He grinned broadly and for the first time, excitement appeared in his gaze. "I get to kick some ass. This is gonna be great."

Lucy only smiled to herself, ignoring the way Loke's key heated warningly in her palm.

* * *

 _The job with Cobra has arrived! Gotta love his snappy self._

 _Thank you for all of the nice messages that some of you did on the matter of me being ill, by the way! I really appreciated them. :3_

 _To the guest who questioned it, yes. This is where we start heading towards the Games from my AU perspective._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Dragondancer81, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, NaLu and InuKag, Guest #1, MayraLilacBunny, HummingBird742, FireDragonPhia, Trigger-Happy-Texan, Sydneste, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Guest #2, RandomAnimeNerd, TheAliceHuntt, pinkdoughtnuts, Guest #3, Celestail68, xonoshi, LePengwen, and The Age of Awesomeness!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _What's more? I just finished writing Chapter 200! In celebration, have a sneak peek!_

* * *

 ** _Sneak Peek of Chapter 200!_**

 _When they arrived at the park, Lucy shrugged off her jacket, enjoying the warmth of the late morning. They'd stopped at her house so she could change and she found herself in a pair of spandex shorts and a tank top that hugged her curves. Cobra gave nasty looks to anyone who stared with too much interest, wearing a jacket lined with fur despite the heat._

 _Jellal shed a light jacket made of material to enhance his magic, smiling a fraction. Lucy arched a brow at the tight sleeveless shirt he'd worn. "Feeling a bit flashy today, are we?" She gestured to how well the shirt showed off the muscle he held._

 _Being a mage meant constant physical work, and it was better to be in shape. Everyone had a decent amount of muscle. Even Lucy found herself with a lot more bicep and abs then she'd had a year ago._

 _"I'm always flashy. Just not in public." Jellal swung his arms in massive circles, working his neck. Lucy waited patiently for him to start instructing her. "I'm assuming you can throw a punch?"_

 _"Of course," Lucy huffed. "I'm not that hopeless."_

 _Sprawling himself out in the grass, Cobra called, "You sure about that?"_

 _"Shut up, no one asked you for your input," Lucy retorted._

 _"I did," Cobra replied._

 _Jellal laughed and then settled down. "Alright, Lucy. Let's see what you can do."_


	161. Chapter 161

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

When the clock finally ticked and signaled that it was midnight, Cobra grinned. Lucy ignored the chill that ran down her spine and silently summoned Loke and Capricorn. She'd long since realized she no longer had to physically call for them.

They heard her no matter what.

Her Spirits appeared beside her, Capricorn on her left and Loke on her right. The Lion eyed Cobra, but shrugged and touched Lucy's shoulder. "Princess, make sure you watch yourself while you're out following them, alright? It's dangerous. As much as I dislike Natsu, he does a fairly good job at protecting you."

Lucy beamed. "We'll be fine. Right Capricorn?"

"Of course, Miss Lucy," he said in a deep and amused voice. "Should you feel a strain on your magic, I ask that you send me back and summon Leo to you."

"I like that idea," Loke agreed hastily, making Lucy roll her eyes.

"When you freaks are done, can we go?" Cobra cut in, growling irritably. "They'll be comin' soon. If Blondie wants to follow, you'll need to hide out and soon. I can hear 'em. They're a block away."

"Right!" Lucy patted Loke's shoulder. "Help Cobra." That said, she whirled away and bolted. Capricorn jogged after her, and Cobra squinted at Loke for a few moments.

"What?" Loke demanded.

"...you aren't gonna turn on me, good." He turned back to the entrance of the building across the street. "Thought Blondie had left an idiot who would try to attack me when my back was turned. Your heart says ya won't do it."

"If you wanted to be attacked," Loke muttered. "I would have had her summon Aquarius."

It didn't take long for a mage to flee from Cobra and Loke's brutal attack. And when he did, Lucy and Capricorn followed him out of the city. It took little to no effort for them to find where he'd gone - someone had left a bloody wound that dripped on the ground.

Lucy pressed her lips together unhappily when they peered from a tree that they'd hauled themselves into. The camp that the mages had made was large, with a dozen or so people still there. At the center of it all was a woman with proud eyes and wild black hair. She planted her hands on her hips with a frown when the injured man rushed over and explained what was happening.

"So we have people intervening, do we?" she said darkly, smirking to no one in particular. "I see. And the one we were hoping for showed up? Great. How hard is it going to be to separate them? Did Salamander show up?"

 _Great._ Lucy wanted to scream her frustrations to the sky. She assumed they wanted her keys or magic. When did people not want that?

"No," the man rasped. "A different one. We weren't aware that Cobra of Oracion Seis had joined Fairy Tail...and a man who used the power of the regulus star."

"Leo," she said firmly. "Our informant told us as much."

"What will you have us-"

"I believe it best we leave, Miss Lucy," Capricorn whispered suddenly.

She understood when she followed his gaze and found a set of eyes locked on their hiding place. Her breath heavy as she lowered herself carefully. "Go," she ordered her Spirit in a whisper. He returned to his Realm on her demand though he didn't look too happy about it.

Lucy swung down from the tree and landed quietly in shrubbery. She listened and sighed in relief when no one came to investigate. _We'll come and deal with this in the morning,_ she decided.

She turned to leave - and gave a gasp when a hand slapped over her mouth and dragged her against a muscular chest, trapping her there. Narrowing eyes, she bit down as hard as she could and there was hiss of pain, followed by a hand grabbing her arm before she could escape.

"What the hell, Lucy!" a voice seethed. "Calm down!"

Lucy stilled in surprise, her dark eyes flying wide. "...Sting?"

The blond dragon slayer gave her a dirty look. Shaking his pained and bloody hand he sniffed in a whisper, "I try to help you out and you end up biting the hell out of me. You guys sure know what a word of thanks is."

"Oh, my-" Lucy slapped a hand over her mouth, tasting blood that didn't belong to her. "I'm so sorry!"

He rolled his eyes and pushed her forward. "Come on," he muttered. "Let's get out of here. Rogue's waiting with Lector and Frosch. Looks like we need to have a little chat between guilds."

Lucy furrowed her brow but did as he said.

* * *

His foot tapped impatiently and he couldn't stop fiddling with his scarf. Natsu grumbled to himself every few moments, annoying Charle, who was on the seat beside Wendy. Happy was dozing against him. Wendy giggled at the pair.

"Natsu," she managed to get out past her laughter. "Lucy will be okay. Cobra's strong, remember?"

"I remember just fine," he muttered. "Kinana's kicked his ass into shape so she'll be protected, but…" He curled a hand into a fist. "I don't like that I can't be there. It's not fair."

"Life's not fair," Charle retorted.

"Ah, but death is." Jellal's dry comment made Natsu look over at where he was seated to Charle's right. Charle didn't look too pleased about sitting beside him - she detested being near anyone other than Wendy and the other two cats on a normal basis.

Makarov had sent the blue-haired ex-criminal with them due to a suspicion that Natsu would run off. Even though Natsu had insisted that he wasn't going to run off and chase after Lucy, who he knew to be a capable mage now a days, and Cobra.

Lamia Scale had called to say they wouldn't mind; they wanted to see Jellal's magic for themselves.

"I feel like something's wrong," Natsu said after a moment. "I really do. Something's weird about something, even though I don't know what it is."

They gave him a long look. Charle finally sighed and said firmly, "I haven't had any visions that I believe will take place in the next few days. I am sure that you've heard of the vision I had not too long ago. It won't happen today or tomorrow. The scenery was off...it was not Hargeon. Everything will turn out alright, Natsu. Stop being a child."

He blinked and then gave a curt nod. "Right, he muttered, squaring his shoulders proudly. Despite the late train that they'd caught - it had left at a quarter to midnight, which had come and gone - he felt wide awake. Even as the others nodded off, he stayed awake, breathing heavily and trying to keep his roiling emotions under control.

Despite Charle's reassurance, he was in a fit of distress.

Something was wrong.

 _Something's wrong!_

* * *

Her eyes were wide as she stared at the incredible world around them.

"I can't believe it," she whispered to no one in particular. "I can't believe it!"

"You said that already," the man on her right said gruffly. She ignored him and stepped closer to the edge of the platform they stood on. The man on her left grabbed for her arm, but caught nothing. He flinched as if the sudden movement hurt him, and then caught her by the cloak thrown around her shoulders.

"Don't get so close to the edge," he warned.

"Right, sorry." She stepped back and her third companion giggled at her. "What's so funny?"

Her eyes glowed beneath the hood of her cloak. "I never thought I'd say smog is beautiful."

"It is kind of smoggy, isn't it?" she sighed. But she didn't seem to be too upset about the matter. Turning to her second companion and friend, she grabbed his arm lightly in her hand and squeezed. "I'm glad we made it, but what do we do next?"

His snorted in amusement. "We need to find-"

"Other than that. We deserve a break, and nothing happens for another month almost," the other woman cut in. Her gaze darted to the scowling man beside her and he muttered something under her breath. "I want to see everything one more time like this. Before it all goes to hell in a hand basket."

"Please?" she pleaded, squeezing his arm.

They all looked to him patiently and finally he sighed, throwing his arms in the air. "Don't let yourself be seen. We're dead if we're found and you know it. If we did the math right, we should be alright for a while, like you said."

"Let's explore but meet back up before the sun comes up," she added suddenly. Their fourth companion voiced his agreement with a grunt and she beamed, leaning into the side of the man beside her as the other two left.

Her voice filled with an agonizing grief as she whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," he muttered, burying his face in her hair. "It's not your fault. C'mon, maybe we can pick up some clues on where that bastard is hiding now."

"Maybe," she echoed with a hopeful look in her eyes. She wound her arm through his and together, they disappeared into the shadows, side by side.

Just as they'd always been.

* * *

"Did you feel that?"

The deep voice rang out and startled the one beside him awake. Bleary eyes blinked once or twice and then she murmured, "Feel what? What is it you speak of now?"

Dark eyes searched the darkness above them, never tearing away for more than an instant. "Do you not feel it? Something has changed...chaos is coming."

She shuddered at such words and lowered her head to continue her rest, her voice blunt.

"You'd do best to ignore it. There is nothing we can do as we are now."

"Perhaps," he admitted. "I would do what I can and request of that monster to stay away."

"It would do no good. He listens to no one. If he did, we wouldn't be here."

"This will end soon," he soothed, and then proudly curled his chin to his chest, eyes sliding shut. She was right; there wasn't very much they could do at this point in time, but he didn't care. Talons flexed and then gouged into nothingness. A trail of smoke left his nostrils as he contemplated his thoughts in the way he had for so long.

"Be ready. Something is coming," he ordered seriously.

" _Don't worry, we know. We can't do anything to stop it at this point, but people are already on the move. I'll make sure they're okay."_

"Do not let harm come to Natsu."

 _"Tch. Your son will be fine. He always is, isn't he?"_

The powerful dragon let the images of death and destruction flutter over his mind, a future that had not yet come. _Little white cats aren't the only ones who can See._ "No. He will never be fine."

 _"Point taken. You've got one hell of a kid, Igneel. I'll do my best."_

"That is all I ask."

* * *

 _Sort of a lot happening in this chapter. Four new mysterious characters who Bubbles and I have trouble keeping track of and something from even Igneel's point of view!_

 _*quietly whispers* My birthday is tomorrow. I turn eighteen. I'm excited. I'll give you guys an extra update on Saturday as a gift._

 _Thanks to reviewers (StardragonXX, The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, thebooknerdgeek, Dragondancer81, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, RandomAnimeNerd, quite-a-riot, MayraLilacBunny, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Trigger-Happy Texan, Abdltf, HummingBird742, Guest #1, Celestail68, and TwinDragons0268!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	162. Chapter 162

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Somehow, Lucy wasn't surprised when she discovered that Cobra was with Rogue and their cats. Lucy was somewhat relieved that it was only the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth. At least it was less people to laugh at her for biting Sting.

Sting was pouting a little as they approached, and Rogue turned thoughtful crimson eyes on him. He studied him for a few moments and shook his head with a snicker. "Really? Who hurt you?"

"Shut up," Sting grumbled. "Lucy's a biter apparently."

Cobra cackled under his breath and Lector and Frosch giggled to themselves. Lucy smiled a fraction. "It's alright," Cobra ratted out. "She's bitten her Spirit a couple times when he surprised her."

"Shut up," Lucy copied, elbowing the venom dragon slayer. She turned her attention back on Sting and Rogue. "What are you two doing here?"

"Job request," Rogue explained. "We were summoned to deal with some rogue mages."

Lucy furrowed her brow suspiciously. "Hm...interesting. Fairy Tail received a message about the same thing." She hadn't dealt with many jobs, but she was aware that multiple guilds very rarely received the same job requests. The Council was very careful in dealing them out, and clients often times had specific guilds they used.

"Very interesting," Sting agreed, rolling his shoulders. "So from what we saw, I doubt this is gonna be an easy job. I don't think payment will be coming our way, so wanna work together?"

Lucy blinked once, and then nodded. "Yeah," she agreed, "That might be smart. I'm going to call Mira or Erza and see if they can figure out anything about this. I think the requests might have been a lure to drag us all here. Hopefully they can send word to other guilds about the matter."

"I'll text Yukino," Sting agreed, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Lucy copied him, both typing furiously for the next few moments. Cobra eyed them as he suddenly spoke.

"The guy who was tryin' to blow the building up has been arrested. Kept him there until some police guys came and got him. The stupid Council's gonna have to come and pick up the rest of 'em. From what I could hear, they're all - stop the goddamn insults, you blue-eyed freak," he suddenly growled, glowering viciously at Sting. Sting stopped squinting at him and smirked.

"Sting," Rogue said warningly.

"Sorry," Lector said honestly, his eyes stretched wide. "Sting doesn't know what manners are."

"Fro think he was raised by a wyvern," Frosch said innocently, and Lucy choked on nothing at the look of horror that flashed over Sting's face.

"Weisslogia was a great dad! He taught me how to be polite, I just...why bother?"

"No one's saying he wasn't a good father," Lucy soothed and then shoved her phone away. She planted her hands on her hips. "So where do we start? We found their camp...there's a lot more of them there than we originally thought."

Rogue thoughtfully studied the blonde for a few moments and then turned his gaze on Cobra. Cobra glared at him as if he'd heard his thoughts. Lucy was pretty sure he had. "It's not very well-known that Cobra, Angel, and Meredy of Lamia Scale have turned to legal guilds," he said slowly. Rogue glanced at Sting. "Perhaps he could infiltrate the camp? Supposedly help them? He could gather information over a day or two and report back to us through Lector."

"Why not Frosch?" Sting muttered in annoyance. "He's just as useful."

"Fro will get lost," Rogue argued.

Lucy couldn't help but agree with him. She'd heard stories of Frosch's habit. Pressing her lips together, the blonde looked to Cobra, who looked anything but pleased. "It's up to Cobra," she said simply.

"No," he said gruffly. "Ain't happenin', Blondie. Somethin' happens to you, it's immediately gonna be my fault and I'm gonna go back to prison."

"Alright then, we'll figure something else out," Lucy said thoughtfully. She narrowed her eyes in silent contemplation before sighing, "We'll just have to go after them directly, I suppose…"

"Directness might work if we ambush them. They're not really knowledgeable about our presence," Rogue agreed. He waved a hand thoughtfully, shadows flickering around his fingers. Cobra gave them a curious look, tilting his head a fraction. "How many Spirits can you summon? Yukino can summon one."

"Two Zodiacs now," Lucy mused. "But not for too long. They can only be out for under an hour before I start tiring."

"Shouldn't take that long," Sting said firmly. "So that's me, Rogue, Lucy, crabby face over there, and two Spirits. That's six of us against however many rogue mages were in that camp."

"If need be," Lucy said, "We can call for another mage or two. We'd just have to wait some time...and that's not so good, I suppose. They could have killed us all and torn up the town by the time someone else arrives."

"We'll have to make this work." Cobra shifted his weight. "My venom doesn't have to kill. It depends on how potent I make it. I can make it potent enough to knock 'em all unconscious. Or at least I can do it to the majority. Occasionally there's a bastard that somehow resists."

Lucy's lips twitched in amusement at the way he put it and he glared at her for her laughter. "That's perfect, Cobra," she promised. "I think that's what we'll do. So Cobra can deal with the majority. Anyone else who doesn't get knocked out, the rest of us can deal with. Lector and Frosch can maybe fly above and keep an eye on things. If someone gets seriously hurt…"

"They can get them out of the way." Rogue looked pleased that his cat wouldn't be in the middle of the fight.

"Well, we can't do the ambush tonight," Sting said, cracking a massive yawn. "I need sleep. Had paperwork to do last night and haven't slept more than six hours in the last three days. I can't be fighting as well as I should be if I don't sleep a good solid twelve hours at least."

"Sleep is a necessity." Lucy made sure she had their numbers in her phone. "I'll text you two tomorrow and we can figure out where to meet up and at what time. Make sure you're ready for an attack at any point."

"Got it." Sting gave her a mocking salute of sorts, smirking. "See ya, Lucy, Cobra."

They turned to leave, but Cobra surprised them all by stopping them with a grunt. Sting glanced back and Rogue patiently waited. "How's Angel?"

Sting gave him a huge grin, showing off his sharp fangs. "Sorano's doin' great. Yukino's excited that she's hangin' around and they've been working as a team for a while now. Sorano's been cleared entirely by the Council to come and go as she pleases. I'll let her know you're doin' good, too, when Yukino calls to check in tonight." He gave a final wave and then they were off.

Lucy gave him an amused look. "You'll be going freely, too, if this goes well."

Cobra shrugged with a bluntly stated, "I don't give a damn if I'm able to go freely. I just want Cubelli - Kinana."

That only made Lucy smile more.

* * *

Lucy went to sleep as soon as they got to their hotel and when she woke up a good while later at eleven in the morning, she was greeted by a missed phone call from Natsu and a decided meeting time for the Fairy Tail and Sabertooth members. Yawning, she decided to call him back as she made coffee in a coffee pot in the room.

"Hello?" he rasped when he answered.

"Hey, Natsu," she greeted warmly. "Just waking up, too?"

"Ugh," he slurred, and she grinned when she thought she heard him tell Happy to shut up under his breath. "Was up late. Couldn't sleep and Happy and I were comin' up with a routine for this evening."

"Look at you, planning ahead," she teased.

"Tch," he grumbled back, and then demanded, "What's happened with your work?"

"A lot, actually. Sabertooth showed up. Just Sting and Rogue and their cats." Natsu grunted in surprise and she explained, "We're working together. We think it was a trap to lure us in for some reason. We stopped them from blowing something up last night. I think we're going to start a plan later."

Natsu's voice filled with alarm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I bit Sting when he scared me though." Lucy rolled her eyes when he cackled, declaring he was proud of her for doing so. "Shush, I apparently bite when people scare the hell out of me. Anyways, we're going to be careful. When I get back, we'll go out."

"Good." Natsu seemed to perk up. "I like going to dinner with you."

Lucy felt a flash of affection for her dragon slaying partner. "I'm glad. I better go see where that eavesdropping idiot's run off to. See you soon, Natsu."

"Bye, Luce!"

She hung up, humming under her breath.

A moment later, she saw something move in the window. Lucy dropped a hand to her hip instinctively, sensing that something was off, and summoned the first Spirit she touched. Virgo appeared beside her in a flash of light. "What can I do for you, Prin-"

She hadn't even finished her question before the wall suddenly imploded. Lucy threw her hands up to cover her face, thrown back by whatever had done it. Virgo took up a protective stance in front of the celestial mage and narrowed her sharp blue eyes.

A cackling woman climbed into view, her green eyes blazing. "Look who we found...just the one we were hoping for. Miss Lucy Heartfilia, celestial mage of Fairy Tail and princess of Bosco...ooh! Look, she's got herself a boyfriend, too!"

Lucy bit back a scowl. Not daring to question how she knew what she did, Lucy snarled, "Yeah, and he's Fairy Tail's Salamander, Natsu Dragneel. So you better have a damn good reason for this."

"Oh, I do. You see, we need your keys. Orders, you know?" The woman bared her teeth in a grin and then wordlessly lunged at them. Virgo didn't flinch, catching the woman's wrist when a dagger came out of nowhere at her. She shoved back with ease.

"Do not touch the Princess," Virgo said, her tone holding a bit more anger than Lucy had expected. Lucy reached for another key and summoned Taurus, who came bellowing out of nowhere with an axe. Lucy heard commotion from the wall beside hers.

 _Cobra must have been attacked, too,_ she realized silently, her eyes widening in alarm. There was a shout and then the wall was gone, a cloud of what looked like poisonous gas filling the room.

"Get down!"

Cobra came out of nowhere, crashing into her. He slammed her to the ground just as a blast of black magic soared over their heads and struck a wall. He snarled, good eye darting up and teeth bared. "Keep your head down, Blondie. Don't breathe in my venom. It's set to kill."

"Go it," Lucy muttered, reaching for the whip she'd put on the floor beside her bed with her left hand.

A loud snap followed by a scream was heard as a foot descended on her arm as hard as physically possible. Tears sprang to Lucy's eyes at the agonizing pain that raced up her limb. She lunged and caught the whip's hilt with her good arm and let it whirl and snap around her as the woman from before grinned down.

"Hand over the keys," she ordered.

"Leave me alone!" Lucy cried back and snapped the whip. She caught the woman's wrist and yanked as hard as she could. The green-eyed woman gasped as she hit the ground. Within seconds, Virgo was there, tying her up with cold blue eyes.

"How dare you hurt our Princess," she said in a low voice that sent chills down Lucy's spine. "She is under the protection of the Spirit King. He will see to it that proper punishment is dealt at the time of your demise."

"Let's tone down the threats, Virgo," Lucy croaked.

"Yes, Princess," Virgo said grudgingly. She turned her attention back on the fight, and both were relieved to discover that it had begun to come to an abrupt end. Police sirens filled the air and several people had been knocked out. Taurus snorted furiously as he returned to Lucy's side, and Cobra wiped his mouth.

"That should be the majority of 'em. One or two got away."

Cradling her arm to her chest, Lucy went to join him. "What happened?" she demanded as she sent Virgo and Taurus back to their realm. The Spirits looked worried as they disappeared in a flash of light. "Why the hell would they want my keys?"

It had been a long time since people had come after her because of her magic - not since Oracion Seis months before.

"I don't know," Cobra grunted, eyes blazing as police began to enter the room, guns at the ready. One woman began to approach them and he raised his chin proudly, making sure that the maroon emblem he now supported on his bared forearm was showing.

"But I can tell ya one thing. It can't be a good thing."

* * *

Emerald eyes shone with suspicion as Mavis stared over the peaceful town of Magnolia. Her eyelids lowered a fraction, and then sprang open. Her blonde hair waving in a soft breeze, Mavis stepped off of the roof of the guildhall and landed lightly at its doors, her expression one of concern.

 _Something is not right._

"Holy shit!"

Her gaze darted over to Gajeel, who'd been preparing to enter the guildhall. His crimson eyes were full of shock as he stared at her, and then narrowed irritably. "Can you not fucking drop out of nowhere? Almost impaled you on an iron spear!"

Mavis' lips twitched and then tugged into a frown. "Prepare yourself, Gajeel Redfox." He frowned and she lifted her worried eyes to they sky, pressing a hand over her heart.

"I believe there may soon be a war that speaks of life and death for Fairy Tail."

Gajeel gave her a long look and then nodded silently. "Got it."

She listened to him enter the guildhall, and then clasped her hands as if in prayer, biting the knuckles of her thumbs gently.

 _Our end is nigh._

* * *

 _As promised, an extra chapter!_

 _Thank you so, so much for all of the birthday wishes! I really appreciate it! :)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, Guest #1, Lyonsgirl, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, ToastedWeirdBrain, FireDragonPhia, Guest #2,brooke315, Abdltf, TheAliceHuntt, CupcakarmaFanGurl, TwinDragons0268, LePengwen, Leahcar-Soutaichou, arcadea333, Armin-05, ckc14, Trigger-Happy Texan, RandomAnimeGirl, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Guest #3, AnnaYasashii, Celestail68, Tobias97, Dragondancer81, NaluNom, tmmathewitch, clarelovesnalu514, Cinder Dragneel, Sydneste, Guest #4, FairyRains, HummingBird742, SoranoFairgray, Ano Aoi Sora, Treblemkr, Nalu and InuKag, Guest #5, Unconscious Again, and Molly Bugatti!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	163. Chapter 163

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

It was late afternoon before Lucy was finally able to text Sting and Rogue about what had happened and why they'd missed the meeting time that had been decided on. Sting had told her to have them stay at the hospital and that they'd pick them up.

Her arm had been casted and she grimaced at the thought of what Natsu would do. It hadn't been a bad break, but it had hurt like hell when they'd set the arm. She felt a little out of it thanks to medication, and Cobra would start laughing every now and then as various thoughts filtered through her head because of it.

"Stop laughing at me, you one-eyed freak," Lucy mumbled finally.

He only snickered and retorted, "Says the one who couldn't reach their weapon in time - shit, woman, that hurt!"

She pretended she hadn't attacked his shin as he hopped up and down. Instead, she lifted a hand when she caught sight of familiar faces. "Over here!"

Sting and Rogue jogged over, cats in tow. "What happened?" Rogue questioned, his red eyes gleaming seriously. "We saw that there had been attack…"

"They're after my keys." Lucy touched the ring at her hip. "Zodiacs, likely." She scowled and showed them the blindingly white cast she'd been given. "One of them snapped my arm like a goddamn twig."

Sting made a face at the thought of how it might have sounded - to which Cobra muttered it had been disgusting - and then spoke. "We may need to bring in some help for this…even with the amount you guys took care of, there's so many…"

"Unison Raid, perhaps?" Lucy suggested. "You two can do it, I've heard."

They exchanged looks and Lector piped in helpfully. "They can, Lucy. It knocks them out afterwards though. It tires them out a lot."

Lucy sighed in disappointment. "That's out of the question then. We'll have to do our ambush tomorrow, it's too late in the day and I can't see where I'm putting my feet because of this stupid medication-"

She'd barely finished speaking when her phone started ringing.

"Natsu," she muttered at the same time that Cobra moaned the fire mage's name in frustration and annoyance. Sting beamed at the mention of his friend and Rogue only shook his head when Frosch giggled hysterically.

"What?" she answered tiredly, holding the phone to her ear. "What could you possibly need right now, Natsu? Please, enlighten me. I'm not in the mood for your normal gibberish, either, so spit it out."

A pause, and then a muttered, "Well, if that's how you're gonna say hello, I'll just call later."

"Don't you dare hang up on me," she growled. "What?"

"Just checkin' in before we get started. Ready to go?"

Lucy squinted at nothing, kicking Cobra again when he snickered and cackled like some kind of movie witch. "What the hell are you talking about?" She refused to tell him about her arm; he'd panic and try to convince Happy to fly him there. "Actually, I'm not even going to ask."

There was a moment of confused silence, and then he swore under his breath. "Uh, sorry, Luce." Lucy became suspicious, recognizing that his voice was abnormally high-pitched. "Shit, I gotta go. Something...came up, and-"

"You're a terrible liar. What's wrong?" Lucy furrowed her brow when the line crackled for a moment. "Natsu? What's going on? Is everything okay with Lamia Scale? Did you burn something down again?"

There was a surprisingly bitter laugh. "I gotta go," he repeated, voice gentler. Lucy felt a flash of worry for her boyfriend. "I'll call ya back later, okay?"

Without another word, he hung up.

Frustrated, Lucy scowled.

"Tomorrow then?" Rogue said, amusement written in his clear crimson eyes.

"Tomorrow," Lucy agreed, raking her hand through her hair.

Tomorrow for sure.

* * *

 _Something's wrong!_

Natsu snapped awake, his heart racing and his hand fisted on his naked chest. His nails dug into the skin there and he snapped upright, breathing heavily. Wordlessly ignoring Happy, who groaned his protest, he stumbled out of bed. There was a yelp when he stepped on someone, but he ignored it.

"Lucy!" he gasped, blindly searching for her. "Where's Lucy?!"

"Natsu?" Wendy's timid voice called from the second bed of the hotel room. A light turned on and Jellal blinked up at the ceiling, rubbing his stepped-on stomach.

"Where's Lucy?!" Natsu repeated, voice rising in panic.

"Not here!" Jellal said cautiously. "Lucy's with Cobra on a job, Natsu-"

"Shit!" Natsu lunged for his clothes. "Something's wrong, really wrong-"

"Is he okay?" Happy whispered, watching nervously.

Charle grumbled, opening her eyes with a tired expression. "He's fine. There's nothing wrong, you pink-haired idiot. I would have seen it."

But he didn't seem to notice. Natsu grabbed his sandals and yanked them on, pulling his scarf around his neck. "Something's wrong, we have to get to them," he muttered. "They're up to something-"

Jellal groaned. He'd commented to Erza via text that something was wrong with the dragon slayer. She had reassured him that it was normal when Lucy wasn't around. "Call her," he suggested patiently.

Natsu paused, and then muttered that it would be smart. He darted over to his phone and dialed her number, not seeming to care that it was two in the morning and that she'd be sleeping. No one picked up, and he began to panic more.

"Calm yourself," Charle snapped. "She's fine!"

"She's not fine!" he cried, "Something's wrong!"

"Jeez," Happy muttered, "I think you're losing it, Natsu."

Jellal climbed to his feet, still rubbing his stomach. He suspected it would bruise, to be honest. Gently, he approached the distressed and flaming dragon slayer, and then lightly touched his arm. "Natsu," he soothed quietly. "Lucy is a strong mage. Cobra is just as powerful, and you said that Sabertooth joined them. She'll be fine. She's protected. You need to stop this. It'll scare her and give her bad feelings about having you as her boyfriend, alright? She won't want you hanging on and looking over her shoulder as if she can't handle anything."

Natsu searched his gaze. "I know that," he said after a moment, deflating. "But something _wrong_. I can feel it! There's this...pain, right here." He touched the left side of his chest, where his heart rested. "Since a few nights ago."

Wendy climbed out of her bed and immediately took a look at him. Resting her ear over his heart to listen to the rhythm, she told him, "You're just incredibly worried. Okay?"

His eyes seared into hers when she met his gaze. "...whatever," he said with a bitter tone, furious that no one was listening to him. He lightly pushed her away - even angry with her, he'd _never_ hurt Wendy. Natsu touched the scar on his arm and went over to the window as Jellal shut the light off. Everyone else went to bed again, ready to sleep and prepare for the next day.

Natsu was still there when the sun rose, his forehead pressed against the glass and onyx eyes darting this way and that as his heart raced.

Something was wrong.

And he had to tell Lucy.

* * *

"Ready?"

Lucy glanced up, blinking when she discovered that Loke was beside her. "I didn't-"

"No, but your emotions are a mess and your arm hurts, so I thought I'd pop in." Loke looked amused as she checked the choker at her throat. "You're like Layla in that prospect. You don't like to ask for support. I better be one of the Spirits you summon mid-battle."

"I'll summon you and I was thinking Aquarius or maybe even Aries to help put shields up around me."

"Smart choices," he complimented. "Natsu called, did he not?"

Lucy paused at the mention of the phone call from the day before. She strapped on the strange gauntlet that Sting had presented her when he'd stopped by the previous evening. _"Yukino likes to use things like this to protect her arms while she's fighting,"_ he'd explained. _"It won't fit over your cast, but it'll keep you from breaking your other limb."_

"Yeah," she admitted. "It was a weird call though. Really weird."

"Natsu's an idiot. Ignore it." Loke nudged her gently with his elbow. "Don't worry. You'll be back with Fairy Tail soon, Lucy." He rolled his shoulders and glanced at the clock. "Remember. You can call on me for _anything_." His shaded eyes took on a serious glint that she couldn't see. "And I mean anything. I'd give up my presence as a Spirit for you."

"I know, and thank you for that." Lucy gave him a warm smile with endless amounts of gratitude interwoven and then watched as he disappeared.

A moment later, there was a knock on the door, and Cobra shouted, "Oi! Stop jabbering with your lion guy and let's go, Blondie!"

"Coming!" Lucy shot to her feet. She grabbed her whip and keys and then darted out of the door. Cobra had already started for the elevator that would get them to the ground floor. Lucy took a deep breath and then stepped into it when it arrived. The venom dragon slayer kept close.

Within the room she'd left behind, her phone rang, the screen blinking with four words: _Missed Call: Natsu Dragneel._

* * *

Foot tapping impatiently, she searched the street from her hiding spot. Her companions should have arrived, but...none of them had. Not even the one she was most worried about, who had far more to deal with than even she.

It seemed like eons before the first made an appearance. She called her name, and the young woman's only female companion came sprinting over, cloak fluttering around her. The tallest of the four appeared not far behind and slid in beside her. The petite third companion lightly gripped his arm. "Sorry," she apologized. "Someone was distracted by the fountain's statue."

"Looked tasty," he mumbled.

She giggled and then asked, "Any sign of-"

"Sorry!"

The familiar voice made her moan in relief, and he smiled sheepishly at her as he slid into view. His face held a few scrapes, eyes sharp with concern. "Something came up. I couldn't call you or find you. Did anyone get what we needed?"

"From the information gathered," she began, "They don't have the Spirits' keys."

"They don't?" the third companion demanded.

The second grinned. "That's great! We got here in time! We just need to keep them from getting them and we'll be good to go! Crisis averted!"

"The seventh of July will be here before we know it, stupid," the fourth said suddenly. They all sobered. "Everything _has_ to happen the same way. That's what we were told."

"He's right," she admitted. She pressed her lips together, touching her shoulder awkwardly, and the second companion leaned into her side, shoving her hand away. She rolled her eyes. "That's the day we need to change. We have to close those damn doors."

"He knows we're here," the third said slowly. "We have to be wary."

"Yes," she agreed. "We do. You'll be in charge of strategy. You're the best at it out of the four of us. Keep in contact with-"

"She sent word last night. She's keeping in touch."

Turning to the fourth, she said, "You need to keep an eye on the situation with the government and the army around here."

"Got it."

"I'll watch over the guild," her second companion stated suddenly. His gaze darkened. "I won't let what happened to my girlfriend happen again, goddammit."

There was a moment of silence in which they awkwardly remembered.

A lack of reaction had brought about a death, one they hadn't gone through. Instead, someone else had died, leaving the pair of them an odd match that was fiercely close with one another yet incredibly distant.

"I'll watch the princess," she said finally.

"Be careful," the third companion murmured. "He'll be near her."

"I know. I'll be cautious." She took a deep breath. "Ready guys?"

Her second companion grinned and threw his hand into the air, making an odd gesture. They copied, and she watched the couple before them kiss quickly before going their separate ways.

"I'd kiss you," the second told her, "But it'd be weird." He wrinkled his nose.

"Weird," she agreed. "Be safe." She touched his arm and then whirled and stalked off into the night.

His haunted eyes watched her go.

Something told his aged and grieving soul that the end of all of his suffering near.

* * *

 _More mysterious characters, Natsu's throwing fits, and medicine-drugged Lucy is kicking Cobra. Gotta love messes._

 _Thanks to reviewers (NaLu and InuKag, The Age of Awesomeness, Starburst2879, Dragondancer81, Sydneste, thebooknerdgeek, RandomAnimeNerd, Trigger-Happy Texan, CupcakarmaFanGurl, Guest #1, LePengwen, MayraLilacBunny, pinkdoughtnuts, TwinDragons0268, Faery'sConfessions, TheAliceHuntt, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, PinkFireandGoldenStars, and SoranoFairgray!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	164. Chapter 164

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Loke and I will take the east," Lucy said in a low voice as the group of mages stared down into the camp. "Cobra, north. Rogue, south. Sting, west. On my signal, go."

She wasn't sure why she'd taken over strategy. Sting was a guildmaster. Cobra had launched an ambush before. All of them had more experience with this than she did...she'd _never_ willingly launched into a battle before. She'd always been dragged in.

But if it worked…

"And we'll be up in the sky," Lector announced quietly, winking. Wings appeared at his back and after letting Frosch give Rogue a quick hug, the cats sprang into the air, disappearing high in the sky.

Lucy eyed her casted arm with distaste. It'd slow her down and give her a disadvantage, but Loke would be with her. She summoned Loke, who appeared quietly beside her and nodded in greeting to the others. Rogue prepared to watch for danger as they went to get into positions. Loke and Lucy hurried along to their decided place, the Lion gently helping her as they went.

Lucy gave it a while when they were ready. Loke stood silently at her side, his fingers twitching impatiently. Her whip was held lightly in one hand.

"Ready?" Lucy said suddenly. Loke nodded and Lucy took a deep breath before ordering, "Give the signal!"

"Got it." Loke threw a beautiful blast of white into the sky, and there were shouts below as it took the shape of Fairy Tail's emblem. To Lucy's right, she saw another emblem appear. Fairy Tail's emblem took shape in the cloud of venom that rose, and Sting and Rogue threw up Sabertooth's with their magic before they all charged down into the camp.

Lucy took a flying leap, using her good hand to propel herself over a fence that had been built. She hit the dusty ground with Loke behind her and people scattered as he let light envelop his arms.

"That's her!" one cried. "Get the keys!"

"Like hell," Lucy snarled and summoned Virgo. Virgo went to work on trapping some in pits and the ones she couldn't get, Lucy and Loke threw in. Lucy's whip snaked expertly across the ground and Loke's magic blinded anyone who looked his way.

Sting and Rogue soon joined alongside Cobra, who didn't hesitate to throw himself into the chaos and start spraying venom. "Watch it!" Lucy shouted to him, knowing he'd hear despite the loud fighting that had broken out.

He stopped to give her a curt nod and then swept a man's feet out from under him.

"Behind you, Lucy!"

Loke's warning had her ducking, her whip snaking out to catch a woman by her ankle. She screeched furiously as the whip yanked her to the ground and sent her skidding right into a pit that Virgo had dug.

Sting laughed from nearby as he let loose a White Dragon's Roar. Rogue told him to calm down before unleashing his own Roar. Shadows ripped through the ground and a tent that had been set up. People dove out of the way or were knocked unconscious by the sheer force.

Within minutes, the battle was over. Lucy was somewhat grateful that a good portion of men and women had been taken out the previous night, when they'd attacked she and Cobra. Including that nasty green-eyed woman, who'd seemed to read her mind on some matters.

Lucy panted for breath when they were finished. Her eyes blazing with excitement over the prospect that they'd won, she shouted praise to Cobra and told him she'd make damn sure the report she got out was good.

He flashed her a grin with sharp fangs. Suddenly, his eyes flashed with alarm and without hesitation, fired off a Venom Dragon's Roar. She shrieked and dropped, covering her head. Loke bellowed out her name as a stream of magic met the blast over her head and created a miniature explosion.

Lucy barely flinched, used to the heat after hanging out with Natsu so much. Her head snapped up after the blast dissipated and Loke lunged for her, dragging her out of the way as a large man grinned maliciously at him. "You're a Spirit, ain't ya? Too bad your mistress is gonna lose her keys. Bet ya like her from the looks of it."

Loke growled low in his throat. "Don't touch them."

Lucy snapped her whip out to try and catch his wrist, but the man yanked the whip from her grip. Lucy grimaced at the way it tore from her hand and Cobra slipped aside as Rogue and Sting suddenly both inhaled.

"Get down," Loke ordered gently, pushing her head down. He squinted as both dragon slayers bellowed out a blast of their magic. It swirled together, creating a mixture of light and shadows and then slammed into the man. He grunted, forced back.

And then the power multiplied a thousand times over and he, too, was knocked out.

"Sweet!" Sting cheered, wiping his mouth. "Unison Raid practice paid off!"

Rogue rolled his eyes. "Calm down, you moron. Yukino will be pleased, however. Rufus, too."

Cobra strode over to where Lucy was, eyes narrowed into slits. "You good, Blondie?"

"I'm fine," she sighed, and patted Loke's arm before closing his gate. He watched her intently until he was gone. "Loke got me out of the way. Thanks for the help." She planted her hand on her hip, ignoring the throb in her arm. She'd have Wendy deal with it when they got home…

"Oh!" Lucy grinned suddenly. "I'm going to have Natsu meet up with us on the way home. He'll be in Hargeon when we are. We can all head back together. Wendy can take a look at my arm then, too."

"Slow down, Lucy," Sting laughed as Lector and Frosch soared down. Lector praised them - particularly Sting.

Frosch only greeted Rogue before contently purring in his arms.

Lucy smiled to herself, pleased.

Her first job without her team had had a few bumps, but nothing they hadn't been able to handle.

And she couldn't be more proud of herself.

* * *

She and Cobra said farewell to Sabertooth after a member of the Council came by to pick up the dozens of people. They'd chosen to leave as soon as they could. Sting and Lucy teased one another - Cobra cutting in with a sarcastic comment about how she needed to be careful to not take Sting's eye out when she threw a hand in the air.

"See ya at the Grand Magic Games," Lector called as he was carried away and Lucy murmured her agreement, waving a final time.

When that was done with, the pair made their way to the hotel. "I'll book us a plane for tomorrow," Lucy told him. "Master said that the guild will handle the transportation fees since it's a bit more expensive and I'm not exactly able to come across money easy…"

Cobra gave her a bewildered look. "Ain't your boyfriend got a hoard?"

"I'm not gonna take money from Natsu's hoard, that's rude," Lucy retorted, a little insulted. But she smiled and headed into her room, pressing her lips together as she told Cobra to meet her in the lobby at six in the morning.

Lucy found her phone first. She'd left it so it wouldn't be broken in the fighting.

"Damn, Natsu," Lucy hummed as she studied the screen. "Sixteen missed calls?" Wary and a little concerned, the blonde dialed his number and lifted the phone to her ear.

It rang for a moment, and then a voice exploded on the other end, "Luce!?"

"Hey, Natsu," Lucy said cheerfully, too excited by their success to be annoyed. She still felt worried for him, but he'd answered… "Sorry I didn't answer, we were getting things done this morning. I'm booking a flight to Hargeon tonight-"

He cut her off. "You're okay?"

"I'm fine," she huffed. "Why? What's wrong? You sound out of breath."

There was a shuffle and a protest before Jellal's surprisingly irritated voice snapped, "He's been literally running in circles since we woke up this morning."

Lucy blinked. "Why?"

"He woke up last night," Wendy's faint voice called from wherever she was nearby. "Thinking something was wrong. He was going to go to where you are if we hadn't made him go back to sleep."

"Shut up!" Natsu whined, voice muffled. Lucy guessed that he'd taken his phone back because his voice suddenly clearer. "Just felt funny, and my chest was aching. Wanted to make sure you were okay."

Lucy's lips twitched and she reassured with a kind tone, "I'm okay, Natsu. My arm was broken in an ambush yesterday, but other than that...we're fine."

"Your arm's broken?" he said, voice panicked, and she sighed loudly.

"It'll be fine. I'll have Wendy look at it. Behave yourself and if you hang around Hargeon for another day or two, we'll be arriving at the airport. We can all head back to Magnolia on the train together and Cobra and I can tell you guys about the job."

Natsu made an unhappy sound. "You can't come back sooner?"

"No, Natsu, I can't teleport myself who knows how many miles at your demand." She rolled her eyes. "We'll be fine. I'll be back tomorrow. And then we'll head out and do dinner or something before working with the others on teamwork."

"Jellal kicked me this morning," Natsu said under his breath. "Can I punch him?"

At least he wasn't so frantic now, she supposed. "No, you can't punch Jellal for kicking you. It's your own fault he's so irritable. I'll send you a text after I've bought the tickets."

"Kay," he grumbled.

"Don't annoy them," Lucy pleaded and then added, "I'll see you soon. Bye, Natsu."

"Bye, Luce." Lucy went to hang up, but he suddenly cut in again before she could, voice fierce, "Be careful. I'm gonna burn Hargeon to the ground if anything happens."

"That's not nice," Lucy chided, but promised to be careful. She hung up after that and scrubbed a hand down her face with a heavy sigh. If he'd annoyed the ever patient Jellal so much, she was a little concerned.

At least she'd be with him tomorrow to keep him in check.

That was more than enough for her.

* * *

The smell of fishy air made him wrinkle his nose as he stood among the shadows. His eyes followed the trio of Fairy Tail mages closely as they hung out around a fountain in the center of town. He remembered it; it had been built in honor of Lamia Scale, the mermaid at its center curving high above.

He could see the familiar dragon slayer pacing and pacing. He wouldn't sit still and he silently wondered if he could sense him. But he knew how to avoid a dragon slayer's senses.

His eyes wandered to the other dragon slayer, who was chattering with the cats at either side of her. The blue-haired heavenly body mage cut in every now and then, gently making an input.

He'd come to Hargeon only hours after leaving his friends to their work. He'd called them and informed them on where he was, explaining why he'd gone so far. They'd understood.

A ringtone cut through the air and he recognized the sound. His lips curved into a smug smile as the dragon slayer stopped pacing to check his phone. Relief crossed his face and he told them, "Luce is comin' back tomorrow. She'll be in around noon."

"Thank the heavens I use," the blue-haired mage said darkly. He had never been this aggravated.

He couldn't really blame him.

That pacing was pissing _him_ off, and he was a dozen or so feet away, just watching.

The dragon slayer seemed to relax for the first time since he'd found them, and he rested his back against the brick wall, never taking his eyes off of them.

"I'll protect you guys," he said with a dark hint to his voice, eyes swirling with an oddly dark look. "No matter what I have to do. I won't let it happen again."

* * *

 _And the end of the job has arrived! Gotta love psychotic stuff._

 _My bulldog went to school today and did amazing! We had a fire drill and she got to ride in a wagon outside while people freaked out about it. It was fun. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (StardragonXX, TheAliceHuntt, The Age of Awesomeness, Guest #1, Starburst2879, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, HummingBird742, Dragondancer81, Celestail68, Trigger-Happy Texan, LePengwen, PotatoGirl14, MirrorFlame, Faery'sConfessions, FairyRains, Nicolenya, pinkdoughtnuts, Idkman, KeepCalmAndDoItLikeAFanGirl, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	165. Chapter 165

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy thought her ribs were going to break when she was tackled by an overjoyed Natsu after finally getting to Hargeon the next day. Cobra cackled as she struggled to push him off. "I can't breathe," she gasped.

"Sorry!" Natsu pulled back and happily kept a grip on her good arm. She could see his sharp onyx eyes studying her. And then he gave her his signature grin, looking exceptionally happy as he told her, "I missed you."

Lucy had to fight back the urge to snort at his behavior. "I can see that." She patted his arm gently, letting her happiness at being with him again show through the gentleness of her touch. She wouldn't say it aloud, but she'd missed him and been a little lost without her excitable partner in crime.

"Lucy!" Wendy cheered as she tackled her in a lighter hug. Lucy laughed and hugged her and then let Happy join in.

"It appears you were missed by more than just Natsu," Jellal mused with amusement, Charle standing awkwardly at his feet as people openly stared at the group. A few looked annoyed, some hateful. More than one looked excited and whispered to one another, pointing their way.

"I missed her most though!" Natsu crowed, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"Who the hell cares who missed Blondie most?" Cobra huffed. "Can we go now?"

"Yes," Lucy reassured with a laugh. He just wanted to see Kinana. As if reading her mind, he gave her a dark look. She pretended not to notice and leaned into Natsu's side as she greeted Jellal.

They made their way out of the airport and down the street. The train station wasn't too far away, and Lucy found herself exceptionally relieved to finally be getting home. She hadn't minded taking the job that had been requested of her - it hadn't been too bad, actually. But she'd missed her boyfriend and team, and she'd found herself expecting someone to react in a way the didn't.

When they climbed on the train, Natsu looked hopefully to Wendy, but she shook her head. "I don't want it to stop working on you," she explained. "I'll do my Troia for you though, if you'd like," she offered to Cobra with a beaming smile.

"Troia…?" He squinted suspiciously at her, as if not entirely looking forward to whatever she was suggesting.

"No more motion sickness," Lucy explained with a grin. "Natsu's favorite spell."

Cobra seemed to contemplate this for a moment before reluctantly agreeing, and Wendy murmured under her breath to herself as she went to work. He watched her with a wary look, and from where she was being carried gently by Jellal, Charle scolded, "Don't overuse your magic on something so ridiculous, child."

"I'm not," Wendy promised.

Lucy turned her attention back on Natsu, furrowing her brow in thought. "Natsu," she said, and then added, "Jellal, you too…these people we went after. They lured us in, as well as Sabertooth. They were after my keys, and Yukino's, too, I think."

There was a moment in which she was stared at, and then Natsu proceeded to burst into flames. Lucy gave him a glare; just because they weren't required to keep magic hidden didn't mean that he needed to promptly light himself on fire!

Jellal was far more quiet in his response, saying slowly, "I don't know why, but it doesn't surprise me. Many people would come after the Zodiac keys, Lucy."

The blonde touched the metal lovingly. "And no one will ever touch them," she muttered darkly.

"Lucy," Wendy said, turning to glance at her. "Would you like me to look at your arm on the train?"

"I'd appreciate it a lot," Lucy said honestly. "It can wait until we get home if it needs to though."

"I'll do it on the train," Wendy hummed. "I don't get to heal broken bones often. It's good practice." Lucy gave her a long look, as if uncertain as to whether or not that was a normal thing for someone with magic that healed to be saying. But she shrugged and moved on, turning to Jellal again.

"I recommend," Jellal said, continuing their conversation. "That you make sure to go nowhere alone. You're far more powerful than you were - particularly with how you've mastered that spell of yours. But just to be safe. There are ways that people can catch you unprepared. Your magic is unlike ours. You can't just summon it with your soul just yet. You require the touch of your keys and words."

"You mean I just can't suddenly breathe fire," Lucy murmured in understanding, eyeing Natsu, who was still leaking smoke from his nostrils. She gave him a glare until he stopped. "I get it. I'll make sure that someone's with me at all times," she promised, and then beamed a thoughtful Happy dropped onto her head, lightly using his claws to stay in place. He made sure not to hurt her head too badly with them.

Natsu tugged his scarf from his mouth and then subconsciously rubbed his chest, looking off into the distance without another word, even as Lucy questioned him.

 _Something's wrong,_ he decided, but it didn't bother him so much.

At least Lucy was with him now.

* * *

Evening found Lucy happily sitting at the bar in Fairy Tail's headquarters with Natsu on one side of her and an exhausted Gray on her other. A paper was before her, a carefully handwritten report filled out, and she was just signing her name as she asked, "What's up with you, Gray?"

"Training," he moaned. "Against Erza."

Natsu flinched in sympathy, but taunted, "Not strong enough to fend her off?"

"On the contrary," Erza's voice cut in. "He managed to accidentally cut my cheek."

The trio of mages glanced up as she came over, her hands on her jean-clad hips. Indeed, a long cut stretched from her temple to her chin. "Wendy offered to heal it, but every mage likes their scars. How's your arm, Lucy?"

"Sore," she admitted, eyeing her healed arm. She flexed her hand and grimaced. "She said that they would be for a day or two though, so…"

"You'll have time to heal before the Grand Magic Games then," she said firmly, beaming. Erza's eyes glowed as she told her, "We leave soon. It'll take us a good day or so to get the entire guild there. The Council's set up people to defend Magnolia in our absence."

"Everyone's coming?" Lucy said in alarm.

"Everyone," Erza confirmed. "They've built a magically enhanced stadium for it. They're broadcasting it across Fiore on every television."

"Great." Lucy sighed. So she'd fail in front of everyone. She sucked her lower lip between her teeth and chewed on it, her dark eyes troubled. Gray noticed and squinted at her from where he'd rested his head on the bar.

"What?" he grunted. "Don't want to compete?"

Natsu whirled in his seat, his onyx eyes landing on Lucy with a sharp look. "You don't want to compete, Luce?"

Lucy flushed as Erza looked her way, too. She raked a hand through her long hair as she sat back, shaking her head. "No, I do. I'd like to try, just...I don't think I'm going to do well. There are so many other mages who would have been a better choice. I wish Master had picked someone like...you guys, who's been using magic for longer than a year."

"Lucy," Gray drawled, sitting up and speaking hastily before Natsu could launch into his speech. "Listen. You're not the strongest. We aren't either. That title belongs to someone like Gildarts, maybe even a mage in another country. Here's the thing: your potential magic is incredible, surpasses quite a few of us."

"I believe it may surpass my own abilities," Erza added. Lucy squirmed uncomfortably at the compliment.

"And the rate at which you've improved and trained over just one year is incredible," Gray continued. "Do you know how long it took me to master making one weapon with ice? Or how long it took Natsu to manipulate the fire like he does? It took Erza years to entirely master and control the magic she uses."

"What the moron is saying," Natsu cut in impatiently, "Is that you're badass and Master picked ya for a reason. And if ya lose a match, you lose it. No big deal."

"That," Gray muttered, waving awkwardly at his rival. "What he said."

Erza only smiled warmly at her.

Lucy flushed a brilliant red and tried to blink back tears, honored by what they'd said about her. "I guess," she finally managed to get out, voice thick with emotion. "Thanks. All of you."

Gray gave her a grin and ruffled her hair affectionately before going to sit with Juvia, who'd begun to hesitantly approach them. But she'd stopped with an uncertain look, her eyes wide. Erza slammed Lucy into her chest for a hug, and Lucy gave a grimace of pain that Natsu cackled at.

When Erza had gone Natsu suddenly leaned towards her, getting in her personal space. Lucy narrowed her eyes and leaned back. "What are you doing?" she demanded, and he suddenly gave a beaming grin. Aware that Mirajane was watching them, Lucy arched a brow.

"I wanna go on a date when we're in Crocus," he told her and she blinked in surprise. "And I don't want to do something like we've been doing. I want to do something else."

"We can do that," she said slowly. She thought over all of it, narrowing her eyes as she contemplated what they could do in the city she'd lived in for quite some time. She came up blank, however, and frowned. "We'll have to see what's available, 'cause-"

"There's gonna be a small festival in town," he cut in. Lucy's lips parted; he'd already looked into this! "There's gonna be food and music and stuff, so I thought we could mess around there. It's not as big as our Fantasia Parade and stuff, but…"

"That sounds like fun, Natsu, let's do it," Lucy agreed, amused with him. She reached out and tapped his nose once. "So long as you're rich self pays for it, because my money is going towards rent."

"I can pay rent for you, too," he offered, and she shot his cheekily smiling self a glare before bidding him an amused farewell so that she could go and see what Wendy wanted when the girl waved for her attention. Natsu watched her go and then grimaced, rubbing away a phantom pain in his side.

Mirajane sashayed her way over and gave him a smile as she hummed, "Plotting with Lucy, Natsu?"

"Not plotting," he huffed. "Planning."

"Good. Take Gray and Juvia with you when you go, or Erza and Jellal. Even my brother and Evergreen. I need _someone_ to screw with and tease since I can't affect you anymore." Her lips pulled into a pout.

He rolled his onyx eyes. "Go mess with Lisanna. She's been hanging out a lot with Bickslow, hasn't she?"

She sighed heavily. "Yes, but Bickslow complains to Laxus. I don't want Laxus being grouchy." As if this was the worst thing that could happen to her, the S-Class mage slouched across the bar and pleaded, "Tell me if you think Kinana would be a good victim!"

Natsu smirked, entirely amused with this. Mostly because he wasn't on the receiving end of this. "Nah, Cobra would get too pissed off. I think ya should mess with Levy about the whole marriage thing. Or Romeo and Wendy."

Mirajane clasped her hands together happily. "You," she said with a laugh, "Are one devious person, Natsu."

Natsu beamed like some kind of innocent child. "Only 'cause I can use it against 'em later."

Cobra, who'd passed by with thoughtful look, paused to squint at him. "...hey, lady," he said, addressing Mirajane. "Have him tell you 'bout how he's being a little clingy."

Natsu whirled on the other dragon slayer, bristling. "I am _not_ ," he snapped.

"Ooh, such a response," Mirajane teased.

Natsu scowled, suddenly aggravated. He was more than grateful when someone called his name - Wendy, he realized, a troubled look on her face. He scampered over as fast as he could, blowing a streak of fire at Cobra. He ducked to avoid it, cackling to himself.

"What's up?" he huffed as he reached Wendy, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. His onyx eyes shone with annoyance.

Lucy, who was seated on a bench, looked pale, he realized, and it made him suspicious. "What's wrong?" he demanded, furious suddenly. He found himself stressed as he rubbed his chest. What the hell was going on?!

"Lucy," Wendy said hesitantly, sensing that he was ready to blow. She faltered, suddenly nervous, and that just upset him further.

He'd done _nothing_ to make her nervous of him!

Smoke poured from his nostrils as he huffed and Lucy sighed softly. "Walk me home," she ordered more than asked. It only proceeded to make him scowl. Lucy sent Wendy to the bar to get some water and they left soon after.

"Lucy!" Natsu demanded as they made their way through Magnolia. He could feel the desperate pressure in his chest that told him something was wrong, tearing at him, trying to claw its way free.

"Remember," she said quietly, "When I asked what people knew about anti-ethernano tumors? Back before we left Hargeon for Tenrou Island?"

Not liking where this was going, he nodded.

"I'd gotten one when I was little according to Momma's diary." Lucy's voice trembled now. "When Wendy was helping with my arm, she thought there was something off. So she took a look and found one here." She tapped her side. "I just...Natsu. Compared to you guys, how much magic have I truly used?" Her voice rose a little, confusion flashing across her face.

He was stunned. Anger flooded him, but then he shoved it down, not wanting to upset her further. "You'll...you'll be okay though?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Porlyusica's going to come and help Wendy remove it within the next few days." She took a shaking breath. "I just...don't understand." She threw her hands in the air, desperate. "Why is this not happening to you and the others? You use magic so much more often than I do!"

"I don't know," he admitted, and then scowled.

But he was sure as hell determined to find out.

* * *

 _*squeals* We've hit 4,000 reviews! I'm so excited! I'm going to give you guys an extra chapter on Saturday!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (PinkFireandGoldenStars, Dragondancer81, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Starburst2879, HummingBird742, Trigger-Happy Texan Abdltf, The Age of Awesomeness, ILoveAnime2010, PotatoGirl14, LePengwen, OfInkNRoses, TheAliceHuntt, TigerArrowgirl, ShadowRiptide, RandomAnimeNerd, HollyNinetales, SoranoFairgray, and IllegalAsian!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	166. Chapter 166

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Ten days later found Lucy squinting at the tall city buildings of Crocus. Horns honked around the group as cars drove by on the massive streets and even as they stood there, a plane flew over their heads, heading to somewhere. Natsu groaned softly beside her, rubbing his sore stomach, and she smiled as she touched a still slightly aching patch on her side.

They were a mess.

"This is the first time we can come and somewhat relax," Happy said excitedly, purring loudly. He was curled on Lucy's head, his eyes taking in everything. His tail lashed this way and that in excitement.

"I know," Lucy agreed. "Usually when we go places it's not for anything fun or calming…" She turned to her pink-haired companion - and then grimaced in disgust when she realized he was vomiting into a nearby trashcan.

Wendy giggled with a sympathetic look on her face as she came to join them. The cheerful dragon slayer wore an enhanced pleated dress with her hair tied up in a ponytail, her feet clad in red sandals. She wore a backpack and Charle sat on top of the suitcase she pulled behind her, her white tail twitching. "Sorry, Natsu. You know the rules."

"Not fair," he moaned as he trudged over.

"I tried," Lucy sighed, shrugging. And by "tried", she meant she'd let him drape his ridiculously overheated self all over her while she uncomfortably dealt with a sweaty drive in a large vehicle with several other members of the guild.

All of which had giggled and smiled at her the entire way.

Bastards.

"Lucy," Wendy said with a sudden worried look. "Are you going to be okay to compete by Thursday?"

Lucy was quiet for a moment, contemplating what she would answer, and then said slowly, more than aware of the fierce dragon slayer watching, "I think so. It's pretty much cleared up, Wendy."

She was more than grateful towards Porlyusica and the sky dragon slayer. The small lump that she and Wendy had discovered had been removed with general ease, much to her relief. After making sure there hadn't been any complications that would arise - they'd checked for various diseases and other such things - Lucy had been declared healthy once more.

For now.

She really needed to sit down and have a long chat with Mavis, but the spirit was too excited about the fact that her beloved guild would likely do well with the Games that would happen soon.

Natsu hadn't thrown any temperamental fits, either, so that was a plus.

"Can we eat?" he said hopefully and Lucy groaned in exasperation as Juvia scampered over, purse slung over her shoulder and suitcase tugged behind her. They looked at her and she gave a brilliant smile.

"Team B needs to stick together since we're sharing rooms," she informed them, giving Wendy a pointed look. "Master's orders. After you've dropped everything off, Master said we can go wherever we want. There's a curfew though: seven in the evening to six."

"Got it. Team A will be sticking together, too, I'm assuming?" Lucy asked, and Juvia gave her a brief smile and nod before leading Wendy to where their own team was waiting. Gray and Erza meandered over with Jellal not too far behind, a single duffel bag thrown over his shoulder.

"Look at us," Erza said cheerfully. "Our team _will_ win."

Lucy thought that was a little bit too threatening for her liking, but said nothing about it. "Of course," she agreed and the others hastily muttered their agreement. Erza shoved a hand into her pocket and withdrew a piece of paper, explaining, "The address of our hotel. I grabbed it from Master so that we could take our time getting there if we wanted."

Lucy eyed the address uncertainly and then with shock and suspicion. "Two things about that hotel," she told them, and they all looked to her. "One, that's kind of close to my old place. Before I moved to Magnolia. And two...that's suspiciously close to where the royal family lives."

"How is that a suspicious thing?" Gray demanded with a confused look.

Lucy took a deep breath and then admitted, "I find it strange that Hisui would let magic be revealed with so much of everything at stake." They gave her lost looks and she explained, "It put the entire country of Fiore at risk, guys. She may be only the princess, not yet the queen, but...in her place, you wouldn't have agreed, right?"

"That's...true," Jellal said slowly. "It puts countless people at risk and a leader would know that when making such a decision…"

"It's a strange situation," Gray admitted before folding his hands behind his head, shirt hanging open. He didn't seem to notice, even as Erza gave him a glare. "In any case, there's nothing we can do about it. We'll have to sit back, wait, and hope that it doesn't cause too many troubles."

Lucy, even as the others agreed, pressed her lips together with a look of disapproval in her eyes.

Natsu rubbed his chest thoughtfully and asked if they could get going.

After figuring out how they'd split two rooms with one another - Erza and Lucy in one room with Natsu, Gray, and Jellal sharing another - they went their temporary separate ways. Gray went to find Juvia in a nearby room, calling her as he did so, and Jellal asked if Erza would, perhaps, like to go and find some lunch.

Lucy had grinned at the flush on Erza's cheeks.

That left Natsu and Lucy alongside Happy, and Lucy grinned at her partner. "How about that date?" she teased. "Only, I think it's fine if Happy tags along, don't you?"

Natsu lit up like some sort of Christmas Tree. "Yeah!" he said cheerfully. "The festival I saw should be at the center of Crocus, in the gardens that belong to the royalty."

"Let's go then." Lucy looped her arm through his, and together, they set off.

Entirely unaware of the shadow that slunk behind them.

* * *

When they reached the gardens, Lucy couldn't help but be entirely entertained by the sight of them. They were beautiful and huge - and traditional music that came from long ago filled the usually hushed air. Lucy could see people in traditional clothing prancing about with amusement on their faces. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered the odd clothes Zeref had worn and shivered.

There was a delicious smell in the air and Lucy grinned when Natsu said eagerly, " _Food_."

"Come on," she laughed, "Let's get something to eat. Hopefully they'll have fish for you, Happy."

"I doubt it," Happy said mournfully. "They never have fish."

It turned out that they didn't have fish, but Happy was happy to enjoy a sweet drink made from the nectar of the flowers around them. A mage, they were surprised to discover, had made it and begun distributing it for the Council in hopes that it would keep things under control by showing that the mages weren't there to harm anyone.

Natsu and Lucy ate simple hot dogs as they wandered around, looking at the flowers. Lucy smiled to herself when Natsu caught sight of two men studying Lucy's figure excitedly and gave them a dark look that threatened death should they touch her.

She'd laughed when they'd quickly gone the other way and Natsu had decided to sling an arm around her shoulder, pouting at the way she laughed.

Music filled the air throughout their exploration and after they were done eating, Natsu decided that he wanted to dance.

"No," Lucy told him when he offered a hand playfully. Happy, recognizing what was coming by the devilish look that appeared in his eyes, jumped from her head, hovering beside them with a grin. Natsu narrowed his eyes playfully, and she said hastily, "Natsu, I don't want to-"

Too late!

Lucy suddenly found herself swept up into a dance, the good-natured dragon slayer whirling around. She shrieked in surprise and people's heads snapped around to watch as he twirled her in a circle.

Before long, Lucy found herself laughing, her feet falling into familiar steps that the intuitive Natsu somehow kept up with despite never having danced like she had. They swept expertly around the special pavilion that had been set up for the musicians, and the musicians called out praise and laughed with them.

Other people moved out of the way and when Natsu was sure there was space, he let the fire creep up.

As they whirled around, they became an inferno. Fire licked at their feet and spun with them in a beautiful show, a trail left with every step. Lucy, dressed in a simple red summer dress that reached her knees, felt the flames lick at the hem of her dress, and grinned as she imagined the beautiful sight.

Despite her beginning protests, Lucy found herself enjoying the wild dance.

Natsu's gentle calloused fingers were warm on her hands, arms, back, and waist as he spun her around, easily taking the lead and keeping up with whatever she did. His grin was huge, onyx eyes shining as he suddenly spun her with one hand before sweeping her around again.

Not once did he let her steps falter and the blonde put all of her trust into him when he suddenly lifted her by the waist, spinning her once and then letting her catch her balance before they were off once more.

Eventually, the song came to an end and Natsu stopped dancing with her. Both heaved for air as applause exploded around them. Lucy turned scarlet in embarrassment and Natsu grinned proudly around them. He turned his proud eyes on Lucy, and then suddenly laughed, pressing his sweaty forehead to hers, fingers lightly tangled in her blonde hair.

Lucy giggled breathlessly and closed her eyes, pressing back into the touch.

For just a split second, Natsu and Lucy were at peace.

* * *

From where he stood, hood drawn over his head, he fought back his tears.

Memories raced through his mind as his shoulders shook with silent and heartbroken sobs. His sharp eyes watched every little movement, never leaving that smiling face.

They were so, so hopeful.

And entirely unaware of what was coming.

The pink-haired man pulled back suddenly, his loving gaze never leaving hers as she opened her eyes. Suddenly, he wrinkled his nose and sneezed. She threw her head back and laughed. The sound rang like bells in the cheerful air.

"Tch. The hell you doing?"

His hooded head snapped around, his body tensed. But then he relaxed, recognizing the fourth nameless companion that had tagged along. He scowled at the other man and muttered, "What do you want?"

The fourth companion snickered and then crossed his arms, his teeth flashing in the light of day as he caught sight of what he'd been watching. "Keepin' an eye on all of 'em, eh?"

"You weren't there," he said quietly.

"No. But I watched someone else die because of it." The fourth companion shook his head. "I probably ain't gonna see my wife again 'cause of your stupid ass. Don't get caught, or we're fucked. You hear me?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "I'll be careful. You watch yourself, too, you selfish ass."

"There ya go. Spike the attitude a bit more and we're good." The fourth companion turned to leave, then paused and called over his shoulder. "If ya think she would have wanted ya as miserable as ya are, then you're stupider than I thought."

He squared his shoulders and took in the amusement in his companion's look.

"No one will ever know what she would have wanted," he said grimly. "She's been dead a long time."

The fourth companion said nothing, only waved and left.

He turned his gaze back on the pair in the gardens as they greeted their cat companion, and his eyes flashed with longing.

Sometimes, he felt like the pain and suffering he'd gone through wasn't worth anything and wondered just how much of a black mage it would make him to use magic and kidnap someone, protect them.

He smacked his cheek for a thought like that, the phantom throb in his heavily scarred chest making him grimace in pain.

"Where the hell did I put my medicine…?"

* * *

 _I planned the Nalu date from the moment I started this fanfic. I drew something for it that you might have seen if you follow me on tumblr. I smile every time I run through it._

 _StardragonXX questioned what Acnologia hoards. My first answer is the heads of his enemies, but let's be realistic: I'd say he hoards black magic. Books, cursed objects, etc._

 _Elisha Silverpine, on the matter of Loke and Airies...maybe a little? I'm not sure at this point. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (StardragonXX, HummingBird742, Celestail68, Elisha Silverpine, LePengwen, guest #1, The Age of Awesomeness, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, MayraLilacBunny, RandomAnimeNerd, thebooknerdgeek, PinkFireandGoldenStars, PurpleandPink2005, PotatoGirl14, Molly Bugatti, guest #2, TheAliceHuntt, Dragondancer81, Starburst2879, guest #3, Trigger-Happy Texan, SoranoFairgray, Abdltf, ToastedWeirdBrain, and Typhlosion8!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	167. Chapter 167

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu fumbled with the gloves on his hand, his fingers running over the material as Gray paced a few feet away. Erza polished her sword patiently beside him on the bed and Lucy sat beside her, polishing her keys with Erza's supplies. Jellal patiently stood beside a window, his eyes thoughtfully watching the outside world.

The thirtieth of June had arrived, and they were ready.

 _"Stay in your rooms,"_ Makarov had informed them after dinner. _"You're not to leave them. Happy and Charle will stay with Romeo. The preliminaries start tonight. I cannot tell you what they are or how they'll function, but I was told to inform you that things will begin when the clock strikes midnight."_

Natsu's sharp gaze darted to check the somehow functioning digital alarm clock that rested on the nightstand beside the bed he'd used the night before. His hands curled into impatient fists.

Five minutes until something happened.

Eager to distract himself until it was time, Natsu asked, "So who's participating on the other teams? You said you heard, Jellal."

Jellal glanced over at them, amusement on his face. "Sabertooth's chosen to submit one team that consists of Sting, Rogue, Yukino, Rufus, and a newcomer by the name of Minerva. Sting seemed very smug about her, we'll need to keep an eye on her. Mermaid Heel's gone with Kagura Mikazuchi as its lead member." His lips twitched into a small smile. "Milliana is on the team as well. It appears she joined Mermaid Heel. I spoke with her briefly and she hates me, but is pleased Erza's doing well."

Erza gave a warm smile, her eyes softening. "Good for her."

"Lamia Scale has Jura and Lyon competing," Gray said suddenly. "Spoke with him about it. Meredy, Chelia, and some other guy are going to be in it." He made a sound of disgust. "You should have heard how Lyon was talking about Meredy."

Lucy giggled. "He likes her," she hummed. "Good for you, that means he'll stop flirting with Juvia, doesn't it?"

He gave her a playful glare.

"We don't know much about Quatro Cerberus," Erza said slowly, and then scowled. "Blue Pegasus has decided to include Mirajane's rival, Jenny Realight. Ichiya's going to be in there, too. Great. Eve, Hibiki, and Ren, who appears to be engaged to Chelia's cousin."

"We're the only guild submitting two teams," Lucy realized and Natsu grinned.

"Gives us an advantage," he muttered darkly, slamming his flaming fists together as the clock began to tick down.

Only one minute.

Erza put her possessions away. They all prepared. Lucy snapped her whip carefully, Jellal stretched his arms behind his head, and Gray cracked his knuckles, shrugging his shirt over his head so that he was bare-chested. Erza requipped into a casual and light armor that wouldn't cause her problems.

Natsu bounced on the balls of his feet, flames licking his arms.

He still felt that odd ache in his chest, but it wasn't so bad with the distractions.

Eager, Natsu spun on his heel and glanced at the clock. It had been put on a twenty-four hour cycle, so he watched as it changed and declared that it was midnight.

The ceiling above them suddenly began to peel away. _An illusion,_ the fire mage recognized. The room around them wasn't real, and it, too, melted away. They all jolted to keep their balance as a platform began to lift them into the night sky.

" _We give a warm welcome to everyone who has come to Crocus for the first annual Grand Magic Games,_ " a voice roared out. Natsu's head snapped around, his onyx eyes trying to locate where the announcer was hiding. Something told him that was what they needed to find.

"Couldn't we have done this in the morning?" Gray complained, bothered that he couldn't see. It appeared as if every light in the city had been shut off, leaving the entire capital of Fiore in total darkness.

" _We give a special welcome to those of the six chosen guilds participating,_ " the announcer continued, bellowing out over Gray's demand. " _The preliminaries are about to begin and we ask that if you haven't already, tune in to a screen nearby, because the police have locked the city down for this._ "

"That doesn't sound good," Lucy said faintly.

"No," Jellal agreed. "It doesn't."

" _Onto the preliminaries! There are a total of nine teams competing! Two teams from Fairy Tail, two from Lamia Scale, and two from Blue Pegasus alongside one from Quatro Cerberus, Sabertooth, and Mermaid Heel!_ "

"I thought we were the only ones with two teams!" Lucy hissed under her breath to Erza, and Erza shook her head in thought.

"We were fooled, I believe," she explained, and the listened.

" _Team leaders, take the object before you if one has appeared!_ "

Erza narrowed her eyes as something materialized before her. They all gathered around to peer curiously at it, their eyes roving it. It was a simple golden bouncy ball. But Erza told them it was more than that and let Gray nearly drop it due to how heavy it was in explanation.

"That's real gold," Natsu whispered, looking at the round ball with eager eyes. Lucy grabbed his arm and tugged him back a few steps, recognizing just how excited he was and why. She turned her attention to the sky.

" _There are only six objects presented. Each team must deliver their object to the stadium built for the Grand Magic Games with one in order to continue on to the actual games. An alarm will go out when all six objects have been presented. No team may hold more than one at a time._ "

Natsu cracked his knuckles and then threw himself down from the podium with a laugh. "Natsu!" Lucy shouted, "Come back here! Now!" He pouted, but paused to wait as the rest of them let Gray build a staircase. They slid their way down and then as one, charged forward.

"We have one," Erza said thoughtfully as they ran through the streets. She shoved it into the front of her armor, making sure it wouldn't fall out. "So our main goal is to make it to the stadium-"

"- and not let other teams take it," Jellal finished calmly, his dark eyes searching the blackness around them.

Lucy yelped when she nearly tripped over a street's curb and Natsu was there in a flash, his onyx eyes anxious. "I'm fine," she promised, catching her balance. The others paused to wait. "I can't see, that's all."

Natsu grinned, grabbing her hand and hauling her forward. "I can. Come on! I wanna be first back!"

"There!"

A voice he didn't recognize filled his ears and Natsu turned on his heel, a grin on his face. He saw the emblems on the people that appeared and lit up like a Christmas tree - literally. He burst into flames that raced up and down his arms.

"Shit," one of them gasped. "Salamander. That means-"

Erza slunk into the light of Natsu's fire. It cast odd shadows on her, giving her a far more terrifying look than she usually wore. She'd requipped into a defensive set of armor that was heavily plated. There wasn't an inch of her that held no metal; even her head supported a beautiful helm with wings on either side for ears.

"Titania Erza," another croaked.

Lucy's lips twitched into a grin. Seeing the fear on their faces when they realized that they'd approached one of the most powerful teams...it was worth it.

"Lucy," Erza called, tossing something her way. She barely snagged it out of the air. It was the golden ball that they'd been given. "Take that ahead with Gray and Jellal. We'll catch up. They never said the entire team has to reach the stadium."

Lucy nodded curtly, exchanging a quick smile with Natsu, and then turned and bolted. Gray and Jellal flanked her on either side. Gray laughed; Jellal merely smiled to himself, as if amused with Erza's cunning idea.

The last thing they heard of their teammates as they rounded a corner and disappeared into the night was the screams of terror as Natsu tilted his head and let loose a tower of flames, laughing.

* * *

It was a while before the pair of mages caught up with the rest of their team, but when they did, both looked pleased. The trio had stopped for a break, heaving for air when they arrived. "They won't be trying to come after us for a while," Natsu laughed, gasping beside Lucy. She arched a brow at him and he beamed, tugging the scarf from his chin.

"We beat them up pretty good," he told her. "They probably won't come running for us again."

Lucy grimaced, but knew that this was the fun part of the Games for the other mages. They enjoyed challenging each other and testing their magic, but didn't hurt one another too badly.

"We didn't have any trouble," Gray told them. "I think I might have seen the other team booking it down one of the main roads, but kept away just to be safe. I wouldn't put it past Cana to want our little treasure if they didn't have one."

"Good choice," Erza praised, nodding. She kept a sharp eye out as they rested.

Finally, she said, "It's time we leave. I don't want us to be the last to reach the stadium. The two teams without an object could turn on us and work together, creating a disadvantage for-"

She hadn't been able to finish her sentence before Natsu was on his feet. He spun on a heel and without hesitation, blasted an inferno in the space behind them. A growl ripped from his chest, unlike any other sound he'd ever made, and they all stared at him in confusion.

"Nat...su…?" Lucy breathed as he glared into the darkness. "Natsu, what's-"

"Sh," he growled, not daring to tear his eyes away from the darkness. He smacked a hand over her mouth and she flinched at the unintentional force he put behind the action. The others fell silent. Mist gathered around Gray's hands as he prepared to help Natsu in a fight and Erza and Jellal exchanged wary looks.

Natsu stared into the shadows for what felt like ages before he reluctantly relaxed. He was still defensive, however, as he nudged Lucy to her feet, shoving her forward. "Come on we need to move. Something's wrong."

"You've been saying that a lot lately," Jellal muttered dryly as they set off.

"Yeah, well, that's 'cause it's true. You bastards are just too dumb to listen."

* * *

Her wide brown eyes were full of shock, her hand clasped over her mouth to hide her gasp of terror. A seared portion of wall rested beside her head. Strands of singed hair brushed her cheeks. Her body trembled as she fought back tears of terror.

"You good?"

The voice of an ally had her whirling around, her body trembling. "Oh," she said after a moment, giving a bitter laugh. "It's you. Is everything going well on your side of things?"

"I asked if you were okay." The second companion of the woman she was good friends with glared at her warily. "Not if you recognized me."

The man before her was something else. He wasn't the one she remembered from so long before, the one who'd smiled so easily. This was a man hardened by war and grief, his sharpened eyes tired. He had one goal and he'd kill himself to get it.

"Yeah," she said finally, shaking her head. "I messed up and made a noise. He heard and fired an attack without a second's hesitation."

Now the man softened, his eyes warm. "Sorry. High alert with everything that's going on. Can't really blame him. You need to get going. Head back. Don't let anyone know we're this close or everything we've worked for is gone."

"I know," she said softly, biting her lip. She hesitated, and then admitted, "I saw him. On the screen through a window. They've reached the stadium…" She laughed shakily, swiping at her eyes. "It's so...painful. I remember this happening, how everything was before. It kills me to think that if we're not careful, it'll happen again."

"I know. And I know you want to go and see him, but…" He shook his head. "Don't you dare try to get too close. He'll recognize you, demand answers, and then _he_ will find out and kill you."

She squared her shoulders, raised her chin.

"Let him," she said boldly, her dark eyes full of pain. "Because I don't honestly think I can do this anymore."

He shook his head and turned to follow Fairy Tail's Team A. "You have to," he called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the shadows, drawing his hood over his head. "You don't have a choice."

She knew that, she really did.

But there was nothing more painful than seeing that bright and cheery grin of the man she missed more than anything.

* * *

 _The extra chapter for 4k reviews! Just to clarify, because you poor people deserve some clarification, you've met five unnamed people, though I see you're trying to work out who they are. You've got a while before their names are honestly given. XD_

 _I'm so agitated right now. I can't catch a fucking break. I want to write so badly, but I've strained the muscles in my arm and when I use any strength in my index finger, it hurts. I don't want to risk making it worse, so no writing for me on the computer. On top of it all, the hospital never got back to me and I got a really bad chest cold that completely downed me yesterday, so I couldn't go see A Dog's Purpose. *pouts*_

 _On that note, tomorrow (February 5th) is Bubbles' birthday, so wish her that if you're up for it. :3_

 _I'll put a link to the art for last chapter on my profile! To those who asked, my user on tumblr is_ **riverofmemoriesft** _._

 _RandomAnimeNerd, I do sort of ship RoWen. Not my favorite though. XD I've written up to chapter 209 and am doing the Spirit arc right now, but I AM doing Tartaros, a special arc, and (as of the GMG, which you will see later) Alvarez. So I'm going to finish writing it this summer and when I'm done, pick up my old schedule of three times a week for updating. This will not really go into next gen, but will have a few of my special children._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, Typhlosion8, Hummingbird742, RandomAnimeNerd, Guest #1, Trigger-Happy Texan, TheAliceHuntt, Dragondancer81, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Court818, Elisha Silverpine, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Alexia Colette, LePengwen, ashcator2002, Starburst2879, IllegalAsian, and Fairy Rains!) as well as those who favorited and followed._

 _Long author's note. XD Hope you enjoyed!_


	168. Chapter 168

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

They reached the stadium without further trouble, much to the surprise of them all. They entered through the massive archway that stood dozens of feet over their head, made of a beautiful gray stone. Lucy kept close to Natsu, keeping an eye on him after his outburst. He didn't seem to mind. He threw an arm around her shoulders and let his eyes dart this way and that, a grin appearing when he saw who awaited them there.

"Natsu!" Sting shouted, waving excitedly when he saw them. "You made it!"

Natsu dragged his girlfriend over and she groaned her protest as Erza and Jellal went to speak with an official that waited. Gray followed Natsu and Lucy, hands pushed into his pockets. "Sting!" he greeted eagerly.

Rogue's sharp gaze swept over their team as Lyon sidled away from his group to go greet Gray. "Interesting choice in team members," he said thoughtfully, gaze lingering suspiciously on Jellal for a moment. "I didn't expect Jellal Fernandes to be allowed to compete."

Lucy raised her chin. "He's nakama now, not some criminal, Rogue. He's a good person and we like having him in our guild."

Rogue's lips twitched into a smile. "Whatever you say."

"Lucy!"

A familiar voice had her turning her head a second before her arm was grabbed by a beaming pink-haired woman. "Meredy!" she greeted warmly. Meredy beamed at her, eyes glowing with excitement. "It's been a while! How's Lamia Scale treating you?"

"Beautifully," she said honestly, flushing a little. "I was told to work with Lyon, Chelia, and Jura. Jura suggested that I compete alongside them because of it. It's the only reason I was allowed in the Games this year." Her gaze shifted to the startled Sting and Rogue. "I'm Meredy," she added, smiling in greeting.

"Sting Eucliffe," Sting drawled, eyeing her with a thoughtful look as Yukino jogged over, greeting Lucy with a happy hug. "Nice to meet you."

Yukino giggled, elbowing the guildmaster of Sabertooth. "Don't start flirting," she scolded. "We have other things to worry about."

Sting pouted, but his blue eyes twinkled as Yukino and Rogue introduced themselves to Meredy. Meredy greeted each of them warmly and politely asked them about how they were doing. As she did, Lucy turned to Sting and asked, "Where's your new member? We heard she was on your team."

His eyes flashed uncertainly, much to her surprise. "Minerva," he said, indicating a cross woman that stood near a calm Rufus. Her lips were pulled back in a hint of a sneer, dark hair piled atop of her head. "She's...strong. She's not done anything illegal, so we had no reason to not let her in, but...her attitude makes the guild uncomfortable. She was particularly brutal to Sorano the other day. I told her to knock it off, but it's like it didn't mean anything."

Natsu turned his gaze on Minerva, openly staring. "She's watching Erza," he said a moment later. "She's staring at her...she got something against her? Erza could kick her ass."

Sting relaxed, grinning as he playfully punched Natsu's arm. "Like hell - oh, _shit_ , you've got to be kidding me."

"Ugh!" Lyon wailed, "That's not fair, you bastards!"

"Gray, my dear," a cheerful Juvia sang as she jogged over, throwing her arms around Gray's neck and practically throttling the poor guy. "We succeeded in arriving! Juvia made sure that no one touched her for you!"

Gray looked a little concerned. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"Chelia!" Wendy shrieked in excitement as she ran over, and Laxus, Cana, and Gajeel approached. The two men fought to look unimpressed, but Lucy could see the pride in their eyes, and Cana wore a grin on her face as she waved her alcoholic beverage in the air, shouting that they'd done it.

Yukino looked amused. "Congratulations, Fairy Tail," she murmured.

"You did well, too," Lucy argued.

"Ah, but only Fairy Tail will likely get two teams in," Rogue commented as Mermaid Heel entered, followed by an exhausted Blue Pegasus team.

Erza looked horrified when she saw Ichiya was among them.

It wasn't long before a massive siren rang through the air. A second later, a voice began to scream over the sirens, " _Congratulations to Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Fairy Tail Team A, Fairy Tail Team B, Mermaid Heel, and Blue Pegasus, all of which have passed onto the actual Games. We give our sorrow to the three teams expelled and hope you will participate next year! If you have succeeded onto the first day, please pay attention to the schedule that will be sent to each of your team leaders. That is all for tonight; get your rest and prepare for tomorrow. It'll be a long day for all of you."_

Lucy waited until Erza had been handed a piece of paper before she joined her teammates in looking over her shoulder. "Okay," Erza said thoughtfully, dark eyes narrowed at the paper. "It looks like each day will consist of a game and a fight. We'll fight a member of each team on various days. Tomorrow, it looks like I'll be the first one to play a game. Jellal will be fighting against... oh. Jellal, you'll be against Lyon, actually, that ought to be interesting."

"Damn," Gray said with a pout.

Erza read the rest of the days off for them.

On the second day, Gray would play a game and Lucy would fight. Lucy had taken on a nervous look at that, but said nothing. Natsu had scowled.

The third, Natsu would play and Erza would fight.

The fourth would place Jellal in a game and Gray in a fight.

The fifth, Lucy would play the game and Natsu would battle.

"On the sixth day, it looks like there'll be a team fight." Erza's lips twitched in a smile. "Natsu and Lucy are going to be put up against Sting and Rogue. Gajeel and Juvia will be against Meredy and Jura."

Natsu's eyes sparkled with glee. "Yes!" he cheered, even as Lucy shifted, rubbing her arm uneasily. Loke's key heated at her hip to attempt to offer her comfort, but she said nothing, fiddling with the gauntlets that Sting had given her.

"The seventh day's going to be a huge one," Jellal realized. "We'll all go up against everyone on every team."

Natsu faltered at that, suddenly going quiet. They glanced to him curiously. "That's July 7th," he said bitterly. "I don't want to do anything that day, Erza. Can they replace anyone with Mira or something?"

There was a moment in which the group was quiet, and then Erza said gently, "No, if you are able to compete, you must. You'll have hopefully gained favor from the crowd at that point, Natsu. It wouldn't bode well if you didn't finish the Games. I understand the importance of the date, but I ask that you please push past it and finish with us."

Natsu clenched his jaw, frustrated. "Fine."

"Thank you," Lucy said quietly, rubbing his arm soothingly. He relaxed only a fraction before turning his attention elsewhere. "Anyways...doesn't that put us at a huge advantage on the last day?"

"It would...except they're taking out one of our teams," Erza explained. "They want that one to be fair, so we're going to have to pick and choose five members." She pointed to a written note on the bottom of their paper. "See? Due to the nature of what's happened, we can have up to four S-Class mages on our team so long as any newcomer has been in the guild for five years."  
"Laxus, Jellal, and you from the whole Games, and then Mira," Gray muttered, glancing at Jellal. Jellal's face gave nothing away in regards to his thoughts. Instead, he stayed quiet, focusing only on the paper.

"Alright, then that settles that," Erza murmured, tucking the paper away. "Jellal and I will rest up for tomorrow. You three can-"

"Wait," Natsu suddenly cut in. "If we fight a different guild each day, what about Team B?"

Erza's expression twisted into one of discomfort. Jellal looked somewhat unhappy as he admitted, "They've set Lucy up against Gajeel for a fight."

Lucy stiffened, memories of the blows he'd delivered when she'd first been kidnapped by Phantom Lord flooding into her mind. "No," she pleaded. "No, no way. I want to drop out. I'm not...no." Her hands trembled violently. "I won't fight Gajeel."

"Ain't no way around it, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said as he passed them on his way to find Levy. He stopped and gave a grimace. "Already asked. They won't change anything unless one of us is physically unable to fight."

Lucy whirled on Natsu, eyes blazing. "Break my leg."

He jerked back, shocked. "No way, Luce, I'm not going to break your leg! What the hell, woman!"

She rounded on Gray, who held his hands up and took a few steps back, shaking his head hastily. "Lucy, we're not going to break your leg, okay?"

Gajeel looked somewhat offended. "I ain't gonna break you in half or beat the shit out of you like before, Lucy. This ain't an undercover mission with Juvia. We've got ten minutes to try and get the upper hand and then they either declare a draw or one of us loses."

Lucy turned her sharp brown eyes on Gajeel. "...you _promise_?" she pleaded. She shivered, practically tasting the blood in her mouth, remembering the heat of flames as Natsu knelt over her, shocked.

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "If I do more than leave some nasty bruises, I'll let that bastard electrocute me." He jerked a thumb in Laxus' direction and then wandered off, leaving Lucy to hug herself uncertainly.

Sure, she'd learned magic over the course of the last few months.

But this…

Someone had some cruel sense of humor.

* * *

"You good, Lucy?"

Lucy glanced up to discover an anxious Natsu looking at her, Happy looking just as worried as he sat on the dragon slayer's shoulder. He held two plates of food, onyx eyes studying her. "Yeah," she said finally, scooting over a bit so he could join her on the bench.

Fairy Tail had gone to a bar to celebrate, and it was clear that mostly everyone was having a blast. The commotion had earned hateful looks from various other occupants, though Fairy Tail hadn't cared. Cana was loudly singing in a drunken slur with a giggling Levy joining in.

Gajeel had his face in his hand, a groan leaving him every few minutes.

Natsu dropped onto the bench beside her and shoved one plate in her direction. Lucy picked up the fork and took a bite, thoughtful. "Thanks," she murmured. "Sorry, I know everyone's excited, but…" He blinked quietly at her, recognizing that she wasn't in the mood for his wild antics.

She sat back. "This is going to bring back bad memories. I don't want to think of Gajeel like that because I know it's not his fault and I know he's not truly like that, just...the idea of fighting him isn't pleasant."

Natsu shoved a chicken leg in his mouth and replied, "Gotta face your fears, Luce. You'll be okay. I'll be cheering for ya, okay?"

Her lips twitched. She didn't think he really understood what the issue she was having was, but she could appreciate his attempt to be good about it. "Thanks, Natsu. I...Natsu." She blanched at the sight of his empty plate. "How on earth did you do that?"

"He's really good at eating fast," Happy told her as he hopped over to seat himself on her head, purring loudly. He rubbed his cheek against her hair. "I'll cheer for you, too," he promised.

Lucy smiled. "Thanks, Happy. Natsu Dragneel, if you touch my dinner, I swear on Loke's key that I will shave that pink hair of yours right off…"

* * *

"Is it ready?"

"Yes," the serious man beside her confirmed. "Shall we begin the process of bringing them in, your Highness?"

Hisui E. Fiore leaned forward, resting her elbows on the balcony and gave a curt nod, thinking of how people expected that she was in Bosco. Instead, she was home, dealing with something much more important.

"Yes. Begin the search for Yukino Auguria and Lucy Heartfilia if you would. Be careful. I don't think the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth or Natsu Dragneel will appreciate it."

His lips curved into a smirk. "Don't worry, your Highness. We always appreciate a challenge." He turned and walked away.

And Hisui felt a flash of guilt as she buried her face in her hands.

 _I'm sorry, Lucy._

* * *

 _Poor unfortunate, Lucy. And Hisui's made an official appearance for this!  
_

 _On another note, Parks and Rec is my current obsession and holy hell I love Ron Swanson._

 _Thanks to reviewers (NaLu and InuKag, Typhlosion 8, LePengwen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Treblemkr, HummingBird742, Trigger-Happy Texan, Starburst2879, RandomAnimeNerd, Alexia Colette, Dragondancer81, The Age of Awesomeness, Abdltf, PinkFireandGoldenStars, TheAliceHuntt, SoranoFairgray, Guest #1, PotatoGirl14, astorytoremember, and Guest #2!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	169. Chapter 169

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

From where she was seated in the stands, Lucy watched Erza speak quietly with the nervous Wendy. Wendy's eyes were wide with fear, but Erza seemed to be doing fine at calming the distressed dragon slayer.

"Erza's gonna win," Natsu said confidently beside her. Happy was settled in Lucy's lap, and Lucy could feel the purr that ripped from him. He paused. "It's okay if Wendy wins, too, though."

Lucy giggled. "I'm sure."

Beside her, Gray snorted. Juvia was curled up beside him, dozing with her head on his shoulder as they waited for the event to start. They'd been up early, woken up by Makarov so that he could praise them and give them tips for the day. They weren't to know what the game was until it was time for it to start, but he'd told them to stay strong and alert, ready for anything.

Lucy was somewhat glad that she didn't fight until the next day.

"What's so funny?" she demanded, glancing at Gray.

Gray rolled his eyes. "The look on Lyon's face when I told him that I wished him luck against Jellal." He grinned and Lucy laughed at the look. "It was one of the best moments of my life, Lucy."

"The fact that the best moment of your life was telling Lyon his ass was going to get kicked is depressing," Lucy replied, and Natsu snickered his agreement before focusing when Erza was approached by a smug looking Minerva.

"Uh oh," Gray muttered. "Trouble is on its way."

"Trouble found its way to me the moment Natsu threw himself in front of my car," Lucy said bluntly. Natsu pouted playfully, but leaned forward and stared at the unfolding events with interest.

Before Minerva opened her mouth to speak to Erza, who'd curiously turned to face her, she was interrupted by the announcer. What looked like thousands of people shut up to listen.

 _"Welcome to the first day of the Grand Magic Games! For the next five days, we ask that you enjoy the games in the morning and the battles starting at noon! Today's participants include the well known Titania of Fairy Tail, Erza Scarlet, a wizard saint by the name of Jura Neekis from Lamia Scale, Fairy Tail's sky dragon slayer Wendy Marvell, Mermaid Heel's Risley Law, Sabertooth's new recruit and powerhouse Minerva Orland, and Blue Pegasus' senior member, Lyss Marnox! Today's battle will be a mixture of wits and strength."_

"Erza's got this," Gray said confidently. "There's no way they'd beat her at a game of wits and strength. She's got both."

"But so do the others," Juvia murmured, troubled. "Juvia doesn't like the look of Minerva Orland...she has a cruel look. It reminds Juvia of Grimoire Heart and Phantom Lord. Jose had that look in his eyes before he ordered Gajeel to hurt-"

"Hey, Luce," Natsu said loudly, cutting Juvia off with a glare in the water woman's direction. Lucy gave him a look of amusement as he tugged at her sleeve. "What do you think? Erza's got it, right?"

"Right," Lucy confirmed. "I think Jura's pretty close, though. He's cunning. Age gives him wisdom. Same goes for Miss Marnox, too."

"What Lucy said," Mirajane hummed from where she was seated behind them, perched at Laxus' side. Lisanna was between Mirajane and her brother, and to Laxus' right sat Bickslow, Evergreen, and Freed. "Jura is strong. Maybe more so than Erza."

Jellal chuckled low in his throat. "I wouldn't say that he's entirely stronger than Erza, Mira. She has tricks up her sleeve."

 _"The goal is simple and similar to last night's preliminaries,"_ the announcer called. Lucy squinted at the box above, wondering if she knew the voice from elsewhere. _"Get to the arena before the others."_

They all watched as a portion of the ground opened suddenly. A table rose out of nowhere, stocked with six vials. Lucy shivered, doubting they were filled with something pleasant.

Wendy bit her lip hard, quivering.

 _"Competitors, take one vial."_ When they'd done as instructed, he continued. _"With the help of a Council member, each vial has been filled with a potion that will teleport you to the edge of Crocus. You have one hour to get back here as quickly as you can. Should you not arrive within the time limit, you will receive zero points. The rest will receive points in order of their arrival, ranging from six to one. Now, on the count of three, drink the substance in your vial."_

Lucy watched as Erza and Wendy readied their vials. Her hand dropped to grip Natsu's hand tightly, worried about Wendy, and he snorted smoke in her direction. "She'll be fine," he muttered as if reading her mind.

"I hope so," Lucy whispered.

A moment later, the announcer counted down. On zero, they all drained the vials and vanished into thin air. Those without magic gasped and began to chatter immediately, amazed. Lucy focused on the screens that lined the walls. They were huge flat screens and Lucy silently wondered how they'd managed to work amongst the amount of magic there.

The screens were split into six portions. They could see each player on the fractions, and Lucy cheered when she saw that Erza wasn't too far from her old apartment. Wendy had found herself in the empty parking lot of a supermarket.

Minerva's painted lips curled into a sneer as she found herself in a park.

And then, they were running.

People burst into cheers for their favorites and Natsu bellowed out a blast of flames as he roared his encouragement. People around them gave him dirty looks, ducking to avoid being burned.

"Natsu!" Lucy scolded, smacking his shoulder.

Happy rolled his eyes. "We should get him a muzzle. Like a dog."

Natsu's excitement turned to horror and mock betrayal. "Happy, how dare you!"

"Behind you, Wendy!" Gray suddenly bellowed and they turned their attention on the screens in time to see Lyssa sprinting out of nowhere, hands encircled in stone. Wendy caught sight of her and twirled out of the way when a rock flew at her. Scowling, Wendy launched herself into the air.

Lucy's jaw dropped when she did a flip and seemed to defy gravity, hair whipping around her face. "Sky Dragon's Roar!" she screamed, and a blast of wind caught Lyssa dead on. She cried out, throwing her hands up to protect her face.

Jellal leaned forward in his seat, hands curled into fist. "She's at a disadvantage," he told them. "Lyss is stronger than she is. Lyss' just as quick and agile. And when her stones hit, they can easily knock Wendy out of the running."

"Damn," Natsu grumbled under his breath. But then he lifted his chin proudly. "She'll win. She's one of us, isn't she?"

"Yes," Charle said sharply from where she was sitting with Lisanna. "She may not be as strong as Erza, but she was Juvia's partner for the exams! Do not forget that!"

Lucy smiled a fraction. "We'd never forget that," she soothed, and Juvia fiercely agreed.

Wendy battered Lyssa back a step and then another. Soon, she had shoved Lyssa into a brick wall. There was a moment in which they stared at one another. Wendy's eyes blazed daringly until Lyssa swore irritably and held up her hands up in surrender. "You win!"

Wendy smiled charmingly. "Thank you!"

And then she tore off towards the stadium, her long hair flowing behind her.

Lucy laughed alongside Gray and Happy, her dark eyes shifting to Erza, who was powering along with a determined expression. She spared a nervous look at the portion of screen that belonged to Minerva.

She blinked. "Natsu," she began. "Minerva's going to win first."

"What?!" His gaze darted to Minerva's form and his jaw dropped.

The crowd exploded as Minerva strode into the arena, a smug look on her face. Her painted lips curved into a smirk as the announcer shouted, just as shocked, _"Minerva Orland wins first place in the first of the Grand Magic Games events! Six points have been awarded to Sabertooth!"_

"Damn," Gray gritted out. "How the hell did she do that?!"

"Did you see her magic?" Jellal asked. They shook their heads. "She works with magic that borderlines on similar to my own. She manipulates the space around her and can use it to teleport."

There was a moment where they stared at Jellal, and then Gray groaned. "Who's up against her for the battle part? I don't envy them."

"Natsu, actually," Mirajane told them.

"Yes!" Natsu cheered. "A challenge."

"Be careful," Lucy warned. Her eyes narrowed warily. "There's something off about her. I don't think she's a nice person, to be honest. I want to know why Sting would have let her into his guild with that kind of attitude. He's cocky, but not in a rude way." They stared. "What? To put it frankly, I think she's a bitch."

"Damn, Lucy," Gray muttered after a moment. "Tell us how you really feel…"

She flushed furiously. "I'm serious," she protested. "Something's off about her, I just can't put my finger on it!"

"Well, I'm the one fighting her," Natsu promised, "So don't worry about it." He ruffled her hair and then said, "Erza's here!"

The crowd exploded as the announcer called, _"Five points to Fairy Tail Team A for Erza Scarlet's arrival at the stadium - and here comes Jura Neekis, neck and neck with Wendy Marvell!"_

Jura and Wendy reached the stadium at the same time, looking at each other in surprise. And then Jura chuckled, shaking his head. "Fairy Tail has impressed me once again. You can have the points, Miss Marvell."

Lucy beamed as the announcer called out, _"Four points to Fairy Tail Team B and three to Lamia Scale!"_

"Second and third," Lucy said excitedly. "We're on a roll!"

"Yeah we are," Natsu said excitedly, exchanging a wide-eyed wild look with her that shone with excitement.

As the game finished up with Mermaid Heel in fifth and Blue Pegasus in sixth, they all began to chatter. Jellal climbed to his feet, his dark eyes thoughtful. "I'll go to prepare myself," he told them. "Lyon Vastia will be a challenge. He is nearing S-Class."

"You've got this," Lisanna laughed, climbing to her feet to take Charle to Wendy. "Believe us, Jellal. If Gray can kick his ass than you can."

"We'll see," was all he said with a brief smile before wandering off. Lucy turned to study the suddenly empty arena and curled her hands into nervous fists, her stomach doing flip flops.

Tomorrow, it would be her turn.

Natsu suddenly planted his chin on her head out of nowhere and Lucy nearly jumped. "Stop freaking out," he grumbled. "I don't like it."

She only smiled faintly and said nothing, hand fumbling with the pendant at her throat. She eventually relaxed and leaned into her boyfriend with a sigh.

Nothing would happen, she told herself. Not with so many people watching.

Yet something in the depths of her soul told her otherwise.

* * *

Two fights went down before Jellal finally went into the arena, putting Fairy Tail Team B in second, Sabertooth in first, and Team A in third. Mermaid Heel and Blue Pegasus fought viciously for fourth with Lamia Scale. Lucy watched intently as Jellal strapped on some kind of gauntlets, his body clothed in sturdy cargo pants and a pair of tied boots. A sleeveless shirt hugged his body, leaving his arms near bare if he hadn't been wearing fingerless gloves and the gauntlets.

Lyon was fairly confident. His eyes glowed as he studied Jellal, dressed just as flashily as he normally was. He exchanged a friendly word or two with Jellal before settling down, determination on his face.

There was silence as they waited.

And then the buzzer sounded.

Lyon attacked first, to their surprise. He blasted a dragon of ice at Jellal, who leaped up. He used his magic to throw himself high over its head, landing on the dragon's back. Jellal narrowed his eyes.

Lyon grinned and met him with a face full of icy bats.

Gray couldn't help but chuckle. "I like watching Lyon fight with animals," he admitted, "It's really interesting to see what he comes up with."

"It is," Wendy agreed from where she'd taken Jellal's seat.

They watched intently as Jellal raised his hand, folding his thumb and pinky in. He pressed his index finger to his lips, a bright glow appearing around his body. He watched the wary Lyon intently. For a minute, neither moved.

And then Jellal spun.

By the time he'd turned to face Lyon again, the dragon was gone, chunks of ice flying and molding together until comets spun around him. Without hesitation, Jellal lifted his hand and then slammed it to the ground.

Lyon shouted in surprise as they pelted him, a sharp crack as his shoulder gave out under the weight of the attack filling the air. He grunted in pain and pressed his arm to his side until the comets were gone, smashed to the ground. He created a massive ape that bellowed out in rage before lunging at the heavenly-body mage.

Jellal grinned.

For the first time since he'd disappeared after their fight in the Tower of Heaven, Lucy was frightened of the blue-haired man. He didn't seem to notice or care that Lyon was injured as he used his magic to throw himself forward and ram his shoulder into him.

Lyon clenched his jaw and went with it, letting him shove him backwards. His dark eyes flashed and he threw up a barrier that Lucy had only ever seen Gray make. Jellal swore when he nearly slammed straight into it.

"Will Lyon be okay?" Lucy asked softly as he suddenly threw his hands up in surrender, eyes narrowed. Jellal stopped dead in his tracks, recognizing the surrender, and an alarm went off to signal the end of the match.

"Yeah," Gray said gruffly. "Chelia's got him handled." He nodded to the arena as the pink-haired god slayer ran in, followed closely by the rest of the Lamia Scale team.

 _"Fairy Tail Team A gains ten points and takes second!"_ the announcer called.

Lucy furrowed her brow as Jellal hastily left the stadium arena. Beside her, Natsu climbed to his feet, Happy on his head. She didn't move as he looked to her expectantly when Gray suddenly headed off to go and check on his adopted brother of sorts. Juvia went with him.

Instead, she stared at the shadowed cloak that sat nearby. She couldn't tell who it was. Their black cloak's hood had been drawn over their head, hiding their face and hair. It draped over their body so that everything was hidden.

And then, the cloaked form stood and slipped off into the crowds.

Only then did Lucy accept Natsu's offer to help her up and head off with him, hand tightly held in his.

* * *

 _And Fairy Tail's doing pretty damn good on the first day! But Day 2 is where the fun really begins. ;) Next chapter, I believe we see FT Team B's fight. I'm not entirely sure, to be honest._

 _On another note, Minerva's not nice in this fanfic. Mostly because I didn't see the point in it. Nothing she does would fit in later if she was made nice like in the Tartaros Arc._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, HumminBird742, MayraLilacBunny, Typhlosion8, ShadowRiptide, PotatoGIrl14, StardragonXX, TheAliceHuntt, HollyNinetales, Dragondancer81, Guest #1, LePengwen, Abdltf, PinkFireandGoldenStars, SoranoFairgray, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, and OneWhoCharms!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	170. Chapter 170

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

After checking with Gray to make sure Lyon was doing alright, Lucy and Natsu returned to the arena. There were still a few matches left to witness - including the battle between Fairy Tail Team B and Sabertooth.

Lucy had glanced at the paper Erza had posted in their room earlier in the morning while getting ready and looked forward to watching the battle take place. She wanted Cana to win, naturally, but...at the same time, she hoped Yukino did well.

As if reading her mind, Natsu told her, "You can cheer for both of 'em."

"Yeah...I guess." Lucy ruffled Happy's ears. "That's true." She turned to Gray as he appeared, returning to his seat beside her. "Hey, Gray. Where's Juvia?"

"She's going to hang out with Meredy," he explained with a grin. He playfully elbowed his friend. "She said that she hopes Cana does well, though. I promised I'd give her a detailed explanation on how everything goes, of course."

"Good."

Wendy hurried into her own seat beside Natsu, her dark eyes wide and a little frightened. Natsu glanced at her with curious onyx eyes, and she admitted softly, "I...I feel something odd in the air, Natsu. I have since we arrived in Crocus. It just...it got a little stronger not too long ago."

He frowned. "We'll keep an eye on it, Wendy," the fire mage promised and then excitedly focused on the arena when the announcer shouted for everyone's attention.

 _"Next up we have Cana Alberona of Fairy Tail Team B against Yukino Auguria of Sabertooth!"_

Everyone exploded into applause, and Lucy cheered alongside them. Her stomach twisted when she realized she'd be down there the next day, fighting Gajeel.

 _"Begin at the alarm!"_

Cana winked playfully at Yukino, who offered a friendly smile.

And then the alarm buzzed.

Cana snapped cards out of nowhere, her dark eyes glittering with determination, and Yukino withdrew a key from a ring at her hip. Lucy couldn't see from the distance she was at, but recognized Pisces when she summoned the Spirit a moment later.

"Too bad Yukino has the last two Zodiacs," Natsu said with a pout. "I could have gotten 'em for you and you'd have had all of them."

Lucy smiled at him. "Thanks for the thought, Natsu, but I'm good. I would never even think of taking another mage's Spirits from her. Yukino cares a great deal for them and they care for her."

Natsu grudgingly agreed and then zeroed in on the fight with smoke trickling out of his mouth. "C'mon, Cana!" he suddenly shouted, his voice drowned out by the screaming around them. "Kick her ass!"

"Natsu!" Lucy huffed, but cheered alongside him.

Pisces curled around Yukino in a protective wall, each half watching Cana as Cana used her cards to create a storm of lightning and rain around them. The lightning snapped at the Spirit as if drawn to it - and it was, Lucy realized. The lightning was attracted to anything with magic in its system, because it even snapped back at Cana a few times.

When the lightning Cana had created flickered away, Pisces struck.

The two halves of the Spirit lunged, sharpened teeth snapping at Cana. Cana backed off, muttering to herself with serious dark eyes.

They danced back and forth what seemed like ages. Yukino even sent Pisces away and tried using Libra, but Cana simply used a card to dispel Libra's magic. It seemed like ages before the buzzer sounded and both women paused in confusion. "What the hell, man?" Cana barked. "We weren't done!"

Yukino sent Libra away, her eyes amused. "It appears we've-"

 _"It appears this match will end in a tie!"_ the announcer called out. _"Congratulations to Sabertooth and Fairy Tail Team B for both earning five points!"_

The crowd cheered and Lucy screamed along with them, clapping excitedly. "Go Cana," she cried, proud of her friend. Natsu bellowed alongside her and Wendy gave a cheerful trill-like sound. Gray shouted in excitement.

"Good for her," Mirajane praised behind them. "I was concerned, but I see that we have no reason to be concerned now."

"You're taking part for the last day, right, Mira?" Natsu asked, turning to face her. His eyes burned into hers. "The one where the entire team competes?"

"Maybe," Mirajane sighed. "I was offered a spot on Team B, but I don't know. We'll see, Natsu. We'll see." She offered him a smile and then stood. "Come on, Lisanna, Elfman. I want to go congratulate Cana…"

Lucy leaned back into her seat as they wandered off, glancing at Natsu. "Want to go join the guild for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah," he replied eagerly. "I can't wait for tomorrow. Gray and Juvia against one another in the game part and then you and Gajeel are gonna fight and Laxus is gonna fight Meredy-"

Lucy pressed her lips together unhappily at the reminder. "Natsu...I don't think I'm going to win this one." He blinked at her and she explained, "I just...Gajeel helped Levy and was told he could be officially recognized as S-Class himself. I'm in all ways that matter against an S-Class mage, and-"

Pain stung her face. She blinked in alarm, touching her reddened cheek. Natsu lowered his hand with a glare at her, his onyx eyes blazing furiously. "Natsu!" Gray snapped, looking furious. "What the hell man!"

Erza, who'd returned somewhere in the midst of the match to watch with Jellal, puffed her chest up and took on a murderous expression, but Natsu didn't notice. Instead, he scowled and grabbed her roughly, shaking her until she thought she was going to snap her neck.

"Natsu, stop!" Happy cried, trying to pry the fire mage from Lucy, but Natsu ignored him and snarled at his girlfriend, "What the hell is wrong with you, Lucy? Since when did you think that way? You kicked Cobra's ass." That earned him a glare from over several heads on Cobra's part. "You did great on Tenrou! You beat Jellal when we had to do the Tower of Heaven stuff...hell, you were picked for Fairy Tail Team A! If you weren't strong enough to at least put up a challenge for Gajeel, they wouldn't have let you participate!"

"Despite Natsu being mean about it," Gray told her after shoving Natsu back a few steps, unhappy with how rough he'd been. "He's right. You're badass, whether you know it or not. You just need to believe in yourself."

"...right," Lucy said quietly, rubbing her sore cheek. She was still amazed that she'd been slapped, barely focusing on what they were saying until Natsu pushed Gray out of the way and gently grabbed her chin. He tilted her head up and then pressed his forehead to hers hard enough to make her stagger. Searching her eyes, he growled, "You're strong, even if you can't match an S-Class mage." He gave a lopsided signature Natsu grin after a moment. "'Sides. You're my partner. Which means you'll kick some serious ass."

Lucy flushed, aware that they were still in public. "...yeah," she finally said. She reached out to adjust his scarf and he lifted his chin a little to let her. Her fingers ran gently over the scaled material as she adjusted it. "You're right. Sorry. Thanks...and thank you, too, Gray."

Gray reached out to gently ruffle her hair. "Anytime. And if you hit her again, Natsu-"

"I will personally rip your arm out of its socket," Erza warned darkly from where she was now watching. Her dark eyes were furious, her teeth clenched.

Natsu huffed. "She wasn't listening to me. You weren't," he added when Lucy sputtered and shot him a dark look. "I wanted to make sure you were listening."

"You didn't have to slap me," Lucy muttered, rubbing her cheek.

He muttered under his breath, leaned forward, and gently kissed the cheek he'd slapped. "There. Better?"

Lucy blinked at him and then burst into laughter, shaking her head.

Only Natsu.

* * *

His eyes narrowed as he ducked through the window. He froze when the soft sigh of the nearby scarlet-haired woman filled his ears, worried he'd woken her. From a distance or if someone had never met him, they might not have recognized him. But she would.

When she didn't wake, he returned his attention to the sleeping blonde. He was more than grateful for the magic that he'd mastered recently. It allowed him to hide his entire presence, whether it be concealing his magic or his scent from the dragon slayer next door with a ridiculously powerful nose.

He crouched beside the bed, face inches from hers. Her face was soft. No lines from stress and fear had appeared on her smooth skin. Her body was relaxed and her sleep was deep.

Lucy Heartfilia was a sight for his sore and tired eyes.

He puffed out a soft breath and his breath stirred her hair a fraction. She shifted, but remained asleep. He smiled bitterly as he reached out and lightly ran a finger over her cheek. "I'm sorry, Lucy...good luck tomorrow," he whispered. He paused in thought. "I would come visit you afterwards, but...you won't want company and I guess you'll have constant supervision until you're fixed up."

He rocked back on his heels despite being squatted beside the bed, eyes glinting in the dark. "You have to promise you'll be okay. I'll be yelled at for visiting, but I needed to. _Promise_ it won't turn out like that again. Okay? I'll be here to make sure it doesn't happen."

His eyes became slits, the pupils in his eyes contracting until they were barely visible. "Because if it does...there'll be hell to pay. And I'll watch this world burn like the hell it really is."

* * *

The second day of the Grand Magic Games started bright and early for everyone.

Natsu was ridiculously energetic and Lucy regretted that he had to wait until the fifth day to actually fight. On the bright side, she knew he'd be playing the game the next day, so she used such a thing to keep him calmed.

She was still a little miffed with him about being slapped. His intentions had been good...but had he really had to slap her? Was it absolutely necessary? She wanted to smack him back for it.

Gray stretched his arms over his head beside her. He'd chosen simple clothing - a leather top that would protect him from minor injuries, a pair of easy-to-move-in pants, and sturdy boots. His arms supported leather armbands that Lucy suspected were more for show. His dark eyes flashed as he glanced her way. "How's your face?"

Lucy rubbed her cheek with a dry smile. "It'll be fine. I'm going to smack a certain person around the head, but...I'll live."

"Good." Gray rolled his eyes. "I don't know where he got the idea that smacking people is the right way to get their attention."

"I don't either." A weight on Lucy's head made her look up and Happy purred in greeting. "Happy!" she cheered, reaching up to pluck him into her arms. She cuddled him to her chest. "Where's Natsu?"

"Getting food of course," Happy purred. He flicked his white-tipped tail around her wrist as Wendy and Erza joined them. He wrinkled his nose. "Lucy, you smell weird."

"Excuse me?" Lucy said darkly. "You better tread carefully, cat. I'm not in the mood for your annoying comments, Happy. I will skin you alive."

Happy paused, eyes widening with fear. But then he said seriously, "There's something weird. Like you're not entirely Lucy, but you are."

This earned curious looks from all of them. But before any of them could respond, Natsu arrived, mouth shoved full of food, and he grinned at them. "What's goin' on?" he questioned, shoving what looked like a taco into his mouth.

"Nothing," Lucy said hastily, sending all of them a warning look. Gray inclined his head in understanding before leaving them to head into the arena. Erza and Wendy looked bewildered as they followed him.

From her place in Wendy's arms, Charle was emotionless.

For her vision was filled with the sight of Lucy singing her song as tears rolled down her face, a body cradled in her arms as a man with crazed eyes stood over them both.

* * *

 _Still not sure how I feel about having Natsu slap Lucy, but...I like how this chapter turned out anyways. XD Stalker people climbing in the window need to leave Lucy be._

 _UndertaleAuLukka, on the matter of Minerva's reformation...I will agree with you on that. My two big issues is that the change came out of seemingly nowhere mid-fight with Erza and even after what she did there were no words said about what went down. I mean, she apologized to Lucy after the time skip, but...she was pointlessly brutal and there was no need for it. I go back and forth with Minerva. I can't decide if I like her or not and BTL caught me while I was in dislike mode._

 _quite-a-riot, on the matter of longer chapters...I don't release longer chapters because I have focus issues. IT and some of my other works had chapters that were 4k words long. BTL has about 2500 words per chapter. Having shorter chapters allows me to stay ahead easier as well, and I feel like it's the perfect length because after about 2500 I begin to struggle a little. :3 And we're 170 chapters in now, it wouldn't do well for my OCD to switch to longer chapters now._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Typhlosion8, Dragondancer81, HummingBird742, PotatoGirl14, Mimi Queen, The Age of Awesomeness, TheAliceHuntt, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Abdltf, LePengwen, RandomAnimeNerd, MayraLilacBunny, UndertaleAuLukka, Faery'sConfessions, and quite-a-riot!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	171. Chapter 171

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

 _"Welcome to the second day of the first annual Grand Magic Games!"_

The crowd roared around them and Lucy grinned, unable to think of the fight she would participate in later that day. The crowd's energy was filling her with excitement. She'd finally forgiven Natsu entirely after he'd mumbled a sincere apology into her ear, looking worried. She'd rolled her eyes and accepted the apology before receiving one of the tightest hugs she'd ever experienced.

They sat together with Wendy on Lucy's other side and Erza and Jellal on Natsu's, cheering loudly alongside their cats. Gray and Juvia stood in the arena side-by-side, muttering to one another. Rogue, Meredy, and Ichiya stood in the arena alongside them, as well as a girl none of them recognized.

Compared to Gray and Rogue's calm looks, Ichiya's wildness was somewhat disturbing.

From where he was sitting, Lyon was burning a hole into the back of his head as he watched Ichiya flirt with the amused looking Meredy. She didn't appear to take him seriously, but it still made Lucy laugh when Cobra, who sat behind them with Kinana, said with clear disgust, "Ugh, he's offering to-"

"I don't want to know," Kinana said hastily, cutting him off. Her cheeks flushed a bright color and Cobra cackled.

"What, you think he's offering-"

"Erik!" she said in a very high-pitched voice.

He only laughed harder and Lucy exchanged an amused look with Wendy. It was nice to know that the cranky venom dragon slayer was making himself at home in the Fairy Tail guild. He'd even recently taken on the emblem - a deep violet emblem that had been planted on the inside of his forearm.

The Council had sent a letter of gratitude to the cheering Makarov the day before.

Lucy started. "Natsu!" she called over the noise, yanking on his sleeve to get his attention. He glanced her way, swiping at the sweat on his forehead, and she pointed at the blonde girl who cheered beside the elderly guildmaster.

He looked delighted. "Mavis!"

"If she plans out everything," Erza called beside them, "We'll win for certain!"

"Yay!" Happy purred, seated beside Wendy and Charle. Charle rolled her eyes, but looked at least a little relieved.

As soon as the commotion had died down, the announcer spoke again.

 _"We are pleased to inform all mages watching that the Games are doing as the Council hoped: commotion over the reveal of magic has begun to die down and the public is accepting it. There are still riots occurring in the west, but curfews have been lifted otherwise."_

This earned cheerful whoops and hollering.

 _"Now...onto the Games! Today's game's participants include Gray Fullbuster and Juvia Lockser of Fairy Tail, Meredy of Lamia Scale, Rogue Cheney of Sabertooth, Beth Vanderwood of Mermaid Heel, and Ichiya Kotobuki of Blue Pegasus! Later this afternoon, you'll witness fights between various mages!"_ More cheering. When it went away, the speech continued. _"This game will be a test of strength. In a tournament style, each contestant will be asked to fight past a series of robots and reach the other's goal first. The contestants are not permitted to battle one another. The first three matches will be as follows: Lamia Scale against Mermaid Heel, Sabertooth against Blue Pegasus, and Fairy Tail Team A against Fairy Tail Team B."_

This earned shocked murmurs. Gray and Juvia exchanged startled looks.

 _"Points will be handed out after the last round. Sabertooth, Blue Pegasus, and Fairy Tail, please step out of the arena for the time being."_

"This is going to be interesting," Natsu commented, frowning. "Juvia won't wanna go up against him. He'll win."

From where Levy and Gajeel were seated, Gajeel smirked. "Don't underestimate Juvia," he told them. "She'll kick ass if she needs to."

Rolling her eyes, Levy leaned over to tell Lucy, "I'll be rooting for you later, by the way. I know he can hold his own. So I thought it'd be better to cheer you on."

Gajeel looked at his girlfriend in horror. "Levy!"

"Levy, thank you." Lucy beamed at the solid-script mage and then settled down, focused entirely on the game.

It seemed like ages before it got to be Juvia and Gray's turn. Lamia Scale won against Mermaid Heel and Sabertooth against Blue Pegasus. When Juvia and Gray were sent into the arena amongst an army of robotic creatures - Lucy really wanted to know how the hell they were even in existence, because she didn't think robots like that were possible to begin with let alone around magic - they looked serious.

"Do you really think that Juvia's gonna fight past him?" Natsu asked in her ear.

"She's not fighting _him_ so probably," Lucy admitted. "And I think she'll win to be honest. Her magic will help her get through them-"

"But Gray's magic can, too," he pointed out. "The icy bastard's not that bad, Luce."

"True," she admitted, squinting at the arena.

"I think Juvia will win," Erza agreed suddenly.

"Juvia will," Jellal murmured, "Because of the clothes she has chosen to wear."

Lucy returned her gaze to Gray and started to giggle. Juvia's slitted skirt covered the majority of her legs, but a slit up each side reached quite a bit, and he was clearly distracted by it. His eyes darted to her legs every now and then, widened, and then shifted away. To top it all off, the shirt she'd chosen hung off of her shoulders, revealing enough of her chest to distract him, too.

Natsu was puzzled. "I don't understand. What does clothes have to do with the game?"

"I got this, let me explain."

"No," Lucy moaned, covering her face with her hands as Cana leaned in from behind them.

"Alright, buddy. Gray's distracted because you men are weak to the skin of females," she informed him with a smirk. "Or at least some of you are. Laxus seems to only bow down to Mirajane's, but we'll leave that be for now."

"Cana!" Mirajane hissed, flushing.

Natsu blinked. "You guys show skin all the time and I don't care."

"That's because you're a very smart and rare individual," Cana told him. "But I bet if Lucy were to suddenly lose her shirt, you'd go nuts. Lucy, come here a second, I want to try it-"

"Cana!" Lucy shrieked when she grabbed the hem of Lucy's blouse and pulled up. She trapped the hem against her stomach with white knuckles, eyes full of alarm. Natsu, much to their amusement, turned bright red and reached over to shoo Cana's hands away. "Stop, leave her alone, Cana," he demanded.

"Want to do it yourself?" she said cheekily.

"Shut up, Cana!" Lucy pleaded.

"Natsu deserves praise for his behavior," Erza informed them, beaming at the dragon slayer with approval. Jellal just looked plain uncomfortable with all of it.

Finally, everyone began to settle down. Natsu took it upon himself to protect Lucy from Cana's clutches by gently tugging her into his side and glaring over her head at the brunette. Lucy tried to avoid laughing. He was very serious about the matter, however, and it only made her laugh harder.

 _"Begin!"_

Lucy focused when the match began. She settled down, eyes locked on Gray.

"He's got this," Natsu muttered, but Lucy could see otherwise.

"No he hasn't," she sighed. "Juvia will win. No doubt about it. Gray's got it bad, just look at him. You can see it right on his face."

Particularly when Juvia flaunted a cunning and seductive look at Gray when she sidled across the line of victory.

* * *

Fairy Tail's teams didn't do well in the tournament-styled game. Juvia lost to Sabertooth, who in turn lost to Lamia Scale, but when points were handed out, Fairy Tail Team A was in first overall and Team B was tied for third with Mermaid Heel.

It was while Lucy was excitedly chattering with Erza about the matter that the announcement was made.

 _"The Council asks that Miss Lucy Heartfilia please meet them in the center of the arena to discuss a change!"_

Lucy faltered, startled. Natsu glanced up, frowning, and the rest of the team exchanged bewildered looks. "Go on," Erza told her gently. "We'll wait at the entrance of the arena for you."

"Thanks." Lucy flashed her a smile and then patted Natsu's arm soothingly when he pouted. "I'll be right back, Natsu. We'll go grab some lunch afterwards, okay?"

Natsu's eyes narrowed. "Take Happy," he said suddenly, pushing the confused cat into her arms. "And if something's wrong, send him over so we can come fix it."

"It'll be fine," Lucy reassured with a laugh, her eyes warm. She gathered Happy to her and headed down the steps of where the audience sat to make her way into the arena.

"Do you think it'll be okay, Lucy?" Happy fretted in her arms, his tail flicking this way and that. He turned anxious eyes up at her.

"Yeah," Lucy lied, though a twist in her gut said otherwise. Loke's key heated at her hip as a reminder that he was there, and she smiled to herself, touching the key with one hand. _Thanks, Loke._

When she reached the Council members, she recognized one as a man by the name of Mest. He offered her a quick smile that shifted the scar on the side of his face. The other introduced himself as Lahar, the Council member working to organize and run the Games.

"We apologize for calling you out like this, Miss Heartfilia," Lahar said with an apologetic look. "A change has been made to the pre-created schedule. An anonymous request on behalf of the royal group was made that your opponent be switched out. Gajeel Redfox is being switched to the fifth day, to fight against your friend Natsu Dragneel. In return, you'll be up against Minerva Orland. We hope that isn't too much of an issue?"

Lucy's face went white and her body tensed. Happy gave an anxious sound and looked up at her, but Lucy forced herself to smile shakily. "No," she lied. "No issue at all."

It's not like she could actually refuse, either. The Fiore family was royalty after all, and she owed them a lot for taking care of Bosco in her absence.

Knowing better than to think Natsu wouldn't throw a fit over the matter, she hastily asked, "Can you wait to announce it until I'm in the arena?"

"You're the first match up, so that's no problem," Mest told her. "We'll just have you come back here when the time comes. Thank you, Miss Heartfilia. We appreciate your willingness to understand."

Lucy said nothing more, merely hurried back towards where her nakama waited. "Don't breathe a word, Happy. You know what'll happen. We all agreed that Minerva Orland doesn't seem nice."

"She looks really, really mean," Happy admitted, and then sighed. "Alright. I won't say anything. But you promise you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Lucy promised, pressing a kiss to his fuzzy head. He purred in content. "Just make sure you'll keep Natsu under control, got it?"

"Aye, sir!"

"Lucy!" Gray called as they made their way over. "What'd the Council want with you? Is everything okay?"

Aware of six pairs of eyes on her, Lucy forced herself to laugh. "Everything's fine, right, Happy?"

"Aye, sir!" Happy lied. The cat twitched his tail happily and let Lucy tighten her grip to a near strangling hold without complaint.

"Good!" Natsu said, pleased. He sidled over to Lucy and happily wound an arm around her shoulders, burying his face into her hair contently. Gray pretended to make a sound of disgust, though he looked just as amused as the rest of them.

Lucy gave him a moment and then smacked his face away playfully. "Alright, you needy brat," She giggled. "Let's go get you some lunch before I go get my butt kicked, okay?"

"Don't say that," Natsu huffed. "Gajeel's not gonna beat you up too badly."

Lucy's smile tightened a fraction in fear and Jellal was the only one to catch it. His dark eyes narrowed when he did and suspicion crossed his gaze.

The last time he'd seen that look on Lucy Heartfilia's face had been when he'd nearly killed her while attempting to use her magic on the Tower of Heaven.

Jellal knew that look well.

And he knew that it couldn't be anything good.

* * *

 _And downhill time. The upcoming chapter will be not so pleasant._

 _Thanks to reviewers (HummingBird742, aidansidhe, Typhlosion8, The Age of Awesomeness, TheDorkyCelestialFlame, TheAliceHuntt, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, rigger-Happy Texan, LePengwen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, RandomAnimeNerd, PotatoGirl14, quite-a-riot, FairyRains, and pinkdoughtnuts!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	172. Chapter 172

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

After lunch had been eaten, Lucy took a deep breath and made her way to the arena. People were filing into the comfortable stands of the arena and Lucy could hear excited chatter coming from the Fairy Tail section as she hung out in the entrance to the arena, rubbing Loke's key between her fingers.

The way Mineva had fought told Lucy that she needn't hold back on anything. She was prepared to use two Zodiacs, her whip, _and_ Urano Metria if she needed to.

She'd fight for victory, even if she didn't get it.

The smallest of comforts had been the realization that the Council was watching and that several S-Class mages would jump in if they felt it was bad enough. It was an undeclared rule in the Games. It was one that she was grateful for.

"Tch. I'd have appreciated someone worth a challenge," an icy voice muttered. Lucy glanced up as Minerva sidled into view, looking beautiful and deadly all at the same time. Her dark hair had been tied up, her sleeveless top and jeans hugging her like a second skin. She'd strapped on heels with sharp points and Lucy grimaced at the realization that she'd be fending them off soon.

Proudly raising her chin, Lucy retorted, "I'm a challenge. I'll have you know I took out some of Oracion Seis and survived Grimoire Heart."

She mockingly laughed, touching a finger to her red painted lips. "Oh? Such accomplishments. When something far more powerful comes knocking at your door, will you be just as confident?"

"Yes," Lucy said firmly. "Because I won't be alone when it does. Plus," she added, shooting the other woman a proud look, "The princess of Bosco holds a great amount of power, you know, even if I'm not sitting on the throne as a queen." That said, Lucy heard the announcer call out for them to enter and she gripped her keys and entered.

 _"A change was made earlier in the day when the royal family asked for it! Miss Heartfilia has been put up against Miss Orland and Mr. Dragneel will be up against Mr. Redfox on the fifth day of the Games."_

The crowd roared as she and Minerva moved to the center of the arena. When they reached it, they took up stances across from one another.

Fairy Tail shouted her name and Sabertooth called Minerva's. Various mages shouted for either of them, but Lucy drowned them out and readied herself.

 _"Go!"_

Lucy snapped out Loke's key and wordlessly summoned her Spirit. The crowd cheered as Loke appeared, a grin on his face. "Hey, Princess, long time no see."

Lucy's whip snapped out and Minerva watched them with cruel amusement in her eyes. "Help me win this and I'll treat you to dinner later?"

"Ooh, a date?" Loke readied himself as Minerva began to do something. She pressed her index finger to her lips, murmuring a spell under her breath as the other hand stretched forward, fingers out. And then it curled into a fist.

Loke crumbled. "Shit!" he grunted.

"Loke?" Lucy demanded, worried.

"Crushing a Celestial Spirit's energy is easy," Minerva purred, sidling closer. Lucy snapped her whip out, yanking at the woman's ankle. Minerva staggered, the heels she wore throwing her off balance. Lucy used that time to summon Gemini.

"Best form you can think of, Gemini!" she ordered as Loke shook the power off and hopped to his feet. Minerva had caught her balance and wore an icy look. Loke settled back into a confident stance beside her, and on her other side, Gemini took on - to her surprise - Gray's form.

Lucy thought she heard laughter from her team in the stands.

"We hope this form is okay, Miss Lucy," Gemini said honestly.

"Perfect." Lucy stepped forward, flames licking to life along her whip when it caught Minerva's wrist. She grimaced at the heat that touched her skin. Lucy felt a brief moment of satisfaction. _I actually have a chance at this!_

Even if she tied, it would mean she was strong.

And then, something exploded right behind her. Heat and pain exploded over her back and Lucy cried out as she hit the ground, whip tumbling from her grasp. Minerva laughed and placed a heeled foot on her back, digging it in. "Honestly, you're pathetic," she mused. "I almost feel bad for you."

In a flash, Loke was upon her, light blasting from his hands with an enraged look settled upon his face, but she swept her hand and he was gone. "Loke," Lucy gasped, horrified. He was still out and about, she could feel it.

But he was nowhere in the arena.

Gemini stepped forward to help, staying back to try and avoid Minerva's attacks. Ice flew around them, creating a massive barrier that was spiked dangerously. A floor appeared beneath them, one of ice - until Gemini suddenly transformed back into their smaller forms.

"We apologize, Miss Lucy," Mini fretted.

"We apologize, Miss Lucy," Gemi echoed. "We are not the best choice for this opponent. We cannot outdo her magic. Would you like us to try Unison Raid?"

Lucy surged up, knocking Minerva off balance again. "Yeah," she gasped, aware that blood was trickling down her back. _So much for these magically enhanced outfits I had purchased…_ "Whoever's magic is best."

Gemini seemed to snicker. "Yes, ma'am!" the Spirit cheerfully cried as Minerva set to work. Lucy did her best to fend her off, blocking most blows. On occasion, someone would snap into her and pain would blast through the spot a delayed moment later.

"Damn," Lucy hissed until Gemini said cheerfully in a familiar voice, "We're ready, Miss Lucy!"

"Since when could you take on Natsu's form?" she muttered, reeling back and nearly stumbling over her feet. Gemini didn't answer.

It couldn't.

Lucy felt her anger rise when she realized her Spirit was gone. She tried to forcefully close their gates, but something blocked it, and she realized quickly that if Minerva kept this up, her magic would drain away into nothing.

Not that it would matter.

The world around her began to explode, mico-blasts blowing painful wounds into her skin. Lucy struggled to get away from them, but they were everywhere she turned.

 _"Enough,"_ the announcer suddenly bellowed, an alarm blasting. _"The Council is demanding the match end-"_

To Lucy's horror, Minerva ignored him.

She laughed as she swung a leg out and caught the blonde in the jaw with her foot. Lucy couldn't so much as cry in pain, thinking she might have heard a crack as excruciating pain ripped through her lower jaw. Spitting blood, Lucy stumbled, rasping numbly, "I give in!"

"Mm, no." Another blow slammed Lucy onto her back, and she cried out in pain when rocks dug into her shredded back. She could sense her magic faltering, black filling her vision as her Spirits tried to draw on it and force themselves to her. She could hear several people shouting throughout the arena - the Council members demanding the match be brought to a halt, several people questioning if this was all right, and her guild in particular was screaming that it be stopped.

A sharpened stiletto was planted in the center of Lucy's chest. The blonde struggled to breathe past a bloodied mouth, choking on the blood. "Remember this," Minerva purred, smirking down at her as she dug the pointed heel in. Lucy flinched at the painful puncture as it broke the skin. Minerva's dark eyes glinted. "I may have joined Sabertooth for now. But in no way does that mean I share their pathetic views."

And then she slid away, striding confidently towards the entrance of the arena, leaving Lucy lying there. A flick of her fingers left Lucy's Spirits beside her. Gemini left immediately, but Loke dropped to his knees, his eyes frantic as he ordered her not to move.

She couldn't have moved even if she wanted to.

The pendant at her throat seared near painfully as Loke shouted for Wendy and Chelia to hurry over. Blinded by agonizing pain in her jaw, Lucy couldn't bring herself to talk. She grabbed Loke's sleeve, pleading for him to return to his own Realm as she heard people running over.

His gaze was panicked as he locked gazes with her, and she recognized that he was terrified.

He didn't want to lose another mistress like he'd lost Layla.

Silently, she forced his gate shut, promising she'd apologize later. A moment later, warm calloused hands brushed over her cheeks and Natsu's horrified face appeared in her vision. "Lucy?" he croaked.

She knew no more.

* * *

There was blood everywhere and Natsu was in a panic, trying to figure out what to do. He wanted to go and burn Minerva Orland into ashes, but _Lucy_ -

He'd thrown himself over the banister the second the dust had cleared and he'd seen Lucy unmoving on the ground. They all recognized the dangers that came with participating in these Games, but no one had expected _this_ much damage!

The crowd was silent.

Natsu didn't look up as Erza knelt beside him, gently touching his shoulder. "Natsu," she said gently, and he stiffened. He was shaking, he realized distantly. "You need to move. Look, Porlyusica and Wendy are here. Chelia's on her way over. They can't work with you in the way."

"No," he said stubbornly, shaking his head, but she drew him away anyways. Jellal, Gray, Juvia, Gajeel, and Levy all stood off to the side, eyes widened. Makarov and Mirajane spoke urgently with Sting, who looked horrified, and Lahar. Rogue looked uncomfortable as he and Yukino spoke to one another. Mest stood over Porlyusica and the two sky mages as they went to work.

"Broken jaw," Natsu heard Porlyusica utter. "Nasty wound. I'm more concerned with possible infections in the back. Too much dirt and dust for me to see properly and we can't move her if she's broken any vertebrae or her pelvis-"

"Natsu!" Erza murmured urgently, gently pushing Happy into her arms. His fur bristled, terror making his small body tense. "Take care of Happy. Lucy is in good hands, do you understand? She'll be fine."

"I did not foresee this," a softly-speaking Mavis murmured, startling them. Neither had been aware that she was standing nearby. "I wish I had. I could have prevented this."

"It's all my fault," Happy sobbed suddenly. "She said not to tell you guys!"

Natsu's sharp onyx eyes darted down. "You _knew_ it had changed?"

But Happy burst into tears, not able to speak further about the matter. Natsu's grip tightened on his friend as he looked back to Lucy, feeling odd. There was a rage in his chest, the ache that had dulled returning in full force. He wanted to burn the world to the ground.

Smoke began to leak from his nostrils at the mere thought. His pupils slitted at the delightful idea.

They'd hurt Lucy, so he would hurt them, too-

" _Natsu_ ," Gray suddenly hissed. "Watch it, you're going to burn Happy!"

Natsu stilled, the fire in his gut fading away as Happy shivered against him. What the hell had he been thinking?! As if he'd go and burn people alive! A little frightened of these thoughts, Natsu shuddered and found himself longing more than ever for his missing father. _Where are you, Igneel?_

"Sorry, Happy," he rasped, burying his face against the blue cat's fur. Happy purred shakily, digging his claws into Natsu's arm. Erza watched them anxiously.

"I would never have hurt Bunny Girl like this," Gajeel rasped. "This ain't right."

The mages of Fairy Tail murmured their agreement as Lucy was taken out of the arena, a trail of blood left behind.

* * *

 _Told you it wouldn't be pleasant._

 _To those who are confused about the GMG scheduling...it was originally FT Team A v. Team B on Day Two and Sabertooth v. FT on the fifth day. With the switch, Day Two is now FT Team A V. Sabertooth and FT Team A v. Team B on Day Five._

 _Sorry about the late update! I spent a weekend in Colorado and then rode all day yesterday before spending the evening watching Bones, so._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Typhlosion8, thebooknerdgeek, Trigger-Happy Texan, The Age of Awesomeness, FairyRains, HummingBird742, TheAliceHuntt, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, StardragonXX, LePengwen, WolfMistwood, PinkFireandGoldenStars, DragonDancer81, RandomAnimeNerd, Abdltf, quite-a-riot, Faery'sConfessions, Celestial-Aphrodite, CupcakarmaFanGurl, and MayraLilacBunny!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	173. Chapter 173

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

It was nearing evening when Lucy finally woke. The Games had continued after the first horrifying match with rules clearly stated aloud. Minerva had been taken off of Sabertooth's team and replaced with a timid young woman. Sting had given Fairy Tail a fairly public apology, looking miserable.

Natsu had refused to leave Lucy's side after the healing mages and Porlyusica had done what they could.

 _"I'm sorry, Natsu,"_ Wendy had said gently. _"We can't do a lot until she wakes up. We've dealt with the worst of the wounds. Doctors helped us and did x-rays. Her jaw was broken in two different places. She had a few cracked ribs we dealt with. The doctors said it would be best to wait for much more. If she's awake in the morning, we'll see. If not...they'll take her away to the hospital."_

Natsu had been silently sitting beside Lucy since Wendy's gentle comment. His hands gently messed with long blonde hair as Lucy slept away. And when she finally stirred, a pained moan leaving her lips, he nearly tripped over himself jumping to his feet. Happy, curled in his lap, yowled as he hit the floor. "Lucy?!"

She didn't answer, flinching at pain he wanted to take away. But she blinked her brown eyes open and met his gaze before grimacing just barely.

"I'll go get Wendy and the crazy witch lady," he promised. He paused to lay a gentle kiss on her head and then bolted like a wild animal out of the room, leaving them behind. Happy crawled onto the bed to settle beside her.

Lucy felt a flash of worry for her keys, but was distracted when the door opened and Porlyusica entered with a strange man Lucy didn't recognize. Natsu moved to slide in behind them, but the cranky older woman slammed and locked the door before he could.

"Hello, Miss Heartfilia," the man - Lucy assumed he was a doctor - said as he approached. Porlyusica kept her distance, watching with icy eyes. "How are you feeling?"

Lucy snorted softly, not answering, and the doctor gently began to feel along her jaw and chin. She flinched, biting back a gasp.

"Wendy saw to the broken bones, but that's all," Porlyusica said curtly. "Anything else needs to heal on it's own. Too much magic will make your immune system and other such things weak."

Lucy didn't move, but blinked in understanding.

"Magic's incredible," the doctor sighed, checking her vitals. Lucy grimaced as she realized she was connected to an IV. "It'll help make great advances in the medical field, I truly believe that. Ms. Porlyusica, my recommendation is to have those two girls come back, lessen the damage a little more. Not much if what you say about it weaking her immune system is true, but enough that she can talk, eat, and drink without this IV."

"I'll send that brat after them," she replied irritably. "If that's all, I'll leave."

Lucy was somewhat glad. Porlyusica had always made her nervous and now she was making her more than just a little uncomfortable.

The second Porlyusica unlocked and open the door, Natsu glared at her. The sharp look in her eyes, however, had him stepping aside and looking away. "Go get Wendy," she snapped.

Natsu looked as if he was considering ignoring the order, but huffed and raced off to do that.

The doctor looked amused. "That boy's had more energy than my daughter. And she's three years old."

Lucy's lips barely twitched into a smile.

* * *

"All done!" Wendy pulled back a short while later, her eyes warm. Lucy grimaced as she carefully sat up, ignoring Natsu when he complained. Wendy patted her shoulder and whispered, "I did a little more than Porlyusica said I could."

Lucy smiled briefly. "Thanks, Wendy," she said hoarsely. "I appreciate it."

Wendy beamed.

From where he was seated beside Wendy, Natsu puffed out a flame of annoyance. "She shouldn't be in here to begin with." His onyx eyes narrowed irritably. "Luce, why didn't you say that things had changed! Or Gajeel for that matter," he muttered under his breath.

Lucy pressed her lips together. "I didn't think it would end like this," she admitted. "I figured if I got beat, no big deal." She huffed. "This was not getting defeated. This was getting my ass kicked. Which Loke is going to do...where are my keys by the way?"

"Right here." Natsu shoved his hand into his pocket and dug them out. He passed them and her choker to her. "The doctors wanted all of this kind of stuff off and I offered to take it."

"Thanks," Lucy replied.

She hugged her keys to her and felt out how much of her magic she had left. It was barely there. It stunned her. "My magic stores shouldn't be this low after a five minute match with two Zodiacs...wherever she sent them must have sucked up more power."

"Possible," Natsu mumbled, folding his arms. He leaned on the bed and planted his chin on them, looking up at her from beneath his eyelashes. He looked exhausted. "Laxus won against Meredy, by the way. Lyon threw a fit because Lamia Scale lost twice against Fairy Tail, but I think Meredy got him to relax."

"That's cute," Lucy admitted. "He likes her." She ran her fingers through Natsu's hair and then shot Wendy a grateful look. "Thanks again, Wendy. I really do appreciate everything you've done for me."

"Just be more careful," Wendy scolded playfully. She reached out to hug her. "I'll go let everyone know you're getting better. Sabertooth has been hanging around - well, Sting, Rogue, and Yukino have. Their cats, too. Sting will probably come up when I tell them you're up."

"That's fine. Send them up even if they don't," Lucy told her.

Wendy nodded and headed out. Natsu's breathing quieted as they waited and Lucy rolled her eyes as she stroked his hair. "Why are you so tired, you idiot?" she murmured. "You should be wide awake."

From where he was watching with amusement, Happy said tiredly, "He was really crabby all day and kept trying to fight people when he wasn't in here. I think he was really upset."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Idiot," she repeated and then kissed her dragon slayer's head.

It was a few minutes before there was a knock on the door. Lucy called for whoever it was to enter and gave a tired smile in greeting when the three Sabertooth mages shuffled in. Frosch and Lector were cradled in Yukino's arms.

"Lucy," Sting blurted. "I'm sorry! Minerva was admitted into the guild last month, and I knew she wasn't the nicest person in the world, but I didn't think she'd go this far!"

"We sincerely apologize for what happened," Rogue said in a low voice, grimacing. His gaze flickered to the sleeping Natsu, who didn't wake despite the noise. "We're willing to compensate you for what happened, of course."

Lucy shook her head. "It's not your guys' fault," she reassured. "I don't blame you. Besides, I'm feeling better. It's not like I'm in a coma or anything, right?"

"Still," Sting protested. "Name a price and we'll compensate, like Rogue said."

"No," Lucy said stubbornly. "I'm not taking money." She turned her attention on Yukino, hesitant. "Would you be able to summon Loke for me? Is that...possible? My magic levels are too low. And I want to talk with him before Aquarius gets her claws on me for being stupid again…"

Much to her disappointment, Yukino shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't, Lucy," she murmured with a sympathetic look. "I would if I could. I understand that they're worried about you though. My Spirits have been restless since everything happened."

"That's good at least. They're alright and that's all that matters to me."

"Miss Lucy!" Frosch said with a shy tone, surprising her. She turned her dark eyes on him and Yukino smiled as she set him carefully on the bed. Frosch scampered closer and planted himself nearly on top of Natsu's head, startling the dragon slayer awake. He blinked blearily and then snorted smoke, not bothering to move his head.

"Here!" Frosch said, thrusting a pink flower at her. She took the flower with a warm look, amused.

"Thank you, Frosch," she said honestly, knowing just how protective Rogue was of the cat's feelings. "I appreciate this a lot."

He purred and then returned to Rogue, who scooped him into his arms as Natsu sat up. Yawning, Natsu muttered, "Oh, it's you guys."

Sting snorted and then told Lucy, "We're sorry, Lucy. Since you won't take payment, I'll let you have a favor of any kind from Sabertooth, okay? Is that alright?"

"That's better," Lucy said with a chuckle. She patted Happy's head gently and the cat purred. "Thank you, you three. I appreciate the thought of it all more than an actual compensation to be honest."

Natsu decided to pipe in and tiredly wrapped his arms around her waist from where he sat, resting his head against her side. "She can get money from my hoard. She doesn't need yours."

"Natsu, I'm not taking money from anyone," Lucy huffed, flushing. "Thanks again, though," she added to entertained Sabertooth mages. "I know the guild's not to blame, Sting, so don't worry. I won't try to sue you or anything."

He beamed, entirely relieved.

* * *

He eyed the windows with care. They were high - the third story of a hotel - but he could do it. He had to make sure that she'd survived, even if he logically knew that she would be fine.

It wasn't hard, scaling walls. He'd done it dozens of times before everything had gone wrong for him and even worse for his friends. He ignored the aching of his muscles when he reached too far or the scratches he got from gripping brick too tight. When he finally reached the top, he hauled himself onto the window seal and expertly tested the window.

She'd been expecting someone, he thought with amusement. But Natsu Dragneel wouldn't be there. He'd over heard the healing witch order Titania and Gray Fullbuster to keep him out of room for the night and knowing Erza Scarlet…

He'd not be entering that room until ten o'clock the next morning.

He grinned to himself when the window swung open. He scrambled in and then rolled his muscled shoulders with a huff. He eyed the blue-furred cat curled up against the sleeping blonde, aware that wrong one sound would bring both to awareness and he'd be screwed.

If he was caught…

Well. They shouldn't be seeing him just yet.

"Get out of there!" a voice called softly from outside.

He jumped, peering out the window. A familiar face glared up at him. Her hood had been drawn down and her body was tensed, her hands on her hips. Her dark eyes blazed furiously. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He rolled his eyes. "Visiting?" he said lowly, not wanting to wake the cat or Lucy herself. "It was the second day. I had to make sure."

"She's fine, now get out."

He ignored her and sidled over to the bed. With a calloused hand, he lightly stroked her hair. He eyed the bruising that had appeared over her jaw, remembering the crack that had failed to be caught. The ever cheerful Natsu would demand it be seen in the morning, when he found the bruising.

He smiled when she sighed and leaned into the touch before turning away.

She was alive.

That would tide him over for the time being.

He swung out the window. He hit the ground beside his companion without looking at her, his knees bending to catch the impact, and she smacked his arm. "I was told you'd been doing this, but seriously? Do you want to get caught? I'll make you trade places with me at this rate."

He shook his head hastily. "No, I want to watch over them. I need to protect her." She looked a little hurt, and he smiled faintly, touching her cheek. "Trust me. I won't get caught."

"You better not," she relented. She pulled her head. "You guys are all I have left. If I lose you-"

"Which," he cut in. "You won't. Trust me for once, would you? Please."

"...fine." She shook her head. "But remember. Be where you need to be or you won't be able to do what you're here for." She gave him a long look. "We both know what's going to happen and what has to be done. We will _both_ do our parts. Or there will be no world to live in."

His lips twitched into a smile. "Yes, ma'am."

She gave him a final glare and then turned away and started down the street. Neither said a farewell, knowing that they would see one another again. The day they might not was approaching, however.

And both were determined to stop it.

* * *

 _I love Sabertooth. And Lucy's stalker is back once again. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (HummingBird742, TheAliceHuntt, Celestial-Aphrodite, Abdltf, The Age of Awesomeness, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, ShinchiKudo7, Lodemai04, thebooknerdgeek, PurpleandPink2005, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, LePengwen, PotatoGirl14, RandomAnimeNerd, Guest #1, Trigger-Happy Texan, ToastedWeirdBrain, Elisha Silverpine, TigerArrowgirl, and Guest #2!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	174. Chapter 174

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The third day of the Games arrived bright and early. It was with great reluctance on the doctors' behalf that Lucy was allowed to leave the room she'd been in and go to watch. The only reason she'd demanded as much was because it was Natsu's first day doing something in the Games. So, with Happy on her head and Gray's willful help, the blonde had successfully made her way to the stadium.

When she arrived, she was warmly greeted by everyone in the guild and Makarov had pleasantly told her he was pleased that she was feeling better. Mavis had even greeted her, praising her for her bravery.

Lucy had wanted to demand they stop with the praise.

"Is Natsu already down there?" she asked as she carefully seated herself beside Jellal. Gray dropped down beside her, Juvia on his other side. She beamed at him and he hesitantly allowed her to lean on him.

Jellal nodded. "He and Gajeel both." He offered a smile. "I am glad that you are back on your feet."

"Thanks," she said with a smile in return.

"Your room smelled funny again," Happy retorted, wrinkling his nose. "You did, too. But it's gone now."

"I'll have Natsu look into it," Lucy sighed, hugging him. The others offered them curious looks, but nobody said anything.

 _"Welcome to the third day of the first annual Grand Magic Games!"_ the announcer suddenly boomed. _"The Council is pleased to report that after yesterday's first battle match, Miss Lucy Heartfilia is recovering and has even come to witness today's events."_

Cheering rang out and Lucy covered her face in her hands. "I wish they would stop discussing it," she complained.

Jellal chuckled and informed her, "Quite a few people have come to us asking after your health. Some were even previous residents of Bosco."

Lucy blinked. "Really?"

"Really," he confirmed. "It turns out that several countries have revealed magic, including Bosco. The citizens of Bosco quickly found out about your status as a mage when the Council unlocked the news articles for them to read and most of them are in an uproar."

Leaning around Jellal, Erza added gently, "Many are supporting you, Lucy. They remember the strangers that had sometimes surrounded Layla and some claim that Loke was with her when she passed through towns and cities. They recognize him as the man that was with you in Bosco a few months ago."

"That's good," Lucy sighed. "At least they aren't as aggressive about it as Fiore...I'm thinking I'll run back to make a speech or something after this is over if that's the case." She smiled at Jellal and Erza gratefully. "Thank you for informing me, I appreciate it a lot."

 _"Today's game will be a race,"_ they were pleasantly informed. _"The contestants will be sent to the edge of Crocus, were a Council mage and a few other mages are watching. They'll race around the entire perimeter of Crocus and the will receive points dependent on their place."_

Lucy snorted. "Natsu's going to race? This ought to be easy for him. He's got so much energy, he makes the rest of us look old and slow." She paused. "Then again. Some of the members of the guild actually are old and slow…"

Cobra gave an awkward cough that told Lucy he was trying to hide his laughter about what she'd said. She flushed, glaring at him over her shoulder. She was shocked to discover him seated right behind her. Kinana was nowhere in sight and when she arched a brow, he said with a huff, "She wasn't feelin' too good. Said that something in the air was makin' her sick."

"Huh." Lucy furrowed her brow. "I hope she gets better soon, then."

Lucy did a quick run over of the people in the arena as the announcer called out their names. She grinned when Gajeel and Natsu could be seen exchanging quiet words with Sting. The blond dragon slayer looked nothing like the upset and apologetic man from the day before. He was confident and cocky as he teased Natsu and Gajeel, a cocky grin on his face.

 _"To up the excitement and shorten the time,"_ the announcer continued suddenly, _"Each contestant will be placed on a motorcycle and shown how to operate it."_

There was a moment of silence in which they all stared into the arena. The three dragon slayers in it stared up at the box that held the announcer.

And then Natsu collapsed with a shouted, "That's not fair! I finally get to play a game and you guys throw me into a death trap!"

There was laughter from both guilds. Those in Sabertooth and Fairy Tail all understood their despair.

Cobra laughed near hysterically behind them. His cackling made Lucy giggle harder as he cried, "Look at their faces! The looks on their faces!"

Beside Lucy, Gray roared with laughter, too. His eyes glowed with amusement, his lips curved into a grin. Juvia laughed as well. "Ha!" Gray crowed. "So much for your win, Natsu! You've screwed us just by being you!"

Lucy snorted, looking amused as he continued to chuckle, even when a set of motorcycles were rolled in and brought to each of the contestants. Natsu looked ill on the screens above as he watched the man point out all of the controls.

"Poor Natsu," Erza sighed. "It appears we can forget winning points for this round, hm?"

"Don't count him out quite yet," Jellal countered. "I believe he'll come through, even if it doesn't go well. Natsu will want to make us happy - particularly Lucy after yesterday. It'll all turn out fine, Erza."

Lucy was pleased with his faith.

It took a while for the group to be sent out of town. The Council member Lucy had spoken to - Mest - teleported each contestant and their vehicle out of the area. Sting went last, grimacing. And when Mest was done, he looked exhausted.

"Mest is a good man," Jellal said quietly.

None of them chose to question why he thought as much.

Instead, they focused on the Games when the announcer shouted for the contestants to begin.

Lucy screamed for Natsu to do well alongside several other people. Cobra sarcastically commented on how quiet everyone was, but Lucy chose to ignore him. Blue Pegasus and Mermaid Heel screamed past the other two guilds alongside Lamia Scale. The last three wobbled along and brought laughter from most of the crowd.

"Why the hell couldn't I have been assigned to today," Gray said with a huff. "I ride stuff like that all the time ! I make it with my magic on jobs!"

Lucy patted his arm. "Maybe next year, Gray."

It wasn't a surprise when Blue Pegasus, Mermaid Heel, and Lamia Scale won first, second, and third place. The mages of the respective guilds were pleased, chatting with one another by the end.

It was a huge surprise, however, when Natsu caught fourth. Gajeel managed fifth, and Sting came in sixth, though he didn't seem to care as he slunk from the vehicle and curled up on the ground beside the other two dragon slayers.

"Tsk," Cobra muttered. "Pathetic."

"I'll throw you on one," Lucy threatened.

"Try it, Blondie. I dare you," he growled.

Lucy grinned as he followed her down to the arena. Cobra was like the stupidly annoying brother she'd never wanted and it was obvious that he wasn't pleased with Sabertooth's actions the day before as he glared in their direction. He stood a few steps behind Lucy as she crouched beside Natsu, poking at his arm and offering him a bottle of water she'd stopped to grab for him.

It seemed like forever before she could get him upright. Even then, he leaned heavily against her, telling her that if Erza and Wendy didn't kick ass, he'd burn the city to the ground.

Cobra cackled the entire way back to where the guild had gathered for a group lunch.

* * *

"Good luck today, Erza," Lucy said later as they ate. She took a sip of her tea, smiling at the scarlet-haired woman. Erza looked pleased by the wish for good luck. "You're against Mermaid Heel's Kagura, aren't you? I've heard she rivals you."

"She does," Erza admitted. "I'm excited for this battle. I've been wanting a challenge for quite some time.."

"You'll get it," Jellal informed her quietly. Something was off about him, Lucy realized, frowning as he climbed to his feet. He wished Erza luck, admitted he wouldn't see the match later, and then wandered off. When Lucy, Natsu, and Happy looked expectantly to Erza, she smiled faintly.

"When he was possessed," she said quietly, lifting her drink to her lips. "He killed people and Kagura's family was included in that number. She was informed of the person behind it and the reason, but he doesn't think that she will forgive him even so."

Lucy studied Erza for a long moment. "You're awfully close to him. Do you have something you want to tell us, Erza?"

Natsu grinned, catching on. Still feeling sick from the morning game - not nearly as sick as Gajeel, who was face-down on the floor with Levy seated on a bench beside him - he was sipping only at water and eating nothing. Happy, on the other hand, was downing a fish like it was nothing. "Yeah, Erza," Natsu crowed. "Got something you want to tell us?"

Erza turned as red as her hair. "No," she said a little too hastily.

From where he sat beside her, Gray elbowed her. "I'll give a secret if you give a secret," he offered, smirking, and that only made her blush harder, displeased with him.

"We went on a date, but that is all," Erza finally mumbled. Suddenly, she hissed threateningly. "If you tell anyone, I will cut you."

"Hey, Mirajane!" Their heads snapped around as Cobra shouted. Quiet fell. No one was used to the usually quiet and grouchy dragon slayer speaking so loudly and they were all curious on what he wanted to say.

Horror flashed over Erza's face and Lucy remembered just how good Cobra's hearing was.

"Yes?" Mirajane asked hesitantly.

"Titania and Jellal Fernandes went on a-"

Before he could finish, Erza had nearly tipped the table in her rush to attack. Natsu yanked Lucy out of the way so her hot tea wouldn't spill on her and Gray was left staring blankly at his missing plate. Cobra cackled as he pranced out of Erza's reach.

"What has gotten into him?" Lisanna asked from Natsu's left.

"I have no idea," Kinana informed them from where she sat a few seats down. Her eyes were wide. "He's gotten very gutsy though, I will give him that."

Mirajane sidled over to stand near them, blue eyes gleaming. "Did they go on a _date_?"

Natsu watched where Erza was fighting Cobra. And then he grinned and practically whispered, "Yep."

Erza stopped dead in her tracks and turned a deadly look on Natsu, but he was already sprinting full speed for the exit. "Natsu Dragneel!" she cried, stomping after him as the guild roared with laughter. "You come back here this instant!"

Mirajane clapped her hands together with a pleased look. "At last! I thought they never would!"

From where he was pouting and clutching a bruising jaw, Cobra smirked. "Wanna know what else they did?"

All eyes turned on him.

"...just how far did they go?" Gray suddenly asked, frowning.

"Erza's going to throttle you," Lucy sighed.

"They _didn't_ ," Wendy stammered with red cheeks. "They just kissed."

"Oh, _no_ ," Happy whispered in horror. "We've lost Wendy, too, now."

"Just keep your mouth shut," Lucy hissed with an amused smile as Natsu was hauled back in by his scarf. Erza looked furious. "And pretend you know nothing."

Instead, Happy opened his mouth and asked curiously, "Why would you kiss Jellal, Erza? That's disgusting."

Lucy buried her face in her hands and shook her head as Erza looked in their direction,a malicious smile appearing on her face. "What was that, Happy?"

He faltered.

There was a moment of silence in which Erza stared at Happy. And then she lunged and Lucy found herself tipped backwards. Happy flew up with a shriek, trying to escape, but there was no escape from Titania Erza and she had his tail in hand in seconds.

"Anyone else?" she asked quietly.

"No, Erza," most people said hastily. Lucy echoed them.

"No regrets," Natsu rasped when he'd hauled himself back over to Lucy. "No regrets."

"You'll have plenty of regrets when that black eye forms and Wendy won't fix it," Lucy reported.

He only pouted and blinked innocently at her until Lucy sighed and called for Wendy to come and look.

* * *

 _Oh, my gosh I love this chapter so much. Not much happened, but light chapters are good, right?_

 _Typhlosion8, I'm summing it up to she can't summon Loke because she doesn't hold a contract with him. :3_

 _To the lovely, lovely guest... Thank you so, so much for what you wrote. Your review made my week. I'm still really happy when I read it. It is something I really needed, I think. So thank you. :)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Typhlosion8, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, HummingBird742, LePengwen, Dragondancer81, The Age of Awesomeness, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Trigger-Happy Texan, RandomAnimeNerd, TigerArrowgirl, MayraLilacBunny, Guest #1, TheAliceHuntt, and Fairy Rains!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	175. Chapter 175

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy was a little more than disappointed when she was called to talk with a few Council members during the third day's battles. Erza had just been striding into the arena, dressed in a shirt and jeans side-by-side with Kagura when Mest had appeared beside her, requesting she accompany him.

It had been a bit of a hard time to convince the anxious Natsu to wait for her, but he promised that if she hadn't come back by the end of the fighting, he'd come looking.

Lucy was thankful.

Now, the blonde found herself surrounded by Council members after traveling to a space not too far away from the arena. Lahar and Mest were the two she recognized. There were a few others that she didn't, but she chose to stay quiet rather than asking who they were. She smiled hesitantly when Lahar stepped forward to speak with her, his voice hushed. "Thank you for coming, Miss Heartfilia. We appreciate your cooperation in regards to all of this...we understand that it's difficult for you."

"It's fine," Lucy told them, touching the keys at her hip when Loke's heated warningly. He wanted to talk with her, too, but couldn't force his way free. Lucy couldn't summon him quite yet, either. Her magic was nearing the point that she could handle it for more than two seconds and she'd already promised to summon him later in the evening after Natsu had left to sleep. "What can I do for you?"

"That's…" Mest took a deep breath and then asked carefully, "Miss Heartfilia, we are asking that you allow us to escort you to Princess Hisui."

"Why?" Lucy said immediately, suspicious.

"Princess Hisui requires your assistance on something she considers important though she refuses to admit to the Council what it is." Lahar tilted his head a fraction. "The Council is powerful, you understand, but even the royal family is above us. We ask that you cooperate and come with us-"

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Am I under arrest if I don't go? Even if Hisui is running my country, I am equal in her rank and if I need to, I will claim my throne here and now."

"...no," Mest said a little too slowly. Immediately, Lucy recoiled, her eyes widening with shock.

Why the hell was she being arrested by Hisui?!

"What of the king?" Lucy said suddenly, struggling to escape this situation without violence. "Does King Toma recognize that Hisui wants to arrest me? Is he aware of this?"

Lahar exchanged a look with another Council member. "No," he said finally, looking a little relieved. "And in order to arrest a member of a royal family, the king has to give the clear." Mest looked more than relieved as he relaxed, scrubbing a hand down his face. All of the other Council members relaxed, too.

"We didn't want to," Mest explained with a sigh. "Thank you for giving us a way around it. We apologize, Miss Heartfilia, you may go. Stay with your guild. If the king gives the command..."

"You guys really ought to think for yourselves," Lucy said angrily. Without another word she hastily pushed past them, biting her lip. Her hands shook as she realized that she'd nearly been arrested on Hisui's orders for no reason - and by the Council nonetheless.

"Note to self," Lucy whispered as she made her way back into the streets of Crocus. "Don't walk around a-"

Before she could finish her sentence, she crashed into someone. Warm calloused hands grabbed her shoulders to balance her before she fell and she gasped a word of thanks - only to freeze.

She couldn't see the person's face. All she could see was scarred knuckles on his hands as he pulled back. Masculine hands told her of his gender. The rest of him was in a black cloak, a cloak she recognized with ease.

It was the person who'd been sitting in the stands.

A chill crept down her spine. Was she being stalked?

"Sorry," a hoarse voice croaked. It lingered in her ears. Familiar, yet not.

"It's fine," she said finally, furrowing her brow. Troubled, she offered a hesitant smile. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to run into you. If you'll excuse me, my guild and friends are waiting on me…"

He stepped aside, gesturing for her to go.

Lucy let a hand skim over her keys as she bolted past him, jogging as quickly as she could back to the arena. Shaken, the blonde finally slowed to a walk when she made it to a flight of stairs that led up into the stands. She hurried up them, hearing the cheering of a match that was going on.

"Luce!" Natsu said cheerfully when she'd slid into her seat beside him. "Erza tied with...are you okay?" His smile faded as he saw her white face. She shook her head and leaned heavily into him.

"Fine," she lied. "Just...tired." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and searched her gaze before reluctantly turning his attention back to the match in time to see an excited Wendy triumph over Milliana of Lamia Scale. Milliana looked amused as she surrendered and was greeted after leaving the arena by a proud Erza.

 _"That's a wrap for the third day of the Grand Magic Games!"_ the announcer shouted.

Lucy closed her eyes.

 _Just what the hell is going on here?_

* * *

"So we're in fourth overall," Erza informed them at dinner that evening. Natsu was sitting contently with Happy at his side. Wendy was on his other and Charle beside her, all feasting on food that had been supplied by a sympathetic hotel owner who felt bad for Lucy. Yet the blonde wasn't there to enjoy it.

She'd gone upstairs to speak with Loke for the first time since the battle she'd suffered from the day before.

She'd been quiet since she'd returned from talking with the Council, jumping at shadows that moved oddly and suspiciously observant when walking along. He pretended he didn't notice.

But he'd seen it all.

"We'll fix that," Natsu argued. "Gray can win tomorrow for sure. Against Eve? The sucker uses Gray's element."

"Damn right," Gray agreed, reaching across the table. He and Natsu exchanged a fist bump, grinning at one another, perfectly willing to be friendly for the time being. "And Juvia's gonna kick Blue Pegasus' ass, too. She's fighting Ichiya."

Juvia flushed nearby. "Juvia will defeat him for you, Erza," she promised.

Erza looked delighted and thanked her for her contribution to the guild.

Chuckling, Jellal said nothing. Natsu turned a long look on him as he wordlessly climbed to his feet and left. "What's up with him, Erza? He's been really crabby or somethin'."

Erza frowned after Jellal. "Jellal...has been having trouble," she admitted. "He says that voices are whispering to him again...he can't make out what they're saying. But he doesn't think they're good and the quiet of the evening helps him when he walks around. He said he's met up with Meredy and Sorano a few times while doing so, and Cobra even joined them once."

"Really?" Wendy looked curious. "I wonder what they're talking about. What do you think, Charle?" she asked, turning to her cat.

Charle met her gaze with an exhausted look that Wendy noticed for the first time ever. "Whatever it is, it won't be good."

Erza looked puzzled. "Is everything alright, Charle? Have you seen something troubling?"

"The future is bleak," Charle said quietly. She said no more, but the rest of them could sense that the future was worse than bleak, and they fell silent, thinking it over as they ate.

* * *

Upstairs in the room she'd gone back to sharing with Erza for the time being, Lucy summoned Loke.

The second he was there, he'd tackled her in a tight hug, hoarsely saying, "Good to see you, Princess."

"Good to see you, too," she agreed, returning the hug. He was trembling, she realized, and it only made her hug the Spirit tighter. "Are you guys okay? I want to know what happened when Minerva-"

"Are _we_ okay?" Loke shook her by the shoulders. He'd lost the shades he usually wore and his green eyes met hers with shock. "Are _you_ okay? That's what we're concerned about. Lucy, the last time I saw you, you were lying in a pool of your own blood. You...you were _broken_."

Lucy reached up and rested her hand comfortingly on his cheek. "I'm okay, Loke," she said softly. "I'm perfectly fine outside of a few bruises."

He looked a little bit happier at that declaration. "You were upset earlier," he said suddenly, sitting on the bed. He glanced up at her, adjusting his tie. "Why?"

Lucy explained how she'd almost been arrested on Hisui's command and how she'd run into that strange cloaked man and Loke furrowed his brow, troubled by this. "I've got nothing," he said finally. "I can't say that I know why you'd be bothered by Hisui… It's particularly concerning that she tried to arrest someone she considers a friend. As for that man, you should mention it to Natsu in case you _are_ being stalked. Just as a precaution."

"Got it." Lucy sat down on the bed beside him and raked a hand through her hair. "Loke...I feel like this whole thing with the Grand Magic Games is hiding something else."

"Don't worry, we've been thinking the same thing," Loke reassured. "We found it very odd that the country would suddenly switch their thinking, reveal magic, and then declare a public event like this in under six months. The Spirit King won't let us get too involved though. Just to be safe. Things like this are dangerous for us. One wrong move and I could be turned against you."

"Really?" Lucy felt sick at the idea of her Spirits being used as tools to fight against her - with the enemy fully knowing she wouldn't fight back. She shuddered and the Lion winked, lifting her hand to his lips to kiss it. He dropped her hand, however, and became serious.

"Loke?" Lucy asked, but before she could say anything more, he hopped over the bed and threw himself right out the window.

"Loke!" she shrieked, throwing herself over to it. "What the hell-"

A shiver ran down her spine as she saw Loke viciously fighting with a cloaked man far below. He was swearing colorfully, his hand fisted in the hood of his cloak to keep it drawn over his head. Loke snarled, baring his teeth like an angry lion, his hands lit up like the sun. "Who the hell are you?" he barked.

It was while they were fighting that Natsu burst into the room, onyx eyes wide. Lucy gasped his name, looking back, and he bolted over to see what she was looking at. His eyes widened. "Who _is_ that?" he demanded, furious. "What were they doing?"

"I have a stalker apparently," Lucy said with a bitter laugh. "As if I didn't have enough on my - _Loke!_ "

Her Spirit had been sent flying into the doors of the hotel they stood in. There was immediately a huge commotion below as people rushed to see what was going on. The man in the cloak shouted an apology and then bolted, disappearing into the night.

"Happy!" Natsu called, ready to hurl himself from the window. Happy, Lucy realized, had attached himself to his shirt, ready to fly.

Lucy stopped him, grabbing his arm. The man had _apologized_. What stalker apologized?! "Natsu," she said slowly. "I think that man needs help."

Natsu shot her an angry look. "You said you had a stalker and you're now saying he needs _help_? I'd say. Freaking mental institution would love to have him."

"No," Lucy said patiently, tightening her grip. "I'm saying he might want to ask for help but can't right now. This is the third time I've seen him-"

" _Third_?" Natsu's voice rose. "What the hell, Luce?!"

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose, the drain on her magic already significant enough that a headache was forming. But the look on Natsu's face told her it was time they had something new to fight over and by the end of it, Natsu was stalking out of the room, viciously shouting angry words over his shoulder. Lucy stood there near tears, returning the irritable comments right back to him, and Happy just stood there entirely lost as to what he should do.

* * *

Wandering the streets of Crocus, Jellal was at a loss. The whispers in his ears refused to leave, only getting louder the longer he hung around others. Beside him, Meredy quietly walked along, simply keeping him company as she stroked the emblem that had been pressed over her hip. The heavenly body mage had come across her by accident earlier in the evening after leaving the hotel behind and she'd willingly joined him, complaining of bothersome nightmares.

They were passing an alley when Meredy grabbed his arm. "Jellal, we're being followed."

Jellal's head snapped up. His dark eyes followed Meredy's gaze and locked on a shadow that looked odd in the moonlight. Someone in a black cloak stood there, frozen, as if realized that they'd been seen.

And then they bolted.

Jellal wasn't sure why, but he found himself surging after them. Meredy ran alongside him, her eyes wide. Her calculating eyes followed a web of streets and she ordered for Jellal to keep going where he was going. Jellal was bewildered, but said nothing as she bolted down an alley.

The cloaked person darted around a corner - and then there was a cry of surprise when Meredy tackled her and they rolled into the middle of the street. Luckily, it was one still shut down from the Games, and no one was out and about.

"Let go of me!" the person screamed. "You have to let me go-"

Meredy ripped her hood off and the pair of mages stared at the person beneath her in horror. The person glared back at them, tears brimming in her eyes. Slowly, Meredy climbed to her feet and the woman took advantage of her freedom to leap to her feet.

"You," Jellal whispered.

She gave a wry grin. "Me."

And then she was gone.

Rather than giving chase, Jellal slumped to the ground, staring after her. Meredy was quiet as she looked down at him, waiting to see what he wanted to do. "Don't tell a soul about this. Not a soul."

"Got it," Meredy agreed in a whisper, her dark eyes round.

The two went back to their guilds without another word.

* * *

 _Sorry about missing yesterday's update! If you follow me on Tumblr, you'll know that my English Bulldog had surgery yesterday (an FHO, where they remove the head and ball of the femur bone and create a false joint out of scar tissue) for her hip. It turned out that every time she was stepping on that leg, her hip dislocated so. My poor baby. She's doing good today though, so..._

 _Also, if you're interested, I have a fictionpress account now. It's under the same user as this account: riverofmemories. I'll be posting some original work, including a piece I'm working on now._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, HummingBird742, Leahcar-Soutaichou, StardragonXX, Celestial-Aphrodite, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, LePengwen, Guest #1, RandomAnimeNerd, TheAliceHuntt, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Dragondancer81, Cascade Cheney, Greenhalo117, HollyNinetales, FairyRains, MayraLilacBunny, NaLuLoveForLife, Abdltf, SoranoFairgray, and Blonde Neko-chan!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	176. Chapter 176

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

From where she sat in the very front seats of the stadium, Lucy fought the urge to leave in favor of recognizing it would only serve to piss Natsu off more, which would make her angrier, and would start the whole mess all over again. It didn't help her attitude that Happy had chosen Natsu over her, and that since Gray and Juvia were having a late breakfast before joining them, she was sitting alone.

Natsu and Wendy were nowhere to be found. Erza was seated with Makarov, discussing something out of hearing of everyone else, and with Jellal down in the arena with Laxus, patiently waiting for the game to be announced...she was lonely.

She'd considered summoning Loke. But her magic had been drained the night before, Loke drawing on it to fight, and she didn't even have the power to summon Plue. She was exhausted. Strangely so, too. She couldn't fathom why her magic was taking so long to regather its strength and return to what it should be.

"Stop your mopin', Blondie, you're pissin' me off."

Lucy glanced up as Cobra dropped to sit beside her, Kinana joining him on his other side with a look of amusement. Knowing fully well he'd hear her no matter what, Kinana told her with a grin, "He wanted to sit by you since you were upset and he doesn't like it."

"Shut up, woman," Cobra grumbled under his breath. "Someone's gotta keep an eye on her while Salamander's off forgettin' she's being stalked."

Lucy scowled. "Thanks for the reminder. That's actually why he's angry with me." She propped her chin on the balcony, her eyes watching the people within the arena. "But thanks. I appreciate the company."

"No problem," Kinana hummed, eyeing the arena. "You know, there's something off about Jellal. Not what Erza mentioned last night - Erik overheard, of course - but something new. He looks a little shell shocked...frantic. Worried."

"He does," Lucy agreed, squinting and looking closer at the heavenly body mage. "Maybe he should be taken out of the Games...he's been getting worse since he started participating."

"Perhaps," Kinana agreed.

Lucy's gaze flickered up to the box where the royalty of the country supposedly was seated and she narrowed her eyes at it. _What are you up to, Hisui…?_

Cobra grunted, and she grimaced, knowing he'd heard her thoughts. But she said nothing, instead sitting back and watching as Mirajane suddenly stood. "Mira?" she called anxiously, but Mirajane didn't seem to notice. Instead, she flung herself over the side of the stadium wall.

"Mira!" Lisanna gasped, throwing herself forward to watch as Mirajane landed gracefully within the arena, her knees bending with the impact. She straightened and then ignored the mutterings of the crowd as she approached Jellal.

Lucy and Kinana turned expectant looks on Cobra, who was staring at the pair. "Well?" Kinana demanded.

"She's tellin' him to go get some rest," Cobra muttered. He narrowed his eyes. "She'll take over his spot."

"Good for Mira," Lucy praised. They watched as Jellal reluctantly left the arena, staggering. Erza climbed to her feet behind them and left to go and find him, looking worried. Lucy watched after her friend with an arched eyebrow. "Erza and Jellal are close…maybe they'll officially date soon?"

"Tch," Cobra said, making a sound of disgust. "Believe me, Blondie. They're dancin' around the idea. They'll get there eventually."

 _"Welcome to the fourth day of the Grand Magic Games!"_ the announcer suddenly shouted, and the crowd exploded with excitement. Lucy was startled that so many people who had probably been against magic beforehand were enjoying this… _"Today's game will be based off of fairy tales we've all heard when we were little...wave for the screens, Miss Connell!"_

Lucy's jaw dropped.

There, waving on the screen, was a giggling Asuka. "Asuka?!" Lucy gasped, and behind her, the guild exploded into commotion, everyone turning on Alzack, since Bisca wasn't around either. He gave a smile.

"They asked and Asuka wanted to. Bisca and I agreed that as long as Bisca could be with her, it'd be fine," Alzack agreed, throwing an apologetic look at the shocked Makarov. Mavis, who'd been watching the Games alongside them since her arrival, looked amused.

 _"The goal of today's game will to get through a labyrinth filled with monsters supplied by the Council and successfully rescue Miss Asuka Connell from the clutches of an "evil" dragon. We ask that you all be patient while we set up this game and thank you for coming today!"_

"Lucy!" a voice suddenly called. Lucy looked over her shoulder to see a worried Levy climbing down the stands to join her. She grabbed Lucy's shoulders. "Lucy, have you seen Gajeel?"

Lucy shook her head. "No," she said apologetically. "I haven't-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence before her phone buzzed. Lucy checked it and found a delayed message from Yukino that had been sent nearly three hours before.

 _Have you seen Sting or Rogue? We can't find them!_

Lucy yanked her upper body around and searched the Fairy Tail area for Natsu and Wendy, her heart swelling with worry for them. "The dragon slayers," she realized. "All of them are-"

The ground trembled beneath them. Everyone paused to look at the arena as the floor of it suddenly opened. Beneath them, giant machines worked to allow a massive tower to rise. Lucy's head, alongside everyone else's, tilted backwards as it got higher and higher until it was hundreds of feet in the air. A second platform rose with a wild labyrinth rising. Lucy caught sight of something metallic prowling through the leaves, rumbling.

"Lucy!" Levy suddenly cried, pointing.

Five platforms had seemed to extend out of the side of the tower. They all stared at the screens that showed as hundreds of feet up, a person stepped onto each platform.

"You've got to be kidding me," Cobra said, jaw dropping open.

"Come at me!" Natsu bellowed, letting loose a blast of fire from where he stood on his own platform. He grinned mockingly, exchanging a look with Gajeel, who stood on the platform not too far from his. Gajeel snickered, slamming a fist into his open palm. Wendy gave a huge smile, looking pleased at the fact that she was so high in the air. Sting seemed just as excited as Natsu as he shifted his weight back and forth with impatience and Rogue looked curiously down beneath them at the stadium itself.

 _"Did I mention that our "evil dragon" happens to be the five dragons of the Fairy Tail and Sabertooth guilds?"_

"I'm going to kill him," Levy seethed, hands on her hips.

"How come I don't get to be up there?" Cobra made a sound that was akin to a whine. "I want to be up there!"

"I guess technically you aren't recognized as a dragon to them?" Lucy shrugged her shoulders. "And I don't think a lot of guilds recognize you as a member of ours, to be honest. Even with your name being mostly cleared...you upset a lot of people, Cobra."

He only pouted.

 _"They won't be going easy on their own mages. Have no fears, contestants. It'll be equally as difficult for everyone. Should they be caught letting their guild member pass through, they will be disqualified from the entire Grand Magic Games."_

"I can't believe he didn't tell me," Levy sighed.

"It's okay," Lucy murmured, chewing on her lip. No wonder Happy had run off to who knows where. "Natsu didn't tell me either."

When everything was set up, the game began.

 _"And we're off!"_ the announcer shouted.

Lucy took notice of the screens. Each contestant had been given their own panel. Another screen had been set aside for Asuka and the five sitting with her. Bisca was settled in a far corner, watching with amusement.

She felt hurt over the lack of being informed on this development and wondered when Natsu had been approached about it. Levy had been relieved and understanding when a text from Gajeel had finally come through, explaining that he'd been caught by an official and asked to participate. But nothing came through for her and Lucy supposed Natsu was still irritable over their argument.

Cobra kept giving her bothered looks. "Stop moping," he growled, rolling her eyes.

"Stop being a jerk," she retorted grouchily.

"I'll stop being rude to the lady who took out my eye when she looks like I do."

"Don't make me take your other eye out, Cobra."

"Try me, Blondie. Freaking _try me_."

"No, thanks. You're probably disgusting."

He gave a horrified sound. "What are you? A cannibal?"

Lucy only rolled her eyes and nodded at the screens when the crowd began to chatter excitedly.

Mermaid Heel's mage had come across one of the "monsters" in the center of the labyrinth.

"What _is_ that?" Levy demanded.

It was like some giant hybrid cat that towered above the woman. Massive talons scored the earth as it screamed. The woman's face went white as she stared up at it.

Lucy grimaced as the fight began and checked on Mirajane and Laxus. The two were sticking close, naturally. As S-Class mages, both hadn't had any problems just yet. Mirajane was working hard to keep up in Jellal's place, using her magic for the first time since Tenrou Island. Her body was covered in a skin-tight one-piece. Wings and a demonic tail sprang from her back, and her hair stood on end in the electricity crackling off of Laxus.

They made their way through the labyrinth, meeting various dead ends and trekking back. The worked silently and perfectly together and Lucy didn't envy the people that went up against them when they took work together.

"Go Laxus!" Bickslow called behind her in the stands. He laughed when Freed shushed him and ordered him to sit down. Evergreen looked amused with her friends as Freed began to scold him.

It was to all of their surprise when Lamia Scale reached the tower first.

Lyon had been chosen to participate in the game that day. And he circled the base of the tower with a cautious expression, eyes darting this way and that as he carefully decided what to do from here on.

"No doorways," Levy commented, puzzle solving.

"He's going to have to figure out how to get up there," Lucy agreed.

It turned out to be no problem for him.

Much like Gray had done previously, Lyon used his magic to help him. He got to the platforms in minutes, feet hitting the surface. His eyes narrowed as he studied the doorway before him. Lucy's gaze darted to the screens in time to see Sting climbing to his feet, a grin on his face as he said, "Care to join me, Wendy?"

"Okay," she agreed, skipping towards the door with him.

Lucy watched as Sting and Wendy took only moments to blow Lyon over the side.

From where he'd come to sit nearby, Gray laughed. "Look at his face!" he cackled.

Sting peered down over the side of the tower. "Hey, Natsu, Gajeel!" he called over his shoulder. "Laxus and Mirajane are here!"

Sure enough, the Fairy Tail mages had arrived. Natsu abandoned what he was doing to come and look down a cackle leaving his lips. "C'mon, Gajeel, let's fight 'em!"

"I'm going inside!" Wendy squeaked.

The ever proud Sting looked down at Mirajane and shot after her. "I may be a guildmaster, but she could kick my ass," he informed Gajeel on his way inside. Gajeel snorted and slammed his fists together, snickering.

"Ready, Salamander?" he mocked.

"Hell yeah," Natsu growled, smoke leaving his nostrils.

Mirajane sprung into the air, the wings at her back beating to lift her. Laxus disappeared, turning into a streak of lightning and reappearing seconds later on the platform in front of Gajeel.

Gajeel sucked in a breath and then bellowed out an Iron Dragon's Roar. Shrapnel caught Laxus by surprise, neither of the two men having ever so much as sparred to prepare them for this. Gajeel grinned and pushed forward despite the lightning that cackled around him. His face glowed as Natsu let out a blast of flames in Mirajane's direction.

"Yum," she hummed, smirking at Natsu as they washed over her.

"I've made a mistake," Natsu whispered. He shouted for Sting to come back out but Sting wisely had decided to play with Asuka so Rogue rolled his eyes and ducked outside. One step let him drop into Natsu's shadow and together, they began to fight to drive Mirajane back.

Wendy reluctantly joined Gajeel against Laxus, which turned out to be something that was to the dragons' advantage. Laxus side-stepped around her, trying to not fight against her even as she let loose blasts of wind that nearly sent him right over the side of the tower.

"Ha!" Gajeel snarled proudly when Laxus tipped over the side. Laxus scowled and disappeared, reappearing safely below a few feet away from a scowling Lyon. Both stared up at the tower, neither having expected to end up down there.

It wasn't long before Mirajane reappeared beneath the tower alongside them.

Natsu threw his hands in the air, roaring a blast of flames in triumph and the crowd laughed. Lucy wrapped her arms around herself, noting that he'd worn the gloves she'd given him.

 _"Another thing we failed to mention...each dragon has been given something that was created by the Council to temporarily increase their magic levels to those of actual dragons! Or so we think. No one's really seen a dragon. The Council apologizes if they've offended them."_

Natsu's face was alight with pride on the screen and Lucy sighed softly.

 _Idiot._

* * *

 _I'm so proud of this game I came up with._

 _My dog and I wish you for all the well-wishes! She's feeling better (still won't use the bathroom, the brat) and has felt well enough to want to cuddle. :3_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Typhlosion8, quite-a-riot, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, RandomAnimeNerd, NaLuLoveForLife, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Faery's Confessions, Abdltf, HummingBird742, youngneez, LePengwen, FairyRains, Dragondancer81, The Age of Awesomeness, Vilchen, Trigger-Happy Texan, FireDragonPhia, NaLu and InuKag, and Animefan0789!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	177. Chapter 177

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The entire game turned out to be some sort of trust-building exercise and a waiting game of who could distract the dragons and get someone past. It eventually stopped being a game in which the first person to get Asuka won. It was a miracle if someone could get past even one of the five dragon slayers to get close to her.

Lucy wasn't surprised when it was Mirajane who came up with a different method of slinking in.

"Asuka!" she called, ducking past Wendy and bolting inside, her transformation magic kicking in and leaving her in a regular pair of jeans and a long-sleeved blouse. She knelt, ignoring the sky dragon slayer that was inhaling sharply to blow her away. She held her arms out.

Wendy faltered when Asuka eagerly ran straight to her.

"Mira!" Asuka laughed as she fell into Mirajane's opened arms. Mirajane hugged her and proudly lifted her onto her hip. "You rescued me!"

"I rescued you," Mirajane agreed with a giggle, smiling at Bisca.

Laxus was the next to duck inside after finally just kicking Natsu over the side, having lost patience. Lucy's heart had plummeted at the sight of Natsu falling through the air. But a flash of blue darted through the air and snatched him up. Happy slowed his descent a good amount and he threw a thumbs up when he landed. "Thanks, bud!"

Happy purred.

"Traitor," Lucy muttered, and Levy giggled, patting her shoulder encouragingly.

It wasn't long before the other dragons were knocked from their perch. Each one was snatched out of the air by their respective cats; Lucy grinned at the proud look Rogue gave Frosch when they landed.

The game drew to a close and the cats ran up and down, bringing everyone who needed it safely to the ground before the tower began to descend back into the earth. The labyrinth went away after a while and the game was declared over with Fairy Tail teams A and B in first and second with the other teams trickling in behind.

"Come on," Levy hummed as the audience began to dissipate. "I want to go tell Gajeel he did a good job."

"Okay," Lucy said reluctantly. She followed Levy out into the arena, eyeing the center of it warily. They passed a few members of the Council and Mest met her eyes with an apologetic grimace.

Maybe she owed Natsu a huge apology.

No, it wasn't a maybe. She definitely owed him one.

So, the blonde steeled her nerves and as Levy ran to congratulate Gajeel - and Laxus, though she was somewhat subdued as she smiled at him - Lucy approached Natsu and Happy. Happy called her name excitedly and Natsu tensed uncertainly, onyx eyes darting to her.

Smiling hesitantly, Lucy stopped and said, "Protecting princesses again, hm?"

He faltered. "Uh...they asked this morning, and I was going to tell ya, but my phone-"

She was a little bugged by his excuses, but she said nothing, instead raising her chin. "It's fine. I owe you an apology. I should have mentioned everything that was going on sooner...I'm sorry, Natsu. You do worry too much, though," she added warningly. "And I _do_ think that person needs our help."

He grunted, not looking entirely pleased by the last bit. "Shouldn't be stalking you if he needs help, Luce."

She shrugged. "We'll figure it out. While we're at it, Hisui's up to something. I was nearly arrested by the Council yesterday." His eyes snapped wide, anger flaring up, and she added quickly, "I didn't tell you 'cause I didn't want you getting angry and going after them demanding an explanation. But I'm telling you now because I'm concerned and Loke and I agree that something's weird about everything, including the Grand Magic Games."

Agitated, he growled. Smoke puffed out of his nostrils. "You should have told me."

"I know, and I"m sorry," she sighed. "It's too late to go back and change things though. She can't have me arrested without her father's approval, so I'm safe for now. I don't think King Toma knows the truth of what's happening, to be honest. I wouldn't be here right now."

She kept her voice low as she spoke, her eyes locked on Natsu's, making sure that no one else heard her. He looked furious now, but she was relieved when he turned that dark look on the box that held the royal family.

"We won't let them near you," he decided.

He stepped a few steps closer and promptly rested his forehead against hers, searching her anxious eyes. His hands came to lightly grip either side of her head, warm and gentle.

Lucy closed her eyes, relieved.

She hated fighting.

Particularly with him.

* * *

"About time you two stopped prancin' around," Cobra muttered as Lucy swept past him with two plates in her hands, one piled high with a ridiculous amount of food while the other held a normal amount.

Lucy stuck her tongue out at him. "Mind your own business, Cobra."

He bared his teeth. "Make me, Blondie."

"I'll let Kinana do that," Lucy replied and then went over to where her friends were sitting. Natsu was entirely at peace now, no longer fending people off with the heat that surrounded him. "Here," she sighed. "I got dirty looks for getting this, you know."

"Thanks, Luce," he said, delighted. He dug in and Erza shook her head with a low laugh. He turned an expectant look on Erza and Jellal. "So where the hell did you go, Jellal? I wanted to fight you."

 _Don't think you can hide,_ the look in Natsu's eyes warned.

Jellal sighed heavily. "I didn't feel well, so I went for a walk," he said patiently. Natsu opened his mouth to speak again, but Jellal turned an exhausted look on him. "Please, Natsu. Leave it be."

So, Natsu did.

"You better win, Gray," Natsu growled suddenly, looking at the ice-make mage with a sharp look. "I want us to get out on top."

"I'll win, don't worry about it," Gray replied, rolling his eyes. "Just like Juvia will kick Ichiya's ass."

"For Erza," Juvia promised darkly.

"Thank you, Juvia, as I've said before, your efforts will be rewarded," Erza promised, beaming proudly at the water woman. She hummed happily as she took a bite of strawberry cake. "I think we've all done very well throughout the Games." Lucy opened her mouth to disagree, and Erza promptly flicked whipped cream at her nose. Lucy sputtered, going cross-eyed, and Natsu cackled. " _All_ of us. Whether we lost or won matches."

"I can't wait for the sixth day, when team battles start," Wendy said excitedly. "Natsu and Lucy against Sting and Rogue and then Gajeel and Juvia against Lamia Scale!"

Without looking up as Lucy sipped at her tea, she bumped fists with Natsu. He grinned, tugging the scarf from his mouth. Juvia purred, "Juvia will do her best then, too. Just as Natsu and Gajeel will do their best tomorrow."

"I get to fight Gajeel!" Natsu cheered loudly, earning groans of annoyance from everyone. He paused, however, and scowled. "I would rather fight Minerva."

Lucy shivered at her name. "Where'd she go, anyways?"

"No one knows," Jellal admitted. "Supposedly she disappeared."

"Lovely," Lucy said bitterly. No one said anything else on the matter.

Instead, Natsu told them all, "Lucy's being stalked by some bastard in a weird cloak, so if you see him, beat the hell out of him."

Lucy's jaw dropped and she hit his shoulder. "Natsu!"

"Was it the guy Loke was fighting last night?" Gray asked. He narrowed his eyes, leaning on the table. "I can't put my finger on it, but something about him was really off. Like, seriously off. I couldn't sense any magic coming off of him, but if he held up against Loke-"

"He was a mage."

Lucy squawked, jumping. "Loke!" she hissed, turning to glare at him. Natsu looked amused as did the others around them. "I thought you weren't allowed to hop out of nowhere like that anymore?"

"Yes, well," he replied with a roll of his eyes. "When you're being stalked by a ridiculously powerful man in a black cloak and the Spirit King is suspicious of what's going on, I'm allowed to run around free. Now." He turned his sharp gaze on the others. He'd left his shades behind and not even Erza would look him in the eye for too long. "That man was, as I said, incredibly powerful. He was disguising his magic from me."

Happy suddenly gasped. "Lucy! I bet I smelled him!"

"What?" Natsu turned to his cat. "What are you talking about, Happy? I didn't smell anything weird, except-"

"Everything was muted!" Happy continued as if he hadn't talked. "Lucy's smell was muted, and so was everything else in the room!"

Lucy shuddered. "So...he was watching me sleep. Great."

Natsu looked furious. And so did Erza. "Where?" the Titania of Fairy Tail growled. "Where has this muted scent been, Happy?"

"The infirmary, where Lucy was," Happy said, not sensing the incoming danger. "The room you're sharing. A couple places. It's weird." He wrinkled his nose. "Didn't you notice, Natsu?"

"He was in _our room_?" Erza growled, voice rising.

Lucy hastily told them, "Okay, yeah, that's not okay. But...I honestly think he wants our help with something, Erza." That caught her attention. "I mean, he wouldn't just risk coming into a room you're sleeping in to stalk me. No one would. No one smart, anyways. And if he's a mage, I doubt he wouldn't recognize how strong Erza is…"

"She has a point in that matter." Jellal rested his elbows on the table and his chin on the backs of his clasped hands. "There are always those odd people who need help but cannot ask for it. It does make you wonder why such a person would need help, however. Leo...Loke, I mean, did you have the ability to gather just how strong he was?"

"No," he said quietly. "Not entirely, but...I truly think that if he wished, he could rival even Gildarts."

They fell silent, shocked, because not even Laxus, Jellal, and Erza together could fend Gildarts off for long.

"So, you're saying…" Juvia said slowly, "That if Lucy was to be attacked by this man, we would not be able to help her?"

He shook his head. "One blow to any of you except for Erza and Jellal and you'd be down. Even you, Natsu." His gaze shifted to Natsu, who grimaced.

"Great," Lucy said with a hysterical laugh, throwing her hands in the air. "I've got Hisui after me and then there's this guy-"

"What do you mean Hisui's after you?" Gray demanded, turning on her and Lucy groaned, burying her face in her hands. She hastily explained what had happened with the Council and Natsu looked anything but pleased. Smoke left the corners of her lips by the end of it and he growled like a dog under his breath.

"They're not working together, are they?" Wendy suggested.

"I don't think so," Lucy sighed.

"Well, I don't think we need to worry about the stalker for a while," Jellal said quietly. They looked to him for an explanation. "If he'd wanted to attack anyone, he would have done it long ago."

"That's true," Wendy agreed eagerly. She looked relieved. "And they won't do anything while we're all with Lucy, right? That's what Mest said."

"No," Lucy said tiredly. "He said that it'd be better for me to stick with the guild to avoid anything like that. Ugh." She ran a hand down her face. "What did I do to deserve this? I've got a stalker _and_ I upset Hisui somehow. I don't get why she'd want to arrest me!"

"Perhaps it isn't her," Jellal suggested. "Perhaps someone is influencing her?"

"Yes, I didn't think her to be someone who did something like this," Erza agreed.

"It's possible. My family was never able to be influenced because Father was too stubborn, but Hisui is far more timid than even I was." She pressed her lips together.

"If Hisui is being pressured," Loke said suddenly, narrowing his eyes. "Then who the hell is pressuring her to the point that she'd try to arrest a princess? And why target Lucy like this?"

No one could give an answer.

* * *

 _And they've apologized. Sort of. Onto other matters. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (HummingBird742, Leahcar-Soutaichou, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, LePengwen, quite-a-riot, Lodemai04, RandomAnimeNerd, Dragondancer81, NaLuLoveForLife, TheAliceHuntt, PinkFireandGoldenStars, IllegalAsian, Trigger-Happy Texan, The Age of Awesomeness, Guest #1, ILoveAnime2010, Treblemkr, and FairyRains!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	178. Chapter 178

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

As the late afternoon rolled around, Lucy found herself sitting between Natsu and - to her surprise - Cobra. She eyed him suspiciously, confused as to why he was sitting with her again, but he didn't make a comment on the matter. He merely settled down beside her, ignoring her and Natsu's weird looks.

Juvia had won her match earlier in the afternoon. Ichiya hadn't stood a chance against the water woman and they were all proud of her for gaining them a full ten points. While Lucy was proud of her friend, too, she'd still felt guilty not winning any points at all for the guild. She'd agreed that the ten going to Sabertooth was only right, but she still hated that she hadn't won.

Cobra grunted, as if sensing her thoughts - and Lucy cursed herself for once again forgetting he could read her mind. Grumbling about the matter and earning a snicker from him, she turned her attention onto the arena, where Gray stood, stretching. Across from him, Blue Pegasus' Eve Tearm stood with an anxious look.

"He's terrified!" Natsu cackled.

"No, he's not," Lucy sighed, amused with his excitement that Gray was about to fight. "And don't lie, you wish it was you in there with Gray."

"Hell yeah I do, I'd kick his ass." Natsu slammed a flaming fist into his open palm, earning dirty looks from a few around them. Lucy quickly covered his hands and urged him to put the fire out as the announcer shouted for them to prepare themselves.

Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet trembled. They all paused. Confusion flashed through the expressions of most people. She exchanged a curious look with Natsu. "You should really eat less, Lucy," Happy told her. "That way you aren't always so hungry because you have to eat so much."

Lucy glared at him. "Watch yourself, cat," she growled.

 _"Uh...the royal family apologizes for that!"_ the announcer suddenly called. _"Apparently some tests are being run and they forgot to announce it to the public. Nothing to worry about! Now, three...two...one…"_

Gray and Eve prepared themselves, still bewildered.

 _"Go!"_

A blizzard filled the arena in an instant and Lucy shivered, instinctively leaning into Natsu. He'd lit himself on fire again, but this time, nobody minded the warmth he provided for them all. Despite the lateness of the summer, the ice-make magic and the snow Eve used had turned it into winter.

"I don't think that was a test," Lucy told Natsu.

"Nope," he agreed, careful that his flames didn't burn her. "Definitely not. Not if they've been tryin' to arrest you."

His onyx eyes darted this way and that, watching, but finally settled onto their friend and Eve's match when he found nothing out of the ordinary. Gray had patiently shed his shirt - women in the crowd didn't seem to mind, and Juvia seethed at the cheering - and readied himself as Eve's blizzard raged around them.

"Is that supposed to be cold?" Gray challenged, sliding into a battle-ready stance.

Eve frowned and lowered the temperature even further.

"Can he _not_?" Gajeel hissed, looking annoyed. Wendy, Levy, and Charle moved closer to Natsu and a cheerful Romeo offered fire of his own to Mirajane when she shivered. Even Mavis looked chilled, shivering.

"It's harder to retain myself here when it's cold," she explained cheerfully to Lucy. "That's why I'm never around during the winter."

"Huh. Interesting." Lucy turned her attention back on the match as Gray's magic went to work and made a beautiful bazooka of ice, rocking back as he readied to use it. Eve's eyes widened and he threw up a wall of snow.

Gray didn't see it as his weapon fired, but the rest of them noticed Eve leave a distraction - a copy of himself - behind. They saw him bolt through the blinding snow around Gray to launch an attack from behind.

Without hesitation, Gray swung around, throwing the weapon aside and using a wall of ice to protect him from Eve's attack. Gray grinned, wind buffeting his hair.

"Juvia's going to turn to ice soon," Juvia announced, squishing herself in with everyone else around Natsu.

Lucy snorted. Natsu shrugged, letting Asuka into his lap at Bisca's request, and let the flames tickle her yet not burn. She played with Asuka for a moment before looking back up as Gray crafted a cage that suddenly encircled Eve. Eve swore and walled himself in with snow, but Gray had cut through it in seconds. It took only moments for Gray to throw himself at Eve and trap him on the ground.

 _"Gray Fullbuster wins ten points for Fairy Tail Team A!"_ the announcer shouted.

The crowd exploded in their delight. They screamed and cheered, and Gray held up a fist in triumph when they cried Fairy Tail's name. He threw his head back and laughed, throwing his hands up and spinning in a circle, delighted with the response he got for it.

"Yes, you bastard!" Natsu shouted, holding Asuka high in the air after hopping to his feet, and she screamed, too. Lucy laughed, clapping and cheering with Juvia.

When they were done cheering and Natsu had returned Asuka to her parents, Team A, Juvia, and Wendy all went to meet and congratulate Gray, and when they were close enough, Juvia flung herself at the ice-make mage.

He squawked as he hit the ground, Juvia landing on top of him. She laughed and hugged him and Lucy beamed when he hugged her back just as tightly.

Her jaw dropped when suddenly, Gray kissed Juvia fiercely. Natsu made a sound of disgust and went to yell at them, but Lucy reached up and slapped her hands over his mouth, hissing, "Don't you dare. You'll let Mira get her hands on them and maybe we can finally be left alone!"

He closed his mouth in agreement.

Flushed, Wendy informed them, "Um, Lucy?" She gestured casually behind them. Slowly, Lucy turned her gaze over her shoulder, and Natsu's happiness vanished when he saw the black-cloaked man standing there, not even three feet away.

Gray helped Juvia up, all of them staring him down.

And then he turned and walked away, not saying a word. Natsu went to barge after him, but Lucy stopped him, shaking her head.

"I believe you're right Lucy," Erza said quietly. "He needs help but can't ask for it. Not just anyone who's been stalking someone would get that close in broad daylight...we'll have to just wait and see what happens, I suppose. He runs when we approach him."

"Just don't let Loke run around again," Gray told her.

"Yeah...I won't," Lucy said quietly, stunned. She pressed her lips together anxiously and Natsu grumbled unhappily, but said no more as he threw an arm casually around her shoulders and nudged her away. "C'mon, Luce," he muttered. "Let's go get somethin' to eat…"

"Yeah," Lucy sighed. "Where do you want to go?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. Somewhere with food?"

Lucy had the feeling he just wanted to be nosy and keep an eye out for stalkers in black cloaks.

* * *

"Mira's got a beautiful voice," Lucy said that evening as Mirajane sang softly on a stage that had been set up. Someone had put a request in to the hotel they were all staying at and a karaoke night had been set up for the guild. A few other guilds' members had come in. Juvia and Gray were seated with Lyon and Meredy, who chatted over her shoulder with Jellal. Jellal was sitting with Erza and Milliana. Wendy and Chelia chatted away nearby.

Lucy herself sat between Natsu and Yukino, with Sting across from her. Lector and Happy chatted happily together. Rogue had taken Frosch to go and sit with Gajeel and Levy, speaking in low tones about something or another with the iron dragon slayer.

"You've been with us for almost a year, Lucy," Natsu huffed. "How have you not heard her sing?"

"Let's see," Lucy mused, ticking off her fingers. "I've been busy dealing with Spirits kidnapping me, Phantom Lord, Oracion Seis, a whole other universe, revealing magic, going home to Bosco, gathering various golden keys, and who the hell knows what else. It's been kind of a busy year, you know?"

Yukino giggled and Sting snorted across the table at them, entirely amused with them. Leaning his elbows on the table, Sting said mockingly, "So when are we going to see a ring on Lucy's finger, Natsu?"

Lucy sputtered, flustered immediately and glowering at the white dragon slayer. Natsu blinked, bewildered. "Why would I put a ring on her finger now? I mean, Gajeel's plotting to put one on Levy's, but I didn't think it was okay for me to do that just yet…"

Lucy remained silent, turning even more red as Yukino arched a brow. "You mean you were going to ask eventually?"

Natsu furrowed his brow and then comprehension lit his face. He shot to his feet, turning as red as Lucy had. "I'm, uh, gonna go get some more to eat-"

"Don't you try and leave me here alone," Lucy hissed, grabbing his wrist before he could bolt. "Jerk!"

"Lucy!" he whined, pouting.

Yukino laughed, her dark eyes warm with amusement. "We'll leave you alone," she promised. "We were just teasing." She smiled kindly at them. "Anyways, I heard you met up with Sting and Rogue on a job with Cobra, Lucy?"

"I did," Lucy said hastily, eager to get off of the other discussion. Natsu reluctantly settled down. "We beat up some people that were apparently…." She trailed off, suddenly suspicious. "They were after me. My magic, I believe. That's...suspicious."

Natsu grew serious, and even Lector and Happy stopped talking to pay attention. Because after everything that had been happening over the last few days...well. This was nothing to not pay attention to.

"How's that suspicious?" Sting huffed. "People are always after Yukino for her magic."

"They used to be," Yukino corrected, rolling her eyes. She touched the ring of keys she'd set on the table with an affectionate look. "They've stopped coming after me so much with you joining our world, Lucy."

"Great," Lucy said darkly, grimacing. She shook her head. "I was...don't tell anyone, but I was apparently almost arrested under Hisui's orders. And someone's been stalking me." She made a face. "I hate having everything about me. It's like that unintentional stereotype that comes with me being a damn princess."

"You inheriting magic from your parent, actually," Sting grunted. "It's just a realistic thing. Most people born with magic get into more trouble in regards to it than those born without. And then there's people like us, who are taught by dragons. We get into as much trouble as you do."

"Interesting," Lucy muttered suspiciously. "Anyways, I'm wondering if that whole ordeal had something to do with Hisui."

"It's possible. If they were under orders, they wouldn't have tried to hurt you fatally. I think the worst you got was a broken arm, right?" Sting asked, glancing to her. She nodded curtly. "Definitely possible. Keep an eye out for things, and we'll let you know if anything comes after Yukino."

"Thank you," Lucy murmured, pinching the bridge of her nose, only to look up when Mirajane demanded, voice echoing through the microphone, "Lucy, come up here!"

"No," she said bluntly. "No way."

"Yes way," Mirajane retorted with a frown. "It's your turn. Natsu said you sang decently and I want to hear. As I'm sure everyone else does."

Cheers rang out and Sting smirked, whistling playfully. "C'mon, Lucy," he teased, "Can't be that bad. I mean, it's gotta be better than Orga."

"Anything's better than Orga," Yukino sighed, rubbing her temples at the mere thought. " _Anything._ "

Lucy turned a brilliant red once more, but finally climbed to her feet when Erza threatened to drag her up. "Okay, okay," she mumbled, shaking her head in exasperation. She ran over various songs as she made her way up to the makeshift stage. "But only if Erza sings next."

"Deal," Mirajane giggled, hugging her briefly. "I plugged in my phone, so search up whatever music you want."

"Got it." Lucy threw a thoughtful look to the ceiling, thinking, and then decided on one she knew well. Lyra had taught it to her whenever she was summoned, explaining that it had been a favorite of Layla's, and Lucy decided it would work. Abandoning Mirajane's phone, she summoned Lyra. This raised curious chattering as she explained what she needed Lyra to do.

"Of course, Lucy!" Lyra said cheerfully, a glow appearing before her. A harp appeared in her hands and she settled down to play as Lucy took the microphone with a sigh, rolling her eyes after shooting a sharp look at Natsu. He smiled sheepishly at her.

Finally, she gestured for Lyra to start, waiting until the time was right to sing.

" _Words are born into air_

 _And quickly fade out in the wind_

 _But they find their way inside you_

 _Where they live on forevermore_

 _When the skies are dark and full of rain_

 _Look inside your heart_

 _The light, so warm will come and glow_

 _Shining just like the sun_

 _You can see just how much you've grown_

 _How strong you are,_

 _A love will open up to you_

 _And it starts from the day that you_

 _First heard those words."_

Lucy's lips twitched as she finished, pulling back.

 _"Maybe you should watch where you're driving!"_

A soft laugh left her lips as she bowed, enjoying the applause respectfully, and Lyra cooed happily at the sound of it.

And in that moment, Lucy wondered just how much her mother had known was going to happen when she'd died, because the songs she'd sung seemed to hold a far deeper meaning than Lucy had originally thought.

* * *

 _Karaoke because why not! Continuing on..._

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, Dragondancer81, Vilchen, RandomAnimeNerd, Blonde Neko-chan, The Age of Awesomness, PotatoGirl14, quite-a-riot, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Iris Patton, Guest #1, FireDragonPhia, ToastedWeirdBrain, and NaLuLoveForLife!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	179. Chapter 179

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Luce?" Natsu asked. They stood together in the entrance to the arena, Cana nearby. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"No, no, it's fine," Lucy disagreed with a hum, strapping the gauntlets that Sting had given her on. She gave Natsu a quick smile, propping her hands on her hips. "I've got Cana going in there with me and Yukino, too," she added, gesturing to where the Twin Dragons were giving Yukino a similar talk down. She gave him a comforting look. "I'll be fine, Natsu, trust me."

"I do," he huffed. "It's that princess and your stalker that I don't trust."

Lucy laughed and gently pressed her forehead to his in a reassuring touch. "It'll be fine, Natsu," she repeated, closing her eyes. He copied, his eyes fluttering shut, and then pulled back. She smiled warmly at him. "Go sit with our nakama and cheer for me, okay? I'll do my best to win."

"Kay," he rumbled. "I'll make sure no one comes after you."

She merely smiled and sent him off before taking her place beside Cana. Yukino joined them along with the three mages of the other guilds - one of which was a friendly Chelia. Chelia offered Lucy a beaming smile and then focused as the announcer called for them to enter.

 _"Welcome to the last game of the Grand Magic Games!"_ the announcer shouted as they all walked in. Lucy exchanged a determined look with Cana. _"Tomorrow marks the duo fighting and the last day will contain the battling of the entire team!"_

Cheering exploded from the crowds.

Lucy grinned, somewhat excited to be given another chance at fighting. She and Natsu would be put up against Sting and Rogue, and Lucy had heard Mavis giving a lecture to Natsu about how to use a Unison Raid. She was sure she'd get a lecture that night and they'd kick Sting and Rogue to hell and back the next day.

 _"Today's game will consist of one simple idea: tag, you're it!"_

"What?" Cana muttered, bewildered.

 _"The goal is simple: touch as many people as you can! Whether it be through magic or through physical touch, each touch gets you a point! The one with the most points wins!"_

Lucy grinned. She had this one handled. She raked through the Spirits she held and decided on Loke and Virgo. Loke would enjoy the challenge and the flirtatious Lion would be more than willing to run around grabbing women - which she hoped Erza went after him for later - and Virgo would have the advantage of sneaking around under ground.

She could see Yukino's gaze searching nothing as she, too, picked out who she'd be summoning, and they exchanged looks of amusement as they spread themselves out at the announcer's demand.

 _"Go!"_

"Open!" Lucy shouted, snapping her keys out. "Gate of the Lion! Leo!" She ducked to avoid Chelia as Chelia flew at her, laughing. Loke spun her safely out of the way of Lamia Scale's mage, grinning. "Open! Gate of the Virgin! Virgo!"

"At your service, Princess," Virgo greeted, bowing respectfully. "Shall I deliver their punishment?"

"Touch as many as you can!" Lucy ordered, and then laughed when Cana sprung at her, cards chasing the others around. Loke used his light to burn her cards away. Virgo dove into the ground with determination on her face.

As they chased one another around the arena, Lucy found that she was pretty good at the game, which had been slotted for ten minutes at most. She miraculously swept out of Pisces' touch when the Spirit lunged at her on Yukino's pleading demand and she somehow avoided Cana's cards.

And when the timer went off, Loke and Virgo returned to her side, both panting softly for breath. Loke grinned. "I touched plenty of women for you, Princess."

"Not surprised," she muttered, rolling her eyes and planting her hands on her hips.

Everyone heaved for air, looking expectantly up to listen for who'd won how many points. _"In sixth place we have Mermaid Heel,"_ the announcer said after a moment of waiting, and Mermaid Heel cheered despite the disappointed look on the woman's face. _"In fifth comes Blue Pegasus. Sabertooth takes fourth!"_

"Good job, Yukino," Lucy praised, calling her words to Yukino, who flushed when her guild joined in and shouted her name.

 _"Third place goes to Lamia Scale and second to Fairy Tail Team A, leaving first with Fairy Tail Team B!"_

Lucy blinked, and then smiled so big, she thought that her cheeks would split. Excitement lit her face as she threw her arms around Loke in a tight hug, thanking him and Virgo excitedly. Fairy Tail exploded into cheers, shouting praise to Lucy and Cana, and Lucy felt the despair over her loss to Minerva vanish.

She'd done well, she felt. Cana gave her a huge grin and a thumbs up as they made their way back to the entrance of the stadium. Lucy sent Virgo and Loke back to their own Realm after thanking them again and Yukino joined the pair of women a moment later, eyes warm.

"You did well," she praised Lucy, her eyes glowing. "And I'm sure you'll do well tomorrow though I do hope that my team wins, you understand."

Lucy laughed. "Of course. It'll be fun to spar with Rogue and Sting."

She wouldn't have to worry about them doing anything brutal at least.

Yukino left them soon after and Lucy and Cana were met by an excited group of individuals just outside of the entryway to the stadium. "Lucy!" Happy shrieked, slamming into her. Lucy hugged him tightly, and he purred proudly at her. Natsu was next, throwing an arm over her shoulders with a proud look, and the rest of their team filed in to praise her.

Lucy didn't care much for other people's opinions on a normal basis, but she was excited that she'd done something good for the guild and appreciated it.

"Good job, Luce!" Natsu cheered. "Tomorrow, we're gonna kick Sting's ass!"

"Rogue's going to be there, too," she reminded.

"Yeah, but who cares."

"You should, he can hide in your shadow," Lucy pointed out.

Natsu shrugged carelessly as Makarov and Mavis came over to greet she and the equally as excited Cana with warm gazes. Mavis turned a gentle smile on Lucy as Wendy told Lucy that she'd been cheering extra loudly for her, and Lucy giggled, hugging the dragon slayer.

No one took notice of the tired and haunted look on Charle's face.

* * *

Natsu could barely hold still and it was driving the blonde crazy as he bounced back and forth beside her, his onyx eyes full of impatience as he glanced back and forth between the line they were in for some quick food and Gajeel, who stood nearby with Levy and her teammates, speaking to the cat in her arms with a thoughtful look. Finally, holding Happy, Lucy jabbed him with her elbow, bothered. "Natsu!"

"Huh?" he muttered, looking at her.

"Stop with this...moving thing you're doing!" she demanded with a huff. "It's driving me crazy!"

"Sorry," he muttered, forcing himself to stand still as she retrieved their food. She handed it to him, grateful to food for distracting Fairy Tail's Salamander from his excitement. Natsu chowed down without hesitation. Lucy ate her food a little slower, but enjoyed the cheer with which Natsu ate.

"Hey, Natsu!" a voice suddenly called.

He looked over his shoulder. Romeo came sprinting out from between two people, his eyes narrowed. He grinned at Natsu faintly. "Natsu," he gasped, doubling over and panting for air. Natsu impatiently waited for him to catch his breath and finally, Romeo rasped, "Mavis wanted to talk with you in private."

Natsu fumbled his food, nearly dropping it. "What?!" he muttered, stunned. "Why?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. She told me to come find you."

"Okay, I guess I can go talk with her…" His gaze shifted to Lucy uncertainly, not wanting to leave her alone, but Lucy waved him off with the promise that she'd find someone. "Okay," he repeated. Romeo led him away and Happy cheerfully purred from atop her head that he'd protect her.

"Thanks, Happy," she chuckled and then jumped when something jabbed her in the back. She whirled around.

"Hey, Blondie," Cobra said with an impatient huff, narrowing his eye. He was alone, his hands on his hips. His good eye never left her face as he suddenly leaned in, muttering in a low voice, "Thought ya should know. Heard something weird earlier. Couldn't figure out where it came from though."

"Okay?" Lucy said. "What was it?"

Cobra looked agitated as he said bluntly, reciting what he'd heard, "'How do I get around this? I can't allow it to happen. Should I kill them? Disable them? Is she against me or with me? Do I kill her? Who do I dispose of? Who is going to cause the worst of problems? Definitely them. I have to figure out how to deal with them.' Kept goin' on like this. Couldn't decipher who they were talking about. Kinda have to focus to hear thoughts. Was some kind of person muttering to themselves."

Lucy shivered. "Great. Thank you for telling me. But why haven't you told anyone else?"

Cobra shrugged. "Kinana would tell Master. Don't want this gettin' around and causing a panic, ya know? I don't know who was saying it. Can't even give you a clue as to who to look out for except that it was definitely a guy."

"But why _me_?" Lucy demanded.

Cobra made a sound that was akin to a growl. "You're the one everything's centered around, ain't ya?"

"Yeah," Lucy admitted. "For whatever reason."

Cobra snorted, rolling his eyes. "Damn it, Blondie. You're kinda blind. I'm thinkin' you might be one of the ones the bastard was talkin' about, 'cause he mentioned keys a couple times. He needs keys."

"Don't let him get them."

Lucy's eyes widened just a fraction. She whirled on her heel and Cobra swished some venom in his mouth, ready to fire it off should he need to. No one took notice of the person cloaked in black. This person was clearly different from the one who'd been stalking her, Lucy realized. So much smaller. Petite. With a high-pitched hoarse voice that didn't match anyone Lucy knew. Yet, it was familiar.

"What?" she whispered.

"Don't let him get the keys of the Zodiac," the cloaked girl said angrily. "You can't let him. If he gets the keys of the Zodiac, you've doomed us all." Her voice trembled. "Please."

"Who the hell are you?" Cobra huffed. He looked almost panicked, nervous. Lucy found out why when he rasped, "Why can't I hear your thoughts?"

The woman gave a faint laugh. "Because we figured out how to block them. Please," she continued, turning her head back to Lucy. Lucy couldn't see her face, but she could feel the sharp pleading eyes on her. " _Please_. You have to stay with Natsu, Lucy. You _can't_ let anyone separate you from here on out. The second you do...they'll strike and bring hell upon us."

"Who are you?" Lucy croaked. Happy shivered atop of her head, his tail lashing back and forth desperately, and the cloaked girl shifted back as she realized they were gaining the attention of the nearby Levy and Gajeel, who was staring harshly at the girl in the cloak.

"I can't tell you," she answered hastily, "But please. We're doing our best to help you. Don't judge us too harshly. We're...trying. We're trying and he's trying so hard, even if he keeps breaking our rules. He can't help it. The one following you that is. I'll have a word with him. Don't approach him." Without another word, she spun around and bolted.

Gajeel suddenly sprang forward, a scowl on his lips, and Levy called his name as she watched him in confusion. He caught the girl by her cloak, but she hissed something that no one but Cobra heard.

Cobra's gaze darted over Lucy's head to stare at someone.

Gajeel released her with a shocked look and then she was gone, his crimson gaze staring at the cloaked girl as she slid out of view. "Gajeel!" Levy called, rushing over with a frown on her face. "What-"

"Her face," he rasped without prompting. Lucy frowned at the odd way his voice trembled. As if he wanted to say something, but didn't dare. As if he wanted to tell them more, but if he did, it would hurt them. Without another word, he shook his head and stalked away as quickly as he could. Levy exchanged worried looks with Jet and Droy and then jogged after him, her brow furrowed as she called his name.

"Did you figure out who it was?" Happy asked as they turned to Cobra. Lucy pressed her lips together when he hesitated before saying hastily that he didn't.

 _Liar._

Cobra snorted, but said nothing more, only, "Here comes your boyfriend, Blondie. I'm out."

"What happened?" Natsu demanded as he approached, out of breath from running full speed for them. Happy launched into the tale for her, too lazy to remove himself from Lucy's head, and Lucy continued to watch after where the girl had disappeared to, stunned.

Just how many strangers were running around?

* * *

 _Just sayin'. Soon._

 _Sorry I didn't update earlier. Was reading Queen of Shadows, the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas and HOLY FUCK THIS SERIES IS AMAZING. Onto Empire of Storms. And then waiting for A Court of Wings and Ruin to come out._

 _Thanks to reviewers (PotatoGirl14, LePengwen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, HummingBird742, PinkFireandGoldenStars, The Age of Awesomeness, NaluNom, Guest #1, NaLuLoveForLife, Dragondancer81, ashcator2002, quite-a-riot, BandNerd1013, RandomAnimeNerd, SoranoFairgray, Guest #2, and Guest #3!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	180. Chapter 180

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The afternoon found Lucy sitting beside Levy with Happy on her back, both women at a loss as to what to do. Gajeel and Natsu were taking up their places in the arena, throwing insults at one another much to the amusement of those around them. Asuka was cheering for both of them nearby, Romeo and Wendy calling for Natsu despite Wendy being on Gajeel's team. Fairy Tail seemed to have had a playful split among its members, each cheering on one or the other and only a few calling for both.

"It will be a tie, of course."

Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin. Mavis had settled beside her, legs kicking happily. She offered Lucy a kind smile. "Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox are equal in terms of strength and power. Only under special circumstances would one triumph over the other."

"Well," Levy sighed, "At least they won't be pouting."

Lucy hummed her agreement.

The announcer shouted for the pair to start and the entire arena exploded into screams and cheers. The crowd was beyond excited for this match. Both dragon slayers had gained favor in their part of the game on the fourth day and after witnessing Sting and Rogue fight throughout the week, it had only made them that much more eager.

Natsu grinned, staring Gajeel down. And then in a burst of flames, he threw himself at the other dragon slayer. "Come on, Gajeel!" His voice rang out through the stadium. "I'mma melt you!"

"Like hell, Salamander!"

They clashed in a burst of flames and ion that was sent flying. The crowd bellowed its pleasure.

And then it was chaos within the arena. Flames flickered along the edges and the ground, Natsu roaring with laughter as he sprang back to fire off a Fire Dragon's Roar. Gajeel retaliated with his own roar, much to their dismay and the iron clashed once more with the fire and sent flaming pieces of metal everywhere.

People shrieked and yelped as they were smacked with it.

"Ouch!" Levy hissed, suddenly standing. Lily made a sound of protest as he was sent tumbling out of her lap, but she didn't notice as she swiped at her bare thigh.

"You okay?" Lucy giggled, ignoring the pain of her own burn on her arm. She rubbed the spot and set to work on protecting the panicked Happy as Natsu and Gajeel cracked their heads against each others, their teeth bared.

"They're really putting their all into it," Lucy mused.

"They're Fairy Tail mages," Mavis said with a pleased look. "Of course they are."

Natsu swept down, his foot catching Gajeel's ankle. Gajeel grunted as he hit the ground. Natsu aimed a punch at his face, but he rolled out of the way and slammed a pole of iron into his gut, sending him flying. Natsu became a bullet of fire as he sprang back, laughing.

"Did you ever figure out what Gajeel saw?" Lucy asked suddenly, glancing at Levy. "With that woman from earlier?"

Levy shook her head and exchanged a look with Lily. "No...he got away before we could ask. I haven't seen him since then. Until the match, that is. I'm thinking he might have spoken with Jellal oddly enough. Jellal was there to see him off into the arena."

" _Was_ he now," Lucy said with great interest. There was a moment of silence as the pair of women watched their boyfriends fight viciously to beat the other down with no success. Suddenly, Lucy climbed to her feet, her lips twitching into a smirk. "There's only a few minutes left of the match. Want to go with me to meet them at the entrance?"

"Yes, please," Levy said eagerly, climbing back to her feet, Lily gathered into her arms. Together, they hurried from the stands after bidding farewell to a wary Mavis.

They'd just ducked into the darkness of the entrance to the arena when several things happened at once.

A flash of light blinded Lucy for a moment and she found herself suddenly on the ground, thrown aside. Virgo stood over her, her gaze dark with aggression, and Loke had caught someone's hand, grip tight enough that there was a rather sharp snap. Levy, knocked aside as well, knelt with a hand pressed faintly to her head. Blood dripped down her head, and she looked a little stunned and lost as to what had happened.

"What the hell?" Lucy rasped as Happy hissed that she had knelt on his tail.

"Alright, Lucy? Levy?" Loke called, a growl leaving his throat. Lily had taken a protective stance over the two girls as Virgo disappeared. He'd transformed even, his gaze narrowed.

"Y-yeah," Lucy called back, scrambling to Levy. Gently, she inspected Levy's head. "Levy smacked her head though."

"I'll be okay," she said faintly.

A growl left Loke as he threw the person to the ground, his eyes blazing. A clattering of something metallic caught Lucy's attention and her blood ran cold.

"My keys," she croaked. She shot over to scoop them up, hugging them to her chest. The man that had attempted to steal them sneered at her in disgust, and Loke slammed his foot into the man's side with a surprisingly vicious look.

Loke was furious, Lucy realized. And it worried her. He'd never been this angry. _Never_. He looked ready to kill the man he'd captured, his teeth bared as he barked, "Who the hell sent you to steal our mistress' keys, you bastard?"

He said nothing.

Loke scowled. Before he could do anything more, Lucy grabbed his arm and ordered hastily, "Back to your Realm, Loke. Lily, could you trap him here? Happy, go and get one of the officials. Preferably Mest."

"Okay," the frightened cat whispered. He zipped off and Lucy watched as Loke reluctantly disappeared.

The man thrashed, trying to free himself, but Lily remained where he was, keeping him trapped. Levy staggered to her feet with a grimace of pain and then swore under her breath when the announcer shouted that the match had ended in a draw. Five points were awarded to each team. They could hear the two slayers being sent out of the arena and that the next match would begin in ten minutes.

"Gajeel," the solid-script mage said with a shaky sigh of relief when they ducked into the darkness with them.

There was a moment of stunned Gajeel stared at her and Natsu gawked at the entire situation. And then he demanded, "What the hell? Why do I miss everything big like this?"

Lucy ran a hand down her face and instead told Gajeel, "Get Levy to Wendy, would you? She knocked her head. The guy tried to take my Spirits."

"Yeah," he growled, glaring at the man that his cat was pinning to the ground. He cracked his knuckles with a dark look in his crimson eyes. "This the bastard who did it?"

"Yes," Lucy said patiently, "And Happy's gone to get a Council member to deal with the matter. Natsu, what are you doing?"

Ignoring her, he'd crouched by the man's face, his fists on fire. He gave the man a mocking smile. Lucy shuddered at the way his teeth seemed to be sharp, the way his look was nearly as dark as Loke's had been. "So you tried to take Lucy's keys, did you?"

The man was silent.

"Who wanted them?" he demanded.

Nothing.

"Who wanted the keys?" Natsu repeated, growling now and upping the heat to a sweltering amount. Lily flinched.

"Could you lower that?" he huffed, grimacing at the way his dark fur seemed to gather the heat to him.

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry." Natsu withdrew and hurried to stand by Lucy just as Mest arrived with Happy under one arm. He'd teleported himself there. Happy freed himself and Natsu held him with ease as Mest set to work on cuffing the thief and relieving Lily so that he could go with Gajeel to have Levy's head looked at. As they left, he turned his attention to Lucy.

"He went after my keys," she explained.

"People are always after celestial magic," he sighed in return. "Remember to stay with your nakama at all times, Miss Heartfilia. We'll question him and see to it that what information we gather is returned to you. In most cases, it wouldn't be allowed, but your safety is at stake." Mest offered Natsu a friendly smile that he didn't return. "Make sure to keep a close eye on her, Mr. Dragneel, and we'll do the same from where we are now. So long as His Majesty doesn't give an order, we can't do anything."

"Good," Lucy said darkly under her breath, smiling when Natsu threw an arm over her shoulders. An idea suddenly ran through her mind and she faltered. "We should warn Yukino," she told Natsu. "If someone's after mine, they might be after her keys as well."

Natsu nodded curtly. "Yeah," he agreed.

Mest gave them some sort of salute and then disappeared with the man who had tried to steal from the blonde. Lucy sighed, running a hand down her face as she moaned, "Why can't the craziness just end already?"

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy," Happy said cheekily.

She merely rolled her eyes and shook her head.

* * *

"Damn," the bothered princess huffed, hands on her hips. "I'll have to figure something else out...we have only a day left until July 7th!"

"We do need the keys before then," the woman agreed, her eyes troubled as she looked at her agitated companion. He was getting impatient, beginning to make far too many mistakes, and it made her nervous. So long as she stayed with him and didn't make a mistake herself, she would be fine. _They_ were running around, preparing to do what they could, and from the information she'd gathered on them, they were doing fine. They'd begun to leave little warnings for Lucy Heartfilia, warning her that something big was coming and that she couldn't let anyone separate her from her guild or take her keys.

"Any suggestions?" Princess Hisui asked as she looked to him. The Knight at her elbow didn't look pleased that the man beside them was being included or even spoken to, but said nothing.

The woman's companion leaned thoughtfully against the column he'd been standing near, gaze studying the arena. "Quite the idea," he said suddenly. "Tomorrow they fight in teams. Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia will use Unison Raid to defeat-"

She flinched, and he cut off, neither wanting to remember.

"Make it illegal," he said. "Claim it's a law your father plans to announce soon. Gather some forces loyal only to you and arrest both of them. In the meantime, arrest the other one for her keys for something else. The Sabertooth guildmaster's not quite as so lenient with laws. He won't approve and will want to argue, but the guild is loyal to the law and will hand her over."

She shifted uneasily. She didn't like this skulking around, waiting for July 7th. Couldn't they just...start now? Why that day? She knew that day hurt the slayers more than any other day of the year. They'd be distracted. They wouldn't focus on what they needed them to focus on.

Hisui inclined her head. "Got it. Easy enough. I'll gift Lucy a portion of Fiore's land for what I'm doing to her here," she added with a grieved look. "I feel so bad…"

"Don't." The man's voice darkened into a hateful tone. "She won't survive this."

The tone he said it in made her shiver, even as she leaned into him, taking comfort in a presence she no longer felt safe around. He returned the gesture. She missed _him_ more than ever now. He would have been able to snap him out of it and return them to the light.

But he was gone.

Her eyes misted over.

 _"Help him,"_ he'd rasped, blood bubbling at his lips. He'd cupped her cheeks weakly, drawing her head to rest briefly against his. Tears had rolled down her cheeks. She'd sobbed hysterically, her knuckles white as she pleaded for him to not leave them. _"You have to help him. He can't be alone. It's not his fault. Remember that, okay? He'll be lost."_

She could still feel his warm sticky blood seeping through her fingers from the deadly wound in his gut and it made her shiver, mourning him with a soft sound in the back of her throat.

Fingers danced up and down her back in an attempt at soothing her.

It only served to bring her more fear.

* * *

 _It's the preview from a while ago! And things really pick up after the double fight coming. I'm literally squirming in my seat right now I'm so excited. You guys are gonna freak at what I have planned._

 _I see many of you like Throne of Glass. XD That's nice to know. I also recommend the author's other series, the Court books as I call them. My precious Rhysand._

 _Fun fact: Rogue was supposed to be in the game from the last chapter originally. ;)_

 _SnowyOtakuKitten, in regards to the dragons...they are involved. Just not for a good while yet. ;) They have their own arc._

 _Faery'sConfessions, in regards to reading recommendations...I actually have the first book in that series and loved it. I'm a broke person though, so it's hard to get my hands on more books. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (StardragonXX, Typhlosion8, HummingBird742, NaluLuva23, LePengwen, SnowyOtakuKitten, vG LOL I, PotatoGirl14, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, RandomAnimeNerd, The Age of Awesomeness, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Gerbilfriend, OfInkNRoses, TheAliceHuntt, Trigger-Happy Texan, ashcator2002, NaLu and InuKag, quite-a-riot, Guest #1, MayraLilacBunny, calypso tchaka, Lkityan, FairyRains, Faery'sConfessions, and Blonde Neko-chan!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	181. Chapter 181

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Evening found Team Natsu and Jellal sitting with one another in a circle on the floor of Lucy and Erza's room. Wendy had been left out alongside Charle - both were sleepy and Juvia had wanted to sleep without interruption. It _was_ nearly one in the morning, after all.

"Let me get this straight," Gray huffed, sitting back. "You were nearly arrested by Hisui for no apparent reason, you're being stalked by one guy, there are others running around dressed the same way, and people want your keys after someone - one of the people stalking you - said that you couldn't let someone have them."

"Yep," Lucy said, taking a sip of her tea. Beside her, Happy nibbled on a fish. To her other side, Erza was writing everything down. They were all serious and Jellal looked a little lost until Happy told him, "We do this every now and then."

"What is this?" Jellal muttered.

"Team meeting," Lucy replied. "We take notes, decide what to do, and take action."

"It's the second time we've done it and it works," Natsu said confidently.

"Back on subject," Erza ordered.

"Right," Lucy agreed. "I think the people stalking me are okay-"

"They are," Jellal cut in, startling them. His dark eyes were exhausted, full of anxiety they didn't yet understand. "I...I ran into one with Meredy the other night. Believe me when I say they're good people. I can't tell you who they are, but they're fine."

That set off a cranky Natsu, who glared. "What do you mean you can't-"

"I'm sure you'll find out soon enough," Jellal said calmly. "Patience, Natsu."

"I don't want to be patient," he growled. "I want answers."

"We all do, but if Jellal says that we are safe knowing not who they are, then so be it." Erza wrote something down in the notebook on her knee and then lifted her dark eyes. "I've come up with a few new rules. Number one," she began reciting what was in her notes. "Lucy is to go nowhere alone. Natsu, Gray, you will be entrusted in this."

"Right," they said together, and then glared at one another for their words.

"Number two," Erza continued with a warning look in their direction. "The keys are to stay out of everyone's hand but Lucy's. There _are_ mages who can change their appearance, and it is for that reason that not even Natsu will touch them unless a password is given. A password that Lucy will create now."

They all looked expectantly to Lucy, who flushed beneath their eyes. She thought over it for a long moment and then said in a deadly serious voice, "Cor. If you need to touch my keys for whatever reason, call me by my pen name."

"Yes, ma'am," Gray replied, sitting back.

"Aye, sir!" Happy and Natsu agreed. Erza and Jellal each gave a curt nod.

"Number three," Erza hummed, lifting her chin to study them. "Due to Jellal's provided information and the fact that these cloaked people seem to need our help, no one is to attack or provoke them. You may speak to them if need be, but say nothing that is an insult."

"Aye, sir," they all recited dutifully.

"Number four. If, for any reason, Lucy is taken by Hisui, I put Gray in charge of sticking with her."

"Why not Natsu?" Gray asked curiously.

"Because," Jellal sighed, "Should Natsu accompany Lucy, he wouldn't be making logical decisions. As a mage of Fairy Tail in situations like this, you should remember that it's your responsibility to focus on innocents over yourself and you are capable of that where he isn't when Lucy is involved."

"I don't know whether to be flattered or not," Lucy mused, glancing at the bothered Natsu.

"But Jellal's right," Happy agreed.

"Aye, sir," Natsu muttered, annoyed as he was.

Lucy's lips curved into a smile as she sat back and looked at Gray. Gray reached across their circle to pat her on the head playfully. "I'll protect you best as I can, your Highness," he said teasingly.

"Thank you, kind sir," Lucy giggled.

Annoyed, Natsu smacked his hands away and made them all look at him in amusement before becoming serious again.

"Finally, number five," Erza finished. "Only Juvia and Wendy and Charle will be told about what has been discussed at this meeting. It will be done in private. Does anyone wish to meet them later and discuss it?"

"Nasu and I can't," Lucy sighed. "We've gotta get some rest for the afternoon of fighting."

"I'll do it," Gray sighed. "I promised to meet them there anyways to walk them to the stadium...let me text Juvia real fast." He dug his phone out and set to work.

"Anything else that needs to be discussed?" Erza questioned, looking around at the others. They all shook their heads. "Then tomorrow marks the second to last day of the Grand Magic Games. We will cheer on both Natsu and Lucy as well as Gajeel and Juvia and should anything strange happen...let the guild be there to witness. I motion that we adjourn this meeting and go to sleep."

"Aye, sir!" echoed the rest of them.

Within minutes, the men had left and Lucy and Erza were alone. Lucy let out a sigh.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

 _"Five minutes left of this match!"_

The crowd cheered and Lucy could see that everyone was pleased by the happiness over the Grand Magic Games and the participating mages. It appeared that magic was gradually being accepted into society. There had been no extremist reports as of late according to the news, and she was exceptionally pleased.

They all were.

Lucy grinned as she watched from the entrance of the arena as Juvia and Gajeel battle against Lyon and Meredy. They were all enjoying themselves as Lyon's ice dragon danced around trying to get past Gajeel's magic and Juvia avoided the blows Meredy tried to deliver because she'd found herself connected by Meredy's magic to her partner in crime.

Beside her, Natsu gave an impish grin and laughed evilly beside her when Gajeel was sent flying. Rogue made a face nearby. "Honestly. He's a dragon slayer. Why has he not slain the ice dragon?"

"Because," Lucy explained to he and the insulted-looking Sting. "See that pink on its tail? If he crushes it, it affects he and Juvia. Meredy uses a lost magic, and that magic seems to be really powerful from what I've seen. I mean, she did help defeat Grimoire Heart's guildmaster."

"It was her that let Gildarts and everyone else hold him off while we dealt with the rest of it," Natsu agreed, making a face.

"Damn," Sting said with an impressed look and a far more interested look than before. He studied the pink-haired mage as she swung a foot out and caught Gajeel in the jaw. "...she's kind of hellishly attractive."

"Not now," Rogue huffed, rolling his eyes and exchanging an amused look with Lucy.

Finally, the buzzer rang.

The match had ended in a tie.

"Nice gauntlets," Sting teased as he ruffled her hair before sliding into the arena. Rogue stepped into his shadow, not bothering to stay visible, and Lucy saw how he seemed to gather himself before doing so.

"Watch for that," she told her boyfriend and followed them in.

Natsu cracked his knuckles. The gloves he wore, worn from use, already letting flames lick along his fingers. "Right," he rumbled. They made their way to the center of the stadium. The crowds screamed and cheered around them.

Lucy stood patiently beside Natsu, silently contemplating which Spirits to summon. Not Loke. He was still agitated and his light could be eaten by Sting, putting them at a disadvantage. Taurus' strength wouldn't work against the speed of them.

Silently, she decided on Virgo and Capricorn. Capricorn would be able to help against close combat, allowing her to keep her distance as Virgo confused them and Natsu used his flames.

"Unison Raid should work," a voice at her side said suddenly. She jumped, but didn't look as Natsu hummed something to Mavis about wanting to know when.

"The final minute should do," Mavis instructed. "I've instructed Asuka Connell to prepare our signal."

"Oh, goodness," Lucy sighed. Asuka was going to be overly excited about the matter, but she supposed it wasn't that big a deal. They'd spoken about Unison Raid earlier, before they'd been joined by Sting and Rogue, and were prepared.

Mavis disappeared.

Sting took no notice of her other than wrinkling his nose, as if he'd smelled something odd. He hadn't seen her of course, but he recognized that something had happened when Natsu exchanged a smug look with the blonde.

 _"On my mark!"_ the announcer called.

They all slid into a battle ready stance. Lucy prepared to step backwards and grab her keys.

 _"GO!"_

Lucy jumped back and swore under her breath when Rogue's shadow leaped into hers and he rose from the ground. Natsu lunged at Sting, laughing cheerfully when they met each other in a mix of fire and light.

Rogue ducked and successfully avoided a Lucy Kick and then dropped into her shadow again. Lucy used the moment of peace to summon Virgo and Capricorn. Both, sensing what she wanted, went to work.

Virgo dove into the ground and Natsu came to her aid against Rogue as her Spirits distracted the white mage. Rogue finally left her shadow and moved to stand beside his partner. Natsu slid into a stance that had his feet planted firmly on the ground, his knees bent as he grinned.

Lucy sent Virgo back to her Realm, ordering the Spirit to be ready to return. She had to preserve her magic for Unison Raid, just as Natsu was avoiding using too much fire. Neither wanted to exhaust their magic and accidentally kill themselves when they used the spell.

"Come at me, dude," Natsu challenged, crooking a finger with challenging onyx eyes as he stared harshly at the other two dragon slayers. Lucy's whip snapped out as Capricorn fell back to stand beside Lucy. He looked somewhat happy, and Lucy realized why when he gave Natsu a look of disgust.

 _I forgot how much they hate dragons and dragon slayers._

Oh, well. It worked to her advantage at the moment.

Rogue suddenly bellowed out a blast of shadows in a Shadow Dragon's Roar. Sting copied, his own Roar combining with Rogue's into a massive blast of white and black and Natsu slid in front of his partner, retaliating with a blast of flames that seemed to engulf their combined attack. Lucy snapped her whip again, coating it in flames that warmed the gold-embedded hilt beneath her touch. A blue fiery energy joined the flames it had absorbed from Natsu.

"Spirit energy," Capricorn explained before blocking Sting when he came flying at them through the magic. The crowd roared when Capricorn successfully sent Sting tumbling back, only for Rogue to slide out of his shadow and use another Roar at point blank.

Natsu and Lucy grimaced when Capricorn left.

"Virgo!" Lucy called, summoning the Virgin back to her.

"Yes, Princess?" Virgo said with a bow.

"No shadows," Lucy ordered.

Virgo slid into the ground.

It went on like this for what seemed like ages. The mages sparred, Lucy and Natsu preserving what magic they could as they fended off Sting and Rogue's attacks. Rogue seemed to be enjoying himself just as much as Natsu and Sting.

A loud pop suddenly caught her attention. Her eyes darted to the Fairy Tail section of the stands. They all paused to stare.

Glitter had gone _everywhere_.

Lucy could only imagine Laxus covered in it, and she laughed before falling back. Virgo kept the Twin Dragons relatively busy with her gopher-like behavior as Natsu fell into a stance at her side again.

"Ready?" he breathed into her ear.

She took his hand, letting magic wash over her. She followed Mavis' murmured guiding words, remembering the instructions she'd been given once upon a time. Silence fell and Virgo went back to her own Realm. Rogue paused, and when he did, Sting stopped, too, both bewildered.

There was a moment of silence.

And then flames exploded around their feet, spreading to the entirety of the arena with an intense heat. The flames glowed gold and silver flickering and dancing in a beautiful manner. Above their heads, flaming orbs circled them. Planets, Lucy realized. Or something like them. Shooting stars perhaps. It was like a glorified Urano Metria almost.

Natsu's hand tightened on hers, and he grinned impishly as the flames darkened, flickering with flecks of black and deep red that made it look like hellfire. Something in his eyes - the eagerness as her magic swelled over him - made her frown, but she said nothing.

Because the heavens fell.

Sting yelped and tried to dodge as they were bombarded endlessly by what appeared to be shooting stars. But in the end, they were driven to the ground and as the flames disappeared, Natsu and Lucy heaved for air, grinning.

Rogue stared at them in silence, clothes tattered and torn.

And then Sting threw his hands in the air and wheezed, "We give!"

 _"Fairy Tail Team A wins!"_

Lucy laughed and Natsu swung her in an excited circle, hugging her tightly. Sting and Rogue exchanged amused looks, each giving a moment to catch their breath.

* * *

From where he watched in the box at Hisui's elbow, a dark smile curved along his lips, showing off sharpened teeth and fangs.

 _And so it begins._

* * *

 _Okay, guys. ;) Here we go. As of this chapter, consider the GMG arc finished. We're moving into that Eclipse Gate arc. Everything will be...I don't want to say darker, but...there will be less chances for our lovelies to enjoy themselves, we'll put it at that._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, HummingBird742, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, LePengwen, Vilchen, PotatoGirl14, Typhlosion8, Guest #1, ashcator2002, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, SoranoFairgray, FairyRains, and Blonde Neko-chan!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _Also. Finished Sarah J. Maas' Empire of Storms. I hate everything right now. And I really envy this author's planning skills._


	182. Chapter 182

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

They were met at the entrance by their team and Erza beamed proudly at Lucy as she told her, "You did well, Lucy."

"Thanks," Lucy said and then squawked as Sting threw an arm playfully around her shoulders, purposely hugging her tightly against him. "No!" she wailed, wrinkling her nose. He was covered in dirt, sweat, and blood from scratches that laced his arms and bared chest. Rogue snorted, just as dirty. "How dare you!"

Natsu puffed up, annoyed, but didn't bother to shove Sting away. It was like with Gray. Nowhere near flirty, just attempting to be some kind of brotherly figure that was pissing her off. Gray himself looked amused as he told Sabertooth's mages that they had done well, and Rogue thanked them.

"Princess Heartfilia?"

Lucy tensed, and Sting released her, looking curiously at a man that had appeared. He bowed respectfully to the blonde, who straightened with her chin held high in pride. She was a princess, after all. She'd used her title to her advantage and she had to keep it up. "Yes?"

"Princess Hisui requests your presence." The man straightened, eyes sharp as a blade. "She has summoned you to speak with her on the illegal spell that you have performed in the presence of thousands."

"Illegal spell?" Lucy was puzzled and anxious. Her team all became suspicious.

Rogue and Sting just looked plain confused.

"A law recently passed by the king of Fiore himself," the man explained coolly. "Unison Raid is a spell that has been illegal for a week, enacted on the first of July in the year of X785."

"C'mon, man!" Gray groaned, looking annoyed. "You can't prove it was Unison Raid, and even if it was, where the hell is that law written? I don't remember arriving in Crocus last week and being told about this, do you, Erza?"

She shook her head. "It's very odd that she would wish to speak with our friend about a supposedly illegal spell when even a guildmaster has not heard of this information." She gestured to Sting, who looked just as confused as the rest of them about the matter.

"The information was to be made public at the ball that has been planned after tomorrow's final Grand Magic Games event," the man explained and then turned to Lucy. "You _will_ accompany me. Mr. Eucliffe, Mr. Cheney," he continued, turning to face the two Sabertooth mages. "Her Highness also wishes to speak with Miss Yukino Auguria about a position in the royal forces. She requests that Miss Auguria joins Princess Heartfilia in accompanying me."

Lucy's face hardened. "Alright," she said icily, "I'll go. The rest of Fairy Tail Team A are coming with me though." She gestured to Jellal, Gray, Erza, and a blazing Natsu. "Happy, would you go inform Wendy and Master that we'll be late in joining them? Stay with Wendy."

"O-okay," he stammered. He gave Natsu an anxious look and then left, his tail lashing behind him.

"I'll fetch Yukino. She won't be far since she said she'd meet us here," Rogue told Sting. He stepped into his partner's shadow and then vanished.

Movement behind the man summoning them to Hisui caught Lucy's attention, and she forced herself not to react as a tall man cloaked in black appeared, silent as a statue. Scarred hands clenched into fists before he turned and left just as quickly.

Beside her, Natsu grunted and Lucy knew he'd seen him, too.

* * *

"What do you mean it's an emergency meeting?"

He shrugged his shoulders, black cloak fluttering around his shoulders as he took his hood from its place and looked her in the eyes with a grave look. Her scarred face was tugged into a frown. "Just like I said," he grunted. "S'a emergency meeting. Where's the others?"

"I don't know," she said softly. "One's disappeared off of the face of the earth, one's doing very good at remaining undetected, and the last one…" She trailed off. "I was talking with her earlier, but...the call cut off. I think she was found out."

His eyes widened a fraction and then narrowed. "Five became four?" he muttered, scowling. "Great timing she has, huh?"

She shook her head. Tears fell as she pressed a hand to her mouth. "We knew this was...this was coming, but-"

"Can't grieve now," he growled, touching her shoulder. He drew her closer for a fierce kiss and then ordered, "Find that idiot, would you? I'll find your friend and tell her what's goin' on. Heartfilia's just been arrested and they summoned Auguria, too. If things go like we hope, things will change and give us the clue to step in."

She took a deep breath. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow, it begins."

"I'll meet you here at noon tomorrow," he told her in a rumbling voice. They met one another's gazes, drew up their hoods, and then turned and ran in opposite directions, an unsaid warning in each of their eyes.

The day in which the world burned like the deepest pits of hell was coming.

And it was time to prepare to meet it.

* * *

The team and Yukino followed the rude man through Crocus and into the palace that rested at the city's center. Lucy didn't seem amazed by the architecture or the wealth in which Hisui lived in. She simply pushed onwards, her hands touching her keys constantly.

They were led through the first floor and outside again into a gated area. It was when they reached a gate that the man paused and spoke with one of the dozens of guards that were working, searching the area for anyone trying to get in. He let them past.

"What the hell is this?" Gray muttered beside her.

"I don't-" Lucy's mouth fell open, her dark eyes staring.

Materializing out of thin air was a door. And not just any door, but a door that seemed to reach into the heavens. It was a set of double doors, with intricately carved handles, its wooden features looking freshly painted despite the fact that she guessed it was thousands of years old. And, at its base, waiting for them, were three people.

One was Hisui, dressed in a slim green dress with a crown on her head and jewelry at her throat. Arcadios, her close friend and the Knight of the kingdom, stood at her right and to her left was a woman, if her hand was anything to go by. She wore a cloak of deep crimson, and she seemed to tremble before them, giving Lucy the impression that she didn't like that they were there.

Left hand on the small of her back, his hand a reassurance, Natsu suddenly rubbed his chest, grimacing. "Something's wrong," he said almost under his breath, as if he was noting this to himself instead of the rest of them, but Yukino gave a quick nod of agreement.

Hisui offered them a polite smile. "Miss Auguria, would you accompany Arcadios and our companions?"

Yukino blinked. "Sure," she agreed. She bowed her head respectfully to the princess and then stepped after Arcadios. The Knight looked unhappy as he led her back inside. The crimson-cloaked woman paused as she passed them, and then followed as well.

Hisui took a deep breath and then turned her green eyes on Lucy. "It's been a while," she said with a friendly tone, offering a smile, but Lucy was having none of it. The blonde lifted her chin and glared in silence. She grimaced. "I suppose you are angry with me. I understand why…but, you must understand, I do this sort of thing with the public's well-being in mind."

"Even so," Lucy said carefully, gently nudging Natsu back to give herself more room. He stepped closer to Erza, standing between the rest of them and that odd massive set of doors. "That's no excuse. You could have easily started war. I may not run my country right now, but I'm still the princess and I can guarantee Bosco wouldn't appreciate this sort of news reaching their ears."

Hisui grimaced. "I don't think you understand _why_ we want your keys though. I thought it best that if I explained, perhaps you'd willingly help, because it does involve your country. Do you know what this is?"

They all shook their head.

"This is called the Eclipse Gate. My family has protected it and watched over it for generations." Hisui looked as if she was going to rest a hand on the wood and then thought better of such an action. "You see, Lucy, this...this is what will save us. The problem is, it was built by a celestial mage by the name of Anna. No one knows why, of course. She was assisted in her work by a dragon and a mage who supposedly claimed to be immortal."

 _"I should rip you limb from limb for what Anna did to me. The next time I see you, descendant of Anna Heartfilia, I will gladly watch your flesh melt from its bones and more."_

Lucy was willing to bet that the dragon was honestly one she'd confronted.

"Anna possessed thirteen zodiac keys at the time," she continued. "Of course, only the original twelve are required to open it. When I heard that you and Yukino had gathered them all...that it's what we needed...I acted quickly. The matter with the work you did alongside Cobra, Sting Eucliffe, and Rogue Cheney is something I apologize for, as well as the various bumps in the road. I didn't think to confront you fully.

"You see, tomorrow is what's called the Dragon King Festival. It is a day that speaks of our end, the day dragons destroy us."

"What dragons?" Natsu growled, raising his chin. "Except for Acnologia, there aren't any dragons that would hurt us. My dad said there were only he and his friends left-"

"Do you think dragons don't _lie_?" Hisui huffed. She planted her hands on her hips, jaw working furiously as she clenched it. "I've spoken with people from the future...they have explained what's coming and seek to stop it."

"What?" Erza breathed, but it was to their surprise that Jellal stepped forward.

"And who have you spoken to that speaks of dragons, your Highness?" he rasped. "From what I've seen, these people are running around trying to stop this. The fact that one approached Lucy and told her to protect her keys-"

"Which one of them did that?" Hisui looked surprise. "There's only two, and you just saw one of them! Well, two. I'm assuming he was hiding himself," she added under her breath. "Anyways, it's not of importance. Will you help us Lucy?" She looked pleadingly to her blonde friend.

Erza's gaze darted to her, Gray stepping closer. "No," Lucy said icily, not looking at them. Her heart pounded in her chest. She'd recognized those people with no explanation for why or who they really were, and she was going to believe them. They hadn't tried to stalk her, they'd been _protecting_ her. From something far worse than she could imagine.

"Then I hate to do this, but…" Hisui shouted, "Guards!"

In a moment, they were surrounded. Instinct kicked in and Natsu moved to stand with his back to Lucy's, but one step had him being yanked back. "Lucy!" he shouted as a couple reached for her, dragging the blonde celestial mage back. She shrieked in disapproval.

"Lucy Heartfilia," Hisui said calmly, "I hereby arrest you under the accusation of performing an illegal spell under the eyes of the government. Mr. Dragneel, for unstated reasons, I will leave you alone and believe that you've learned your lesson in the form of losing your partner."

"Lucy!" Natsu snarled, "Let her go!" He fought against the hands pulling him back. Jellal swore under his breath and Erza remained calm despite the flash in her piercing eyes. Gray took one look at Lucy as she was wrestled into a pair of handcuffs, a cry in her throat for Loke, and simply whirled on his heel.

A guard reeled back, holding his bloodied face. Gray had punched him and broken his nose in a flash, a dark look in the ice-make mage's eyes, and within moments, he, too, was in handcuffs.

Suddenly, Natsu panicked. A pain in his chest tore through him and he screamed, "Let me _go_!"

Flames, hot and searing, exploded from him and Lucy called his name as he tried to incinerate those around him. His body shook with rage, his eyes full of hate that suddenly changed to surprise as Hisui shrieked, "No! The Gate-"

Natsu collapsed. Erza dove for him, catching his head before it struck the hard ground, and Jellal moved to her side as Natsu feebly tried to struggle upright, unable to even do that.

"Natsu!" Lucy gasped as she was yanked away.

Gray calmed as he was hauled away alongside her. He'd done his work and would stay with her, protect her where Natsu couldn't. "What did you do to him?" he demanded.

Hisui waved for some guards to escort the three mages out of the area and then fell into step with them. "Nothing. It is common knowledge not to use magic around the Gate. It absorbs it...why do you think we held the Grand Magic Games?"

"You revealed magic," Lucy rasped, "So that you could get us all killed and not even see that it's coming? How kind of you. I didn't take you for a mass murderer, Hisui."

She glared. "I'm trying to _save_ people."

"Sure," Lucy muttered, shaking her head. She tried to crane her head back, heart aching when she saw Natsu trying to climb to his feet. His legs gave out and he slumped back to the ground, shouting vicious insults despite clear exhaustion.

"We'll get out of this," Gray told her, eyes locked ahead. "If anything...they've pissed off Erza. And I haven't seen someone survive an angry Erza just yet."

* * *

 _Soon the cloaked people will be officially revealed. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, TheAliceHuntt, quite-a-riot, CupcakarmaFanGurl, Trigger-Happy Texan, a storytoremember, RandomAnimeNerd, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Dragondancer81, Guest #1, HummingBird742, PotatoGirl14, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Fairy Rains, IllegalAsian, Celestial-Aphrodite, Vilchen, Faery'sConfessions, Blonde Neko-chan, and J Luc Pitard!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	183. Chapter 183

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy didn't really fight the people that were arresting them until they tried to take her keys from her. Then she fought viciously, biting, kicking, and scratching as she desperately tried to keep them away. Gray could do nothing as she cried for Loke, the Spirit appearing with a deadly look in his eyes.

The guards faltered, and even Hisui paused, when Loke growled, "Do you _want_ to make an enemy of the heavens, Hisui E. Fiore? Because I can assure you that you're doing a great job of pissing off the Spirit King."

She faltered, and then waved his words off. "Take them," she ordered, but this time, she wasn't as certain. Nevertheless, the keys were wrestled from Lucy's hands and Loke attempted to jump in and swipe them, but vanished the second they were in Hisui's hands. Lucy glared at her, retreating to stand in the cell Gray stood in, daring them to remove her from her friend's side.

They simply locked them in.

"We'll free you and give your keys back after the crisis has been averted," Hisui promised, pocketing Lucy's keys. "I'm sure when Miss Auguria's keys are in our grasp, she'll be sent to join you." She apologized once more, bowed to Lucy, and then straightened and left with her guards.

Lucy fell to her knees. "My _keys_ ," she whispered.

Gray knelt beside her, his black eyes dark with anger as he gently squeezed her shoulder and reassured, "We'll get them back. Believe me. I'm more worried about that pyromaniac, though. If that thing absorbs magic, it could very easily kill us by taking too much."

Lucy's face whitened, but she murmured, "Thank you, Gray. For punching a guard so you'd be thrown in prison, too."

He chuckled and ruffled her hair before settling down, patting his pockets. "No worries. Those guys were morons, and do you want to know why?" She looked to him expectantly and he held up his cellphone. She gawked and realized she still had hers, pulling it out.

"You've got to be kidding me," she whispered. "They took us into jail but let us keep our phones."

"How about we save yours for games since it has more battery?" Gray suggested. "We'll need something to keep us occupied." he dialed a number and then lifted the phone to his ear. There was a moment of silence before he drawled, "Hey, Erza, how's the idiot?"

He put it on speaker so Lucy could hear, and they grimaced when she gasped, "Gray?"

Immediately, there was commotion in the background. Lucy smiled faintly.

After a few moments, she spoke again. "Natsu's resting as we speak. With the rate of recovery in previous instances, we think he'll be up and about by tomorrow afternoon. I've filled in the guild on everything. I'm sorry, Lucy, but…"

"No, it's fine," Lucy said darkly. "Do they know about the people in cloaks?"

"I kept that from them. If they're future dwellers, I don't want to interrupt what they've set out to do."

"Good choice," Gray praised. "Okay, so they have Lucy's keys. We don't know where Yukino is. Did anyone alert Sabertooth?"

"Gajeel's gone to do that," Erza informed them.

"Good," Lucy muttered. "I don't want Yukino to suffer like we are…"

There was a shuffling, and then someone else spoke into the phone. "Erza's gone to speak with Master," Jellal said quietly. "It's been decided that Natsu and Wendy will be sent to rescue you two with Happy and Charle during the Grand Magic Games event tomorrow. Laxus, Mirajane, Erza, Gajeel, and I will take over the team game. We've erased Fairy Tail Team B. It's just Fairy Tail now. Gray, Lucy, just sit back and wait. We'll get you out of there. When you're out, you'll need to see what you can do to help against these dragons if this is a real threat."

"We'll do our best, Jellal," Lucy vowed. Gray echoed her with a dark look.

Suddenly, Jellal fell silent and a feminine voice said something they didn't comprehend. "Juvia wants to accompany them, but I've told her no several times for the simple reason of we need her ready to get out and into the town to help innocents if they need it."

"I agree," Gray said firmly. "That's the best place. Tell her I said that. Lucy," he said addressing the blonde suddenly. "We'll get out of here, okay?" He offered her a friendly smile.

Her eyes welled with unbidden tears. "Okay."

He patted her on the head and they exchanged a look before Gray bid Jellal farewell and hung up, telling him that they needed to preserve their phone batteries. "Come on," Gray sighed, settling down. "Let's get some rest while we can…"

* * *

"Damn," a grouchy cloaked man muttered. "I can't find that pain medication-"

"Why do you need to find it?" an amused voice behind him asked. He jumped, whirling around. The petite woman drew her hood down. "Can't you just go and buy some new medication?"

He pouted. "Don't scare me. And no, I can't. Porlyusica-"

"Tch," a deeper voice rumbled as another man made his appearance. "She's alive here, dumbass."

"I can't just walk up and go, 'Sorry to bother you, but I need some more of that medicine that took you nearly a year to come up with! By the way, I'm that guy from the future!'" He rubbed his scarred chest, feeling the heat beneath his touch. "Damn, this hurts…"

The woman gave him a sympathetic look. "You won't deal with it for much longer, I'm sure. You said Lucy was arrested?"

"They got her keys," he said firmly, scowling. " _He_ was there. I couldn't step in."

"Okay, so we just need to steal them back or get Lucy and Gray out, right?" she replied, furrowing her brow. "I'll contact-"

"I'm here!"

Dark eyes lit up with delight as he turned to face the newcomer, who was pulling her hood down to let hair fly around her face. "Sorry, it's hard to get out of there without detection."

"I'm impressed you're even here," the tallest of the four said, arching a brow.

She flashed him an amused look. "Onto more serious matters...you all know what your job is tomorrow. I'll be breaking Gray and Lucy out."

The one who'd first been there nodded curtly. "I'll be trailing the group going in to help," he chirped, rubbing his chest with a grimace. "I hope this doesn't ruin me. I need to be able to move to stop everything…"

She rested her hand on his arm, smiling reassuringly. "You'll be fine. Just…" She smiled shakily. "Make it through and we'll be able to rest."

"Right," he muttered with a sigh.

The smallest of the four piped up now. "I'll make sure that I warn the guilds ahead of time."

The tallest grunted. "Suppose that leaves me to make sure no one dies."

They all grimaced. "Not gonna happen, sadly," the scarred man muttered. "Someone dies, no matter how often we try. Last time it was her and then it was me...well, sorta me. You know." He rolled his shoulders. "Don't let anyone's limbs get cut off or anyone's chest get cut up."

"Tch. Tell that to yourself."

"Than this may very well be the last time we meet in this life." The leader of the four raised her chin and her dark eyes filled with grief. She ignored the tall one's protest as she drew all three in for a tight hug, her head resting against theirs. "It's been an honor knowing all of your. I pray that we see each other again some day...do your best!"

They all murmured their agreement, each feeling sorrow.

And then they parted and each turned to go their separate ways, each with a certain thought on what needed to be done to stop the end of the world.

As he rubbed his chest, the eldest of them paused and smiled ruefully. "I bet you're feeling that something's wrong now, eh, Natsu?"

* * *

It was pitch black in the room when everything promptly burst into flames.

Jellal swore and shot to his feet alongside Wendy and Gajeel, who'd both hung around to keep an eye on Natsu while Erza ran herself ragged. Ignoring the searing pain as flames caught his pants on fire, Jellal threw himself at Natsu, who had awoken in a panic.

"Natsu!" he shouted above the dragon slayer's shrieks and cries. People's voices filled the rooms down the hall as smoke began to fill the room. Gajeel swore and darted out of the room to go and fetch Juvia, who would be able to put out the fire.

To Jellal's shock, Natsu was sobbing, clawing at his chest. Wendy dove in, cloaking her hands in a self-cloaking wind to blow out flames before they touched her. She soothingly trilled to Natsu, tending to him as best as she could. "Natsu," she finally rasped, "There's nothing there."

"Something's wrong," he cried, grabbing at her. She let him grab her shoulders, Jellal ready to pry him off just in case. His onyx eyes swam with tears as he sobbed, repeating himself, "Something's wrong! I have to get to Lucy!"

Jellal exchanged a look with Wendy, who remembered the last time they'd both witnessed this. "We know, Natsu," he murmured, attempting to do his best to help. "But we can't get to Lucy right now. Not yet. You're going to help her tomorrow with Wendy-"

"She needs me," he rasped, his body trembling violent tremors. He couldn't seem to get himself under control and Juvia faltered in the doorway before setting to work on dousing the flames.

"We know," Jellal said gently as Wendy slid away. "Fetch Master, Wendy."

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Gajeel snapped from the doorway.

"I don't know," Jellal admitted. "A psychic connection with someone else, perhaps? But I don't see how-"

His words froze on his lips as realization struck him. " _Oh_ , I see," he breathed, and then grimaced and turned his attention back on Natsu, who was curling into a ball on the bed he'd been resting in, screaming for Lucy as if he was some child who'd been terrified to hell and back by a nightmare.

"Gajeel," Jellal ordered calmly. "Give me your phone."

"Why?" he demanded.

"Give me your phone," Jellal repeated, turning a nasty look on him. "Now."

"Fine, no need to turn into an ass." Gajeel stalked over and slapped it into his palms. Within seconds, ordering Gajeel to make sure Natsu didn't try to claw his heart out of his chest when his screaming cut off, he'd pressed the phone to his ear.

A soft voice slurred into it a moment later. "Gajeel? Why are _you_ calling at this moment? Levy'll find out. It'll be a scandal."

"It's Jellal," Jellal corrected with a hint of amusement as Wendy trotted in, Makarov in tow. "And I'm going to put Natsu on the phone with you. You need to speak with him as soothingly as you can. Reassure him, calm him, do _something,_ or he's going to burn us all to death." He could already feel blisters forming on his legs.

Before he could try to get the phone by Natsu's head, he began thrashing again, screaming, hands struggling past Gajeel's to rake at his chest. "Fuck, Salamander," Gajeel shouted, reeling back, holding a bloodied nose.

Lucy's voice shouted through the phone, "What the hell is going on?"

"Can't really say!" Gajeel shouted back, barely hearing over as Natsu gave a keening _roar_. The sound flooded the building, hoarse and ragged, and Jellal felt a flash of sympathy for Cobra, who'd probably fled the second Natsu had woken.

Wendy made an anxious trill as Makarov's face grew grim, confused. "What kind of fit is this?"

"I don't know, but he's pissing me the fuck off," Gajeel snapped before reaching back in to try and tear Natsu's hands away from his chest. "Where's-"

"I'm here!" Erza called as she shoved past the crowd gathering at the door. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of smoke and made her way over to help, assisting Gajeel in trapping Natsu's flailing limbs. "Jellal-"

"Now, Lucy," Jellal told her, shoving the phone by Natsu's ear.

Before the fire could start back up again and melt the phone, Lucy spoke. Within seconds, Natsu had been reduced from a screaming and thrashing panic to a shaking and quiet mess. Tears streaked his face, his breath coming heavy in his chest. Gajeel retreated to let Wendy look at his nose under her command. Erza and Jellal both let out huge sighs of relief.

"What the fuck _was_ that," Gajeel began to say again, but before he could finish, the window to the room shattered and someone shot in. Jellal's eyes widened at the sight of a cloaked man, who wordlessly approached Natsu and bent over him, plucking the phone away, hanging up on Lucy, and throwing it towards Gajeel.

Natsu's eyes flashed, the flames beginning to rise once more, but before he could began to panic once more, he received a blow to the jaw that knocked him out instantly.

"What-" Erza began, but Gajeel and Wendy's nostrils flared, and both stared at the cloaked man as he drew his hood back and gave them all thoughtful looks. His eyes glinted with amusement at the shocked looks on all of their faces as he withdrew something from his cloak and studied it thoughtfully.

"So who the hell thought it was a good idea to let him keep that up instead of knocking him out, huh? Now I'm gonna have to give him the last of my medicine, and I _just_ found it."

* * *

 _Sorry about the late update today! I had a conference I attended._

 _I'm not sure, but I believe next chapter we begin to officially meet the cloaked people! Your insanity is almost over, my friends! ;) Also. Everyone's attitude towards Hisui made me laugh my ass off._

 _AmeliaRosetta/Otakus, thank you so much for your beautiful review. It made me seriously happy. :3_

 _Thanks to reviewers (NaluNom, Wyote, Gerbilfriend, Lodemai04, PotatoGirl14, thebooknerdgeek, Blonde Neko-chan, Anubis Cloudly, Vilchen, TheAliceHuntt, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, RandomAnimeNerd, LePengwen, yorusorra, Dragondancer81, quite-a-riot, Trigger-Happy Texan, PinkFireandGoldenStars, The Age of Awesomeness, Guest #1, Faery's Confessions, HummingBird742, CupcakarmaFanGurl, Abdltf, AmeliaRosetta, and thecagedsong!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	184. Chapter 184

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

When Lucy opened her eyes, it was bright in the prison she and Gray were locked in. Gray was dozing, propped up against the wall beside her. He'd been kind enough to let her lean on him throughout the night, her head on his shoulder, and she removed it from that painful position as she realized that a figure was curled up in the cell beside theirs.

"Yukino!" she gasped. She jerked away from Gray, instantly awake, and Gray woke up fairly quickly, yawning hugely as he scratched his naked chest.

Yukino stirred, lifting her head. "Lucy?" she rasped, her red-rimmed eyes welling with tears.

"What are you doing here?" Lucy demanded, horrified.

"They took my Spirits," she whispered, and then gave a sob. "Oh, god, Lucy...the man that was with Arcadios! And _her…_ "

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Who were they? Did you see their faces? Hisui mentioned a third person, but we didn't see him-"

"Only Rogue would have noticed him," she said with a hysterical laugh. "Because he can see shadows differently than we can." She began to weep, shaking her head. "I called Sting, and he tried to...he tried to come and help, but they threatened to disband the guild."

"Hisui's being a real bitch, isn't she?" Gray muttered, joining them. "Who were they, Yukino? Please, it'll help us figure out what to do next."

"Me," Yukino gasped. "The woman was _me_."

"What?" Gray muttered confused.

"Then the third person was-"

"Rogue," Yukino finished, cutting Lucy off. Her eyes were haunted as she looked up. "But...he wasn't. He couldn't have been our Rogue! He was so...the look in his eyes! He didn't care about me at all, no sympathy when they threw me in here!"

Lucy's mouth was dry. "So...Rogue is against us?"

"That can't be Rogue," Yukino cried angrily. "That can't be! Rogue would never look at any of us like that, whether he be from the future or not!"

"Okay," Gray said slowly. "We've got a future version of you and Rogue. But who were the other people? There's been a few others we've seen-"

"You'll continue to see us from this point on," a voice cut in. Lucy's head snapped around, and her lips parted in shock, because she knew that voice. Gray tensed, black eyes fierce and his muscles coiled. He was ready to protect her.

She couldn't blame him.

Another version of Yukino stood before them, on the other side of the bars. She wore the crimson cloak from before, and she drew the hood down. Her hair was long - much longer than the one in the cell beside them. Her brown eyes were sad - so sad, that Lucy wondered what had happened to her to make her so miserable.

"Holy hell," Gray whispered. "She wasn't kidding. You really are her."

The future Yukino smiled ruefully and mused, "We can speak freely. Rogue's not here right now, he's busy with Hisui preparing the Eclipse Gate for tonight. I've sent word to the others."

"Others?" Lucy croaked. "How many others are there?"

"Four," was the answer she received. She smiled sorrowfully. "The six of us are all that is left of our friends and family, and one of us isn't even one of our own."

"That makes no sense," Gray informed her.

Lucy shook her head to clear it and then demanded, "Who are the four others? Are they siding with Hisui?"

"No," she said firmly. "I'm with them as well. I've been relaying information I gather to - well, you'll meet her soon enough. When the Games start tonight, she will retrieve you and take you to a safe part of the palace, where you'll meet Natsu and whoever is with him. In the meantime, you'll be safe here. Both of you." She spoke fiercely now. "Stay away from the future Rogue. He holds a massive amount of hatred for you, Lucy, and Natsu. I can't say why...I am sure the reasons will someday be revealed to you if this doesn't work."

"Sting?" Yukino said hoarsely. "Where is he? Surely he wouldn't have-"

Yukino's future self turned to her and gave her a long mournful look. "Frosch died, Rogue lost his mind, and Sting was killed protecting Lector and I, of which only I survived Rogue's rage." The anguish that flickered over her face brought Lucy to tears. "His last wish was that I help Rogue, but...I doubt he is able to come back to me. He is past the point of no return."

Yukino gave a sob, and Lucy tried to reach through the bars of the cell to comfort her. Her hand trembled as she grabbed her arm, squeezing gently. "Is that why you're here?" Lucy asked softly. "To stop that?"

"Yes," she admitted. She turned her gaze to the steps. "He is no longer my friend. I see now that there is no bringing Rogue back to the light. I will see to it that he is dead by the end of the night." Her gaze hardened. "I must go now. It appears a friend has revealed himself to the majority of Fairy Tail, and we've been given the go to start turning the gears of our plan. Remember. Trust those in black, not in crimson - excluding me, of course."

She left without another word, and Gray and Lucy exchanged looks of equal amounts of shock. Gray checked his phone, wanting to inform the others of this development, but both of their phones had died throughout the night.

Yukino tried to re-gather her wits, raising her chin proudly as she scolded herself. "I shouldn't be like this, I'm a proud mage of Sabertooth! Sting would scold me for such behavior." Her lips trembled at his name and the thought that he was dead in some future world, but she said nothing more on the matter.

Lucy took a huge breath and then let it out. "I guess we play the waiting game now," she whispered.

"As hell descends upon us," Gray said grimly.

* * *

When Natsu staggered into the main part of the otherwise silent hotel, a cloaked man at his side, the Fairy Tail guild fell silent and stared.

It was amazing, he thought miserably, just how little he seemed to know about himself.

"You have been made aware of our situation?" Makarov said as he approached the guildmaster. "You know what your job will be when the Game begins, Natsu?" His gaze gentled as he looked him over, taking in his pale face. "Will you be able to do what needs to be done?"

Natsu gave Makarov a long tired look. "Find Lucy. Get Lucy the hell out of Crocus. Keep Lucy safe. And make sure to somehow get a hold of her keys in the process." His shadowed onyx eyes turned on Wendy. "Wendy'll be with me, and so will Happy and Charle. And _him_." He jerked his head in the direction of the man that stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

From where he was strapping some iron-studded gloves onto his hands, Gajeel grunted, "Fuckin' scary, lookin' over at you two."

"I agree," Erza murmured. "It's odd."

The cloaked man snorted, saying nothing as he rubbed his chest. Bowing apologetically to the guild, he finally spoke. "Sorry about the near-incident last night," he sighed. "I should have at least approached you sooner rather than later." He flashed a smirk at the older man, who didn't seem happy. "Explaining might have helped keep him under control. I'd forgotten how bad it was."

"Can't believe you're the reason I turn into a three year old whenever Lucy disappears on me," Natsu huffed and then sidled over to Mirajane, demanding breakfast. The guild's hotel filled with laughter as everyone returned to what they'd been doing previously, everyone's eyes flicking to the newcomer every now and then.

The future-dweller turned to Makarov - and the girl beside him, whose blonde hair waved in an invisible breeze that no one else felt. He stared past her blankly, not seeming to see her as he said, "What happens will happen. We're doing our best. Yukino sent word that her past self and Gray and Lucy are aware of us now. My friends are doing their best to help."

"Will we lose anyone?" Makarov asked quietly.

"It's different every time from what I've gathered," he replied grudgingly. "There was mass casualty the first time. I told you about my situation. Only one person truly died that I saw." His gaze darted around now. His eyes locked onto Erza and then drifted to various other mages. "It's nice. To see them before I disappear." Makarov opened his mouth, apologies on the tip of his tongue, but he lifted a hand to silence him.

"I'll see my own nakama soon," he said quietly. "And that's all I want now. I don't care if I have to kill myself to fix this present, but I _won't_ fail. Not this time."

"Just how many times have you traveled through that Gate?" Mavis whispered, horrified.

He didn't respond, and she wondered from the back of her mind if he could even hear or see her.

* * *

Lips pressed together, the petite woman watched her companion mingle with Fairy Tail from where she stood, hidden in the shadows of a window. She'd run by to check on him, and was unsurprised to see him walking amongst Fairy Tail mages. Somehow, she'd known he'd be the first to lose his composure and join friends before necessary.

She took a deep breath.

She didn't blame him, of course, she wanted the same.

The guilds would soon be heading for the arena. The teams would fight well into the evening, struggling to win the Game for their guilds.

And then it would be time for her to take action, gaining their attention.

She could hear herself, laughing. And it was the strangest thing in the world to hear herself talking.

She turned away and started down the street. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of a dagger that she'd carried on her since they'd come to the past, her cloaked form earning curious looks as she walked down the street in broad daylight. It fluttered around her ankles, and it wasn't for a few blocks that she suddenly faltered in a step and stopped.

Without looking back, she said with amusement, "Ah, you've followed me. I should have known better."

Gajeel slunk out of the shadows, black mane of hair an unruly mess. His crimson eyes held signs of exhaustion from the adventure Natsu had presented the night before, and he cocked his head to the side as he studied her. "I wanna know what happened. Why you're here."

She glanced back, smiling tightly. "Well, we-"

"No," he interrupted. "You. Not 'we'. I wanna know what happened to scar your face like that and why _you_ came."

She blinked. "Well, for one, my husband's here." His jaw dropped. "What, did you think I'd let him dance around and not marry me after everything? No, there was never a ceremony, but in all other ways, we are husband and wife, and I would not have it any other way." She turned to face him in full. There was a stricken look on his expression that made her laugh. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'd be pleased with my choice."

"Doubt it," Gajeel muttered, and then gestured to her. "What happened to your face?"

She blinked, and then touched the massive scars. Sometimes, she forgot they were there despite how much they'd bothered her at first. "A dragon," she finally murmured, eyes mournful. "She tried too hard and lost her mind to the magic in her blood. You know, that happens to dragon slayers. Be careful with Dragon Force in particular, that'll do it."

" _Wendy_ did that to your face?" he gasped.

"A dragon that used to be Wendy," she corrected. "Things changed. But...we're doing our best to keep that kind of stuff from happening. If we have our way, Gajeel, you'll never suffer as we have. You'll never have to worry about what we have to worry about, and we'll finally be allowed to rest."

"You'll _die_?"

She shrugged. "I'm not suicidal, but I want to. I'll be allowed to have peace, join my nakama. I'm sure your future self will be there, too." She took a deep breath. "I have to go. I have work to do, and my husband and I are meeting one final time before everything starts. Stick with… well. Her." She gestured, and Gajeel looked back in time to see Levy rushing across the street with an anxious look on her face.

When he looked back, the cloaked woman was gone, and he was alone when Levy caught up. "Gajeel-"

"Sorry, Shrimp," he said pleasantly, kissing the top of her head in a rare public show of affection. "I know that one. Not somethin' ya need to worry 'bout. C'mon, let's get to the stadium with the rest of the guild. Salamander on the move?"

She nodded. "Lily said he'd save me a seat."

"Good."

Gajeel started down the street, and Levy took his hand hesitantly. He tightened his grip near painfully around hers. "I'm gonna make sure you're safe, woman," he told her suddenly, voice gruff.

She smiled secretively. "I know." She lifted his hand and pressed a kiss to their clasped hands before letting them dangle between them.

Silence fell, and despite the danger over their heads, she was at peace.

* * *

 _Finally! Two out of six people revealed (Yukino and Rogue!), though I'm confident that most of you know who the two in this chapter were! Updating this morning was nice. I've had a rough few weeks and it I look forward to reading your reviews. On another note, re-watching Death Note. Forgot how adorable L was. And forgot how fucking terrifying Light is._

 _On another note, I released a new fic if you haven't seen it. ;) A Gajevy piece called_ Obsessive Impulsive. _If you liked_ The Game of Life _go check it out. It's pretty similar to it._

 _I was gonna give an extra update on the first of April. Then I fooled myself._

 _Thanks to reviewers (NaluLuva23, enchantedbeauty1, TheAliceHuntt, RandomAnimeNerd,Blonde Neko=chan, The Age of Awesomeness, StardragonXX, Trigger-Happy Texan, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Treblemkr, Guest #1, LePengwen, HummingBird742, fanficlover818,Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, TigerArrowgirl, NaLu and InuKag, PotatoGirl14,Vilchen, SantaKitty, IllegalAsian, AstraFFN, an-upset-librarian, cortneykaszowski, and Rose!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	185. Chapter 185

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The cheering of thousands marked the start of the seventh day of the Grand Magic Games. Lucy could see the arena from the tiny window, her heart aching. Her friends would be fighting, she was sure. They couldn't just leave the Games for no reason. But she doubted that they would leave she and Gray there.

 _Someone_ would come.

A hand on Lucy's head made her glance up. Gray offered her a crooked smile and together, they peered out the window at where balloons - millions of them - were being released into the sky. "I can't believe they successfully used all of us without us realizing," she whispered suddenly. "They just..used this to absorb our magic."

"Eh," Gray sighed. "Nothin' we can do about it now, Lucy. We just need to wait and-"

"Someone's coming," Yukino said suddenly, standing swiftly.

Gray and Lucy whirled around as, sure enough, light footsteps filled their ears.

Gray slid an arm in front of the blonde and she flashed him a look, annoyed. She could defend herself! Mostly. Nearly. Gray didn't seem to notice, ice gathering around his fingers - until someone stepped into view, black cloak fluttering around their ankles.

He couldn't see her face - for it was definitely a female by the looks of the wrist that held up a set of keys. "Be ready to run," she ordered and his lips parted in shock when Lucy retorted, "Who are you?"

"Lucy," he realized.

"Huh?" the blonde asked, looking at him with impatience, but he wasn't looking at her.

"You're Lucy, or the future version of her, aren't you?" Gray demanded, stepping forward and gripping the bars of the cell they were in. Lucy stayed close, her eyes widening as the woman used the hand holding the keys to pull her hood down, revealing cropped blonde hair that brushed her chin. Her dark eyes were haunted and wary, cheek bruised from where she'd been struck.

"I am," she said firmly. A spark of life lit her gaze. She gave him a warm smile. "You have _no_ idea how nice it is to see you, Gray. I haven't seen you since...well, today. The last time." She became a whirlwind of energy as she started forward, quickly letting them out of their cells. "It's currently three in the afternoon. Yukino's sent word that Rogue and Hisui are in the arena, watching and waiting for this evening. We need to be careful, though. Arcadios is running around - that's the Knight's name, by the way."

Yukino emerged from the cell she'd been in. "Our keys-"

"On Hisui's hip," she sighed. "We won't be able to even get close to them right now. Natsu should be on his way soon, of course, with-"

"A few others," a new voice finished. They all looked over to see a tall cloaked figure darting down the stairs. He was heaving for air as he ripped the hood from his head and gasped, "We got trouble. Rogue's not where he was supposed to be."

" _Gajeel_?" Lucy squeaked.

"Hey, Bunny Girl," he said, flashing her a quick smirk. She was shocked by the ragged sharp teeth in his mouth, the scales that circled his eyes and cheeks. Crimson eyes seemed to glow in the dimness of the room. "Long time, no see."

"I'm right here," the future Lucy retorted. She tossed the keys over her left shoulder and then strode over to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Like I said, Rogue's not where he's supposed to be," he retorted. "Trouble's comin'. Is he like that fucker from-"

"Don't call him that," she retorted angrily. "You know he's trying to help us fix everything! But he might be. You could barely tell the difference between us and our past selves, let alone people that aren't even from our time-"

"I'm confused," Gray muttered.

Lucy nodded and Yukino agreed aloud.

"On that note, go tell the other two," the future Lucy ordered. "I'll watch these guys and get them to Natsu. We need to keep Rogue away from Lucy...that's odd. The last time I called someone by my own name was when we went to Earthland!"

That made him snort. "Watch yourself." The future Gajeel showed her his hand. "Even without me using magic, the scales are spreadin'. Even if we do die tonight, I might not be myself when I do. I may add to the trouble."

"Try your best to _not_ ," was the response he received.

"Right," he muttered. "See ya. Nice knowin ya, you stripping bastard," he added as an afterthought and then darted back up the steps.

Gray looked at a loss. "...huh?"

"Can we go now?" the future Lucy demanded in exasperation. "We need to get the hell out of dodge if Rogue's decided to start running around-"

"Right," Lucy cut in, grimacing at how similar their voices were. She offered a faint smile. "Do you know the quickest way out?"

"I do," Gray cut in. "If we could break through the wall-"

"That'll bring Rogue to us," the future Lucy interrupted, shaking her head. "I can get us out undetected. Trust me." When they gave her wary looks, she smiled tightly. "I have no wish to see you dead. Any of you. And if Lucy dies, I die, so believe me when I say that you're protected more than anyone else when we get to Natsu."

"You're infatuated with him," Yukino hummed.

It earned a small laugh from the future Lucy. "When am I not? Let's be honest, I've been infatuated with him for a very long time now." She offered her past self a warm smile. "We're from nearly a decade in the future. My Natsu has been dead for all of that time, killed when someone tried to save me in a stupid way. I promise you that he will survive, and that you will survive."

Lucy's lips parted. "Natsu's _dead_?"

"Mhm." She led them up the stairs, her eyes darting this way and that. "I miss him every day, but...there's something we can hopefully do about that now, so…"

They came out into a room, brightly lit by the noon light. It was decorated with the Fiore family's royal crest, which was carved into the wall. A red and gold-lined carpet went down the hall. They followed it for a short time before turning down another hall.

"I've been here since...well, a while," the future Lucy sighed. "Since June at least. And before the preliminaries. We had to scout the area. Well, some of us did. Some of us watched over you."

"Have you been in _here_?" Gray asked as they bustled along. "Like, mapping out the palace and whatnot?"

"Yeah, for the most part." She flashed him a quick grin and then suddenly took another sharp right. A distant roar spoke of the people outside cheering on the guilds and their teams and Lucy shuddered at how clueless they were about what was going on. They had no idea-

"Wait," Lucy said, sliding a stop. The future one paused as well, treading lightly, her head turning to look back. Yukino and Gray gave her a curious look, too. "The dragons that Hisui mentioned-"

"They're coming," the future Lucy said, pressing her lips together. "We can't stop that unless we get to the Eclipse Gate without being captured."

"So if Hisui and them want to stop the dragons, why are we trying to stop _them_?"

The future Lucy said nothing, only looked at them quietly for a long moment before heaving a sigh and unclasping the cloak at her throat. It pooled around her feet and left Lucy gasping in shock.

The future Lucy wore clothes that were ragged, tattered, and burned, clearly patched together by shaky hands. They looked somewhat similar to the odd clothes that the black mage Zeref had worn, more like layered cloaks than anything. But it was easy to see what she was trying to show them.

"Your arm," Gray rasped.

She touched the small bit of upper arm left and smiled wryly. "A dragon took this off. Natsu saved me. He received severe life-threatening injuries in the process, but he kept me from getting eaten. Funny enough, it was a fire dragon. We're right-handed, so you know how rough it would be to deal with this in a world where you have to fight and your Spirits are lost."

Lucy felt a pain in her soul.

This Lucy had lost _everything_. Her friends, Natsu, her arm...her _Spirits_!

"I'm here to help," she pleaded softly. "Please let me. And don't ask too many questions, or we won't be able to get through this!"

"We'll do what you say," Gray said after a moment. Yukino murmured her agreement.

"Things don't really begin until dusk, so we should lay low and hide from Rogue until then," the future Lucy decided. "Natsu will come to us." She gathered her cloak and threw it back around her shoulders, expertly clasping it back into place. She drew the hood back over her head and gave them a smile.

"Let's go!"

* * *

It was hard to focus when you were staring at someone who really shouldn't have been there and there was a heavy pain in your chest because of a psychic connection made between the two of you.

"Natsu?" Happy said anxiously as he stumbled, but pushed forward past the pain. He swallowed thickly, anxiety for Lucy driving him forward. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Natsu reassured, jogging beside Wendy. She was keeping up with surprising ease, Charle clinging to her shoulder in preparation. The streets of Crocus were empty, the heat of the day was blistering, but no one noticed as they headed for the center of the city.

"Stop," the cloaked man said suddenly, a low growl in his throat. He studied the palace. "There will be guards everywhere, Hisui's orders. We'll have to take a hidden way in. We _should_ be okay. Rogue will be-"

"Still can't believe that bastard's behind all of this," Natsu muttered.

"-with Hisui, so we should be fine for now," he finished as if Natsu hadn't spoken. "Follow me." He led them down a back alley and stopped before a sewer. "Secret entrance, it's not really a sewer," he explained as he hoisted the heavy metal circle away with Natsu's help. Happy stared curiously into it. "We'll be able to sneak right past the guards. It was made for if the family ever had to make a quick getaway, you know?"

"Interesting," Charle muttered, looking exhausted. She'd been plagued by constant visions, Wendy had explained when Natsu had questioned it. But she'd still been determined to come.

"Very," Lily agreed from where he was on the future-dweller's shoulder. He'd demanded to accompany them as well, much to everyone's surprise. Gajeel had been reluctant, but a word from Levy had convinced everyone it was better.

"I'll go first," the man with the cloak muttered. He gripped the edge and dropped in. There was a loud grunt when he struck the ground and then he called up, "C'mon, guys!"

"I'll slow our descent," Charle promised her friend as Wendy nervously peered into the darkness. Finally, she dropped into the sewer and there was a fluttering of wings as Charle slowed them. Natsu went after, Happy copying his white-furred friend.

"I got the torch," Natsu offered, lighting a ball of fire in his palm. It cast a hazy glow around them. "Will Lucy and Gray meet us down here?"

He shook his head. "I don't know where they'll be. We'll have to find them." He checked to make sure his hood was drawn over his head and then started forward. "Don't let anyone know who I am if they ask. They can't know, or Rogue will find out."

"Got it." Natsu glanced around as they jogged down the corridor. It was clearly not what they'd expected, with its wealthy looking walls and carpeted floor. He didn't feel the least bit guilty about the footprints he was leaving behind. Let him stain the carpets red with the blood of the people who-

"Damn I really need to get my imagination under control," he muttered under his breath. Happy purred in amusement and flicked his tail before suddenly pricking his ears.

"Natsu," he whispered. "Do you hear-"

"Sh," the cloaked man hushed, pressing a finger to his lips. They stopped dead in their tracks, everyone quiet and listening intently. The sound of fighting filled their ears and they exchanged looks before darting forward.

By the time they reached where they needed to be, there was already someone there, knelt over a body that lay strewn across their path.

"Gajeel?" the cloaked man demanded, abandoning his companions to join the wild-eyed dragon slayer. Natsu and Wendy gaped at the future version of their fellow dragon slayer, staring at just how dragon-like he was now. The future version of Gajeel shook his head, gesturing to the body. "Is that-"

"Rogue's not with Hisui like we thought. And neither was Yukino."

" _Oh_ ," Wendy breathed shakily, fingers covering her mouth, and Natsu turned her away, feeling sick. She didn't need to see that. How a friend's blood pooled around her body, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling above.

"He must have found out she was working with us," Gajeel said quietly.

"Shit, he'll be onto Lucy then," the cloaked man growled. "We need to _go_. Tell Levy-"

"On it," the future Gajeel muttered, shooting to his feet. He gave the dead woman a long look, grimacing at the long silver strands that had turned scarlet. "She didn't deserve this. She worked hard to help us. I hope she's with that arrogant ass and the two cats now."

And then he was gone.

The cloaked man knelt, closing the future Yukino's eyes. "This is what Rogue has become," he said without looking up. "He won't dare come at me, so you guys are fine, but Lucy's in danger. Both of them."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" Natsu's onyx eyes flashed as he slammed a fist impatiently into his palm, flames bursting to life. His teeth bared, he lunged forward, and the others ran behind him.

All of them desperate to find their friends before the future version of Rogue did.

* * *

 _And two more cloaks, bringing us to four out of six revealed. ;) Lucy and Gajeel are there! And yes - dragon slayers suffer from that turning into dragon business in the future people's world._

 _FairyRains, have no concerns. The phone calls will be brought up. ;)_

 _Now excuse me while I cry over L._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Typhlosion8, HummingBird742, The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, Vilchen, BeannaCoris, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, quite-a-riot, PotatoGirl14, Gothic Rain, Dragondancer81, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Rose, Blonde Neko-chan, Cascade Cheney, FairyRains, Fire and Ice, Keerthy, and ToukaKaneki!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	186. Chapter 186

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

She was seated at the back of the stands, her hood drawn firmly over her head. She could hear the screamed cheering of thousands of people that would all be dead if they weren't careful. On the screens, various mages fought to win. Fairy Tail was winning, naturally. They always were able to accomplish what others couldn't, simply through belief in their own comrades.

The sun was slowly descending, and she knew that the time to move was coming. Her friends were at work, and it was going to be her turn soon.

So long as they all did their part-

She squeaked when an arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her. She gasped, ready to tear into whoever it was with her knife, but familiar ragged rumbling filled her ears. "Gajeel!" she hissed.

"Levy," he retorted, tugging lightly on a lock of her hair. He set her down and she smiled briefly as she leaned into him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly. "I thought-"

"That you wouldn't see me again?" He rolled his eyes and prodded her cheek roughly, careful of the talon-like nail. "Rogue's not where he was supposed to be. He killed Yukino."

Levy stiffened until he clarified that it had been the future Yukino, and she shook her head. "We never should have asked her to betray him like that. It put her in so much danger…"

"No turnin' back now," he said with a shrug. "Came to tell ya that before I get ready to start helping the evacuations when they come. Make sure that you're careful until it's over, you hear me?" He dropped his forehead to rest against hers. "I'll see you on the other side."

She smiled gently and quickly kissed him before telling him, "Damn right you will. Now go. I'll be fine, and I promise I'll be careful." She smiled up at him and he ruffled her hair a final time before turning away. A pain overcame her as he left, and she pressed a hand to her heart before starting down the stands, drawing her hood back up.

"Protect Lucy," she pleaded quietly, her eyes focused on a laughing version of herself below as she and her teammates cheered their team on. She smiled wryly. "She's the key to everything."

 _And even if we do fix everything...she's got a lot of work to do before she's allowed peace._

* * *

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Jellal smirked a little at the defeated Lyon and then glanced at the sky, amused. They'd followed the determined Mavis' plan to a T. She had taken _everything_ into consideration, and she'd done brilliantly.

Lyon heaved for air. "Holy hell, you're stronger than I thought," he admitted.

Jellal offered a hand to pull him to his feet. "I'm S-Class," he explained almost apologetically. "I work with the other S-Class mages a lot. You did well, though. I'm sure you'll reach the rank yourself before long."

Lyon looked pleased and opened his mouth to respond, but yelped as something came screaming out of nowhere and slammed into both mages. They hit the ground harshly and there was a shout of frustration from who had run into them.

" _Fuck_ ," the cloaked future-dweller snarled, climbing to his feet. "Watch it, Fernandes!"

Lyon's mouth fell open. Jellal only frowned and demanded, "What's-"

"Just keep goin', we've got it covered. Focus on the Games for now." He drew his hood over his head and then glared at Lyon. "The fuck you lookin' at, Vastia? Mind your own goddamn business."

Lyon closed his mouth and then looked to Jellal for an explanation when he'd sprinted off at full speed, seeming to be looking for something. But Jellal hastily shook his head. "Don't concern yourself with that," he urged. "Perhaps Gray can explain it to you later, after he's let out of prison." He sprinted off, and Lyon was left behind, gawking.

"Hey!" he shouted suddenly, moving to follow him. "What the hell are you talking about?! What do you _mean_ Gray's been arrested?!"

* * *

Sliding stealthily through an alleyway, aware that the sun would soon be setting, Erza tightened her grip around the sword in her hand, her leather armor heavy from the heat of the evening. Her scarlet hair had been swept into a ponytail, yet sweat gathered as the back of her neck as she prepared to meet someone in combat as Mavis had planned.

 _Tick tock_ went the clock that towered above her in the center of Crocus as if it knew that time was running out.

Across the city, Laxus and Mirajane fought side-by-side against Sting and Rufus, who looked as if he was enjoying himself. Rogue slid through shadows as he chased Meredy, who looked entirely excited to be challenging him. Sorano had taken her sister's place, smirking to herself as she and Ichiya went against one another. Jura helped Chelia against Kagura from Mermaid Heel. Gajeel sprinted down a street, chasing someone with a delighted look on his face.

 _Tick tock._

 _Tick tock._

 _Tick-_

The chiming bells rang out, signaling that the time had reached 6:00 pm, and Hisui shot to her feet, throwing her father an apologetic look when he curiously looked to her. "Excuse me, Father," she murmured. "I have some business to take care of. Please, enjoy the rest of the Game." She bowed her head and Toma frowned, but agreed, excusing her.

Arcadios fell into step beside her, a hand resting on her arm. She paused outside of the box they'd been watching the entirety of the Grand Magic Games from.

"This isn't right, Hisui," he said quietly. "Something's wrong here."

"Dragons are coming," she argued. "It's the Dragon King Festival, we _have_ to stop it."

"But this isn't the right way, being so secretive," Arcadios responded, frowning. "There's something off about this...future version of Rogue Cheney. And his friend. Miss Auguria would never have agreed to throw herself and Lucy Heartfilia in prison like this. The look in Mr. Cheney's _eyes_ -"

"We have to trust them. They came here at their own risk and warned us," Hisui said firmly, eyes flashing. She glared up at her friend. "You're either with me or against me, Arcadios. Make up your mind."

"With you," he sighed. "Always with you."

* * *

"Time to move," the future Lucy decided as the clock's chimes filled the air, marking the time for them.

Her dark eyes were narrowed, her gaze darting this way and that as she tried to figure out what their best course of action would be. She took a deep breath and then waved for them to follow, guiding them down a hall.

Lucy kept close to her friends. Gray kept a hand on the small of her back, urging her along as he watched for any signs of danger, and Yukino fumbled with her phone, cursing it for dying on her when she needed it.

"Technology," she finally scoffed with disgust, shoving it into her pocket.

The future Lucy laughed softly. "We know how you feel. Gajeel said that I picked up a phone call and pretended I didn't know what he was talking about. I remember speaking with Loke ages ago about the matter of being called by future versions of ourselves."

Lucy's jaw dropped. "I was talking to the Gajeel we just saw?"

"Yep." She peeked around a corner and then waved for them to join her as she continued. "You've talked to a couple of us, actually, from what I remember. Gajeel. Levy. You've even talked to-"

"Lucy!"

Lucy's head snapped up. "Natsu!" she called back, relief flooding her at the sound of her boyfriend's voice. Her face lit up in a smile and she darted past her future self despite her warning not to get too far ahead and within seconds, she'd crashed right into an over-excited Natsu.

She bounced off of him with a yelp and he caught her quickly by the shoulders, beaming despite the clear exhaustion on his face and the shadows beneath his eyes. "Luce!" he rasped. "Found ya."

"I can see that," she giggled, reaching up and pulling him down so she could press her forehead to his in a quick show of affection as Happy squealed excitedly and crawled onto her head from his. "Hey, Happy!"

"Lucy!" he cheered. "We were worried!"

"What, don't I get a hello?" Gray said as he came over with the future Lucy and Yukino beside him. Wendy beamed and ran over to hug him, ignoring Charle's huff. Lily, who was also on her head, grunted.

"Where's-"

The future Lucy was cut off by Lily. "We came across your Yukino. She'd been murdered. We didn't have time to move her, but...she's definitely dead."

Yukino gasped, a hand slapping over her mouth. "Rogue killed her?"

"That's not the Rogue we know," Gray reminded her and then said seriously, "What about him? Did you see him at all?"

Natsu shook his head. "Not yet, but we ran into that bastard Gajeel."

"He warned us that Rogue was running around," the future Lucy mused.

"Your friend sent us in the right direction and then ran off," Lily finished. "We don't know where he went, but he said it was more important than us finding you, so if that tells you what his priorities are, he really needs to straighten them out."

Lucy's lips twitched and then she looked up as Natsu demanded, "Did they hurt you guys?"

She shook her head. "No, we're fine. They just took our keys and locked us up for a while." She glanced over at the future version of herself, who was patiently watching them with warm eyes, particularly resting her gaze on Natsu. He gawked at her as if just now realizing who she was, staring at her with wide eyes. "What do we do now?"

"We go to the Eclipse Gate," she said carefully. "We try to stop Hisui from opening the Gate. Because while she claims it's what we need to survive…" She shuddered.

"You guys really aren't telling us much," Gray huffed. "What the hell happens if the Gate opens?"

"Let's go," she replied, ignoring his question and gesturing that they needed to move. "Rogue will find us if we stay in one place for too long. The Game will be ending soon and I remember what Levy told me about what happened when the dragons first appeared." She paused. "Oh, damn! Natsu, your phone-"

"Use mine," Wendy offered, handing it to her. The future Lucy flashed her a warm look and then ducked down to kiss her cheek.

"It's nice to see you again, Wendy," she hummed, warmly smiling at the sky mage. "When you're not scarring Levy's face and trying to kill the rest of us anyways."

Wendy's pleased look turned into one of sheer terror and it earned the future Lucy a dark look from Natsu as he wrapped an arm protectively around her shoulders and drew her to his side. The future Lucy didn't look concerned. Instead, she straightened and dialed a number into Wendy's phone before pressing it to her ear.

She wandered a short ways away, murmuring into the device, speaking urgently and Gray let loose a huge sigh. "What the hell happened that let these people think it was okay for us to suffer like this?"

An amused Lucy shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows."

"Here," the future Lucy murmured, pressing the phone back into Wendy's hand when she was done. "I called our Levy. She's going to start evacuations and have Makarov and Sting start working on getting people out of the city. If they can convince the other guildmasters, even better."

"How will she convince Sting?" Yukino said softly. "He won't believe it-"

"You've been imprisoned for no reason," she told her. "He's pissed off. Believe me. I remember how he came tearing through this castle with Rogue on this night." She whirled away. "Come on. We need to keep moving."

"How will she convince them?" Natsu demanded as they all set off.

"Levy has a phone she's treasured since the day it all went wrong," she explained without looking at him, her eyes looking ahead. "It holds pictures that show everything. She's finally found a charger for the phone and I'm sure one look at her face will help grab their attention."

No one questioned that as they headed up a flight of stairs. Lucy kept a tight grip on Natsu's hand, her other arm wrapped around the cat in her arms. She pressed her lips together as Natsu squeezed her hand.

Silently, Lucy wondered just how the hell they were going to survive the night in which the future version of herself had lost her arm, Natsu had died, and everything she knew and loved had disappeared.

* * *

 _*squeals* Only one cloaked person to go! We have c_ _onfirmed future Levy's presence now! And yes, she is married to future Gajeel. I'm so excited for what's coming. I've input a few people I want you to see._

 _Clarification for you, DashiePokestar, and others who might be confused: Future Rogue did indeed kill future Yukino._

 _HummingBird742, in regards to L...he's a character in Death Note. My favorite. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (RandomAnimeNerd, The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, HummingBird742,Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Vilchen, Gothic Rain, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Dragondancer81, PotatoGirl14, ToukaKanekiUlle, Rose, FairyRains, DashiePokestar, CupcakarmaFanGurl, and TigerArrowgirl!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	187. Chapter 187

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Meredy swept around a street corner, aware that she and Jura were the only two left from Lamia Scale running around. She took a deep breath and then slunk through the shadows, her eyes sparkling and keeping a sharp look out for anyone who might attack.

She loved being a member of Lamia Scale. It gave her the chance to do things like this and support people, giving them the happiness she never had with Grimoire Heart. She thought of Ultear for an instant and then shoved those thoughts away with a grimace. She missed Ultear, who she was more than certain had a good heart no matter what she said. Maybe someday she'd come across the woman, but for now she needed to focus on-

She felt it coming and ducked a split second before something hard soared over her head. Her hair flew around her face, blown around by the sheer speed of whatever it was. She whirled around, expecting someone from Fairy Tail, or even Sabertooth, but her mouth dropped open in shock at who she was confronted by instead.

The very woman she'd been thinking of stood there, twirling the orb on her finger. A smug look rested in her eyes. "Hello, Meredy," Ultear said, flicking a lock of hair over her shoulder. "It's been a while."

"Ul...Ultear," she said faintly, her feet shuffling nervously. "What are you...how'd you get off of Tenrou Island? Natsu and the rest of Fairy Tail made sure that the jet-"

She scoffed. "Did you not think there were other boats around? Believe me. I got off of the island perfectly fine." She turned her gaze over her shoulder for a moment and then shifted her weight, eyes flashing. "I realize I've come at a bad time." She rolled her eyes. "The damn Games were advertised everywhere. But I…" She stiffened, her shoulders rising before she forced them back. "I sensed that time was strange around this area. And then I realized you were here."

Meredy gave her a long look. "I'm not a black mage anymore, Ultear," she warned. "I should quite honestly be finding the closest Council member and having you arrested."

"But you won't," Ultear said quietly, "Because I want to apologize."

Meredy's brow furrowed. "Why?" she demanded. "You hated Gray and Lyon so much. You wanted them dead...you refused to believe that the guilds would forgive you or that they deserved so much as a second look. So _why_?"

Ultear lifted her chin. Meredy felt a twinge of fear as she saw the look reflected in Ultear's eyes. Ultear had _never_ been scared. Never. So this fear was terrifying to the pink-haired woman, who had no idea how to react for a few moments.

"I met Zeref," she said, her voice trembling. "And the god that we thought he was…" She threw her head back and laughed bitterly. "God...as if he's a _god_. He's more of a demon than anything else. I mean, the guy made them. Demons I mean."

"What are you _talking_ about?" Meredy said desperately, hugging herself.

Ultear shook her head. "Beware of the last of the Baram Alliance, Meredy. We thought they were myths. They're not. They're real, and they're going to come after their master soon." She turned to leave and then paused, looking over her shoulder. She gave Meredy a long look and said gently, "You've done well in a guild. I'm glad to see you're truly happy, even if it is with that little bastard Lyon Vastia."

And then she strode away, leaving Meredy at a loss as to why she was there and why she'd suddenly changed her mind. "Why the hell was she talking about _demons_?" she said shakily, knowing precisely what she'd meant about the last of the Baram Alliance. She shuddered. She'd heard bad things, many bad things. She'd even heard that they were demons.

 _"We thought they were myths. They're not. They're real, and they're going to come after their master soon."_

Meredy thought seriously over the stories she'd heard of their master and immediately paled, remembering them. "Ultear!" she cried, stepping forward to try and call her friend back, to learn more of what had happened.

But Ultear was gone.

* * *

She stared at the freshly charged phone in her hand, hanging out in the shadows, and the second the clock hit half past six, the future Levy stepped right into Makarov's path. Beside him, Mavis stared at her harshly in surprise, but she didn't seem to notice as he furrowed his brow and looked up at her.

She drew down her hood and said in a slightly shaken voice, "I need you to stop the Games."

" _Levy_?" he rasped, and nearby, Lisanna sucked in a deep breath, grabbing Bickslow's attention. Cobra, who'd overheard the second she'd spoken, snapped his head around to glare warily at her, and it wasn't long before she found herself the focus of everyone's attention in the Fairy Tail section of the stands.

Her own past self gaped openly at her, looking both terrified and shocked.

"Please," she said, staring at Makarov with pleading eyes. "Stop the Games and evacuate Crocus. We don't have a lot of time. An hour and a half. At eight, the Gate will open and the dragons will come and everyone here will be dead. I don't have time to explain more, I have to get to Sabertooth and Lamia Scale."

Makarov's mouth opened and then closed. He met her gaze and then nodded curtly. "Jellal had mentioned that those in cloaks such as yours were friends. I'll trust you." He climbed to his feet and then turned on those before him, eyes flashing. "Lisanna. You and Bickslow need to run and find Mest. Tell him that we're demanding the Games be stopped under the pretense that something that will endanger the public is coming."

Lisanna shot to her feet. "Yes," she agreed, exchanging a look with Bickslow before sprinting off. Asuka made a nervous sound and Makarov thoughtfully added, "Bisca, I want you and Alzack to take Asuka and leave. It would be best for her to be out of harm's way. Romeo-"

"I'm not leaving," Romeo said angrily. "Not if Dad and everyone else is going to be risking themselves for something."

"We don't know what we're risking ourselves against," Makarov chided gently.

The future Levy took a step back. "Please. Convince the Council. I have to go and speak to Sting and the other guildmasters."

"Wait!" Levy cut in. She looked at her future self with wide eyes. "I'll help. Do you have anything to prove what's going to come? I can run and find Bob and help you out."

The other woman looked startled. "...I do," she said suddenly. "Do you have-"

"I have Gajeel's phone on me. Do you have his number still?"

To those who watched - particularly Jet and Droy, who the future Levy was keeping her eyes off of - it was strange to see two of the same person speaking to one another. The future Levy was clearly older, with that scarring on her cheek and an old look in her eyes as she quickly texted horrific pictures to her. And then the future Levy rested her fingers upon her past self's shoulder and squeezed it. "Thank you," she said honestly. "Your help is not something Gajeel or I will forget." She smiled, and then whirled away.

As soon as she was gone, Droy peered over his teammate's shoulder. "What did she send?"

Levy's throat was thick, her eyes misted with tears as she stared at the pictures of death and destruction. She could see familiar faces, their bodies in pieces and thrown throughout the debris. She shoved the phone away and smiled faintly at them. "Master-

"Go," he told her.

"Thank you," she said honestly and then darted away.

Everyone then proceeded to turn to Mavis when she cleared her throat and raised her chin, emerald eyes blazing. "I believe," she said carefully. "It is time to prepare for war."

* * *

They were wandering down a huge hallway when the future Lucy suddenly came up with an idea and drew her cloak around Lucy. "Keep the hood over your head, Lucy," she told her quietly, ignoring the way that Natsu and Wendy gasped at her lack of arm. Charle said nothing and Lily only shook his head. "It'll help protect you."

"I don't see how, but thanks, I guess," Lucy murmured, making sure the hood was firmly over her head. She grabbed Natsu's arm and squeezed it warningly. "Don't stare, Natsu, it's rude."

"No, it's fine." She flashed him a reassuring look when he took on a guilty expression. "It wasn't his fault. He tried to help me get away when it happened, so…" She turned her attention elsewhere, using her left hand to wave for them to continue. "I'm hoping we'll run into-"

"Look out!"

Lucy shrieked as Natsu tackled her to the ground, something striking into the space over their heads. Gray's head snapped around and Wendy cried out in surprise. Yukino and the future Lucy both froze.

Whatever had come at her exploded, and she hissed as something seared at her skin. "Natsu?" Lucy wheezed.

"Fine," he gasped. "You?"

"Good." She climbed to her feet, eyes seeking, and Gray grabbed her wrist, tugging she and ultimately Natsu closer to the rest of them. Happy whimpered, burying his face in Lucy's shoulder as a shadow suddenly rose from the ground.

"Rogue," the future Lucy said stiffly, lips pressed together and a nervous glint in her eyes.

" _Rogue_?" Yukino rasped, her voice rising in pitch as she stared at the man before them.

Lucy agreed with Yukino. This man looked _nothing_ like Rogue. Only the scar on the bridge of his nose and the glittering red eyes gave away who he was. His hair was long, tied into a ponytail, and was streaked with white. Black markings had appeared on the side of his head and face, near his left eye. The huge grin he gave was full of a malicious and evil intent, his ruby eye dark with hatred as a crimson cloak fluttered around him. "Ah, look at you. So young. So _clueless_."

 _Not clueless,_ Lucy thought darkly, recognizing on instinct that this was the man who'd taken her Spirits from her. This was not the Rogue who'd seated himself across the table with Yukino and Sting at his side, his gaze full of gentle amusement.

The look that he placed on Lucy, who was hidden beneath the cloak, was full of disgust. "Did they tell you what happened? They closed the gates and everything turned into some second version of Hell itself."

Lucy clenched her jaw, not saying anything.

Wendy clung to Gray's arm and he pushed her behind him, prepared to protect her. His black eyes narrowed furiously when a laugh left the future Rogue's lips. "Frosch died. Sting died, too. I killed him myself. Did they tell you that?" His gaze skimmed quickly over Yukino. "You're still so innocent...you doubt I'd do it. Or my past self, anyways."

Yukino lifted her chin and glared at him. Her lips trembled a little. "You are not Rogue. If you were truly Rogue, you would have dropped any selfish intentions of harming the rest of us and seen to it that Frosch and Sting survive. I don't know what you're here to do, but these people...they've been trying to help us. Help _you_."

His eyes flashed - but not with realization or anything similar. "You know _nothing_ ," he snarled.

Yukino shook her head, an almost sad look on her face. A growl-like sound left Natsu, and knowing that she was Lucy's friend, he shuffled over to stand protectively in front of her.

The future Lucy suddenly stepped forward. His gaze shifted to her. "And _you_ ," he snarled, suddenly taking a step closer. "You're the reason all of my plans had to be scrapped when I got here!"

She stiffened. "Because of you, I lost someone I loved more than life itself. I wanted this loop we've been in to end. And you can thank Natsu for that, because he's been through every single round of this mess."

Natsu furrowed his brow. "What the hell are you talking about? I haven't been through anything!"

"Not you," she replied without looking at him. "Never you, if things go our way."

The future Rogue had a look of confusion on his face. "What?" But he shook his head and then laughed bitterly. "I'm done. You're finished. The Gate will open and the dragons will come through and be the end of you all. But I think I'll kill some of you myself." He laughed again and then locked his gaze on Natsu for the briefest of instants.

The future Rogue's eyes lit up with delight that made him sick.

"Starting with you…Lucy Heartfilia!" And then he snapped his head around and fired off an arrow made entirely of his black magic, letting it fly.

It was as if time had slowed down. A cry left Natsu as he reached out, trying to stop it. Wendy cried out and Gray gave a shout, attempting to throw himself forward and barrel Lucy out of the way as she stared dumbly at the black arrow in shock, unable to force herself to move.

And then she was flying through the air, warm arms wrapped around her. She squealed as she struck the ground, rolling several feet away in a tangle of limbs with someone else that gasped in her ear, wheezing.

A scream pierced their ears and Lucy struggled to get away from the man that pinned her to the ground. She peered over his shoulder desperately as the future Lucy, who'd leaped into the arrow's path when it suddenly veered towards Natsu, crumpled, coughing and choking on her own blood.

" _Lucy_!" Natsu shouted. He sounded hysterical, and she couldn't blame him.

While they weren't the exact same person, it was a woman who looked exactly like Lucy herself and he threw himself down beside her as she sputtered, blood dripping from her lips. Wendy had burst into hysterical tears, terrified for her friend, and Gray was staring at the dying woman in numb shock.

Yukino looked ready to pass out, her face white.

The man above Lucy stiffened as the future Rogue's face turned in their direction, his gaze full of surprising terror. " _You_."

"Me," he snarled back, onyx eyes flashing.

Lucy could only stare up at his furious face in shock.

Her voice cracked when she breathed his name.

"Natsu?"

* * *

 _And we have all of our cloaked people! Crimson cloaks: Rogue and Yukino. Black cloaks: Lucy, Natsu, Gajeel, and Levy. I know there's some confusion over Natsu, as I specifically said he was dead, but I'll explain later/future Natsu will explain._

 _*screams* I'm so impatient for something to be shown to you all, but I don't know how much longer I have to wait before you people see it!_

 _On that note, I'm feeling like sims 3 might be a good way to take out some frustrations. Excuse me while I do so._

 _8ytan, thank you so much for the beautiful large and kind review. :)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (TigerArrowgirl, PotatoGirl14, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Blonde Neko-chan, Rose, Dragondancer81, Typhlosion8, HummingBird742, LePengwen, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, 8ytan, Guest #1, ToukaKanekiUlle, Vilchen, The Age of Awesomeness, J Luc Pitard, LovelyLovelyLove, RandomAnimeNerd, FairyRains, GothicRain, and quite-a-riot!) as well as thanks to those who favorited and followed!_


	188. Chapter 188

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The Natsu above her gave a sound that thundered deep in his chest, tearing through him viciously as he glared at the future Rogue. Heat rolled off of him in dangerous waves and the future Rogue suddenly took a step back.

Lucy untangled herself from the new person, unsure of how to react. She stumbled over on her hands and knees to the future Lucy, who was blinking blearily, her gaze distant, coughing. Blood bubbled from her throat. "Wendy-"

Wendy was too terrified to move, horrified by the sight before her, but she still managed to get out, "I can't."

The future Lucy caught Lucy's hand and gripped it tightly. " _Please_ ," she urged, and Lucy flinched as her blood spattered her face. "Natsu-"

"I won't let him die," Lucy said fiercely. Her gaze flickered to Natsu, who looked lost, his hands shaking. She grimaced. She'd comfort him when she had the chance.

To her surprise, the future Lucy shook her head, struggling. She tightened her grip painfully before suddenly caressing Lucy's emblem. "He can't...die. The dragons didn't-" Lucy wasn't entirely sure on the meaning behind what she'd said, but listened. She was heaving for air, and Lucy wished there was something they could do. The strange Natsu had frozen in place now, looking at them with a despairing sadness that crushed Lucy's heart.

The future Lucy smiled weakly and then suddenly dragged Lucy down to her, choking in her ear so only she could hear, "Go...to the Gate. Zeref. He's…" She didn't get the chance to finish what she'd said.

She suddenly choked and went still, her body going limp.

"Lucy," Natsu rasped, shaking. " _Lucy-_ "

"Natsu," Lucy said hastily, reaching over and ignoring the blood on her hands and knees as she drew his forehead to hers. He was in tears. They rolled down his cheeks endlessly, his gaze terrified. "I'm right here. I haven't gone anywhere."

"Dead," he managed to get out, voice strangled. "You're dead!"

"No," she denied, shaking her head. "I'm _not_ , and we need to get a move on. I have to get to the Eclipse Gate."

"Tch," the future Rogue suddenly sneered. "A pity she died in vain. Closing the Gate will only hurt you more."

Something in Natsu's expression changed and Lucy sensed the snap before he even whirled around and bellowed out a blast of fire, his body suddenly cloaked in it. "How dare you?" he cried, voice rising into a scream. " _How dare you take her away?!"_

"We need to leave," Gray said grimly, looking shaken. He grabbed Lucy's shoulder, faltering. But he shook his head, keeping his gaze turned firmly away. "Natsu looks like he's got things handled here, Lucy."

She swiped at her eyes and nodded curtly. She quickly pressed a kiss to her future self's head, vowing to complete what she'd set out to do, and was startled when the cloaked man that she had no doubt about being her stalker shuffled over. He knelt beside the future Lucy's body and touched her cheek with calloused fingers. Gone was that strange rage, as if he'd given it to their own Natsu.

"You weren't my Lucy," he said gruffly. His eyes were full of a pain she couldn't comprehend. "Never. But you understood my pain and thank you for that. For everything you did to help me in this never-ending adventure, Lucy."

And then he rocketed to his feet, eyes burning into Lucy's. Her lips parted, her expression full of shock. "We have to get to the Gate. That's all that matters now. And we have to make damn sure we close it."

"Right," Lucy whispered, and then froze as a siren went off. Several echoed it and it wasn't long before the entire city was filled with screaming sirens.

The future Rogue laughed and the odd Natsu before Lucy swore hastily under his breath.

"It's time," the future Rogue purred, throwing his arms out. "Here they come."

For the first time in eight years - excluding Tenrou, naturally - Natsu heard a roar that threatened to split his ear drums, and it brought him up short. He'd know the roar of dragons anywhere. He prided himself in saying that Igneel had taught him how to understand their language, not something even most dragon slayers could do.

"Go!" he bellowed to Lucy, glaring over his shoulder. His heart was in chaos. Something was very, very clearly _wrong_ , his chest ached as the dangerous copy of himself dragged Lucy upright, rubbing his own, and he knew somewhere in the back of his mind what he had to do.

"Natsu-" Lucy protested, but Yukino grabbed her arm.

"Lucy, we don't have _time_ ," she hissed. "The Games!"

Thousands, millions maybe, of innocent lives-

 _Oh, no,_ Lucy thought in terror. She nodded. Trying to keep herself calm, she cast Natsu a final, longing look, and then tore off, entrusting the future Rogue to him. The rest of the group set off after her, and Lucy guided them through twisting turns. When they reached the outside, Lucy stumbled, nearly tripping over her own feet in her shock.

" _Dragon_ ," Wendy breathed.

Sure enough, a dragon stood over them. It towered a countless amount of feet in the sky, eyes glittering hatefully. One sweep of its massive tail sent a building crumbling to the ground, and it _roared_ , making Lucy yelp and cover her ears.

"Levy got the evacuations going," the future Natsu said suddenly, looking relieved. He was studying the people streaming out of the city, moving quickly. His eyes flashed. "Gray, they need to know what's going on entirely-"

"On it," he said fiercely. He turned to Lily, who nodded and then glared at him.

"I can't carry you without a shirt, Fullbuster!"

"Right," Gray yelped. "Sorry-"

"Here." Lucy tore the black cloak from her shoulders and wrapped it around his shoulders with a quick smile. He shot her a grateful look and then ran off with Lily clinging to his back.

"Charle, I have an idea," Wendy said suddenly, eyes flashing. She sent Lucy a quick smile. "Deal with the Gate. I'm going to go find the other dragon slayers!"

"Brilliant!" Lucy cried and then darted forward. She could hear Happy's miserable sobs on her head and pulled him into her arms, wondering when he'd even gotten there. He cuddled as close as he could get. Yukino and the future Natsu gave chase. "Happy-"

"You died," he sobbed. "We watched you die!"

"Not me," she said gently. "I didn't die, Happy-"

"Look out!" She and Yukino were tackled out of the way as a dragon's foot descended, its roar echoing in their ears. Lucy heard a distant explosion in the royal family's palace as Natsu and the future Rogue tore at one another to try and stop each other's plans. She watched as one dragon took flight, heavy wings beating at the air and a small fleck attach itself to the dragon's side.

A flaming blur scrambled up after him. Natsu had left to chase the future Rogue into the sky, his body blazing, and she bit her lip, clutching Happy as she imagined him falling to his death-

"The Gate!" Yukino's voice cried, snapping through her thoughts. "Look!"

Lucy craned her head back. They'd made it past the gardens and into the area that held the Gate itself. They stared as a third and then fourth dragon emerged from the light, screaming their cries, ground trembling beneath each step.

The future Natsu - who Lucy distinctly remembered being claimed to be dead - swore. "This isn't good. There were less dragons last time. Shit!"

Lucy shuddered in fear as one cloaked in flames emerged, screaming its rage. It was followed by an aquatic dragon of sorts, with fins rising and falling, and then an emerald-scaled creature that stopped before the gate to look at the humans beneath it.

"We have to close the Gate to stop them," Lucy said firmly. "Even seven dragons is better than infinite."

They all shoved themselves to their feet and Lucy longed for her keys, the support that Loke brought with him as she snapped her whip. Suddenly, there was a cry from Happy. He'd clung to her shoulder, and was pointing at the dragon that had taken flight as Natsu and the future Rogue fought upon its back. "Lucy!"

Her gaze snapped on the countless bombs that seemed to drop from the dragon as it shedded scales. She blinked when she realized they weren't scales, but some kind of dragon-like creatures that had begun to spread through the city. Within seconds, explosions of magic and whatever the creatures could use had filled the air and Lucy could only stare around them in horror as Crocus went up in smoke.

* * *

The future Gajeel still couldn't believe that they'd gotten as many people as they had out before it had all gone down. He remembered his wife sprinting up to him with an excited look, claiming that all of the guildmasters had believed her and gotten to work. The Council hadn't been as willing to believe until her past self had shown up and stood there, side-by-side with her, hazel eyes blazing with determination.

There wasn't a single mage who wasn't fighting now. All of the innocents had been evacuated, protected in the nearest clearing in the mountains by the Council and several spells and walls and barriers that had been put up by mages before it had all begun.

He was even more amazed by the way the king of Fiore had stood over them in his box in the arena, several guildmasters at his side, and rallied the mages beneath him - guild members, non-guild members, and even some regular people who had refused to leave, determined to fight and protect their home and families.

None of this had happened all those years ago. There had been no organization, no people there to help them - except for that bastard Salamander. He'd been there. He'd been through this enough times to know several possibilities.

He still remembered what he'd said when he'd finally demanded the truth. He'd met his gaze amongst the devastation and told him, _"I'm the first and I've gone through that Gate countless times. I lose every single time. I know who I am and the truth of everything that would have been had this not happened. I've seen our dragons and I've watched them die for you and for me. I have lived this horror for thousands of years, and I beg of you to not ask me again."_

He hadn't. The future Gajeel didn't understand how this Natsu from countless futures could be thousands of years old and still look like he was in his twenties, but he hadn't bothered to ask. He'd never asked again.

He remembered how when their Natsu had died, his chest torn to pieces as Lucy sobbed over him, Levy desperately trying to staunch the bleeding of her missing arm, this strange and ancient man had looked over them with sadness - and even a little bit of delight, as if he'd liked watching people die.

The future Gajeel took a deep breath, shaken by his memories.

A hand suddenly took his and his eyes snapped open, darting to the woman who fearlessly grabbed his taloned hand and gave him a kind smile as she said shakily, aware that a dragon was emerging from the Gate, "Are you okay?"

She didn't demand questions, as he'd expected, didn't jump for joy that he was alive in their future. She didn't look in horror at the scales and teeth and piercing dragon-like eyes. "...no," he admitted, gently pulling his hand away. She didn't need to attach herself to _him_. She had her own version of him to worry about.

But Levy didn't seem to think about that as she told him, "It's okay, you know. That you didn't win last time."

His brow rose, piercings glittering in the light of the setting sun. "The hell you talkin' 'bout, Shorty?"

The younger version of his Levy smiled and her eyes dazzled in a way he hadn't seen for nearing a decade. "Your world is lost, but ours isn't yet, and we won't let it fall." She took his hand again and this time, he let her squeeze it until her own bled from the sharpness of the scales that cloaked it.

"Besides," she continued, looking to the sky as a dragon launched itself, strange scales shedding from its flanks.

"What world can end without me reading Lucy's last book that she promised to write specifically for me?"

* * *

 _Bonus chapter in celebration of my five day weekend!_

 _Okay, so Natsu didn't explain, but there you are! The future Natsu is what Bubbles and I call the future-future-future-future-future Natsu. He's the original. There is no one going into the past to save his world. He was the first to go through the Gates, and he has done so countless times, failing with each attempt._

 _quite-a-riot, you asked about the lacking of seeing Mavis. You are semi-correct. In the future world, there is no more Fairy Tail guild. Because of it, they can no longer see Mavis, as they are no longer part of the guild._

 _Blonde Neko-chan, in regards to Zeref...I'm not entirely sure how he'll turn out. We all know he's in here all ready with the Tenrou arc's introduction, so it's no surprise he's in the fic. I haven't written so much of him just yet, so I can't decide. Right now, however, he's leaning more towards "I'm going to not let you in on my plans and kill the world while I'm at it"._

 _Thanks to reviewers (quite-a-riot, The Pure-Blooded Aristocrat, Vilchen, RandomAnimeNerd, HummingBird742, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Thebooknerdgeek, PinkFireandGolenStars, Gothic Rain, Dragondancer81, 8ytan, NaluLuva23, LePengwen, FairyRains, TigerArrowgirl, Blonde Neko-chan, NaLu and InuKag, NishaFox, ToukaKaneki, Flire and Ice, Crystalic Lotus, and the Age of Awesomeness!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _Just a small side note to those interested...guess who started a sequel fic to Not As It Seems. ;)_


	189. Chapter 189

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Juvia!"

Juvia's head snapped up as Meredy came fleeing towards her. Lyon was at her side, tears streaming down her cheeks. She tackled Juvia in a tight hug, gasping for breath, and Juvia looked to Lyon with confusion. "Juvia is lost."

"Ultear was here, have you seen her?" Meredy looked desperate. Juvia frowned and shook her head before looking to the dragons. Meredy followed her gaze and grimaced as Lyon drew her back with his hands on her shoulders. He leaned down and murmured to her.

"Meredy, I know you're worried, but we have to defend Fiore."

"Right," she said after a long moment.

Juvia smiled at Lyon and then looked up when there was another shout of her name. "Gray!" she returned as Lily dropped him. He landed heavily, swearing under his breath as pain shot up his legs, but he ignored it and rushed to join them.

"Go find Gajeel!" Gray shouted to Lily.

"Right!" Lily soared off and Gray turned his attention on the other three, gaze hard. "Natsu's fighting a future version of Rogue, who killed a future version of Yukino as well as...as well as a future version of Lucy. Natsu's lost it, man. Lucy's with his future self and our Yukino and Happy."

"Oh, my-"

A roar cut Lyon off, and the man looked up, black eyes admittedly filling with terror as something cast its massive shadow over them. The aquatic dragon stood there, screaming at them with teeth bared.

Venom suddenly cloaked its head and Cobra came barreling out of an alley, fangs bared. "Go!" he shouted at them, skidding to a halt. The crimson coat with black fur lining its large collar fluttered around him. "I've got this one. The one in the sky is dropping these weird little things that are heading for the mountains!"

"Right," Gray muttered, giving him a quick look before darting away. Juvia and the two Lamia Scale members shot after him, their feet slapping the streets, their breath heavy.

Cobra turned his attention on the dragon, grinning maliciously. "I'm not a real dragon slayer, but I've got a lacrima that tells me I'm at least half. So your dumb ass just walked into the clutches of a venom dragon slayer."

The dragon blinked squinting eyes at him, and then laughed, the sound loud and deafening. "As if you can even think to rival me, pathetic half-creature," it roared and then let loose a stream of boiling hot water. Cobra swore and jumped up, swinging himself up onto a roof. He could see lightning snapping around the dragon that had appeared second, flames in the sky. A wind kicked up, a tornado striking into the flank of another. A blast of iron smacked a dragon's face. Shadow and light combined to attack the flaming dragon and a black-scaled one.

And Cobra truly wondered if there was a good dragon anywhere in this world.

* * *

"What the hell are they?" Mirajane whispered, fear in her eyes. She stood shoulder to shoulder with her sister and brother. They stood before a couple of the monsters that had fallen from the sky.

The monsters were terrifying. Each was as tall as Mirajane herself, made of what looked to be impenetrable armor. They each supported jaws of incredibly strong and sharp teeth. One opened its mouth, dark eyes lighting with a dangerous glow.

"Move!" a voice screamed.

Mirajane shoved Lisanna out of the way as it fired off a laser, somewhat similar to what Sting would have used. It smashed into a building and they all stared in mute horror as the building collapsed, bursting into flames. In a flash, Elfman had used his magic and Mirajane had drawn on her own, her hair rising above her as if she'd stepped onto a massive fan.

As Lisanna took a few steps back, she spared a look over her shoulder to see who had shouted.

To her shock, she recognized someone she'd never thought she'd see again.

" _Ultear_?" Lisanna cried, recognizing the Grimoire Heart member.

Her hair was a tangled mess, thrown around her shoulders. She was gasping, grime and dirt staining her skin from falling a few times. She glared at Lisanna. "Watch out for those jaws," was all she said before sprinting off again, dozens of orbs crashing through the chests of the monsters that only kept coming.

* * *

Gajeel shouted in pain as a tail smacked him out of mid air and sent him smashing through a building. He felt scales ripple over his flesh. Dragon Force came into his hands without being asked, and he found himself a little concerned. Yet, it protected him as the building he'd been thrown into collapsed around him.

He climbed out of the debris, snarling viciously. Static cackled over the iron, making him flinch in pain. _Goddamn lightning users._

There was a roar of agony from nearby as a dragon the color of jade was caught in the face by a blast of wind that felt like a billion razors slicing across its eyes. Wendy's triumphant scream filled his ears and he grinned at the thought of her fighting alongside whoever had come to help her.

He would not be defeated, he decided as he let loose an Iron Dragon's Roar, picturing a furious iron dragon towering over him, its magic viciously tearing into the other creature.

 _I still need to propose to Shrimp!_

* * *

When they reached the Gate, Lucy could see that it was chaos. Arcadios had a sword drawn though it would do little to no good against the emerald-colored dragon above them. Its scales were as green as Hisui's hair. The princess was cowered behind her Knight, her eyes filled with horror at the realization of what she'd done.

"The Gate!" Wendy screamed, and Lucy realized she hadn't gotten far before being caught up in a fight with a dragon. Charle clung to her back, fur bristling as she whirled away from the dragon's snapping jaws. "There's another coming!"

"Right!" Lucy turned to Yukino. "Get our keys from Hisui! You! Natsu!" She whirled on him, and he met her gaze warily. "Help Wendy!"

He flashed her a smug grin. "Don't hurt yourself closing the Gate," he warned and then leaped into action. He and Wendy fell into step beside each other, a Roar released from each of their mouths and mixing together before blowing the emerald-colored dragon away. It stumbled and roared in pain.

They drove the dragon away and Lucy turned her attention on the massive Gate before her. "Lucy!" Yukino shouted.

"Thanks!" she cried, snatching her keys out of the air. Loke's key warmed along with the others the second they were in her hand and she took a deep breath, her eyes narrowed. "You get the left door!" Lucy shouted over a roar. "I'll get the right!"

"On it!" Yukino cried.

Together, they darted over to the door. Lucy didn't hesitate to ram her shoulders into the door of the Gate she'd assigned herself. Happy shoved alongside her as best as he could. She gasped, feet slipping as a dragon began to nose its way through.

"Need a hand, Princess?" a voice suddenly laughed in her ear.

"Loke!" Lucy shrieked in relief. Distantly, she saw the future Natsu join Yukino, heaving against the other one. Between the four of them, the dragon was miraculously pushed back. It screamed in fury when with one great heave, they forced the Eclipse Gate shut.

Dripping sweat, Lucy dropped to sit with her back resting against it "The Gate, Loke, go back," she wheezed. "Your magic-"

"I'm fine," he promised. His gaze darted curiously to the future Natsu before he turned a deadly look on Arcadios and Hisui, who'd begun to approach.

"Are you happy now?" he snarled, standing protectively in front of Lucy. The future Natsu gently spoke into Yukino's ear and sent her away. She took off running, her dark eyes determined. "Look what you've done. Some leader you are!"

Arcadios scowled. "Everyone makes mistakes-"

"Not everyone can claim they allowed seven murderous dragons to enter our world from the future," the future Natsu retorted in a furious tone. "Every time. I've been through this thousands of times and each time I come through that damn Eclipse Gate, you always make the same mistake. Because you are ridiculously gullible and trusting. How could you miss the look in Rogue's eyes when he looked at you and told you that he was there to help?

" _Look at what you've done_ ," he bellowed, pointing a finger at the dragon in the sky. Flashes of black against the darkening sky and flames spoke of the vicious fight occurring. "This is what you did to the country you vowed to protect!

"And now," he finished, eyes ablaze. "You'll watch it burn, because you aren't even able to help us fix what you've done."

* * *

From where he stood, watching the destruction, a smiled curved along his lips. He stood on a balcony, his red eyes locked on the fighting below. His elbows rested lightly on the bar of the balcony, his weight leaned against it.

"So puny," he said softly, "So weak, all of them."

"Father?" a voice said softly behind him, full of love and affection for the man before him. "What would you have me do?"

He turned his gaze on him. "Return home. I see no need for you to be here." He flashed him a quick smile. A smile full of warmth and affection - all false, though he didn't seem to recognize that. "Tell the others to relax and enjoy their free time. There's no need for them to come. Do you see how the Gate closes?" He gestured to it. "I merely wish to summon someone through it. Even then, I very much doubt it will work.

"The Eclipse Gate cannot handle the power of a demon."

* * *

As the clock chimed to tell the time, a dragon rammed its shoulder into it. It burst into flames when the fiery dragon crashed into it and it collapsed with a roar. The dragon payed the clock no mind and continued its pursuit of Sting, who was fighting just as fiercely as Rogue was, their cats clinging to their shoulders.

They were exhausted. They'd tried Unison Raid, but it had done them no good. It had barely scarred either dragon.

An exhausted Sting looked over his shoulder when someone screamed his name in warning, and his gaze filled with horror.

"Shit!" he cried, struggling to dive out of the way. Lector tumbled from his shoulder. His legs didn't move fast enough, and Rogue's head snapped around, panic and terror evident when he saw the laser that was fired at his partner, aiming straight for him in a way that he couldn't escape.

And he could only watch in horror as Yukino threw herself in front of the blast, taking it head on with a look of terror and determination. She dropped instantly, the blast having torn through her stomach and the lower part of her chest. Sting cried out and Rogue roared in rage, turning on the creature and destroying it.

The dragons seemed to recoil as Rogue bristled, hesitant and confused, but he didn't notice as he dropped to his knees beside Sting and Yukino, Frosch sobbing against his shoulder.

" _Yukino_ ," Sting sobbed, cupping her cheek. Blood dripped from her chin, brown eyes staring blankly into the starry sky above, seeing nothing of the stars she had cared so deeply for.

Almost in unison, Rogue and Sting threw their heads back and screamed the agonized screams of a dragon who had lost someone close to its heart.

* * *

 _I'm screaming bloody murder. Things I want you to know come really soon!_

 _HummingBird742, you shall have to wait and see. ;)_

 _Gothic Rain, your review made me very, very happy. :)_

 _Sydneste, I'm glad your surgery went well! I was wondering where you'd gone. XD_

 _CupcakarmaFanGurl, there IS still Mavis. It's only the future people who can't see her. But there won't be a FT Zero arc, as it doesn't doesn't really fit in with BTL._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, Dragondancer81, LovelyLovelyLove, LePengwen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Blonde Neko-chan, ashinsky, RandomAnimeNerd, ToukaKanekiUlle, Vilchen, 8ytan, NaLu and InuKag, Iris Patton, HummingBird742, Gothic Rain, Sydneste, CupcakarmaFanGurl, and quite-a-riot!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	190. Chapter 190

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The screaming that rang through the ruined streets of Crocus brought Mirajane to a halt. She'd been separated from her siblings, who she hoped were with one another. She saw a broken fountain, once beautiful and built with golden saber toothed tigers springing from its depths in honor of the guild that protected the city, a gift for the guild after everything that had happened with the reveal of magic.

Silently, Mirajane listened to the screams. Tears rose to her eyes; she heard the agony, the longing and the mourning and the utter pain that the owners possessed, and she couldn't help but hope that the owners were of another guild.

Her heart twisted. _Lisanna! Elfman!_

A scream filled her ears. Mirajane spun around to see someone shoot around a corner, chased by the monstrous creatures roaming the streets, and she pushed herself to run towards them rather than away.

 _Kinana!_ she recognized, hearing the roar of a dragon over their head. The booming of thunder and the snapping of lightning as it crashed down on the dragon brought her a little comfort. Laxus was nearby.

"Mira-" Kinana cried as she raced past her, spinning in her place to watch in horror as Mirajane used her magic, bringing forth a powerful form that would give her strength. Within seconds she was surrounded, and she screamed at Kinana to _go_.

Kinana gave a sob and fled.

* * *

Laxus hadn't intended to stumble across the terrified Kinana, but when he did, she clung to him. He was stunned, shocked that she was even running around instead of helping the other non-magic members of Fairy Tail and various other guilds. They were supposed to be protecting those in hiding.

"The hell are you doin' out here?" he demanded, catching her by the shoulders as the dragon he'd been fighting shook its head, trying to clear its eyes of pain.

She only shook her head. "It's Mira," she sobbed, pointing behind them. "It's - help her, please, there were so many-"

"Get out of here, I'll find her," he rumbled, an odd feeling in his chest. Laxus sent Kinana away and she sprinted down the empty road with a hand covering her mouth. Taking advantage of the dragon's blindness, Laxus jogged down the street, knowing it would follow him.

When he found Mirajane, he was horrified. Laxus Dreyar, who had never flinched at gore and the agony of others, merely pushed along and helped them, wanted to retch and run the other way. Because not even he had imagined that he'd see Mirajane as she was now.

She was very clearly dead. Her blue eyes stared blankly at him, blood trickling from her nose and mouth as the creatures tore into her body.

Rage like no other flooded into him and he gave a shout, turning on the dragon as lightning exploded in a massive and psychotic blast around him, slamming into the dragon with enough force to drive it to the ground.

* * *

"Juvia!" Meredy cried, dragging the water mage out of the way just in time. A blast struck the place she'd been standing in and Gray whipped around, eyes worried. When he saw that she was all right, he relaxed just a little and then looked to the creatures creeping towards them.

Ice gathered around his hands as he settled into a battle-ready stance. Lyon narrowed his dark eyes and copied him, birds appearing around them and fluttering their icy wings. Nervous, Meredy readied herself - and then gasped. "Ultear!" she screamed, darting off.

Juvia's head snapped around and caught sight of the very woman Meredy had named running down a street. Before Juvia could follow Meredy, they were cut off and she stared at the metallic monster before her with horror as it clicked its bloodied jaws. The dragon in the sky roared and dropped more of them.

"Natsu!" Juvia gasped suddenly, pointing into the sky as a blaze of light streaked from the sky and into Crocus. Gray swore under his breath as the dragon laughed and descended upon them, shedding never ending scales that only added to the chaos.

"Juvia, look out," Gray suddenly cried, diving forward.

Time seemed to slow down for her.

One moment, she was looking at where the dragon stood, the next, he was there, tossing her aside as he stared in shock at a beam that had gone through his chest. Her eyes widened, filling with shock as another slammed into his shoulder and then a third into his leg, sending him to the ground.

It wasn't until one shot through his head and he hit the ground dead that Juvia screamed, Lyon's shriek cutting into her like a knife.

* * *

Throughout Crocus, various people cried and shrieked and screamed and wailed. Blood spilled and people lay still, their eyes still full of pain as they lay dead.

Sting and Rogue went right back to fighting their dragons, trying their best to protect Yukino's body as Laxus did the same for Mirajane, joined by her grieving siblings, who fended off the creatures that had killed her. Lyon screamed for someone to help them while Juvia cried hysterically over Gray, her fingers tangled in his blood-matted black hair, pleading with him to open his eyes. Jellal stumbled as a blow caught his throat, smacking a hand over the wound with a gasp, and Erza crumpled as excruciating pain raced down her body.

In an isolated place, Romeo sobbed, shouting for Macao to wake up as he was hauled away by Wakaba and a fierce Makarov. Bisca, who had returned to defend their home with Alzack, stared numbly at the rubble that had crushed her husband.

The future Levy stumbled through the destruction, an arm thrown over her shoulder as she helped her past self search for Gajeel, and the future Gajeel strode beside them, snarling whenever something came too close. Chelia stumbled speechlessly along behind them, nervous.

Natsu hit the ground, a sharp crack ringing out. He shouted in pain and then stared in shock at the wounds on his chest, delivered by the future Rogue's attack. Weakly, Natsu grappled at his chest, wheezing for Lucy as blood pooled beneath him. He remembered the agony the future Lucy had described coming with his death, and he wondered helplessly if they, too were destined to die.

Darkness bled in, and he tried to staunch the wounds. He could hear the future Rogue laughing above, triumph ringing out, and he closed his eyes, chest heaving.

 _Lucy_ , was his last thought before his chest moved no more.

* * *

The future Natsu suddenly gasped beside Lucy, clawing at his chest with a white face. "Natsu?" she demanded, her heart racing at the sight of the man who shared the same face as her Natsu in pain.

She had sent Loke back moments before and Hisui and Arcadios had run inside to gather various things that might help them in destroying the Gate, something they had deemed necessary for a reason they wouldn't share. Happy had been sent to help where he was needed and he'd promised her he'd go find Wendy and help her with the emerald-colored dragon.

"Dead," he gasped. "My past self is-"

"Dead?" a new voice mused. "I am surprised. Natsu did not seem to be the sort to die so easily. I thought him better than that."

Lucy's blood turned to ice, because she'd know that voice anywhere. They spun around, staring in shock at the man that had appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Power came off of him in waves and his hand rested lightly against one of the doors of the Gate, his red eyes glowing.

"Zeref?" she choked out. "What the hell are you-"

"Mm, time travel. It is always an interesting thought, don't you agree?" Zeref caressed the doors. "I was wondering...if just maybe... it would allow me to see someone again. Someone I haven't seen in quite some time. Someone I haven't seen since before the dragons were gone…"

"Don't," the future Natsu suddenly said, horror in his voice. "Don't you dare-"

"You know then?" He let his gaze slide towards the terrified man. "You know the truth of who I'm speaking of? Interesting. I'd like to know how you found out, but I doubt it will happen. My brother is an interesting person, Miss Heartfilia, is he not? Certainly you've read of him in Layla's diary. Would you like to meet him?"

He pushed the Gate open.

* * *

 _I'm laughing hysterically right now._

 _Ghost Lucy, I hope your dog comes out of surgery okay. My English Bulldog had hip surgery recently and I was terrified throughout the entire process. She's also three and has major hip dysplasia and severe arthritis, so I feel you._

 _Thanks to reviewers (bookgirl18, NaluLuva23, Dragondancer81, Sydneste, FairyRains, LePengwen, RandomAnimeNerd, Bytan, Mizuki-Dono, The Age of Awesomeness, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, guest #1, EraticMind, HummingBird742, PinkFireandGoldenStars, FTfanDessari, Typhlosion8, Blonde Neko-chan, Vilchen, ToukaKanekiUlle, WildFireWriter222, quite-a-riot, thebooknerdgeek, GhostLucy, OneWhoCharms, Meow Orbit, Gothic Rain, and courtneykaszowski!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	191. Chapter 191

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Between one moment and the next, Lucy was thrown off guard by a ridiculously high amount of heat that washed over her. She screamed in surprise, throwing her hands up to protect her face and a swearing future Natsu spun her around, pressing her to his chest with his arms around her, protecting her from the burning heat as someone stepped through the Gate.

Zeref chuckled, his tone warm as he murmured, "Brother...it has been so long since I last saw you as you are right now…"

The roar that left the creature was different than anything Lucy had ever heard.

It spoke of pain and rage and the agony of the people the monster had killed. Lucy's heart skipped a beat in fear and she wanted to flee and never look back. For the first time in years, Lucy remembered the nightmares and the darkness in the night that she'd sought protection from, the monsters that had never existed anywhere but in her imagination.

Monsters that now did.

"This is the first demon and the most powerful," Zeref said when the roar ended, the demonic scream ending. "This is my little brother as his true self. This is Etherious-"

Zeref disappeared a split second before flames struck the space he'd been standing in. The ground melted, the Gate cracking and the dragon in the sky screamed in fear before retreating. The demon laughed, the sound dark and lethal.

"Lucy," the future Natsu rasped, "Run."

He released her, spinning around and unleashing a Fire Dragon's Roar that struck the demon. The demon cackled maliciously and seemed to enjoy the warmth as it sucked in the flames, inhaling them like a starving man devoured food.

And then it moved so quickly that Lucy didn't see it until the future Natsu was in front of her again, a black clawed hand shoved through his chest. The demon drew its flaming hand back and _giggled_ as it incinerated the heart it held.

Lucy screamed as the future Natsu fell dead to the ground, cloak absorbing the blood that pooled around him.

Her scream caught the demon's attention and she cried out when its hand wrapped around her throat. She couldn't see its face in the dark of night, its body hidden by the darkness and flames that surrounded it. Talons, sharp as daggers, dug into her skin and she clawed desperately as its hand held her there.

It leaned in and she gave a sob.

In a voice that sounded like metal scraping over bones, it purred, "I should burn you where you stand, daughter of the stars. I'd watch you burn and I'd hear your screams and they would feed me like the flames that he tried to burn me with."

"Then do it," Lucy rasped, grabbing his face in her hands. She felt her eyes widen as red eyes glowed luminously, full of deadly intent and delight that only grew as she wheezed for air. It enjoyed her pain.

Suddenly, it flinched. " _How_ ," it demanded, throwing her away with a cry. She yelped as she struck the ground and she realized that it was clutching its face, screaming in agony. The sound echoed in her ears. A sound that she'd never forget for all of her days.

She gulped down air and then frowned as she realized light had been cast from the sky. Her head snapped around to look and the demon's scream filled the sky as a white glow grew and grew until it was all they saw.

* * *

She had heard the cries and screams of grief and terror throughout the city as she came to a stop near the castle. She'd seen the dragons, rampaging throughout Crocus. She'd seen the bodies strewn throughout the destruction as the monstrous metallic creatures crept through the damage.

She had stared numbly at the teary-eyed woman before her, struggling to stop the bleeding. "Why'd you come after me, Meredy?" Ultear had whispered. "I told you-"

Meredy had laughed softly, pained. "I wouldn't leave you on your own. I wanted you...I wanted you to know that the guilds...you should join one, Ultear. You should...have a family, too."

Ultear pressed her lips to Meredy's forehead now, tears rolling down her cheeks. She'd only sought to make amends for the crimes she'd committed in the past, and as she knelt there in her friend's blood, she accepted that making amends meant her own death. She held the spell in her mind.

And then, she acted.

She screamed at the agony as the magic raced through her veins. Magic tore through her body and she forced herself to keep going as it ripped at her from the inside out, her hair flying around her face. She stared at the sky, locking her gaze on a space above her and willing the spell to work.

A white speck appeared and grew. Ultear smiled and closed her eyes, giving one last forceful shove.

And then the world was gone.

* * *

As the clock chimed to tell the time, a dragon rammed its shoulder into it. It burst into flames when the fiery dragon crashed into it and it collapsed with a roar. The dragon payed the clock no mind and continued its pursuit of Sting, who was fighting just as fiercely as Rogue was, their cats clinging to their shoulders.

They were exhausted. They'd tried Unison Raid, but it had done them no good. It had barely scarred either dragon.

An exhausted Sting looked over his shoulder when someone screamed his name in warning, and his gaze filled with horror.

"Shit!" he cried, struggling to dive out of the way. Lector tumbled from his shoulder. His legs didn't move fast enough, and Rogue's head snapped around, panic and terror evident when he saw the laser that was fired at his partner, aiming straight for him in a way that he couldn't escape.

And then Rogue had tackled both he and Yukino, who had jumped into the path, to the ground with a breath to spare.

There was a moment of confusion as they all stared at one another, heaving for air. "Rogue?" Yukino whispered, and then sobbed his name, tackling him in a hug. He caught her, one arm around her as he stared at Sting with shock.

"I...I saw her…"

"Same here," Sting interrupted, furrowing his brow. Lector crawled back onto his shoulder, digging his claws in. The flaming dragon roared, glowering down at them, and he suddenly grinned. "Hey, Yukino, got your Spirits?"

"Of course," she murmured, holding the keys up. Her lips trembled, tears streaming down her face as she stood, helped to her feet by Rogue. Sting gently touched her shoulder, making sure she was all right, and then whirled around to face the dragons with a mocking grin on his face.

"Surprise, you bastards," he laughed. "We're alive!"

And then he let loose a Roar that smacked the flaming dragon right in the face.

* * *

Throughout Crocus, people changed their path at random.

Laxus somehow knew that Mirajane needed help and she flashed him a grateful look as she fell into step beside him, fighting off the metallic creatures as a dragon barreled towards them before whirling on her heels. Her siblings appeared at their sides and the group began to work together, soon joined by the Thunder Legion. The dragon screamed in rage as it was driven back.

Lyon stopped Meredy from leaving and Juvia spun out of the way, stumbling into Gray, who snatched her back as the creatures shot their attacks them. She trembled in his arms, and he pressed his face into her blue locks for a moment before getting back to work, confused, because he could have sworn he'd seen himself dying.

Jellal jerked aside just in time to avoid something that flew at him, and Erza slammed into him in her rush to get out of the way of an attack, her fingers catching on the jacket he wore as he helped her, dark eyes wide. They met each other's gazes and then rushed on.

Romeo dragged Macao away from a suspicious area. Bisca tugged Alzack out of the way of a house that gave way, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared up at him in horror. He looked stunned before he pressed a kiss to her lips and started off again.

High in the sky, Natsu saw an attack coming and bent backwards to avoid it. He slid over the side of the dragon, but caught a scale and hauled himself back up, grinning as he pictured himself hitting the ground, vision going dark.

"I don't know how the hell I'm alive right now," he mused, scales rippling over his cheeks as Dragon Force was summoned into his body. "But you just made a mistake."

The future Rogue stared at him in shock and then shook his confusion off, remembering a scream that hadn't belonged to human or dragon. But he focused on Natsu as the dragon slayer crashed into him, sending him flying over the side of the dragon, tumbling towards the ground. He caught himself on the tall roof of a hotel, scowling as he bunched his muscles.

Exhausted, Natsu locked his gaze onto the flaming dragon.

 _Destroy the Gate!_ a voice in his head screamed and Natsu decided to listen to it.

"First things first," he told the voice that sounded suspiciously like Igneel's.

"I need a snack."

* * *

Lucy didn't understand how, and she didn't understand why, but she knew the second that Zeref turned to face them, just as bewildered as them, that he was there to bring forth the demon her mother had written about in her diary.

Her gaze hardened and a goal formed in her mind.

"Get him away from the Gate!"

The future Natsu bared his teeth and threw himself at Zeref. "No argument here!" He crashed into Zeref, and the black-haired mage looked stunned that he'd even thought of touching him. Lucy summoned Loke with effort - the Lion had left to preserve her strength - and ordered, "Keep him away from the Gate, Loke!"

Loke growled, a sound that she'd never heard him make. "On it, Lucy."

She snapped her whip out, and then watched in shock as Zeref's face twisted with rage. He disappeared, and she shrieked when he reappeared in front of her, only a breath away. "Lucy!" Loke cried, but he'd already grabbed her chin, leaning in close. Frozen by fear, Lucy didn't move.

Lucy had never thought she'd be this close to Zeref, the black mage of legends and the emperor of Alvarez. His eyes blazed with delight, as if he was entirely amused by this turn of events. His breath washed over her face as he spoke.

"I saw it," he breathed to her, and she grimaced. Even his _breath_ held power.

"I saw what you possess," he continued. Over his shoulder, both the future Natsu and the Spirit beside him were still, unable to get to her. Loke's eyes were full of terror.

Zeref chuckled lowly. His grip tightened on her chin. Her fingers shook, the whip tumbling from her hands. Its golden hilt struck the ground, creating sparks. He leaned closer, as if he intended to brush his lips over hers as he tucked a lock of golden hair behind her ear.

"Remember me, Miss Heartfilia," he murmured, eyes glowing. "So many secrets that you know nothing of...the dragons, the magic you hold, Natsu. Only when Hell...no. Only when the Demon King's flames freeze over will I forget _you_."

And then he was gone.

Lucy sank to her knees, shaking, icy and cold.

Loke let loose a nervous breath and then drew a hand down his face. The future Natsu dropped beside her, gently inspecting her with worry, and Lucy laughed with a tad bit of hysteria in her voice.

Because even a Natsu she knew nothing of - a Natsu from a thousand futures away, a Natsu with deadened eyes and a face lined with exhaustion, who had come to save their world from the fate of his own - thought only of her as the city burned around them.

* * *

The second the pain vanished, Ultear checked the watch on her blackened wrist. She smiled faintly.

A mere seven minutes.

Her entire life had been worth only seven minutes.

Yet…

She could see the difference as her body began to disintegrate. As her body turned to ash, she could see Natsu Dragneel fling himself from the body of the flying dragon to the fiery one. She watched as it reared up onto its hind legs with a roar of anger. Across Crocus, a cloud of venom brought another dragon to the ground, and Cobra suddenly roared in triumph at the same time that Wendy's trilling scream of victory filled the air, the emerald dragon retreating.

"Ah, my hands," she murmured, looking down suddenly. Her hands had dissolved into nothing. "Did I make up for my mistakes? Did I do what others couldn't?"

"Ultear!"

Ultear's dark eyes snapped up. She smiled at the sight of Meredy running towards her, trailed by Juvia, Gray, and Lyon. Gray looked stunned, Lyon confused as to why they were chasing some strange woman around.

"Meredy," she murmured as the pink-haired woman dropped beside her, sobbing. "You're alive."

"I am," she whispered, "Ultear, what have you _done_?"

"I gave them all life," she breathed, gesturing to the city. She furrowed her brow when she realized that her arm had disappeared up to her shoulder. "I used a spell that turned back time. I was only worth seven minutes. Did it work? Did you see?"

"It did," Juvia said softly, stepping forward. "You saved Gray."

Ultear's eyes snapped wide. She looked to the ice-make mage, both shocked and pleased. He searched her gaze and nodded curtly, a look of mournful gratitude on his face as he said, "Lyon, this is Ultear Milkovich." Lyon's breath hitched. "Ur's daughter."

"I found out I was taken when I was young. She never left me," Ultear whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, for all of the harm I did."

"You've done more good than harm, Ultear," Meredy murmured. "I knew you were a good person at heart, and you've proved it." Tears rolled down her cheeks as Ultear turned to look at her, her form almost gone.

Ultear gave a final smile.

And then she was gone. The ashes of what was left of Ultear Milkovich were carried away on the wind of an attack Wendy threw at her dragon, and Meredy shakily whispered into the air.

"I'll make sure that you are never forgotten, Ultear. You saved countless lives."

Juvia took her hand and smiled warmly, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. "Meredy, Jellal and Erza will want to know we are alive."

"Yes," she agreed, standing. "Let's go find them."

* * *

 _And this chapter is the reason I looked up demonic screaming and couldn't sleep._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Moon Stone Tiger Lily, SingingAngel327, RandomAnimeNerd, GhostLucy, Guest #1, EatBlueFoodAlways, cortneykaszowski, Guest #2, Blonde Neko-chan, 8ytan, FairyRains, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Dragondancer81, HummingBird742, JcL107, Iris Patton, ToukaKanekiUlle, The AliceHuntt, Guest #3, OneWhoCharms, LePengwen, and The Age of Awesomeness!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _To the guest reviewer who asked about book recommendations, I have plenty! If you enjoyed the Throne of Glass series, definitely try A Court of Thorns and Roses by the same author (Sarah J. Maas). There's also the Shadowhunters books by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices, Mortal Instruments, and Dark Artifices). These are my favorite authors. :3_


	192. Chapter 192

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Hisui flew through the palace she'd lived in for as long as she could remember, her heart pounding in her chest. She'd entrusted her father to Arcadios, trusting that he would protect him in a way that normal guards could not. Arcadios was not a mage, but he possessed a weapon that he'd bound to himself. He was prepared to sacrifice himself for she and her father.

She grimaced, remembering their protests as she'd run off.

"Lucy," she shouted as she burst outside. The blonde knelt on the ground, shaking, as that strange man who looked so much like Natsu yet was nothing like him cradled her head against his shoulder. Leo stood behind them, teeth bared protectively. Lucy's head snapped around, and Hisui was stunned by the sight of tears streaming down her face.

"Lucy?"

"Hisui," Lucy whispered in shock. She quickly wiped her cheeks free of tears. She grabbed her whip, snapping it to spark the fire in it, and then reassured the future Natsu, "I'm fine, it just...he scared me, that's all."

"He didn't hurt you?" Hisui heard Leo ask. He leaned over the future Natsu's shoulder to lightly brush his fingers over her chin. Hisui was stunned to see what looked like bruises were forming there. "Lucy, there's bruises."

"I'm fine," she promised, clearing her throat. The future Natsu helped her to her feet, glaring suspiciously at Hisui. But Hisui was only looking to Lucy. "What's up, Hisui?"

Hisui looked relieved. "The Gate. I know what we have to do to get rid of the dragons."

The future Natsu's eyes widened. "What?"

"We have to destroy the Gate. We have to smash it," Hisui hastily explained.

They stared at her. Lucy snapped her head around and asked the future Natsu, "Has that been done? Has anyone ever broken the Gate?"

He shook his head. "No," he said excitedly, turning to face the Gate. "Stand back, I want to blow this thing to-"

There was a roar as a dragon cut him off. They all looked over their shoulders, stunned, and Lucy couldn't help but laugh as the dragon who possessed a body of fire stumbled and screamed in rage. Lucy could see a small speck in the blazing flames. At her side, Loke chuckled lowly.

And despite the roaring, Lucy thought she heard Loke murmur, "Look at your son go, Igneel."

* * *

Natsu cackled, shoving flames into his mouth. He could hear Sting shouting in outrage at him from below, but he ignored the white dragon slayer in favor of filling his emptied stomach. All he cared about was burning the bastard that was ordering the dragon they'd been on to go after his future self into nothing.

He couldn't erase the image from his mind. The sight of Lucy's pained face, the way her blood had spattered the air. He could still feel the sticky dried liquid on his hands. Logically, he knew his Lucy was there beneath them, fighting just as hard as he was, but terror raced through him.

Because he'd sat there, unable to do anything, as Lucy was murdered in front of his eyes. After all of that time claiming he was powerful...he'd been unable to save the one who mattered most.

Suddenly the dragon reared up and shook as hard as it could. Natsu yelped as he fell from its back, recharged and ready to fight. He hit the ground sharply, the breath driven from him. He wheezed, rubbing his chest until he could breathe again. He rolled out of the way of the dragon as it moved to slam a taloned foot over him.

A blast of shadows caught it in the face. "Thanks for not being an ass, Rogue!" Natsu bellowed, earning a confused look from him and a laugh of delight from Yukino. He ran as fast as he could through the emptied streets, grimacing as he suddenly slammed into someone at full speed.

They bounced off of one another and then rubbed their heads, having cracked them against one another. Natsu's hand came away dampened with blood. He wasn't too surprised when he realized he was looking at a shocked Gajeel, covered in iron scales from Dragon Force of his own.

"What the fuck, Salamander?" he rumbled, glaring.

"Sorry. Not like I'm trying to save our asses from a psychomaniac who tried to kill my girlfriend or anything." Natsu's retort was instantly in the air, and he grimaced, flinching. Gajeel looked lost, staring at him with bewildered crimson eyes. "Sorry," he repeated, this time honestly. "Uh, long day."

"Ya think?" Gajeel shot a look over his shoulder at the dragon he'd been sparring with, shadows beneath his eyes as it stumbled, bloodied from his attacks. "Lucy okay?"

He was surprised to hear him use Lucy's name rather than his usual nickname, but said, "I think so. Last time I saw her, she ran off with my future self and a couple others. I trust him to protect her."

"Natsu!"

His head snapped up. "Happy?!"

Happy dropped onto his head, panting for breath. "Wendy...needs...help."

"She okay?" Gajeel growled, furious.

"She's not hurt, just running low on magic," Happy wheezed, grimacing. "Charle and Lily were with her. But we can't do much. Even Lily can't hold off a dragon like you guys can."

"I have to get back to that psychopath," Natsu said, frowning.

"We'll deal with this dragon," a new voice cut in. "Gajeel, take...well, take me and help Wendy." Natsu's head snapped around, his eyes widening as Chelia came sprinting along behind the future Levy and Gajeel, both helping a grimacing Levy along. She looked oddly smaller than usual between them.

"Levy?" Gajeel said with a shocked look, and she offered him a pained smile.

"I'm fine," she reassured hastily. "I just twisted my ankle."

"You didn't just twist it, Shrimp," the future Gajeel uttered. "You snapped it pretty loudly."

"I'll heal it if you can keep the dragon off of us," Chelia offered. "I know regular doctors said that our healing magic isn't good if used too often, but I doubt this is a time to be concerned about things like that."

"That'd be great," Levy groaned as she slid to the ground. "It hurts like a-"

"If you're all good here, I'm heading back to deal with that bastard," Natsu told them, jerking his chin up towards the dragon that was beginning to descend near the gate. He remembered it being the last place Lucy had been and he didn't like how close it was getting. He suddenly paused, an idea striking him.

"You!" he barked, whirling on the future Levy, jerking a finger in the future Gajeel's direction. "Since he's dealing with this dragon and our Gajeel and Levy are heading over to help Wendy, you need to run around and tell the other dragon slayers to drive the dragons towards the Eclipse Gate! Chelia, you, too!"

"Why?" she demanded.

Natsu grinned, aware that scales rose and fell on his skin as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Because I'm gonna do what I do best. I'm going to do some serious destruction. Happy!" He looked up to his friend. "I need you to fly me to that dragon I was screwing around with earlier!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered. He dug his claws into Natsu's ragged shirt, making sure he didn't grab Natsu's scarf, and then lifted him into the air, his wings beating strongly at the air. In seconds, they were shooting through the air. Natsu could see several of his nakama and those of other guilds fighting viciously below. Black lightning snapped through the sky as Orga joined Laxus and a few others at beating off the dragon he'd been fighting.

When they reached the dragon the future Rogue stood on, grinning at everything below, it had cast its shadow over several people on the ground. He could see a speck of gold and fire as Lucy's whip snapped around her. The dragon had dropped several of those odd metallic monsters on them, and it laughed as Loke blasted several away with his regulus magic. The future Natsu had practically become fire as he struggled to keep them away from both himself and Hisui, who, lacking magic herself, clung to his cloak with a fearful look. Taurus swung through several of them with his axe, bellowing.

Natsu struggled to decide what to do. "The dragon. If we get rid of the dragon, those things go away. Happy, circle around and throw me. We're going to have to blast it out of the sky!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy zipped around, the wind fluttering Natsu's hair, which had fallen out of place, in his eyes. They circled the partially destroyed palace and then began to pick up speed. Natsu coaxed his magic to create what looked like rockets at his heels, forcing them to go even faster.

"Natsu!" Happy shouted as he released him. Natsu shot like a bullet through the air and didn't hesitate to inhale.

He gave a cry, letting flames wash over the dragon in a blast just a second before he crashed into its vulnerable spot beneath its beating wing. The dragon screamed in fury and pain as it was sent rolling - slowly, but enough that it couldn't stay airborne. It tumbled down, crashing into the ground hard enough that the ground cracked and several buildings around them crumpled.

He laughed as the future Rogue came flying at him in a rage only to be sent skidding down the scales of the dragon's side when it began to haul itself upright, bellowing.

Natsu quickly looked back as Happy reattached himself to his shoulder. The dragons were slowly beginning to back towards the Gate, shoved back by mages. The mages themselves were protected by soldiers and various civilians who'd come back to help, beating the metal dragon-like monsters away.

"Happy!" he ordered. "Tell Lucy to get out of there!"

"On it!" Happy zipped away, diving towards her.

For the first time in months, people had forgotten their differences. Mages and non-magic people worked side-by-side, struggling against a common enemy. The Council and Hisui had claimed that the Grand Magic Games would help, but in comparison to this...the Games had been worth nothing!

Natsu couldn't help but feel pride for the people of Fiore as he let smoke flood out of his nostrils. Entirely recharged after the snack he'd taken, he threw himself at the future Rogue, lashing out. He ducked to avoid Natsu's blows, swearing. They fought viciously. Natsu's scales caught Rogue's flesh whenever he landed a blow, tearing it, and Rogue's shadows crept along Natsu and ripped at him where it could.

Within minutes, Natsu could feel himself slicked in his own blood, his sharp teeth bared.

"Natsu!"

Natsu leaped back, glancing over his shoulder as Wendy bolted past them towards where Lucy had been, a screaming emerald-scaled dragon on her heels. Its teeth closed with a crash not more than a breath away. Gajeel and Levy were running hard behind it, faces serious as they drove the dragon forward even faster.

"Oh, damn, this was a bad idea," Natsu muttered, realizing as Cobra came sprinting in their direction that he hadn't thought this through. He could hear the venom dragon slayer screaming curse words and shouting at everyone to get out of the way as the dragon barreled after him, head snaking through various crushed buildings. He nearly crashed into the future Gajeel, barely sparing him a look as the man who was nearly a dragon himself raced for the Gate.

"What are you doing?" the future Rogue snapped, climbing to his feet as the dragon prepared to shake itself. He held his balance and Natsu just barely did. "What are you doing?!"

"Destroying the Gate," Natsu said nonchalantly with a smirk.

"No," he said furiously. "Don't you dare touch that Gate-"

"You see," Natsu drawled, onyx eyes blazing. "When I hear Igneel's voice telling me to do something? _I do it._ " He threw himself over the side of the dragon, ankles and knees screaming in protests when he hit the ground running. He stumbled, caught himself, and then tackled Wendy out of the way when she was nearly snapped up. Wendy, nearly in tears from fear, clutched him. "Thanks!"

"Natsu!" Erza's voice filled his ears. He looked over to see Erza and Jellal sprinting towards them, followed closely by Gray, Juvia, Lyon, and Meredy. Meredy had tears streaking her face, but her gaze was serious. "What's going on?!"

"Gray!" Natsu gasped, shoving Wendy towards him as they were joined by Gajeel, Levy, Cobra, and then Sting, Rogue, and Yukino as their dragons followed suit. "Get everyone out of here!"

"Got it!" Gray sprinted away, followed immediately by everyone, who didn't dare stop to think about why he was suddenly in charge. Natsu stopped Meredy with a hand on her wrist, lips pressed together as he watched the others come across Laxus, the Thunder Legion, and the Strauss siblings.

"Natsu?" she breathed, bewildered.

"I need your help," he said fiercely, looking back. Those that had been there were gone. Lucy, his future self, even Hisui. "Stick close. And I'm going to need you to trust me"

"Right," she agreed. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled brilliantly. "What do you need me to do?"

* * *

 _You silly readers and your panicking. I only hurt them a little. XD_

 _HummingBird742, on the matter of arcs...currently, I've finished this arc, the psycho Spirits arc, am currently working on Tartaros, a small mid-time skip arc, MAYBE Dragoncry, depending on how it goes, and Alvarez. Maybe Avatar, depending on where we are when I get there._

 _Guest #1, I'm glad you're taking recommendations from my little self into consideration. ;3 Friendliness is always good._

 _Thanks to reviewers (TigerArrowgirl, nermansherman, Dragondancer81, yorusorra, HummingBird742, LePengwen, thecagedsong, enchantedbeauty1, PinkFireandGoldenStars, 8ytan, FairyRains, The Age of Awesomeness, JcL107, quite-a-riot, ToukaKanekiUlle, Treblemkr, CupcakarmaFanGurl, Guest #1, FtfanDessarai, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Guest #2,LovelyLovelyLove, OneWhoCharms, and MeowOrbit!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	193. Chapter 193

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The arms around her kept her from falling, her exhausted and weak body barely able to keep up as the dragons roared around them, bewildered. The future Natsu reassured her that he wouldn't leave her behind. The others that had met with them were already gone, out of sight. She could barely hear him, she realized dully.

"Loke," she slurred, silently summoning him.

"Lucy," he hissed, appearing beside them at a run. "You can't summon me, your magic is so low-"

"I'm fine," she denied. The future Natsu didn't look convinced as Loke waved him off, pausing to scoop her up. Suddenly, Loke shoved her at him, making sure he had a strong grip on her. His green eyes blazed behind his shades.

"Get her out of here, don't let her summon us. You and I both know that the stars distrust you even more than our own Natsu, but I'm trusting you now. Please. She's important to this world."

"Believe me," he muttered, shifting Lucy with care as she slumped against him, unconscious. Loke disappeared in a flash of light, worried. "I know. Lucy, you're in for a blast of a time when you learn the truth." He darted off, moving quickly now. He suddenly shouted as a dragon's foot crashed down.

Its head snaked beneath buildings, mouth open. "You won't escape," it laughed, completely abandoning the mage it had been chasing. Laxus swore, whirling around with widened eyes.

The future Natsu clenched his jaw, flames washing over him as he found himself cornered. The dragon slayers of this era hadn't been properly trained to defeat actual dragons, he knew. Their training had been more focused on keeping them ahead of the process that would ruin their bodies and even now, he knew that the dragons' magic was at work, keeping them safe. And he knew he could deal with one dragon.

But the magic was too intense for Lucy.

It would burn her, even if he ordered it not to because he couldn't control it.

None of them could in this world, it was why they'd all tried to not.

Suddenly, two black-cloaked figures swept in front of him. He recognized the Gajeel and Levy from a world that wasn't his nor this one. The scaled-dragon slayer wore a look of acceptance as his magic swept through the air, his body seeming to jerk painfully as it grew and grew.

The future Levy's eyes were filled with tears. "Go," she groaned, "Get out of here, Natsu. Get her to safety, please. Gajeel's got this."

Sure enough, the newly made iron dragon screamed in rage and locked its jaws around the other shocked dragon's throat, biting as hard as it could. The dragon roared, struggling against it as its blood spattered the space around it, its body hitting the ground.

Laxus had already run off by the time he nodded. "Thanks. Thank you for the sacrifice, Levy."

She gave him a saddened smile, her own magic rising. "We never had a choice. Hopefully, they will."

He darted off without another word, Lucy cradled lightly in his arms as an eighth dragon joined the chaos. He heard wails of horror from the mages in the city at its side, sharp ears catching every sound, but he pushed on until he stumbled across Cobra, who'd heard him.

His eyes narrowed. "This way," he growled, leading the future Natsu to where everyone else was.

"I'll take her," Jellal offered, and he faltered, knowing that he'd been entrusted with the blonde. But he handed her over and Jellal held Lucy for him with ease, letting him shake off the flames and bend over to catch his breath. Gray and Juvia made sure Lucy was okay before Juvia demanded, "What's Natsu doing with Meredy?"

"That's what I want to know," Lyon said darkly.

Yukino, her eyes locked on the dragons that had circled the Eclipse Gate, said, "Destroying it."

They all turned their attention on them and the future Natsu blinked. His past self stood with Meredy atop of the Gate, Happy on his shoulder again. He wasn't sure how they balanced, and he was willing to guess that they were anxious about their new position as the dragon the future Rogue clung to screamed angrily.

From where he stood atop the Gate, Natsu could see where his friends - and his future self - had gathered. He swallowed thickly, taking a deep breath. "Now, Meredy."

She narrowed her eyes and her magic went to work. Natsu grinned, watching as pink circled several of the dragon's throats. None of them seemed to notice, their gaping maws all turned towards him. Even the new dragon, who Natsu had no doubt was the future Gajeel, was looking to him. "We're good," Meredy panted, exhausted.

He nodded curtly to show he'd heard, and then turned his gaze on Rogue, who was glaring suspiciously at a bracelet of pink on his wrist. "If we die here," he said darkly, "I'm really, really sorry, Meredy."

"My death for thousands is worth it," she said seriously.

He took a deep breath and then gave his best roar. Flames blasted from his mouth, his cry echoing throughout the city. He heard his fellow dragon slayers fill the air with their own cries on instinct and within seconds the true dragons had roared back. Meredy flinched in pain, her ears bleeding from the amount of noise.

His flames blasted the dragon the future Rogue stood upon in the face and the rest of them screamed in confusion. Flames flew as the fiery dragon rammed into the emerald. The emerald-scaled dragon reared sideways into another and the eighth dragon roared in protest as it stumbled, legs crumbling beneath it. As it flailed, its tail crashed into another, and it, too, went down.

He blasted a different one, and Meredy sent a spiral of magic at it, her eyes furious. It stumbled towards them, blinded by rage. Natsu braced himself as it suddenly tripped on another dragon, its towering massive body tipping until it crashed into the Gate.

The Gate shook beneath them. Meredy grabbed his arm for balance and he swore, flailing his other arm. It didn't work, he noticed with a sliver of fear. The dragon hadn't-

The future Rogue suddenly screamed in anger, and Natsu's head whipped towards him. He was covered in his own blood, crimson eyes vicious. "Kill him!" he ordered.

The dragon he stood upon, for whatever reason, agreed and lunged. Natsu swore as its teeth snapped at the air, tackling Meredy from the top of the Gate. Happy weakly slowed their descent. But he was too exhausted to get them far and Meredy screamed as they rolled, thrown beneath the dragons' gaping jaws and taloned feet.

Much to Natsu's relief, however, it worked.

The dragon flailed its body to try and get away, but it had already crashed into the Gate. The doors splintered and the entire thing suddenly cracked. The future Rogue's red eyes were full of shock as the dragon roared in agony, a piece of the Gate piercing its eye. The rest of them screamed along with it, all bleeding. The future Rogue shouted, a hand raising to touch his face.

Suddenly, the metallic eighth dragon's nose lowered to their level. Crimson eyes flashed a moment before he snatched Natsu up by his scarf. Meredy screamed as he was lifted upright - and then thrown away. Natsu shrieked in surprise, flying through the air.

"Natsu!"

Something caught his shredded burned shirt with claws. Lily's wings snapped out and Happy flew out with Meredy in his grasp, helped by Charle. They were on the side opposite of where the others were, but out of the way nonetheless. "Thanks," he rasped, suddenly so tired he couldn't bring himself to move. He watched, under his arm, as the metallic dragon reared back, and then threw itself at the Gate over and over again until it finally collapsed.

Just like that, the air seemed to change. Magic exploded from where it had been stored and Natsu flinched, suddenly even more tired than before. Black dotted his vision as Lily circled around, trying to get them around the dragons that had stilled.

"The dragons," Natsu slurred. "Look at the dragons, Lily."

"We can't get around." He suddenly began to shout. "Charle! Happy! Land!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy shouted back, exhausted. They descended.

Natsu closed his eyes and the last thing he heard was Lily's wing beating at the air.

* * *

Lucy came to with bleary eyes. The first thing she saw was Jellal's look of shock and horror, and that wasn't exactly comforting. She struggled to move her limbs and succeeded, shifting. Attention caught, Jellal looked down. His eyes flashed. "Lucy," he murmured, carefully helping her stand, setting her down with care.

"Thanks, Jellal," she whispered, clutching his arm heavily. She raised her gaze to the Gate - or the lack of.

The Gate - the powerful Eclipse Gate that the princess of Fiore had prided herself over - was gone. In its place, various dragons were there, all glowing gold and disappearing before their eyes. They had frozen in various positions, eyes wide with shock.

Lucy's head snapped around when Yukino cried out.

The future Natsu was smiling faintly at his hands, which also glowed gold. His gaze was sorrowful, his onyx eyes gentle. He raised his gaze and met Lucy's, blinking, and then gave a huge grin. "We did it."

Lucy stumbled over and he caught her arms when she tripped. The glow spread throughout his body, creeping up his face as she looked. "Thank you," he said fiercely. "I've done this a thousand times, and the loop has finally ended."

Lucy smiled faintly. "Anything for you," she said softly.

He grinned. "I'm not your Natsu. I'm a monster. Believe me when I say that." He suddenly pressed his head against hers in a familiar motion that Lucy recognized as one that belonged only to Natsu. "Protect yourself. Before my past self, or Happy, or anyone else. Okay? And watch out for Zeref. Don't let him near you. He knows the truth and that truth, when you learn of it, will hurt you."

Lucy's lips parted. "What are you-"

"Thank you for helping us. I would say I won't forget it, but…" His hands were gone, flying into the air as little golden orbs that looked like fireflies. "I don't know what happens next."

Lucy blinked quickly, fighting back tears. Logically, she knew he wasn't the Natsu she was dating, the one she loved so fiercely, but he was still another form of him. And it hurt her to see him like this. "I'm sure whatever happens, you'll be happy."

"I hope so." He took a deep breath. "I'd kiss you, but I think Gray would kick my ass and I don't want to make it awkward." He laughed that Natsu-like laugh, and then stepped away. His eyes were ancient, as old as she imagined a dragon's to be.

He gave a huge grin suddenly, the golden orbs swirling around him as his chest vanished. "Bye, Lucy."

And then he was gone, the golden orbs swirling into the sky as if they'd been cast among the stars.

Lucy let the tears fall. A hand on her shoulder brought her in for a hug, and Gray murmured, "We think we have an idea of where Natsu is," in her ear. "Do you want to go and find him?"

"Please," she gasped.

Erza patted her shoulder gently as Gray reassuringly rocked her for a moment, exchanging a worried look with Juvia. "You three and Lyon go find Natsu and Meredy." Her eyes turned on Sting and Rogue. "Do you think you two could take Lector and Frosch to inform those in the mountains that it's safe to come back?"

Sting bumped a fist against Rogue's, the shadow mage somewhat amused by his partner's action. "Sure thing. We'll see ya later, Yukino. We've got work to do."

"Yes," Yukino agreed. "We do."

Cobra grunted. "I'm gonna go find Kinana. She was runnin' around here somewhere."

"I'll help you," Mirajane offered. Lisanna echoed her and Elfman decided to find some others throughout the city alongside the Thunder Legion and Laxus. Jellal and Erza agreed that they'd go with one another to check on the king with Hisui.

All as the dragons disappeared above them, looking as if they'd never existed.

Only one moved, its massive metallic head dropping to rest on the ground as a sobbing woman pressed her face into its scales, ignoring the blood that dripped from where they cut into her skin. It rumbled soothingly, closing its eyes.

Together, they vanished into the sky, too.

* * *

"Natsu," a voice murmured in his ears. "Lucy's here. Can you open your eyes for her?"

Natsu forced himself to pry them open, a groan in his throat because holy hell was he exhausted. He slurred Lucy's name as she knelt beside him, shifting his head into her lap, loosely wrapping an arm around her waist. He pressed his face into her belly and she cradled his head in her arms, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"Did it work?" he mumbled.

She ran her fingers through his blood-crusted pink hair. "Yes, Natsu," Lucy breathed to him, resting her forehead against his. "It worked."

He flashed her a quick grin and then dozed off instantly, relieved that Crocus and Fiore were safe.

Reassured that Lucy was safe beside him.

* * *

 _And...we're ending this arc. :3 Goodbye, future people. Hello, psychoticness._

 _Thanks to reviewers (HummingBird742, LePengwen, Moon Stone TIger Lily, The Age of Awesomeness, PinkFireandGoldenStars, dragondancer81, Gothic Rain, Guest #1, and RandomAnimeNerd!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	194. Chapter 194

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The sun shone down on the destroyed city of Crocus. Its light dappled the crumbled homes, and various families picked through the debris under the watchful eyes of mages and officials alike, seeking their belongings and missing family. Some helped in other ways, such as Cobra and Kinana, who with Cobra's sharp hearing, specifically found those who needed help. Mirajane and several others cooked for everyone, and the guilds all worked together.

The chattering and cooperation was what Lucy woke up to mid-morning. She was curled on her side in the gardens on a blanket alongside the unconscious Natsu. Various other blankets and people dotted the green grass, either sleeping or talking. With very few hotels left, many had camped out, and the guilds were no exception.

Happy had gone to help the other cats entertain children, she blearily remembered. He'd tried to wake her up after being unsuccessful with Natsu.

Lucy sat up, aware that her boyfriend was entirely unconscious beside her. He was in a coma-like state, unable to bring himself to wakefulness after using so much magic. Porlyusica had stopped by the previous night as they were settling down and informed her he might not wake up for weeks with the amount he'd used.

But he was alive, Lucy realized as he stirred before settling down. He turned onto his side and grabbed her by the waist, snuggling his face against her hip. Lucy rolled her eyes and went to work on prying herself free. When she was, she kissed his cheek and then stumbled over to where Juvia was keeping an eye on an injured man. "Juvia," she began, "Where's-"

"Lucy!"

Lucy looked back and found Gray gesturing for her. Juvia smiled and told her, "Levy's looking for you. She said that something happened that you'll want to know about."

"I'll look for her," Lucy promised. "Thanks, Juvia."

Juvia beamed. "Just don't think about stealing Juvia's beloved, Lucy. You have your own."

Lucy giggled sleepily and went to see the ice-make mage, who grinned at her. He wore no shirt, only a pair of jeans he'd somehow kept on. "Hey, Lucy. Wakey, wakey."

"Shut up, Gray," she muttered. But she wore a smile and asked with a yawn, "What's going on?"

"You're coming with me to visit with the king, actually." Gray awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Yukino said that Princess Hisui summoned us to speak with him. She promised me it wasn't anything big."

"Oh, goodness," Lucy sighed. "Okay. I wish I could look more like a princess, but let's go and not keep him waiting." She smiled a fraction and they set off in search of the royal family of Fiore.

It wasn't hard to find them. There was countless guards around them and Arcadios had to come and personally escort them to Toma. He greeted them hesitantly, looking flustered about something, and led them to where the king was speaking with various people about rebuilding. "Excuse me, your Majesty," he cut in suddenly. "Princess Lucy Heartfilia of Bosco and her friend Gray Fullbuster are here to speak with you."

Toma's gaze turned in their direction and Hisui rose from the chair she'd been in, rubbing a scar that had formed on her arm. Her eyes were swollen from crying and the rage Lucy had felt towards her was gone. She couldn't bring herself to be angry with her. She hadn't known anything more than what the future Rogue had told her.

"Princess Lucy," Toma greeted with a serious look. "Mr. Fullbuster. Allow me to apologize for my daughter's hasty actions. I will have you know that she - and Arcadios - are both to be punished as soon as everything is cleared up and we are more than willing to compensate you two and Yukino Auguria for the damages-"

"Nonsense," Lucy told him, shaking her head. "We don't need compensation. Hisui did what she thought was right, King Toma. She had no idea that the man she was speaking to was lying to her anymore than we expected dragons to come out of that Gate."

"Besides," Gray agreed, "You need to focus on helping your city's citizens rebuild their home."

Toma sighed, rubbing his temples. "The most good that came out of these damn Games is the matter that between they and this attack, magic is not so hated."

"And that is something to appreciate," Lucy said firmly.

They chatted with Toma for a short while longer, discussing various things, and then she and Gray were excused. "Can you help me find Levy?" Lucy asked as they walked back towards the gardens. "She wanted to tell me something."

"No problem," he said, ruffling her tangled blonde hair. "But while you two talk, see if you can get cleaned up. I think you'll give the pyro a heart attack if he wakes up and finds you bloodied up."

"Yeah, you're right," Lucy muttered, peering down at her blood-stained clothes. She was quiet for a moment. Finally, she asked, "Gray, what do you know about demons?"

He looked at her in surprise, shocked. "Demons? They're powerful. Ridiculously powerful. They were made by Zeref. I don't know much else other than they live for destruction. I mean, look at Deliora."

Lucy nodded thoughtfully. After a sigh, she murmured, "Can I ask you to keep a secret?"

"Sure." He kicked a piece of rubble out of his way, hands shoved into his pocket.

"Zeref was here."

Gray tripped, narrowly avoided tipping onto his face. "What?!" He looked at her with horrified eyes. She gave him a small faint smile and showed him the bruises that had formed on her chin. He gently looked at them before frowning. "Zeref touched you?"

"When Natsu was dealing with the future Rogue, the future Natsu and I were trying to figure out what to do about the Gate." Lucy pressed her lips together. "He showed up out of nowhere, Gray. And then I think he opened the Gate, but I don't remember that part too much other than this crazy scream...and then he grabbed me and told me that he wouldn't forget me and things like that." She took a deep breath. "The scream...I think it was a demon's."

Gray was quiet as he studied her. "Don't tell Natsu. He'll go crazy and freak out."

"I won't," she agreed, "But...Gray. I think Zeref found something that we don't know about and it scares me. He'll be back. I'm sure he will."

Gray thought about this for a moment and then told her, "We won't let him near you, Lucy. You're safe. Okay?"

"I know." She flashed him a quick smile, amused beyond belief by his protective look. She patted his arm. " Now. Let's find Levy."

* * *

They found Levy after a short while of searching. She'd been reading to a bunch of children to keep them occupied. The mages of Fairy Tail had been entrusted with the group so their parents could do various things, and Lucy smiled at the idea that people were finally accepting magic and moving on.

When she saw Lucy, Levy faltered and then asked the children what they thought of a Celestial Spirit reading to them. The children burst into excited chattering and Lucy laughed, thinking through the various Spirits before selecting Gemini to merely bounce around and let them hold the Spirit. She summoned Aries to read to them.

"Lucy!" Levy squealed, and Gray laughed as she tackled the celestial mage. Lucy yelped and was knocked to the ground. Her eyes flew wide as Levy knelt beside her, her hazel eyes sparkling. "Lucy!" she repeated, shoving her hand in Lucy's face. Lucy went cross-eyed. "Look!"

"I'm trying," Lucy wailed, and then forced Levy's hand back so she could take a look. Her eyes filled with delight and she squealed at the sight. A sparkling ring sat upon the ring finger of her left hand. "Oh, my gosh!" she cried. "Levy!"

"I know," Levy gushed, touching the ring. "Gajeel asked me last night after everything settled down! He said it's made mostly of iron. The swirls are made of gold, and he said it's an actual diamond that he managed to get. He traded with Natsu and Rogue."

"It's gorgeous, Levy," Lucy said honestly, hugging her friend tightly. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Can I see?" Gray asked, helping Lucy to her feet as soon as Levy had bounced up. Levy showed him and he gave a low whistle. "He made it himself."

"Damn right I did." They looked over when Gajeel appeared out of seemingly nowhere, though he'd been walking over for a break after using his magic to help clear debris. "Salamander helped a little. Heated it up and knew how to get it to do the little decorative swirls."

Levy beamed at him, and Lucy smiled warmly as she tackled him in a hug. He grunted, flushing as he rolled his eyes and patted her blue-haired head, running his fingers through the soft strands.

"So when's the ceremony?" Gray questioned, folding his hands behind his head. "Couple months, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah," Gajeel muttered. "More like a year."

"We're going to do it next year," Levy explained. "Late spring, early summer. When all of the flowers are in full bloom and haven't yet turned ugly from the heat."

Lucy gave her an approving look. "I call being a bridesmaid," she teased, and Levy gave her a somewhat offended look.

"As if I wouldn't ask you to be the maid of honor," she scoffed, and Lucy lit up excitedly at the idea.

They fell into a conversation, speaking cheerfully to one another. Gray wandered off after a while and Gajeel rolled his eyes and went to go and work.

For the first time since the start of the Grand Magic Games, Lucy remembered what normal felt like.

* * *

Loke left the building that the Zodiacs occupied on a regular basis, his shaded eyes exhausted. They'd been arguing for hours now. Many of them were angry about the Gate and demanded that Hisui E. Fiore be punished for what she'd done. Loke had pacified them, however, though Aquarius had refused to be calmed. Scorpio had promised he'd calm her down, and Loke couldn't help but be grateful towards him for everything he did to keep Aquarius quiet.

Rubbing his temples, he leaned against the building.

He knew what Lucy had seen. They all did, and it scared the hell out of them to know what they knew. Celestial magic - except for rare occasions - was a specific magic. It was rarely able to be learned. For the most part, it was impossible. He still wondered how Yukino had done as well as she had. Celestial magic was more often inherited genetically.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Lucy...you have to be careful," he murmured. "You know demons to be real. You've seen a few now. You _have to watch out_."

She couldn't hear him, of course. But with a direct order from the King, he couldn't say anything. Not to her. It hurt him that he couldn't.

A giggle suddenly filled his ears.

Loke's head snapped up, a growl thundering in his throat. "Who's-"

A figure appeared before him. A girl, no more than six or seven, similar to Asuka's size. Her beautiful violet eyes blinked at him, filled with stars. She was a lovely looking girl, with flowing ebony hair that brushed her calves, and a cloak rested upon her shoulders.

He touched a ring on his thumb, warning the other Spirits that something was off.

Their presences touched his mind, as they did in times of danger.

"You'll help me, won't you?" she said with a pout on her ruby lips. "I don't know where I am. I came from a world that isn't this one."

"Impossible," Loke said tightly.

"Not," a deep voice muttered in his ear, "Quite."

He grunted in surprise as hands slammed over his temples, shoving him to his knees. He snarled, and the other Spirits cried out, spilling out of the building quickly. Even Ophiuchus, who'd only recently started coming to meetings, spat at the pair of people.

"Careful, Hydra," a new voice warned. Loke froze, not daring to move. "Don't crush his skull."

"Leo," Scorpio began, but Loke silenced him with a jerk of his chin.

A woman sidled into view, pressing her hands over the shoulders of the beautiful girl. The girl pouted up at her. Painted lips curved into a smirk as Hydra stilled behind the leader of the Zodiac. "Attempt to harm us, and Hydra will kill Leo."

"You can't kill us," Aquarius snapped. "We're Celestial Spirits, you bitch."

"And you do as your leader commands," she purred. "Andromeda," she breathed to the girl, leaning so that her lips brushed her ear. "Why don't we do a little spell?"

"Yes, ma'am," Andromeda laughed and then replaced Hydra's scaled hands with her own.

Loke had just enough time to sear the link indefinitely with Lucy before he knew no more.

* * *

 _I told you lovelies. Not so much in terms of breaks. ;) Don't worry, the next arc is spread out so._

 _Sorry about the late update! Thursday was a rough day for me and I kind of just binge read Eona. BUT EXCUSE ME WHILE I REREAD A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES AND A COURT OF MIST AND FURY BECAUSE A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN JUST CAME OUT AND AOFJAPEFJIJ_

 _On another note, Tartaros is turning out to be hard to write._

 _Thanks to reviewers (aidansidhe, Iris Patton, Dragondancer81, Guest #1, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Typhlosion8, HummingBird742, TigerArrowgirl, JustAPoisonApple, Guest #2, FairyRains, RandomAnimeNerd, LePengwen, FtfanDessarai, 8ytan, Vilchen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Clare LR, miraskey, MicroFire, Guest #3, The Pure-Blooded Aristocrat, jpage065, Sauce-Kun, The Age of Awesomeness, HeroOfFate, quite-a-riot, and NaLu and InuKag!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	195. Chapter 195

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy was awoken from a restful sleep by a tug in her chest telling her something was wrong. She snapped upright with a gasp, panting for breath, as if she'd had a nightmare. She looked around, feeling Happy shifting between she and Natsu, who was still peacefully unconscious beside her. There was nothing off around her. No sign of dragons or future people.

Just Natsu and several others around them, all asleep.

Still not reassured, Lucy fingered her keys for comfort and dropped back down to watch the stars above, grateful that it was still warm and that no rain had passed by recently.

A soft sigh escaped Natsu beside her and for the first time that day, he shifted, moving, but didn't open his eyes. Lucy smiled a fraction as he threw an arm over her and buried his face contently against her shoulder, snoring away.

Something told her he'd wake up the next day despite Porlyusica saying otherwise, and she closed her eyes, eager for such a sight.

* * *

When she woke up the next day, she wanted to throttle the dragon slayer. While it had been nice to have him cuddling so close at night, with the sun up, the heat was sweltering. Add on a fire mage and you were in a puddle of sweat. Happy was gone and while there was a few people around, there weren't many. Many were hard at work out in the city.

"Get _off_ ," Lucy muttered, squirming out of Natsu's grip. He shifted, seeming to stir, and then went back to sleep. Rolling her eyes, Lucy checked her phone - only to find it was dead. And with power out for the entire city, there was no way to charge it unless Laxus somehow could convert his electricity.

After straightening her clothes - she _really_ wished she could change and considered summoning her Spirits, but decided against it - Lucy headed out to see what needed to be done that day.

She found Hibiki of Blue Pegasus after searching, and he greeted her cheerfully. She returned the smile, remembering working with the mage before, and asked, "What can I do?"

He gestured towards the northern side of Crocus, where the worst of the destruction had happened. "Head over that way. There's not too many of your guild members there, but I know Sabertooth is working. They'll give you something to do."

"Thanks, Hibiki." Lucy flashed him a smile and then jogged off. She ran through the streets, catching sights of buildings that still stood in the once beautiful city. It still held its beauty in a haunted way, with its emptied streets and buildings. She remembered walking through them, side by side with her guild, and even the times she'd paced through them alone before magic even existed. She remembered striding down this very street to meet Ali…

How things had changed.

"Lucy!"

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her name shouted. She looked over and found a cheerful Lector standing atop a piece of rubble, one of the first toppled buildings. He waved a paw as she started over.

His eyes twinkled, whiskers twitching. "Do you want me to take you to Sting?"

"Sure," she agreed. She frowned. "What are you doing out here by yourself?"

Lector wiggled his tail playfully. "We cats are small and can fit where everyone else can't. So Frosch and I have been checking the buildings and getting inside to make sure there's no one trapped. I just happened to be out here."

"Hm," Lucy hummed, "Good job then. Why don't you take me to Sting so you can get back to work?"

* * *

Sting greeted her cheerfully and sent her off to work with a mage who worked outside of the guilds and under the control of the Council. She specialized in earth magic and she was friendly enough with just enough sarcasm to amuse the blonde. Together, they sorted through debris and the earth mage kept her magic going to make sure that they sifted debris away.

It was a few hours into their work, when Lucy was aching and sore, that a shout rang out.

"Lucy!"

She looked back to see Jellal rushing over, his dark eyes wide with shock. He stopped before them, heaving for air, and the earth mage arched a brow in amusement, continuing to work.

"Natsu's awake," he finally gasped. "He panicked a little when he woke up, but he's fine now. He said those weird chest pains have left completely and that he's ready to work, but Porlyusica wants him to rest. Makarov wants to know if you can come help him keep some children occupied."

"Sure," Lucy agreed. "Do you mind taking my place here?"

"Of course." Jellal offered the earth mage a friendly smile that she returned with a wink.

"Was fun working with you, Lucy. See you around," she hummed, waving as Lucy bid her farewell. Lucy waved in return and then left.

It took her less time to get back to the gardens than it had to find Lector and when she reached them, she just followed the source of the heat that added to the normal heat until she found Natsu bouncing up and down impatiently before an agitated Laxus and Mirajane. Mirajane beamed at the sight of her, a deadly look in her eyes.

"Take him," Mirajane growled, dropping her hands onto Lucy's shoulder. Lucy flinched, suddenly scared of the silver-haired mage. "Take him and entertain children and keep him out of the way, okay?"

Natsu pouted, onyx eyes sparkling with energy. "I'm _not_ in the way though-"

"I just had to stop you from burning the gardens to ash," Laxus grunted. "You're in our way."

Lucy sighed, watching them leave - and then squawked as her energetic boyfriend tackled her in a tight hug, rubbing his cheek happily against hers. "Lucy! I couldn't find you and thought you'd disappeared again."

"That's because you're clingy as hell," Lucy snorted, but ran her fingers through his hair and pressed her face into his shoulder. He buried his own in her hair, inhaling happily, arms warm around her.

After a moment, he pulled back, searching her gaze. "Are you okay?" he fretted.

"Just a few bumps and bruises," Lucy promised, letting him look at the bruises on her chin. He frowned at the oddness of them and for once in his life, Natsu chose not to get too worried about them. She was a little relieved. He had no idea that Zeref, who she _knew_ had some kind of weird obsession with him, had been there and she had demanded that Gray keep it a secret from everyone.

Finally, he was satisfied. He practically purred like a cat. "They said I couldn't do anything fun so we're gonna go play with the kids."

Lucy grinned. "Oh, really?" she mused. A thought suddenly entered her mind. "By the way! Erza told me last night that the royal family is hosting a party for us in the palace on the thirteenth."

"We're going, aren't we?" Natsu said, eager. He'd enjoyed himself dancing with Lucy and knew that the big royal party would have it. It had been planned for the eighth of the month, but with the Eclipse Gate and the dragons ruining Crocus, he hadn't expected it to happen.

She gave him a look. "Of course we are. Why wouldn't we?"

He shrugged. "None of us have clothes-"

"The Council is going to help out. We're all being sent dresses and suits especially fitted," Lucy hummed, beaming. "And we'll be allowed into various working buildings to get ready. I thought about inviting Loke to come with us, but I don't want him flirting with everyone…"

Natsu snorted. "Bastard," he muttered. Lucy only laughed and turned her face away. "Come on, Luce," he said cheerfully, flashing his teeth in a quick grin. "Let's go play with some kids!"

* * *

Playing with children was an immensely fun activity after so many days of stress. Lucy laughed and watched with an infant in her arms - an orphaned infant, she was sad to learn - as Natsu wrestled with several other kids. Juvia and Gray joined them after an hour or so for a break, and Gray joined in, using his magic to create gifts for the children. Juvia watched with a warm look.

Some of the children showed a possible hint of magic that they might someday develop, but Lucy knew the majority of them weren't. Once, parents would have dragged their children away from the others that showed prospective magic, but now, as the parents picked their way through rubble, they _all_ thanked the mages for watching them and took their children to wherever they were staying.

"Aw," a voice cooed as Lucy watched Natsu spar with Gray for the entertainment of what children were remaining, their parents no longer alive. She looked up and found Mavis taking Juvia's place as the water mage ran to find Gajeel. Mavis' emerald eyes shone as she played with the baby, who surprised Lucy by cooing and trying to grab the ghost's fingers.

"Mavis," Lucy greeted. "I didn't think you were still coming around. I didn't see you at all during the dragons' attack."

"I was keeping Asuka and some other children who could see me company," she murmured. "They were scared and needed me." Her gaze flickered up. "Gray informed me that Zeref was there."

"I'll kill him," Lucy growled. "He wasn't supposed to tell anyone!"

Mavis giggled and then promised, "He only told me because he thought I should know." Her gaze became wistful. "Zeref...I was once in love with him, as you know. He was a good man then, Lucy Heartfilia. Now he is a monster."

Lucy's grip tightened on the baby, a shiver running down her spine. "Mavis," she rasped. "He said he would remember me. That he'd seen something and I...what do I do? I don't _want_ his attention."

Mavis jaw clenched. "I know what it is he speaks of and you have very little time, I believe, before it comes out. The truth. Perhaps, when Leo is capable, he will tell you the remainder of what remains in regards to the secrets that are hidden."

Lucy smoothed a finger over the baby's cheek. "Will it kill me? Hurt Natsu? Anyone else?"

"I'm not sure. It's something I dealt with until you were born." Mavis cocked her head a fraction. "It's incredibly dangerous. Keep close to your friends, Lucy, and keep in mind that gaining a favor from the Spirit King as well as allying yourself with the dragons will help you at some point in the future."

Lucy felt her face go white, the blood draining from it. "You're not kidding," she breathed, horrified. "Is it really that bad, Mavis?"

"Deadly," she murmured with a huge sigh and then disappeared, leaving Lucy to sit there in silence as Natsu, covered in sweat and smelling of smoke from using his magic, rushed over.

"What did Mavis want?" he demanded curiously.

Lucy kissed the baby's head. "I don't know," she lied, flashing him a quick smile. He searched her gaze suspiciously. "She just wanted to see the baby, Natsu. I promise."

"Okay." He faltered, and then said, "Luce...if ya need to talk, I'll be here, okay?" He spoke fiercely, eyes flashing. "I won't ever leave you to deal with something bad alone."

Lucy's heart filled with adoration for her dragon slayer and she giggled. "That means the world to me." She winked and then sent him to continue working, closing her eyes as she thought over the conversation she'd had with a spirit who couldn't give direct answers.

* * *

 _I can't wait to release the party. That was fun to write._

 _Okay, so the site's not working properly and I can't name all of the people who reviewed without missing half, so we'll skip out this week. Thank you to all who reviewed, followed, and favorited! I appreciate it!_


	196. Chapter 196

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Scowling at the fact that he, Gray, and Jellal were all stuffed together into the foyer of a house that belonged to a single woman who'd been more than willing to let them borrow her bathrooms, Natsu tugged at the red tie he wore. Gray was having issues beside him, constantly tugging at his own tie to try and strip, making the woman laugh as she watched them from the kitchen.

Jellal chuckled, looking at them with amusement. "Gray, stop stripping. Erza won't be pleased with you if you do."

Gray shuddered at the thought.

Natsu fumbled with a cuff at his wrist. "Can we get going then? Luce will be there before we are at this rate, guys." He shifted impatiently and from his place on Natsu's head, Happy laughed.

"She's not going anywhere, Natsu," Gray sighed, rolling his eyes. "She doesn't need you there every five seconds." He frowned at him, suddenly looking honestly concerned. "Did you sleep at all last night? You've got these huge shadows beneath your eyes."

Natsu lifted a hand and touched them with a hand, grimacing. "No. Nightmares." He said nothing more on the matter and turned away, only to jump when the woman's hand rested on his arm.

"Here," she offered, holding up some concealer. "Our skin tones are pretty close. I can hide it for you if you want."

He blinked. "Thanks." She was near Levy in height, so he carefully bent over. She smeared the makeup on his face, careful not to get it in his eyes. When she was done, she smiled gently.

"You should talk about those nightmares of yours, Mr. Dragneel," she told him with a kind look. "Even if it's just to your cat friend. Believe me. My husband was murdered in front of me a couple years ago and I woke up screaming several times. Just talking to my friend helped me get through it. I rarely get the nightmares now."

Natsu gawked in shock, and then gave her a true grin. "Thanks. I really appreciate it. I'll make sure to try that."

She laughed and then waved as they ducked out of her home. She closed the door behind them.

"Cheating on your girlfriend?" Gray mocked, but Natsu ignored him, feeling oddly comforted as he made his way towards the palace.

* * *

"Lucy!" Erza gasped when she had checked into the party, sweeping into the grandly decorated hall that led to ballroom. "You look beautiful!"

Lucy flushed, her cheeks red. She swept her hands down the dress she'd been sent, her fingers smoothing over the silken material. As requested, the formal gown was red. It was a beautiful crimson in color, sleek and hugging every part of her. Golden lace that looked as if it was fire spread up the left side, starting up at the hip and spreading out over her breasts and up her throat. It wrapped around the back of her neck before leaving her shoulder blades and lower back open to the air from the back of her neck to the small of her back. It had a train that trailed behind her, and her golden heels - gifts from one of her Spirits, she'd assumed, left out for her when she came back from changing into her dress - boosted her height quite a bit. Lucy's nails had been painted red by the wife of the house they'd been allowed into, and though she'd wanted to summon Virgo, the wife had done her hair, too, into an elegant style. It had been curled, and then gathered into a knot at the back of her head, a braid running along the right side. The strands tickled her neck, and she'd wrapped her choker around her wrist.

It had been an absolute shock when a tiara, golden and studded with rubies, had been added to the outfit.

"Do you think so?" she murmured, furrowing her brow. "I mean, I know it's a formal event, but you look so much nicer than I do…"

Erza scoffed. She placed her hands on her hips and Wendy clapped beside her. Both were dressed just as beautifully. Wendy wore a silver dress, her blue hair loose and stylishly curled, and Erza wore a black dress that had a slit up the side, a loose dazzling silver belt draped over her hips. It set her scarlet hair off beautifully.

"We know so," Wendy laughed. She beamed when at her feet, Charle huffed, "If your men don't trip over themselves, there's something wrong with them."

"She's dating Natsu," Erza sighed, and then leaned back against the wall with a warm smile. "Go on in, I'll wait for the boys here. Juvia's already inside."

"Are you sure?" Wendy said anxiously. "We can wait with you, Erza-"

"No, go," she said gently. "Before Lucy has that tiara plucked right off of her head." Her eyes shone with amusement. "Besides, Hisui said that she wants to announce you as the princess of Bosco to those present. I told her that you and Natsu are here together and she needs help debating whether or not to call Natsu a prince or something similar."

Lucy was puzzled. "He's just...Natsu," she sighed as she was dragged inside by an excited Wendy.

"Lucy!" Cana laughed from where she stood arm in arm with a flustered Romeo. She waved, her eyes glittering, and Lucy returned it as Romeo eagerly abandoned her to come and shyly ask Wendy to join him for something to eat. Charle went with them.

Lucy, alone, found herself suddenly swept out of the doorway by a grinning Sting. He winked playfully as he told her, "Hey, Lucy. Thought you could join Yukino and Rogue and I while you waited for Natsu."

She beamed and then arched a brow when she saw his gaze darting up and locking on the rubies in her tiara. "Sting. You're not allowed to touch my crown, do you hear me?"

He pouted. "Fine."

"Hey, Lucy," Yukino giggled as they reached the other two. She slipped her arm through Sting's, her silver dress giving her silver hair a surprising shine. "You look beautiful."

"So do you," Lucy told her, beaming. Sting and Rogue were both dressed professionally. Rogue was in a simple suit with a red shirt underneath and Sting had put on some kind of special coat over his white shirt. "What's with your jacket, Sting?"

"Guildmaster privilege, actually." He grinned. "Check it out." He turned his back to her, showing her the Sabertooth emblem that had been stitched into the back of it, like a royal crest. It was surrounded by the outline of a shield, stitched in the same gold that lined the rest of his jacket. "Makarov would have gotten one this morning. They wanted us to wear them. Probably so those who need our guilds will know who we are."

"Oh," Yukino suddenly giggled. "Look, Lucy. Juvia's over there."

Lucy followed her gaze and found Juvia standing alongside Gajeel. Both looked just as good as the rest of them. Gajeel, in some kind of stylized suit, the black and gold bringing out his eyes. Juvia was in blue, of course, a deep oceanic blue. Her dress, sleeveless with a high collar, faded from blue to white at the bottom of the skirt, draping gracefully from her hips. They chatted easily to one another, Gajeel teasingly tugging on a curled blue lock.

"She's lovely," Lucy murmured.

"Mhm," Yukino agreed before furrowing her brow. "Lucy, have you heard anything from our Spirits lately? Or tried to summon them?"

Lucy showed her a golden heel. "I got these from them. There was a note that looked like Loke's writing. He and the rest of the Zodiacs as well as every other Spirit in their Realm are going to take some time off and ask that we don't summon them. I hope not too long. Loke has my whip."

The bracelet at her wrist gave a small flare, but Lucy pretended not to notice. It did that sometimes.

"I see," Yukino murmured. "Okay. Thank you, I understand." She turned her face away, not upset, merely thoughtful. "Oh! Erza!"

Lucy looked over and found the scarlet-haired woman finally entering. She was proudly striding beside Jellal, arm in arm with him, her head bent close to his. "They look good together," Rogue commented.

"They do," Lucy agreed. "I hope they officially get together soon. They both deserve it."

Gray ducked in not far behind them, a frown on his face as he spoke urgently with a pretty Levy, who wore a long orange dress that made her look elegant and professional, her blue hair hanging in her face. Juvia caught sight of him and waved. Levy went eagerly to greet her new husband-to-be.

Gajeel made a happy sound as she slid her arm through his, rising to greet him with a kiss.

Gray caught sight of Lucy as Juvia grabbed his hand happily. He gestured for her to go over and Lucy excused herself to the Sabertooth mages. She strode over quickly. "Where's Natsu?" she questioned. "I thought he and Happy were with you?"

"They were...Happy went with Charle and the other cats to eat," he explained, puzzled. "Natsu disappeared."

Lucy looked around, seeing a cheerful Mirajane greet Laxus, who seemed surprised by her, unable to tear his gaze away. Lisanna had her lips close to Evergreen's ear, her eyes locked on them as Bickslow tried to eavesdrop on the pair. Freed rolled his eyes to the ceiling above and muttered a quick prayer for patience.

She saw Asuka with her cheerful parents, and Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel and Blue Pegasus. She saw Mavis, pouting beside Makarov as he devoured a piece of cake. Cana had greeted someone playfully, a man that Lucy didn't recognize. Rufus and Orga and a few other mages from Sabertooth had gathered around their guildmaster, trying to get past Yukino so they could get him drunk.

She saw everyone, even _Hisui_ , but not Natsu.

Worried, because she knew he'd been having troubles though he hadn't said anything, she bit her lip. "He'll be okay," she murmured finally, though she didn't believe herself.

Gray patted her on the shoulder reassuringly. "How are you feeling, Lucy?" Juvia turned blue eyes on her, too, worried.

Lucy opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off as a call of her name filled her ears. Hisui was suddenly there, dressed in emerald green. Her eyes were shadows from sleepless nights, but she merely asked, "May we announce you? Where's Natsu?"

"I don't know," Lucy said, biting her lip. "He's not here apparently…"

"I'll send some people out to look for him," Hisui promised. "But Father wants to announce you soon, so be ready." She slid away and Lucy wondered in silence if she would ever forgive her for bringing the dragons to Fiore.

"Juvia likes your dress," Juvia said suddenly, beaming at her. Lucy returned the compliment, eyes filling with amused gratitude. "Juvia thinks it looks like flames. The Council payed very close attention to who we mages have given our hearts to."

Lucy flushed then. "Well, I mean, look at Levy, all engaged and stuff."

"Juvia had to help Gajeel," Juvia sighed. "Juvia doesn't think he knows what he's doing sometimes."

Lucy giggled and then blinked when trumpets sounded, like some kind of television show. Everyone faltered and then looked up. Hisui was sputtering, lost. "Father's not supposed to come for another half hour!" she cried, "What's he-"

"Grab him!" Lucy heard someone cry just a split second before someone crowned in the king's crown and robes threw himself over the banister that he was supposed to appear on. He landed just a breath away from her, hitting the ground with a thud, and then grinned at Lucy. She wailed and buried her face in her hands.

Natsu beamed at her. "Hey, Luce. You look great." He paused to drag her in for a quick kiss on the lips, pressing close and letting his mouth move warmly and bruisingly against hers, and then was sprinting for the door as guards came bolting after him, laughing loudly as they gave chase.

Lucy sputtered, flushed. Gray threw his head back and laughed as Juvia giggled.

Distantly, Lucy heard Gajeel groan. "I know the it's made of gold, but holy _fuck_ Salamander! You can't hoard the king's crown!"

* * *

 _Love this chapter. ;) Sorry about the lack of updates, I was waiting for the site to be fixed!_

 _Thanks to reviewers, followers, and favoriters!_


	197. Chapter 197

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

After Natsu had returned the king's crown and clothes with an honest apology - the king sighed and let him go back to the party without any consequences - he hunted down Lucy.

Even in the brief instant he'd seen her, his heart had skipped a beat. She was always pretty. He'd known that from the minute he'd found her in Phantom Lord's grasp. She'd been beautiful at the Christmas party, too.

But _this_ …

His eyes found her among the people and his breath hitched as he saw her chatting cheerfully with Sabertooth and Erza and Jellal. He skimmed over their friends and just watched her. There was something about the way the gold and red clashed, the way her soft face lit up with laughter, that made it hard to breathe. She was beautiful, even more than beautiful with her healing wounds and the scars that had faded over time, and he wanted to hoard her away.

Natsu had seen Lucy in various places.

Normal, in the guildhall, her hair tied out of her face and her body clothed in jeans and a T-shirt, her whip and keys at her hip. Dressed up like this, with that regal look that reminded him she'd once been and still was royalty, something he'd never be. He'd seen her in tears, mourning the loss of someone she loved deeply, laughing at something he'd said. He'd seen her covered in blood and desperately reaching for him, pleading for help or trying to help him.

And no matter where she was, what she looked like...Lucy was Lucy, and he loved her deeply.

Finally, he hesitantly approached. Sting caught sight of him first and lit up with a grin, calling his name in greeting. Lucy's head snapped around, her smile faded into a pout of annoyance. He noticed with a smug feeling that her lipstick was a little smudged. "Natsu!" she called, rolling her eyes.

He slid into place beside her, instinctively draping an arm around her shoulders and leaning heavily against her. She grunted, and he pulled back when she warned him she was in heels and didn't want to snap an ankle.

"Hey, Luce," he said happily.

"You," she hissed, stamping on his foot. He jumped with a yelp of pain, and Yukino stifled her laughter. "What did you think you were doing, Natsu?! You stole the king's crown!"

"I gave it back!" he pointed out. "And he didn't punish me. I'm free as a bird!"

She groaned, hands fluttering tiredly before she just smacked him on the arm and crossed her own. "I'm with Gray on this one. You're a dumbass."

He playfully pouted and then grinned at Sting and Rogue. "We kicked your ass."

"We are not here to-"

"Yeah you did," Sting laughed, cutting off Lucy. He grinned at her. "But we'll get you guys next year."

Rogue chuckled. "We didn't expect to beat Fairy Tail this year. We are merely pleased that Gildarts chose to not take part in the festivities. Where is he, anyways? His help would have been great with the dragons."

Lucy nodded. "It would have. He's on a big job apparently. That's what Cana said."

"Too bad. I bet he'd have fun chasing Bacchus off," Yukino hummed, nodding at the man that Cana had been hanging out with. She sat back with a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. "I heard that Levy and Gajeel got engaged?"

Sting gasped. "They _did_?"

"They did," Lucy confirmed. She elbowed Natsu. "Someone helped Gajeel make a ring without telling me." He gave a sheepish smile and then looked at Rogue when he spoke.

"I thought he'd been hiding something. He was quite antsy when I went to speak with him the other day. Do you know how it happened?" Rogue mused, tilting his head.

"No, they haven't really told us very many details," Erza admitted. She thoughtfully touched her chin. "On the matter of relationships, however, Jellal and I have decided to officially date." Jellal sputtered in shock beside her, as if he hadn't expected the declaration, and it made Lucy grin at the sight of it.

"We _have_?" the blue-haired mage got out in a strangled tone.

Lucy giggled alongside Yukino. Natsu reached out and patted the man on his shoulder. "Congratulations," Rogue said honestly. "We wish the both of you luck in your endeavors as a couple."

"Good for you, man," Sting told him, raising a glass of champagne that he'd snatched from a platter being offered.

Lucy thought it hilarious, the way that Jellal seemed to turn red, one hand covering the majority of his face as Erza beamed and thanked them. Despite the surprise, however, Jellal was clearly pleased, one hand drifting to lightly touch Erza's back in an affectionate gesture. Lucy's eyes warmed.

After everything that had happened, with how Jellal had tried to kill her and had been supposedly possessed - even if he still heard whispers, something he'd mentioned before - he deserved the happiness that Erza would bring him.

They left shortly after that, fully intending on finding Mirajane for some reason, and it was while Lucy was watching them that a gasp caught her attention.

"Oh!"

Lucy looked over when Sting suddenly started patting his pockets. He frowned, looked expectantly to Rogue, and then beamed when the shadow mage produced a small box, wrapped up neatly. He plucked it from his friend's hand and then offered it. It was wrapped in silver, a bow on top. "A gift from us three," he added. "It's an apology gift. We don't know why Minerva suddenly went psycho or why she targeted you like that, but…"

Lucy blinked, taking it. "Thank you," she murmured, hesitating to open it.

"Go ahead," Yukino told her. "We would have given it to you on your birthday, but...we didn't know when it was."

"A few months ago," Lucy admitted, remembering the small celebration they'd had. She was twenty now. It seemed odd to think that she was close to an age where it was considered legal to drink.

She unwrapped it with care, and Natsu took the paper for her. She found herself looking at a little velvet box, and when she flipped it open, her heart skipped a beat.

"We knew you were a writer, being a published author and all, and we know you're done with it, but since Natsu gets you so much jewelry-"

Lucy cut Sting off. "It's amazing," she breathed.

And it was.

It was a fountain pen, the same color of gold as the keys of the Zodiac. There were three lines of small rubies and diamonds up to the top, and between each line was a series of Zodiac symbols - all belonging to the Spirits Lucy possessed a contract with.

Gently taking it from her, Sting ran his fingers up one of the lines that altered between gems. "These are real rubies and diamonds, by the way. And the gold is real, too, that's why it's so heavy. I used some gold I got from Natsu a while back and Rogue offered the diamonds when I showed him what I was working on."

Lucy didn't know how to react. She hastily swiped beneath her eyes, trying not to smudge the makeup. "Thank you, all of you." She hugged the velvet box after replacing the pen in it. "It means a lot. Natsu, could you keep this in your pocket for me?"

He nodded. "I won't lose it," he vowed, tucking it away safely with a grin.

Trumpets sounded suddenly and he gasped, "It's the real king!"

Lucy elbowed him with a roll of her eyes and turned her face up to the balcony that Toma was appearing on. Hisui stood on his right with Arcadios on his left, both wearing a blank expression. Silence fell over the party.

"First and foremost," the king said. "I want to thank every single person who participated in defending our country. You all did a marvelous job, even if Crocus was destroyed by no fault of your own. It means a lot to be able to see the lack of mistrust and hatred between mages and non-mages."

Polite applause rang out.

Toma nodded slightly and then continued, "This party is to honor all of you as well as the many people that perished. I have decided that the royal family will contribute to the necessary funds for funerals. If any of you lost someone in the battle, please come see Arcadios or another guard, who will escort you to speak with us. July 7th will forever be known as a day of loss - and strength.

"I find myself proud of my people. You have triumphed over a dire situation that could have been much worse. My heart goes out to you all. I thank each and every one of you for your contribution.

"In addition, I wish to give my most sincere apologies to Princess Lucy Heartfilia of Bosco, Mr. Gray Fullbuster, and Miss Yukino Auguria." Yukino's head snapped up and Lucy's lips parted in shock. "I will not publically announce why, but you three - and Mr. Natsu Dragneel, who I also offer apologies to - are aware of what I speak of."

Natsu made a low scoff beside Lucy, scowling. "His daughter nearly killed me and got the rest of us killed," he hissed. "This is stupid."

"Shush!" Lucy hissed and stamped on his foot again. He whined softly at the pain of a heel driven into his foot.

The king quickly finished up his speech with a prayer that the peace between magic-users and non-magic-users would continue and then slipped away. Hisui and Arcadios bowed to those watching and then followed suit.

"I wonder if she'll be punished," Lucy murmured, pressing her lips together. Music - traditional music that belonged to previous centuries' of Fiore citizens - filled the air and suddenly, she felt Natsu grow tensed with excitement. His head snapped around and he gave Lucy a hopeful look.

"Wanna dance, Luce?"

She rolled her eyes - she seemed to be doing that a lot tonight - and slipped her hand into his. He surprised her by gently lifting her hand to his lips and brushing them over her calloused knuckles. Yukino cooed softly behind her, delighted by the sight, and Lucy felt flustered.

"Of course," she murmured, her dark eyes shining.

She remembered the haunted look in the future Natsu's eyes when that demon had slid through the Gate. She remembered Zeref's breath kissing her face as he slyly told her that he wouldn't forget her. She remembered her future self's death, the sacrifice the future Yukino and Gajeel had made for everyone else.

And she pushed it all out of her mind.

If being with Natsu had taught her anything, it was to enjoy the here and now.

And she certainly intended to do just that as he led her away from Sabertooth to dance.

* * *

 _Cute little chapter. :3_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Dragondancer81, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, RandomAnimeNerd, The Age of Awesomeness, Guest #1, BreannaCoris, LePengwen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Illusionoflove, Guest #2, HummingBird742, LovelyLovelyLove, MicroFire, ReadingDragonSlayers, Meow Orbit, TigerArrowgirl, miraskey, Vilchen, ToukaKanekiUlle, 8ytan, Faery'sConfessions, Rose, BrokenGlass12, and FairyRains!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	198. Chapter 198

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy found herself dancing with everyone during the party - almost everyone, anyways. Loke didn't show up despite having promised he would.

Gray cut in despite Natsu's protests. Jellal offered a dance when Erza demanded one with Natsu and he'd been surprisingly good at it, keeping up with her brisk pace. Sting and Rogue had each taken a turn, Rogue surprisingly playful despite his usual serious attitude. It had been awkward at first, remembering just who had caused their destruction. But she'd gotten over it.

She danced with Cana at Cana's insistence, and playfully whisked Asuka around. Happy had shyly asked much to her excitement.

She'd danced with Elfman and a reluctant Cobra, who Kinana had insisted dance with Lucy on the grounds that he owed her a dance for getting his name cleared.

Lyon had interrupted when Gray had danced with Meredy, and even a surprisingly willing _Laxus_ had shown up at one point. Mirajane had been delighted and endlessly praised him when he'd returned to her and Lucy silently watched with amusement as Natsu placed a hand irritably on her waist, not pleased that everyone else had gotten more time dancing with her than him.

 _I bet Laxus did that on purpose to get Mirajane's favor,_ she accused silently.

Natsu puffed out a cloud of smoke into her face to get her attention and Lucy waved it away, giving him a sharp look before frowning. She suddenly smacked her hands over Natsu's cheeks, gently wiping with her thumbs beneath his eyes. "Is this...makeup?"

"Lucy-"

" _Natsu_ ," she said softly, her eyes widening at the black shadows she saw. Now that she looked closer, she saw his eyes drooping, his entire body ready to crash. He was exhausted - more than exhausted. He could have slept for days.

Yet he was here, trying to make her happy and swing around with as much as energy as he could exert.

"Natsu," she repeated, her voice surprisingly sad. His gaze flashed with panic and then settled on anxious. "You haven't been sleeping?"

"Couldn't," he rasped. "Nightmares."

She smiled sadly and glanced over her shoulder at the party that was taking place. No one else seemed to notice them except for Mavis, who wore a look of understanding - and longing. Lucy frowned a little. Did Mavis want to speak with them? She'd find out later.

"Why don't we head out?" Lucy suggested. "My feet hurt from these heels."

He hesitated. "Okay," Natsu agreed. He let her tug him by his hand out of the party and back into the fresh air. He made a face when they passed a couple that had hidden in a corner to make out. _Ugh._

He'd never dream of doing that with Lucy in public.

...well, he'd never _act_ on those dreams.

They entered the gardens after a few minutes of walking. Lucy was quiet, her fingers tangled in his, and he looked at their clasped hands with a thoughtful look. He could see the choker she'd chosen from his hoard wrapped around her wrist. His eyes lit up a little at the sight of it.

She never took it off, and it made him happy to know that there were fragments of his father's magic hidden within it alongside his own. She was protected mentally by it at least.

Suddenly, Natsu tugged Lucy to a stop. She glanced back at him and his heart swelled once more at the sight of her. He'd never thought of how pretty a girl could be. Not until Lucy had shown up and completely uprooted everything in his life. "Want to look at the gardens since they weren't wrecked?"

She frowned. He worried that she'd disagree, that they'd seen them before, but she shrugged instead. "Sure," she agreed, arching a brow.

He beamed, giving her his brightest grin.

* * *

After a while of wandering through the gardens, they headed back to where they were camping out. Jura had kindly created shelters for everyone to change in the night before, for after the party, and Lucy took advantage of one now.

Natsu pouted when she came out in some comfortable shorts and a tank top. While he thought Lucy to look nice in everything, he'd liked the colors on her.

"Alright," she said sharply when he'd changed too. "Talk. I want to hear why you aren't sleeping."

So much for avoiding the subject.

Natsu grimaced. He scrubbed at an eye with a yawn as he thought of what to say and Lucy waited patiently after settling beside him. Happy had agreed to stay with Wendy for the party, and she had no doubt that Wendy would bring him with her and Charle later.

Suddenly, he shook his head, his breath catching. "Luce, I _can't_. Please. I'll...I'll talk about it later. I don't...Luce, I don't want to…" Just the sudden _idea_ of all of this, of explaining that when he was sleeping he saw things that tore him to pieces-

Frowning when she heard him begin to breathe harshly, his heartbeat picking up, the way his face was suddenly stricken with panic, Lucy nudged him lightly. "It's fine. I don't have to hear them now. But I want you to get some sleep. You'll crash and hurt yourself if you don't sleep soon."

He hesitantly nodded and relaxed after a few moments.

He took a deep breath and then glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. Lucy had her head tilted back, her eyes scanning the stars above their head. She was mouthing words - Zodiacs and her other keys, as she looked for their constellations. She'd worked hard with Loke and Aquarius to study them.

"Are you okay?" he finally mumbled. She glanced at him. "You didn't...say everything. About what happened when you were with…"

Lucy pressed her lips together. She thought over this, remembering the dark look in the future Natsu's eyes, the way he'd smiled so lovingly.

Zeref.

He was the one that haunted her dreams, he and the demon. She remembered the shocked look on the future Natsu's face when the demon had ripped its clawed and taloned hand through his chest and crushed his heart. She remembered how Zeref's fingers had gripped her chin painfully-

"Luce?"

"I watched him die," she said finally. "Your future self. Not like...when the Gate was destroyed, he disappeared and he told me goodbye. It was just...he had your face. And I knew you were okay, but…" She took a deep breath. "And we fought...we fought…" She couldn't bring herself to say. She didn't dare tell him that Zeref had come back.

That Zeref wanted something she knew nothing about yet seemed to have.

"You fought…?"

"Nothing. It's just I've been thinking of the future people a lot." Lucy changed the subject quickly. "Do you think they're happy? That they found one another in wherever they went to?"

Natsu leaned into her shoulder and buried his face in her hair, taking comfort in her warm presence.

"I think they're happy," he told her, closing his eyes with an exhausted sigh. "I think they found one another, Luce."

Without further ado, he pulled her down to sleep and curled himself happily around her. She squawked in protest - "It's too hot!" - but he ignored her.

And he slept.

* * *

 _His eyes fluttered open to blue skies and ge_ _ntly swaying golden wheat over his head. He blinked blearily, watching a beautiful white fluffy cloud roll across the sky. He furrowed his brow in confusion._

Where am I?

 _With care, he sat up. He was confused, he realized. Exceptionally confused. Really, really confused. The last thing he remembered was_ her _, the girl he'd loved so fiercely yet couldn't touch. He remembered tackling her out of the way of Rogue's attack, of watching her future self die in front of him, and a lump rose in his throat._

Lucy _._

 _He wanted her. He remembered her from before he'd lost everything, before he'd learned the truth of himself. Her warm smile and her loving touch. He knew he'd been older, that magic hadn't been revealed like it had in the next few experiences. She'd been older. He'd loved her fiercely._

 _He gave a ragged gasp as tears gathered._

 _He remembered being anxious that day, snappy because he'd been terrified. He'd been intending to demand she marry him. Because why not? Why wait?_

 _He'd never gotten the chance to._

 _Magic had been revealed that day. Acnologia had come and broken everything. He'd come and ripped everything he'd known and loved to shreds. Lucy had survived the initial attack, but when Rogue had lost Frosch and killed Sting and Yukino - because he'd taken both of their lives that first time - he'd lost his mind. He'd killed her, too._

 _It was when Igneel escaped his confines that he'd learned the truth._

 _He'd used that information to break through, to slip into the past._

 _Where he'd screwed it up._

 _Lost her again._

 _And again._

 _And then again._

 _Thousands upon thousands of attempts ended with her and eventually himself dead, but he kept trying, because she was worth it._

 _Finally, he had won._

 _But he was without her._

"Natsu!"

 _His head snapped up, heart skipping a beat. He shot to his feet, staggering. And then he turned and he saw her._

 _She was just as beautiful as she'd been the day he'd lost her. She was smiling warmly with those big brown eyes glittering with unshed tears. Wordlessly, Lucy Heartfilia threw her arms out and he gave a sob, barreling into them. He wrapped his arms around her and they tumbled to the ground. Laughter from his nakama rang out around them, but he didn't care._

 _For the first time in thousands of years, he kissed Lucy._

 _And he was at peace._

* * *

 _Sorry for the long wait! Graduation is a messy time. I'm here now though. Boy, you people should see what I wrote for the most recently written Tartaros chapters. ;) And with how FT itself is going right now...BTL's lookin' to have some psychoticness in the future._

 _MicroFire, thank you for your concern. XD I'm just fine other than feeling a little sick this evening. And nope. Some series, I will never write for. I can't do them justice and TOG and ACOTAR are two of them. Although the prospects are fascinating._

 _Sydneste, perhaps I shall draw the hand kissing. I kind of want to now._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, Faery'sConfessions, Dragonancer81, MicroFire, RandomAnimeNerd, Trigger-Happy Texan, LePengwen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Typhlosion8, ToukaKanekiUlle, NaLu and InuKag, HummingBird742, 8ytan, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, CelestialGodSlayer16, Sydneste, pochonwes, and Lodemai04!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	199. Chapter 199

**. Between the Lines** **.**

* * *

"It feels like years since we were last here," Wendy said excitedly as she looked around at their hometown. Magnolia was like a breath of fresh air compared to Crocus. Lucy hummed her agreement, stretching happily at the thought of going home and sleeping in a bed for the first time in ages.

It had been a week since the party and all of the non-local guilds had been given the okay to go home. A few select mages had stayed back to help, but they were mostly mages under employment by the Council, ordered to stay and help.

In that time, Lucy felt like she'd been interviewed countless times. Magic had been shown in a beautiful light and the entire country seemed to have come to terms with it. There was still the occasional protest, or even a terrorist that went and hurt people, but for the most part…

Lucy screamed in surprise when they stepped out of the train station and were greeted by what had to be thousands of air horns. Natsu burst into flames on instinct and then forced them back as he gaped.

Hundreds of people had gathered around the station. Everyone was holding signs and cheering and screaming for them, all looking delighted and proud. Natsu's jaw dropped as Lucy slumped against him in shock.

The mayor of their town stepped forward with a huge grin on his face. "Welcome back, Fairy Tail," was all he said and the crowds around them cheered again.

Makarov grinned as he ducked out, Mirajane and Laxus at his side. Mavis had disappeared, not to be found by anyone. "This is ridiculously different," Gray muttered as he threw an arm playfully around Lucy's shoulders. She let him, winding her arm around so she could rest her elbow on his in return.

Juvia gave her a sharp look, but didn't respond in any way.

Erza smiled warmly and was the person to say honestly, "Thank you for the warm welcome. It is nice to see our return is appreciated."

"Kitty!" a girl gasped, giggling when Lily came to see what was going on, abandoning Gajeel. He squealed when she scooped him up without prompting and rubbed her cheek against his.

And no one panicked, The mother only laughed and apologized, freeing the ruffled cat before scooping her daughter up.

The majority of them gawked before excitement fluttered across Natsu's face. And then the mayor turned to Makarov, stepping closer so he could lower his voice. People began to mingle with the mages, eagerly chattering with them. "Makarov, would you perhaps be interested in hosting the Fantasia Parade on the first? I thought a parade displaying magic would be a good idea - and much more exciting."

"I'd be honored," Makarov agreed. "However, I think I'll put Mirajane here in charge of it." Mirajane, still hosting a bandage on her cheek, smiled and waved. "She's much more organized than I am."

"Thank you," the mayor said with a pleased look. "We'll have an announcement made in the next week. Now if you'll excuse me…"

Mirajane beamed. "This'll be good for the guild," she said to Laxus, who looked around with disinterest as his friends and team dealt with being surrounded by people. He grunted in response and she giggled before smiling at the flustered Natsu, who found himself the subject of a woman's flirting.

Lucy smoothly cut in much to Mirajane's amusement. She slyly sidled over and, relieved for a polite way out of the situation, Natsu tackled her in a tight hug, shouting, "Luce!" as if no one knew who Lucy was.

The woman pouted and stalked off.

Lucy giggled as Natsu pressed his face into her hair, Happy dropping onto his head in the process, and Mirajane silently mused that she couldn't remember a time when it was just Natsu and Happy.

The only thing she could see whenever she looked at any of them was Natsu, Lucy, and Happy.

* * *

Lucy couldn't breathe, and Gray and Natsu were laughing right alongside her, all three of them earning nasty looks from Cobra.

The entire town of Magnolia had thrown a festival of sorts in the town square to celebrate their victory, and they'd all been ordered to mingle with the civilians. Why not? It made a nice impression on the public in Magnolia - and elsewhere.

Kinana had asked them to keep an eye on Cobra, who'd looked ill from all of the noise, and Lucy had promised she'd watch him despite the venom mage declaring he didn't need to be watched like a child.

Apparently, many of the people had declared crushes on the various mages, because he had a couple of women trying to flirt their way into his graces despite the fact that he'd quite bluntly stated he only had an interest in Kinana. Lucy had pouted that Kinana herself hadn't heard it. Gray had been subject to a couple of attempts that had earned nasty comments from a crabby Juvia, and Lucy had been hasty to stop Natsu from incinerating a man who had attempted to grope her.

Cobra shifted uncomfortably and skittered away from one of the girls in front of him when she dared to touch him.

"Cobra!" Gray called, taking pity on him. "Could you come help us with something?" He slammed a foot on Natsu's foot and he shouted in pain, hopping up and down. "Lucy wants us to help Natsu to Wendy!"

"You stripping bastard," Cobra growled as he scampered over. "I've never been more grateful to be in a guild with any of you idiots."

Lucy giggled as Natsu began to shout at Gray angrily, earning a snappy retort. "Kinana should be coming back to save you from further attempts soon," she said sympathetically. "Everyone's dealing with the flirting today, don't worry. I thought the guy trying to talk it up with Laxus was going to get ripped apart by Mira."

They all shuddered.

"I just want to go home," Gray groaned, scrubbing at his eyes. "I don't think _any_ one could sleep after that whole thing took place, and I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."

"Me, too," Lucy admitted, thinking longingly of her bed.

Natsu looked at her expectantly. "You'll make me food, right?"

"One," Gray began. "There's food everywhere, Natsu. And two...when the hell did you move in with Lucy? I don't think you've been near your house in months. You _and_ Happy."

"He hasn't," Cobra confirmed.

"Don't read my mind, you jerk," Natsu muttered, glaring at him. "I like Lucy's place better. She's there."

"...I don't know whether to say you disgust me or congratulations, you somehow managed to get to a point where you can probably move in with your first and only girlfriend," Cobra told him. Cobra rocked back on his heels, crossing his arms. "Did ya freaks see? That over-powered guy came back from a job. The one that was hanging all over Cana."

"Gildarts?!" Natsu darted off without hesitation, and Lucy sputtered. Gray sighed and reassured Lucy that he'd keep an eye on him before jogging off, leaving Lucy alone with Cobra.

Gruffly, Cobra told her, "Demons, Blondie?"

Lucy stiffened. "Don't. Stop reading my mind, Cobra, it's rude and I don't appreciate it."

"Yeah, well, something that big is something that we need to know." Cobra's gaze darted to her. "What happens if he gets out and starts wreaking havoc, huh? Or if that Zeref dude makes another appearance to do whatever to you? Salamander would flip out and we wouldn't be able to calm him down."

Lucy was quiet for a few moments, thinking over this. "I know you're right," she murmured. "But...those of us who saw Zeref on Tenrou - particularly Natsu...he's a black mage of legends, Cobra. I remember all of the darkness, and I remember what he created from my mother's diary. I don't want Natsu to know that the man who created demons like Deliora saw something that made him decide he'll be back. He'll lose it."

Cobra inclined his head a fraction. "Good point. I won't tell anyone, but you can't hide that kinda thing forever, Blondie." His eyes locked on Kinana, and he waved a farewell as he went to greet her.

Alone suddenly, Lucy closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her freehand drifted to grip the keys at her hip for comfort, but none responded and she shifted her grip to the pendant in the shape of a dragon.

She gasped in pain when it seared at her, and she ripped it off, letting it tumble from her fingers to the ground. She stared at the blistering burn on her palm.

And for some reason, while everyone was at peace, chatting, she felt something was very wrong.

Lucy picked up the choker and wrapped it gently around her wrist. She made sure it wasn't scuffed, and then hugged herself, spinning on her heel and heading home, asking Natsu via text that he go to his own home that night because she wanted to be alone.

* * *

"Meredy?" a voice called, startling her out of her thoughts. She looked over her shoulder to see a concerned Lyon standing behind her, hands pushed into the pockets of his jeans. Behind him stood Chelia and Jura, both waiting patiently. They'd arrived home two days before and were intending to take the woman on a job shared among the four of them.

"Sorry," she said, her voice hoarse. She'd cried long into the night, remembering how Ultear had drifted to ash and wondering what she'd meant about legends. Wondering what had changed her mind so drastically. She forced a smile to her face. "I'm ready to go."

Lyon offered her a hand. She slid hers into his and flushed when he kissed her fingers. He'd been flirting with her a lot lately, and it was both entertaining and flattering, even if she didn't feel up to accepting a date from him quite yet. Playfully, he tugged her towards their friends.

"Don't apologize for being sad," Chelia told her. "We know your friend died in the attack...Lyon said so. And we wouldn't expect you to be not sad. If you want, we can wait to go on our job until you're feeling up for it."

But Merely shook her head and gave her a true smile. "No," she said firmly. "Thank you, but...I think a job is a good idea. To get my mind off of it, you know?"

"Then let's go," Jura chuckled, watching all of the younger mages with amusement.

Meredy nodded and pushed thoughts of her deceased friend from her mind.

There would be time to consider Ultear's words later.

They had people to help now.

* * *

"You've been distracted, Emperor."

Red eyes darted to the calm woman who had come to stand slightly behind him. She planted her hands on her hips as she watched him. "Is there something you haven't told us quite yet? I've come to understand that something happened. Larcade told me."

His lips twitched. " _Has_ he now." Amused now, he turned to face the woman. Her dark eyes studied him curiously, holding no maliciousness like he'd come to expect from the only other two women in his series of Shields. She instead wore a look of blatant lack of interest. "And when did you last see Larcade, Brandish?"

She sighed, studying her nails. "On my way here. What did you need me to do, Emperor?"

Zeref ran a hand thoughtfully over a locket he wore at his throat. "Change is coming. Were you aware that Acnologia was freed from his restraints? Zancrow of the Grimoire Heart guild freed him. I would have thought Irene would have told you."

Brandish froze. "She didn't," she said tersely. "We don't talk often, though I'm sure she and Serena are delighted by this information." Brandish looked at him from under her eyelashes. "What do you need me to do?" she repeated.

He was quiet for a moment.

And then a slightly manic grin was carved into his face and his eyes lit with delight. "I found something I want, something that may help me in my work. It's time that Tartaros be sent to work, but I don't want them aware of the truth of who is commanding them. Simply suggest that their master has been located. Send them to Ishgar. Give them free rein to do as they wish."

He thought of Natsu as he had for centuries and grinned again.

"Tell them to wait a month, however. I want them to feel secure again."

Brandish gave a curt nod. "I'll simply tell that leader of theirs that it'll not only guide them to their master, but guide them to you."

"If they can get what I want," Zeref said, turning away with a smirk.

"It will."

* * *

 _I was late again. Sorry about that! On the bright side, the wheels are turning and we got to see Brandish. ;) Remember when I wasn't sure on whether or not I was going to include them? Well I am. Lol._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, CupcakeGoddess22, RandomAnimeNerd, Evoli, Dragondancer81, LePengwen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Iris Patton, ToukaKanekiUlle, NaLu and InuKag, TigerArrowgirl, Trigger-Happy Texan, Vilchen, MicroFire, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Guest #1, quite-a-riot, and HummingBird742!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	200. Chapter 200

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy made her way into the guildhall the next morning feeling a little drained, but happy to be home. Natsu hadn't showed up at her apartment over the night and she wondered why, but said nothing about the matter. She merely expressed her delight in seeing him when he rose from where he'd been gulping down breakfast and grinned at her.

"Hey, Luce!" he called, waving. She made her way over to him as others called greetings, everyone happy to be home like she was. Mirajane was back behind the bar with Lisanna and Kinana, Cobra snoring away at the bar as he took a nap. Elfman was gone, but several others were there, everyone chattering excitedly. Erza, Jellal, Wendy, Gray, Juvia, and the cats were all seated with Natsu.

"What's everyone so talkative about?" she asked as she settled into a seat across from Natsu, beside Wendy.

Juvia beamed. "Fairy Tail has been granted the Fantasia Parade this year," she told her eagerly. "We'll be taking part in it!"

Lucy furrowed her brow. "The Fantasia Parade? What is that?"

"You weren't here last year," Erza said warmly. "We found you almost two or three weeks later. Jellal wasn't either. It's a huge parade to celebrate a day of harvest from hundreds of years ago. It's a festival day. This year, Fairy Tail's hosting the parade to celebrate our victory in the Grand Magic Games, against the dragons, and to show off our magic one final time before we claim it as a usual part of society."

Lucy's eyes widened. "I see," she said, resting her chin in her open palm with a thoughtful look.

"Anyways," Wendy said, bouncing up and down. "We were all assigned floats. Master and Mira went through and decided on who would work best together. Charle, Natsu, Happy, and I are all going to be working with Gajeel and Lily. We're going to do a dragon slayer float."

Happy purred excitedly and Charle rolled her eyes, telling them, "I see no point to any of this, it's not going to make things any more happy than they are."

Ignoring her, Natsu pouted. "I wanted to be on a float with all of you guys. Except for Gray."

Grinning, Gray rocked back in his seat. "Juvia, Erza, and I are on a float together. We've been given permission to design it and we came up with an idea of building a castle of ice with water around it and filling it. Erza will be on a balcony as some kind of knight."

"Good idea," Lucy praised, and then frowned, grabbing her phone. "Is this the e-mail Mira sent out last night?"

Jellal inclined his head. "Yes. You and I will be sharing a float, Lucy. If that's alright, of course?"

Lucy beamed. "That's perfectly fine. Thanks, now I don't have to look." She suddenly furrowed her brow. "I don't think I'll be summoning my Spirits though. They've been...off. I tried to summon Loke last night to talk with him, see if everything was okay, but his key nearly burned my hand. And this," she added, tapping the pendant on the choker she usually wore. "It actually gave me blisters." She showed them her palm.

"Luce," Natsu huffed as Wendy examined the wound. She didn't bother to use her magic, but reassured her it wouldn't scar when it healed. "Why didn't you text me or something?"

She shrugged. "It's not a big deal. Anyways I was wondering. Where were you last night? I thought you were stopping by to say good night before heading home."

He copied, shrugging and shoving a piece of bacon in his mouth. "Happy and I were cleanin'. Had an idea I'm gonna try. I'll do it after the Fantasia Parade." He exchanged a look with his friend and Happy flicked his tail.

"You'll like it, Lucy," Happy purred.

"Which reminds me...you needed help, right?" Gray glanced at him. "Jellal said he was free this afternoon. He and I can stop by. And Erza, too."

Wendy exchanged a confused look with Lucy when Natsu agreed, grinning at them happily. "Are we not invited?" Lucy demanded.

"No!" all of them said hastily. Including Jellal, who had wide eyes.

Gray paused suddenly, and then looked over at Jellal. "Actually, Wendy can come. She's pretty strong. We'll grab Gajeel, too, to help with the dragon slayer portions. Why don't you take Lucy out and start that training you mentioned earlier? You said you'd come up with an idea."

"You're just trying to keep me busy," Lucy muttered suspiciously.

"Yep," Gray agreed, smirking.

Jellal chuckled and told her, "He's right though. I did have an idea for training purposes if you were interested, Lucy. You've never been taught to turn your magic into a fighting type." Jellal smiled. "You use what's called holder magic. You use objects, though we know you're capable of more. So I want to see if we can perhaps give you the ability to turn it into more of a caster magic. You've gotten pretty good with Urano Metria. Why not figure out how far you can push your magic?"

"There are ancient abilities as well," Erza added, and then admitted, "Jellal and I skipped out on the welcome home party yesterday and started some research when he brought this up. We found that there was more rumors on the matter than actual truth, but Loke and your other Spirits can confirm our thoughts when they're up for it."

"Star Dress," Jellal offered. "I don't think even your mother was capable of it. The last one to use such a spell was one of your ancestors. Only the Heartfilia line is supposed to be able to use that spell. Of course, you're the only family that inherits celestial magic genetic wise."

Lucy flushed. "I suppose that's possible."

"It would take a lot of training," Jellal added. "So I'm thinking perhaps we can try and figure out how to access that kind of magic. The problem is, I think we'd need to ask your Spirits how to go around doing it."

"I'll talk with one of them when they stop being jerks," Lucy promised. "But I am interested in looking into doing magic like you were talking about. Natsu and Wendy are able to use their magic in a way that strengthens blows that would normally cause damage anyways. Being able to do that and even learning better hand-to-hand combat would give me an advantage and let me surprise someone should they attempt to come after my keys again."

"Most of us are pretty efficient in that," Erza said firmly. "We can all help teach you that."

Lucy found herself excited. Beaming around at her friends, she asked, "When do we start?"

* * *

Lucy found herself walking with down the street of Magnolia, a bored Cobra trailing behind them. Having overheard their plans, he'd decided that he was going to tag along. Jellal hadn't minded, and Lucy found that the two were on surprisingly good terms, having had quite a few walks with one another as well as Sorano and Meredy in Crocus.

Lucy's lips twitched as she turned a corner.

They were heading to a park, and they were going to have a little showing in which people were welcome to watch as Lucy trained. They figured if they advertised such matters, maybe they could start offering certain days a month to the public, seeing if they wanted to come and learn with mages how to defend themselves.

Makarov had given them the okay, of course, proud of them for coming up with such an idea.

When they arrived at the park, Lucy shrugged off her jacket, enjoying the warmth of the late morning. They'd stopped at her house so she could change and she found herself in a pair of spandex shorts and a tank top that hugged her curves. Cobra gave nasty looks to anyone who stared with too much interest, wearing a jacket lined with fur despite the heat.

Jellal shed a light jacket made of material to enhance his magic, smiling a fraction. Lucy arched a brow at the tight sleeveless shirt he'd worn. "Feeling a bit flashy today, are we?" She gestured to how well the shirt showed off the muscle he held.

Being a mage meant constant physical work, and it was better to be in shape. Everyone had a decent amount of muscle. Even Lucy found herself with a lot more bicep and abs then she'd had a year ago.

"I'm always flashy. Just not in public." Jellal swung his arms in massive circles, working his neck. Lucy waited patiently for him to start instructing her. "I'm assuming you can throw a punch?"

"Of course," Lucy huffed. "I'm not that hopeless."

Sprawling himself out in the grass, Cobra called, "You sure about that?"

"Shut up, no one asked you for your input," Lucy retorted.

"I did," Cobra replied.

Jellal laughed and then settled down. "Alright, Lucy. Let's see what you can do."

Lucy nodded and slid into a stance, remembering what Natsu had shown her in a brief playful match they'd had months before. Jellal struck before she expected, but she managed to duck and sweep out a leg, attempting to knock his legs out from under him as she'd seen Natsu do. He jumped a little to avoid the blow and then lightly grabbed her around the chest when she'd straightened, expertly swinging her down to the ground and pinning her there with a knee on her chest.

"Good," he praised, panting a little. He let her up, helping her to her feet. "Really good for a start. You're observant. I've seen Natsu use that move thousands of times." He planted his fisted hands on his hips. "Keep yourself light and balanced so that you can spring back as soon as you've used it though. My first tip is to not stay stationary."

Cobra yawned. "Keep your hair out of an enemy's grasp, Blondie. It gives them a huge advantage if they grab it."

Lucy touched her tied back ponytail and nodded. "Thanks."

Jellal praised Cobra in a murmur for his thoughtful input and then rocked back on his heels. "Ready to try again?"

* * *

She sat upon her self-proclaimed throne with her legs crossed at the knee. The iridescent clothing she wore shimmered in the light of the world she'd proudly conquered, even as her newly found kingdom crumpled beneath her. Spirits fled or disappeared, others turned to her for guidance, seeing as they couldn't turn to their King or Leo, who'd fallen to her clutches.

At her right was Hydra, his lips curved into a ridiculous grin that showed his delight at what was happening. Ophiuchus reluctantly stood at his side, jaw working furiously. It had subjected itself to her rule only after the other twelve had fallen, and she found herself proud.

She'd gained command over the thirteen Zodiac, even commanding a Spirit known for its defiance and hatred of all - excluding the woman who held its key. She found herself bothered that the little celestial mage was held in such high regard by Ophiuchus, who hated everyone else.

"Cassiopeia," Andromeda chimed softly from her left.

"Mm?" Cassiopeia questioned, looking to the child Spirit. Two giggling children stood beside her, hand in hand. Cassiopeia beamed, pleased. A third child stood a short distance away, watching impatiently.

"Leo seeks a word with you."

" _Does_ he?" Cassiopeia murmured, standing swiftly. Her long golden hair tumbled down her back in a straight curtain. Silverish strands glinted in the light. "What does he want?"

The third child blinked once. "Leo seeks to enter the Mortal Realm, miss," she said honestly, her dark eyes glowing with excitement. "He requests that we all do."

Cassiopeia knelt before her and patted her blue-haired head. "Of course," she purred. "You are all granted permission. Go, wreak havoc, do as you see fit. Just remember to inform me of details of your fun, Aquarius. Tell that to the others, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am!" She beamed and then looked to the two children who stood with Andromeda. "Come on, Gemini! Let's go have fun!"

The twins exchanged sparkling eyed looks and tore off after her.

"What of us?" Hydra demanded impatiently. "Of this bastard?"

Ophiuchus growled and uncoiled its massive body. Cassiopeia struggled to not show her fear.

This Spirit was the one that concerned her, because it was the strongest, overpowering even Leo. It could have been the leader of its group had it wanted to. Yet it simply blinked lazily at her before leaving, black body moving swiftly.

Understanding swept through her.

"Tch," the new self-proclaimed Spirit Queen snorted.

"Warn your mage if you think it'll help. It's too late to do much good."

* * *

 _And chapter 200! A crazy storm just broke overhead. Here's to hoping the rumored tennis ball sized hail doesn't show up._

 _Thanks to reviewers, favoriters, and followers! Rather than listing...have a special preview of chapter 223!_

* * *

 **Preview of Chapter 223!**

 _The car barely skidded to a halt before it struck a woman who stood in the middle of the road. Her chin was raised high, her cold gaze staring them down through the windshield, and Lucy made a strangled sound in her seat, reaching over to clutch Natsu's arm._

 _"Minerva," she gasped, staring at the woman. She looked nothing like Natsu remembered, with horns on either side of her head and black marks streaking over her pale skin. But that glint in her eye-_

 _Minerva's lips, painted as red as ever, curved upwards. She gave a little wave as someone thudded to the ground beside her. He was blond, with inhuman features. A tail and ears, hands that looked as if he'd dipped them into tar and tipped with atlons that sparked as he grinned maliciously at them with sharp teeth. Natsu's chest thundered with a sound akin to a growled snarl. He protectively curled himself around Asuka, glaring viciously through simmering onyx eyes._

 _Behind him, a giggle escaped Ali's lips. Their heads snapped to her._

 _She smirked knowingly at them all, her eyes glowing cruelly._

 _"Boom," she chuckled._

 _Lucy's face paled._

 _"Boom!" the man beside Minerva screeched, slamming his taloned fingers into the ground, shoving them through pavement. It splintered as something blasted through it._

 _The car flew._


	201. Chapter 201

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

By the time Lucy got home towards evening, she was covered in sweat and scrapes and bruises. Her body ached from sparring with Jellal and even Cobra when Jellal had wanted a break but Lucy had demanded to keep going. Grimacing at how disgusting she was, she hastily showered and slid on some comfortable shorts and a tank top, swearing at the warmth of her apartment.

She was just coming out, drying her hair when her window flew open. She squealed in alarm only to realize that it was Natsu breaking into her apartment. He froze, staring at her, and then gave a huge grin. "Hey, Lu-"

A massive wind gust buffeted him. He squawked as he toppled inside and then swiftly rose to try and shut the window. Lucy rushed to help him as a lightweight vase and some papers flew from a shelf beside it. Happy had been clinging to his shirt and scrambled for safety beneath the bed. Lucy panted for breath when they'd managed to get it shut, and then gaped at the weather outside.

The beautiful summer day had turned into a messy and dark looking thunderstorm. Lucy frowned as thunder boomed. "Well. The weather's having some fun today, huh?" she rasped. The clouds churned above, and she half-expected a tornado to whip up.

Natsu groaned and dropped onto her bed, arms thrown out. "It came out while I was walking here with Happy. It literally showed up out of nowhere."

Lucy arched a brow and then squinted at his scarf-emptied appearance. She realized a moment later that it was tied safely around his waist. Catching her, he grinned. "I didn't want it to blow away."

Suddenly, Natsu climbed to his hands and knees and peered beneath the bed. The light had changed in her room, turning it dark yet light enough to still see. "You okay down there, little buddy?"

"Aye, sir," Happy reassured, trembling.

Lucy rolled her eyes in amusement and then collected the papers that had flown. A rough draft that she quickly put back together. She grabbed the fountain pen Sabertooth had given her and climbed onto the bed with a stack of paper and a clipboard, setting the scribbled on papers aside. She'd completed it and was editing before running through and adding to it. Thunder rumbled.

After determining that Happy would stay where he was, Natsu crawled across the bed. He situated himself so that Lucy sat between his thighs, leaning back against his chest, and rested his chin on her shoulder to peer down at her work. "New book? I thought you were done."

"I promised Levy," Lucy admitted. "One more. Just for her. I'm not going to publish it. Any book from here on out is mine and mine alone." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Want to read it when I'm done?"

He nodded eagerly, cheek rubbing on hers. "Yeah. I like your books. They're interesting." Natsu yawned and leaned his head happily against hers, falling silent. Before long, he'd dozed off, arms comfortably resting around her waist and Lucy smiled to herself, reaching over to turn on a lamp so she could see better.

She didn't move until her eyes were unable to stay open. By then, Happy had joined them. She set her things on a nightstand and shut the lamp off. She squirmed out of Natsu's grip and he stirred, blinking blearily before yawning and moving the covers aside. She crawled under them and he followed suit before tucking up happily against her. She curled up against him with a yawn.

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed. Rain slashed dangerously at the window.

But Lucy felt safe, tucked under Natsu's arm.

* * *

It was nearly dawn and Lucy wasn't entirely sure on what had woken her up. Natsu had stirred beside her and was grunting as he prepared to sit up, too tired to voice confusion. Happy was trembling, his fur bristling. "Happy?" Lucy mumbled.

And then there was another blaring sound that had her eyes widening. She leaped out of bed, Natsu hot on her heels, to look outside, squinting past Magnolia's lights. Her face filled with horror.

"Oh, no," she gasped as she stared at the twister that had descended from the sky, tearing down a street. It was large, and didn't look as if it was stopping soon. Natsu swore and dragged her back from the window.

"C'mon," he told her. "Wendy's probably already booking it outside to help. She can disassemble it by controlling the wind currents. Juvia and Laxus will be out there with her, working on diverting the water and lightning from her."

"Right," Lucy mumbled. They stormed downstairs, to the foyer of the building, where the landlady was huddling. Lucy flashed her a reassuring smile, yanking her phone out as Natsu tucked Happy under his arm. She dialed Erza's number.

"Lucy!" Erza greeted with surprising cheerfulness. "It's nearing your apartment. Are you and Natsu okay?"

"Why are we automatically assuming Natsu's with me?" she demanded and then agreed. "We're fine. We're with the landlady in the foyer. Natsu said Wendy's outside probably?"

"She is. She says that she can't do anything. The winds aren't responding-"

A beep on Lucy's phone caught the blonde's attention as Natsu soothed the landlady, who was usually a fierce woman. She read the message quickly and then reported, "Yukino says that their guildhall is gone."

Silence on Erza's end. "What?" Natsu gasped, voice strangled.

"No details, but something raced through and smashed it to pieces," Lucy murmured sympathetically. "The worst damage was a broken back on Rogue and a sprained paw on Lector. Their team was there doing office work." Her face paled.

Erza's voice rose above a roar. "I have to go, Lucy. The tornado-"

Static.

Lucy put her phone away and bit her lip, wanting to see what was happening, but not daring to step outside if it was coming close. Suddenly, there was a roaring sound. Lucy flinched and Natsu hissed her name, dragging her further under the staircase that the landlady was taking shelter under. "Natsu," Lucy gasped, but doubted he heard her. Her phone clattered to the floor a short distance away.

Wind suddenly blasted them. The landlady shrieked and Natsu swore, tightening his grip on Happy when the cat wailed. Lucy cried out in fear as the building suddenly began to groan. She spared a look over her shoulder - and stared in horror.

The front of her apartment's building had been torn away. Pain flashed over her cheek when wood splintered, and she shrieked as she looked up to discovering another portion of the building collapsing. Natsu pushed her head down with a shout, protecting she and the landlady as best as he could and Lucy gripped the pendant at her throat with a shiver, praying that Igneel's magic could help.

And then the wind was gone and Lucy pried her eyes open.

Natsu slowly let go of her, asking politely if the landlady was okay after checking to make sure Lucy was. Happy crawled safely into her arms and Lucy bit her lip as she stared at the debris around them.

They were stuck, wood and plaster and even some of Lucy's furniture keeping them where they were. The landlady, usually fierce and biting in attitude, shook like a leaf. Natsu couldn't find a way out of their tight space beneath the stairs and clenched his jaw. "If we try to get out, we'll be crushed. Could Virgo dig us out, Luce?"

Lucy shook her head. "They're still being...crabby. Here, look." She pointed to a hole in the mess. "Happy, why don't you squeeze through and go tell whoever you can find that we're stuck here? My phone is gone."

"Mine is, too," Natsu admitted, scratching his head. "Was on your nightstand."

Happy shivered, staring at them with wide eyes. Natsu was wide-awake now, bouncing on the balls of his heels. He was ready to do something, to get them out, but even he knew better. To move even one beam wrong would result in what was left of the building crushing them to death.

"Please, Happy," Lucy said gently, stroking his head. "We'll be okay and so will you. Do you hear how the wind's stopped roaring like it is? The tornado should be gone. Why don't we let you check before you do though," she added, suddenly worried. "Just to be safe."

"Kay." Happy's wings snapped out and he flew up to peer outside. After a moment, he slipped the entire way out and was gone.

"Will he get help?" the landlady said sharply, glancing at Lucy.

"Of course. Happy won't rest until he's bringing someone to help." Lucy gave her a reassuring smile as Natsu paced their small space, cautiously looking for a way out. His eyes were flashing with panic, much to her surprise and she grabbed his wrist. "Natsu? Are you okay?"

"No," he muttered. "You died again."

She grimaced at the way it was put and said nothing, only wound her fingers through his and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

The landlady said nothing.

* * *

It seemed like hours before Happy suddenly squeezed back in. "I got Gray," he announced. "It wrecked the whole street. Some people were hurt, so Fairy Tail's helping them first."

"That's fine," Lucy sighed. Her voice was sleepy, her eyes bleary. She'd settled beside Natsu, dozing with him as the landlady anxiously bit at her nails and waited.

"Hey!" Gray shouted a few moments later. His voice was barely audible, muffled by the wall of wood between them. "Everything okay in there?"

"We're fine!" Natsu called back with a yawn. He'd unwrapped his scarf and draped it happily around Lucy's neck, feeling happier to see it there. "Landlady's fine, too! No one got hurt. Lucy's place is gone though, I think."

"I'm sorry, Lucy," Happy said honestly. "It's bad. I don't think there's much of anything left. But look!" As if hoping to make her feel better about suddenly finding herself homeless, he brandished a pair of golden hoops and a fountain pen. "I found your magic stuff!"

"Thanks Happy," Lucy said softly, taking them from her blue-furred friend. He purred and then soared out again to help where he could. Lucy could distantly hear Gray talking to himself, trying to figure out how to get through without hurting them.

It was Natsu who came up with the idea. "Hey! Gray!" he shouted. "Can you bust through the wall under the stairs?"

There was a long moment and then Gray's muffled voice responded. "Maybe. Gotta be careful though. I'll build up some supports. The walls empty on my side, but I don't know how much of this holds up the main structure."

Lucy thought of the building and frowned, uncertain herself. She glanced at her landlady, but the woman was too nervous to be of much help. They ushered her away from the wall as plaster was splintered on one side. A moment later, Gray was peeking through a massive hole he'd made, grinning. "Hey, you guys. Hiding while we do real work?"

"I'm going to turn you into a fried stripper," Natsu told him.

They got the landlady out first, and she sobbed gratefully. Gray instructed her to go to the guildhall and seek Mirajane, who'd help her, and she left. It was while Gray was standing beneath the stairs, offering a hand to help Lucy over the debris, that Happy suddenly screeched.

"Look out!"

Gray's head snapped up. "Lucy-" he shouted, suddenly jumping on her. Lucy shrieked as he shoved her down, keeping her head low as he created some sort of icy dome. A moment later, wood shoved down atop of it, the rest of the building giving way. Lucy threw her arms over her head, feeling Gray strain to keep the poorly crafted walls around them.

She frowned. "How much magic have you used?!"

"Not much, but I panicked and used one hand." Gray grunted, sweating from the effort. "One hand isn't nearly as powerful. I'm going to work on it after this. It's like one support beam instead of two in this kind of situation."

"Natsu!" Lucy suddenly gasped, looking over.

To her relief, she could see him through the ice. He was being tugged free by Happy through a new opening, flinching when splintered wood raked at his skin. The second he was on the ground, he tore off, determined to get them some more help.

Lucy flinched when she saw the ice crack. "Can you create another layer?"

"Working on it," he grunted. He lifted another hand, cautiously letting ice creep up and create a second wall. A third worked its way up when he had both hands in place. He relaxed afterwards, slumping beside her. "There we go. Should hold until someone gets over here to remove the wood. You good?"

"Yep. Just pissed that I'm stuck again." Lucy scowled.

He playfully tugged on a lock of her golden hair. "Sorry. I should have been more careful and set up some more supports." Lucy smiled a fraction and leaned away from the chilling ice, wrapping her arms around her knees.

And then the wait began.

* * *

 _Tornado! *wiggles fingers* Things are picking up again. The Sabertooth bit is important, keep an eye on it._

 _I've been writing Tartaros. Seems a bit rushed, to_ _me, but at the same time, it's playing out better than I hoped, so. ;)_

 _There was some questioning on Lucy texting Natsu not to show up and then questioning why he didn't. My answer: she expected him to stop by for a good night kiss or something similar and then leave, but he didn't._

 _Thanks to reviewers (RandomAnimeNerd, Dragondancer81, CupcakeGoddess22, The Age of Awesomeness, HummingBird742, Guest #1, NaLu and InuKag, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Vilchen, Iris Patton, Meow Orbit, quite-a-riot, FanfictionWriterandReader, CeeCee Dragneel, Ariaofthewinds, Juvia is my spirit animal, and FtfanDessarai!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	202. Chapter 202

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

When Natsu came back, he had Levy and Gajeel with him. Lucy gave them a relieved smile through the ice as Happy fluttered around above, impatient.

Gajeel eyed the debris on top of them and grunted, "I'm gonna break through the ice on the side here," he said, tapping the wall open to them. Natsu shifted impatiently beside Levy, who was watching anxiously with her arms wrapped around herself. "I need to make some kind of support for the ceiling of your little house thing."

Gray thought over it for a moment and then rubbed his hand down his face. "Shit. Uh...Levy. Strongest material you can make?"

Levy thought over it for a moment, mouthing various words to herself. Finally, she said uncertainly, "I can make iron that you could reform, Gajeel."

"That'll work," he grunted. He went to work, carefully chipping away at Gray's ice. While it normally wasn't penetrable, Gray hadn't focused on the strength of his ice as he did in combat.

He paused to quickly create some supports out of Levy's iron. When he'd made them, he slipped them under and Gray cautiously helped set up the ones he couldn't get. Gajeel chipped away a little more, making a decent-sized hole in the wall. "Alright, Bunny Girl," he grunted, reaching out a hand. "I'll help ya out. Fullbuster, be ready to bust out if it gives out."

"Got it."

Lucy squirmed over and then squeezed just barely through the hole in the wall with Gajeel's help. He'd made it as small as he could. She almost got stuck, but Gajeel, with a tight grip on her hand, carefully tugged until she was free. She squeaked when she stumbled, but the iron mage kept a firm grip and helped her keep her balance before nudging her carefully towards Natsu and Levy.

"Hi," Lucy said to both of them, turning to watch as Gray and Gajeel carefully prepared to extract the ice-make mage.

It earned her a small laugh from Levy and a relieved grin from Natsu, who fussed over the scarf she still wore. She could feel his hands trembling and she frowned but didn't say anything. Instead, she looked over as Gajeel suddenly swore. Her eyes snapped wide as Gajeel's voice rose to a shout, the iron mage hastily throwing up a massive wall of iron through the hole. Gray slammed his shoulder into the ice as the building groaned and shifted again before suddenly collapsing - just a moment after Gray had crashed through and stumbled aside. Gajeel darted aside, and then Lucy found herself staring at her destroyed home with a shocked look.

She'd had everything in there.

Everything she owned. From life before she'd left Bosco. From the time after, before Fairy Tail and magic. From the night before - the book she'd been writing was gone, the pages scattered throughout Magnolia.

Even some of Natsu's things were gone, little knick-knacks he and Happy had left in there.

She swallowed thickly, but couldn't get too upset.

Her friends - and she herself - was okay.

And Lucy couldn't help but wonder where Loke was, or why he hadn't come when he'd sensed her despair.

* * *

Eight in the morning found Lucy settled on a bench in the guildhall, still dressed in the pajamas she'd worn the night before and shoeless. Her feet were marked with scratches and splinters that Happy was very gently prying out beneath the table. Natsu had tracked down a jacket for her to wear when she'd shivered before going back out to see if he could help somewhere, and it was Mirajane who brought her a cup of tea.

Mirajane slid into the seat beside her, smiling warmly. "How are you feeling?"

"Not good," Lucy admitted. "Kind of...trying to figure out what to do."

"You're not the only one," Lisanna told her as she whisked past. "Most of Strawberry Street was torn to pieces before Wendy dealt with it. She said it was really rough for some reason. She had problems fixing the wind. Laxus even mentioned that the lightning wasn't obeying him like it usually did."

"It's weird," Happy told them, still working at her feet. He meowed an apology when Lucy flinched, blood trickling from a deep splinter.

"It is weird," Mirajane agreed and then patted Lucy's shoulder. "Well, any of us would let you stay with us. Fairy Hills has open rooms I'm sure, or you can even stay in a room here in the guildhall if you want."

Lucy gave a weak smile. "Thanks, Mira. I'll probably take a room here before looking into getting one elsewhere."

She beamed. "I'll help you look for apartments if you want. I'll have Levy come tell you about Fairy Hills later, too, but...if you live at Fairy Hills, Natsu and Happy can't come stay with you. No men are allowed in there."

Lucy furrowed her brow unhappily at the thought. She remembered how Natsu had quietly murmured, _"You died again."_ He was still having nightmares, and she'd felt him wake up once or twice the night before, before the tornado had shown up, shaking and gasping for air.

Lucy supposed her nightmares were just as bad. She desperately wanted to talk with Loke about the matter, but...when she went to touch his key, it was icy cold and she couldn't summon him.

"Fairy Hills probably won't work out then," Lucy admitted, resting her chin on her palm. "Natsu breaks in too often. Isn't Erza in charge of the place? She'd break him."

"As would every other woman in there," Mirajane giggled. She squeezed Lucy's arm. "I better get back to work. There's some more stragglers that Wendy pulled out over there." She slipped off to go and deal with the mess that the weather had left behind and a moment later, Bisca was there, biting her lip.

"Lucy," she began, and Lucy looked at her expectantly. She waved at her daughter, who stood beside her with her hand in Bisca's. "Could you watch her? Alzack and I want to go see what we can do…"

"No problem," Lucy said cheerfully. "I want something to do anyways. If you wouldn't mind, could you pick me up some regular clothes and shoes on the way back? I'll pay you back."

"No need. I don't mind paying for that." She winked and then headed off after bidding her daughter a loving farewell.

When she was gone, Lucy turned to Asuka and beamed. "How are you, Asuka? Your house okay?"

She nodded happily as Happy hauled himself up onto the bench beside her, tail flicking. "Mhm." She climbed onto the bench on Lucy's other side and swung her legs. "Where's Natsu?"

"He's helping out like your parents." Lucy yawned. She was sleepy after everything that had gone down. She gave Asuka a kind smile. "Sorry that I don't have anything interesting for us to do. My apartment was shredded and my phone's gone. Maybe we can go play at Natsu's house-"

Happy hissed, " _No_! You can't go to our house!"

Lucy was a little hurt by that. "Why not?"

Happy gaped. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then without a word, fled for the doors. Asuka giggled and Lucy furrowed her brow, lost.

It took only minutes for Mirajane to stop by and hand over one of the guild's special tablets. She smiled warmly as she walked back to the bar and Lucy and Asuka skimmed through some movies before selecting one and putting the lacrima-charged device on the table to lean over it together. It kept them occupied as people came in and out, and Lucy kept her hands tight on her keys, seeking any kind of connection with her Spirits, but she came up with nothing.

It was as if the keys were dead.

Lucy wished she could text Yukino about the matter, but she couldn't remember Yukino's number and her phone was gone. She would see if someone else had it when she got a new phone. Upset, Lucy gripped her dragon pendant tightly, ignoring how it seared and tore at her palm. She barely noticed it was burning her until Asuka cried, "Lucy! Your hand!"

Lucy ripped her hand free and stared. "Oh," she mumbled. Blood dripped from her fingers, and she blinked, bewildered. Burn wounds didn't usually suddenly leak blood like that-"

Gently, Lisanna - the silver-haired woman had been cleaning the table beside them - gripped her hand and pressed a clean rag over the wound. "That's deep. Did it cut you? Magic can physically damage you sometimes."

"I suppose it might have," Lucy admitted. "It's only ever burned me though."

Lisanna tended to it with care, checking it every now and then until the bleeding stopped. It wasn't until she said, "Lucy, you can cry if you want," that she realized that tears were beginning to spill down her cheeks.

"Ah!" she gasped, touching her cheek with her free hand. Asuka looked concerned, climbing to her feet to stand on the bench beside her. She gently wiped her eyes for her, and then gave Lucy a stern look.

"I want you to smile," she told Lucy. "I'll tell Momma you didn't."

Lucy gave a choked laugh.

For Asuka, that seemed to be enough.

Lisanna merely gave her a concerned look and left them in peace.

* * *

Afternoon had come before Bisca came back, holding clothes and shoes for Lucy. Lucy thanked her and when Bisca tried to give her some money, she refused to take it. "The clothes are enough," she said honestly.

She dressed quickly, feeling happier in a regular pair of clothes. Bisca had chosen well: a pair of shorts that reached the middle of her thigh and a white tank top that hugged her. She'd even managed to find some underwear - Lucy wanted to bow down to her for her consideration - and some sandals that wound their leather grip all the way up her calves.

She'd just combed through her hair and shaken it loose when Natsu burst into the guildhall, a sweaty and dirty Gray, Erza, Juvia, and Jellal with him. Even Gajeel slid in not too far after, tugging Levy and Wendy in. They all were grimy and gross, but beaming.

Lucy bit her lip. She should have tried harder to help out with Magnolia, she realized, no matter how tired and sore she was-

"We're done!" Natsu cheered. The guild members that were there paused to look at him. From where he was drunkenly trying to block sounds, Cobra narrowed his eyes blearily at him.

"You mean the house?" he muttered.

"Yeah," Natsu said excitedly. He didn't bother to glare at the venom mage, instead pumping a fist. "The others had Strawberry Street handled, so we went and hurried it up."

"Hurried what up?" Lucy snapped, her temper flaring. He clammed up, shutting his mouth and letting his eyes widen nervously. "Hurried _what_ up, Natsu? What the hell have you been excluding me from? You've done that, my house is gone, and Loke and the other Spirits are _still_ being jerks. On top of it all, my own necklace is leaving scars all over. So I want to know what's going on."

She felt the stress building up, a break down threatening to rip at her mind. The stress was piling up, adding into what already existed from what had happened with the Grand Magic Games and the Eclipse Gate.

She'd tried to be good, tried to hold herself together. She'd had her share of tears and it was someone else's time, but…

Lucy couldn't help it. She gave Natsu an icy look, just _daring_ him not to tell her.

"Perfect timing," Kinana giggled softly. "Since Lucy's been having a rough time lately...why don't you two go outside and talk, hm? We'll stay in here. I'll make sure Erik doesn't eavesdrop for you."

"Thanks, Kinana!" Natsu said brightly.

"Don't fuck up," Gajeel told him, nudging the yawning Wendy, who held her grouchy cat friend in her arms, over to the bar. Levy watched with amusement and went to join Droy and Jet over at a table, chatting easily with them.

Lucy huffed and crossed her arms grumpily. She joined Natsu at the doors and let him lead her outside, where she stopped a few feet away, waiting for the doors to shut before demanding, "What's going on?"

Natsu gave a sheepish smile. "I was, uh, working on my house. They were helpin' 'cause I don't know what to do when it comes to that kinda stuff. Happy's still there finishing up. We were cleaning up and extending and repairing and stuff." Lucy arched a brow impatiently, waiting for him to get to the point.

"Anyways," he said hastily. "Before that stupid tornado came out, I was gonna surprise you for the anniversary of the day you joined the guild, but since you don't really have a house to sleep in anymore…" Now he became terrified. He raked a hand through his hair, onyx eyes widening nervously. He'd changed into one of those odd vests she'd first seen him in, letting it hang open.

Trying to gentle her tone, Lucy asked, "Since I'm homeless…?"

"You're not homeless," he huffed, and then said hastily, "I was gonna see if you wanted to move in. With me. The others built an extra room, so you'd have your own if you wanted it, and-"

He didn't get to finish his eager description of what he'd changed and cleaned and added.

Because Lucy promptly collapsed to her knees before him, weeping when she gripped her keys for comfort and felt no response.

* * *

 _A step in the right direction in regards to Natsu and Lucy's relationship!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (19vanelkc, CupcakeGoddess22, NaLu and InuKag, FairyRains, RandomAnimeNerd, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Typhlosion8, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Trigger-Happy Texan, LePengwen, Dragondancer81, ReviewWithFace, FtfanDessarai, quite-a-riot, Vilchen, and Juvia is my spirit animal!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	203. Chapter 203

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

It took Lucy a good half hour to stop crying and a little longer to reassure Natsu that she wasn't crying because she was telling him no. He'd panicked, trying to apologize and tell her she didn't have to move in, that he'd help her get a new place to live, but she'd promised him that she wasn't upset over that. In fact, she was more than willing to move in.

Gray had nearly punched him when he'd burst outside, Cobra cackling over his shoulder drunkenly. Kinana had dragged him back inside, apologizing, and Lucy had quickly stopped Gray from attacking Natsu, lying to Gray and saying that everything was fine, she was just relieved.

 _That,_ however, had launched Natsu into a rant. Because Lucy wasn't alright, she was in tears, and how could that mean she was fine and relieved? She'd glared at him, and Gray had cut in with a sharply stated demand of "What do you mean she isn't relieved?" and the situation just got worse, resulting in more tears.

When _Mirajane_ had come, Lucy had hastily told her she was just stressed and that both men had done nothing wrong.

Still sniffling, Lucy took a shaky breath and wiped at her eyes. She was still outside, leaning against the wall on her feet, refusing to sit down. She wasn't sure _why_ Natsu was sitting in front of her with his forehead resting lightly against her knees, hands draped in his lap. But she appreciated the gentle gesture.

Her keys hung from her hand, jingling with every movement. They were icy. Cold. Lacking the warmth she'd taken warmth from for the last few months. Despite the dragon slayer at her feet, she felt alone.

Because she truly loved Natsu, and she would fight to keep him with her just as fiercely as he would fight for her. But there was a connection that she had with her Spirits...a connection she couldn't form with anyone else. They read her thoughts and feelings and knew what she needed.

"Luce?" Natsu said lowly, not looking up.

She finally slid down the wall, grateful that Mirajane had dragged Gray back inside.

He shifted, making room as she tucked herself safely between him and the wall. He went silent, not wanting to make her snap again. He peered nervously into her face, worried.

"I miss them," she said softly, showing him her keys. He took them, touching the icy metal, and then looked back at her. "I can't summon them. It's like they've...it's like they've died. I didn't mean to start all the fighting, I just…" She couldn't figure out how to explain herself. "Natsu, I want them to come _back_."

"We'll figure it out," he murmured to her, kissing her head gently. His pink hair fell wildly around his head, and Lucy thoughtfully noted that he could use a haircut.

"I hope so."

They fell quiet, and Lucy arched a brow when he began to mess with a lock of her hair. After a moment, he said, "You really don't...mind moving in with me? I know we haven't really been... _together_ for very long, and I...I know that you haven't been here for even a year yet-"

"No, Natsu, I'd really like to." Lucy smiled a little. "Besides. I don't have a place to live in anymore, remember?"

He flashed a huge grin, that signature grin she was so fond of.

* * *

After a quick moment to duck inside and apologize to Gray and Mirajane, Lucy headed out to see her new house. She remembered the way from the last time she'd stayed there - almost a year ago, as he'd pointed out - and they chattered happily despite Lucy's distress over her keys.

"We widened the clearing that's behind the house," he told her excitedly, eyes sparkling. "You can do that training in it. I'll help you if you want, and Jellal can come whenever. Erza had Levy put down wards that will keep magic contained to that area so if we get carried away, I won't burn my house down!"

He was so pleased with that, the sparkle in his eyes glittering ridiculously bright, that Lucy threw her head back and laughed.

When they made it to his - their, she supposed - house, Happy was waiting in the window. He beamed, tail lashing back and forth when he saw Lucy. "Lucy!" he cried, flying outside. He soared into her arms, and she hugged him. "I cleaned as best as I could!"

"Thank you, Happy," Lucy said gently. "I appreciate that."

He squirmed.

Playfully, Natsu shoved her forward. "Go inside!"

"I'm going," she giggled, rolling her eyes. She slid in - and then paused in the doorway.

She'd seen the outside - could barely see how it had changed except for a new addition to the back. The main room was the same. The hearth with the nice couch in front of it, a newer coffee table added in. He'd acquired a bit of a second hoard, she realized, rolling her eyes at the pictures that decorated the walls with no organization what so ever. Random pictures that looked as if they'd been taken with his phone, small pictures, big pictures, every kind, pinned up with thumb tacks to the wood. They were of her, their friends, everyone.

She could see the kitchen - a little bit bigger, extended a fraction, she guessed. He hadn't bothered with any kind of dining room, choosing to keep a bar instead. She saw his room, the one she'd once taken a spill in when he'd switched her into the hammock - which was still there. if she'd thought the walls around her were covered in pictures, they had nothing on what sliver she could see from where she stood.

"C'mon, your room is this way." He grabbed her wrist and tugged her forward, kicking his shoes off without a second thought. Lucy didn't bother to. "I didn't...think you'd wanna share a room. All the time anyways. So…"

It was her home now, too.

Natsu steered her over to a door and pushed it open, then stepped back to let her look.

Lucy ducked into the room and her heart swelled.

He hadn't decorated all that much - leaving her room to do what she wanted, she supposed. The dragon slayer had put a bed with all of the necessary blankets and sheets and pillows in there, the headboard against the wall. A nightstand rested on either side, with lamps on each. A dresser was shoved up against one wall, empty of anything in and atop it. The wall beside it was empty for her to fill with whatever she wanted, though a desk had been pushed up against the wall beside the dresser.

Across from the bed was a series of bookshelves, and when she stepped forward to look, she had to blink quickly to bat away tears. "Are these...my books?"

He nodded proudly. "Happy and I hunted down each and every one that we could find. Mira helped us come up with a list so we could make sure we had them all."

The bookshelves weren't entirely filled, only the top half of the very first held her books, but…

She ran her fingers over their spines, her heart aching longingly as she remembered how much fun she'd had putting stories into words for others to enjoy. She remembered how Natsu had torn through as many as he could when they'd first become friends, and she smiled at the memories.

Lucy was feeling nostalgic, it appeared.

"Thank you," she said quietly. She pulled away. "Did you read them all?"

He grinned. "Not yet. Been kinda busy, y'know. But I'm gonna keep reading. Happy, too. We organized 'em so that we know what we've read."

Lucy looked down at the blue-furred cat when he told her honestly, "We thought you'd like it."

"I do," she murmured, smiling at him. She kissed his fuzzy head and then released him. He scampered onto her bed. With great care, she withdrew her earrings and the fountain pen, planting them on one shelf. She longed to add her hair pins to the collection, but Loke had taken them to the Spirit Realm for her before the Games. She'd been planning on wearing them to the planned party.

Lucy shoved away the idea of Loke and set her keys beside the other treasures.

No warmth met her touch, no connection that she'd grown used to. Not even Plue's key gave a signal.

"Luce," Natsu began, but she said nothing on the matter as she turned to him with a faint smile on her face.

"We've still got a few hours," she said. "Want to see what Jellal taught me?"

* * *

 _"Leo."_

The voice echoed in his head, and he paused in striding through the sands of a beach. He listened, head cocked. "What?"

 _"Leo, what are you doing? Lucy has need of you...why are you not assisting her? My son?"_

A cruel smile flashed over Leo's face. Green eyes flashed with amusement. "I'm doing what I want," he purred, starting forward again. Laughter was all around him, men and women and children - all playing. Some looked curiously to him, the golden armor that decorated his bodies.

He growled low in his throat and bared his teeth impatiently at them.

Who was this voice, anyways?

 _"Leo,"_ it began again, and Leo merely turned his face towards the ocean. _"Have you abandoned your promise? You vowed to protect Lucy. To protect her from-"_

"Who the hell cares?" he purred. "I'll tear her mind to pieces myself."

Silence, and then a low growl thundered viciously throughout his mind. _"You will do no such thing."_

Much to Leo's annoyance, he flinched. Something about the creature's power, as muted as it was, warned him to not piss it off. But he tried not to show any signs of weakness towards the danger suddenly presented. "I do whatever I want."

 _"You are contracted to Lucy Heartfilia. You are to protect her from what is to come, from Acnologia, from Zeref himself, and from a being far worse than Zeref. You made this vow to me and to Layla before I placed your key into my hoard, fully trusting that you would help Lucy find you. You are Lucy's most trusted Spirit, the Spirit she turns to for everything - even what she does not turn to my son for. You are meant to help_ her _. Not yourself. She is breaking without you, and in return, my son is breaking. What are you doing, Leo? What has changed?"_

Leo studied his claws as questioning voices filled the air. Green eyes flicked up as people who had been waist deep in water moments before found themselves on sand, the water drawing away.

"Nothing," he muttered. "Nothing has changed. I'm just being what I want to be now. And doing what I think is right."

" _And what do you think is right?"_

He said nothing, only grinned as screams suddenly filled the air. Towering hundreds of feet above him, he watched the tsunami race for the shore, watched as innocent people struggled to get away seconds before it struck.

When it did, he jumped. He landed on some invisible platform, and he heard Aquarius' giggle above him as she watched dozens of people get washed out to sea, parents screaming for their children, lovers for their partners, and even a boy for his grandfather.

"What do _I_ think is right?" he repeated.

He laughed.

"I think that this world should be cleared of the filth that has gathered for four hundred years. I think that I'm tired of bowing to the wills of others. I think that I am tired of that fake love that our supposed mistress presented to us, that fake care. I think that I am ready to watch this world burn beneath the touch of its demons."

" _I trusted you,"_ that voice whispered. _"I trusted you and you may know that I no longer hold faith in you. Layla would be ashamed to have called you a friend."_

For some reason, Leo felt a little pain in his lacking heart.

* * *

 _LOKE AND IGNEEL AND PRECIOUS MOMENTS FOR NALU. I've been working on the Tartaros arc, though, and let me fucking tell you. It's a mess. On another note, remember the scene at the dance for the Grand Magic Games where Natsu kissed Lucy's hand and asked her to dance? Check that out at my tumblr. I drew it. :D_

 _Thanks to reviewers (CupcakeGoddess22, Typhlosion8, quite-a-riot, Realdeadmeat, LePengwen, Guest #1, PinkFireandGoldenStars, 19vanelkc, ReviewWithFace, silver light, RandomAnimeNerd, Moon Stone Tiger LIly, Iris Patton, HummingBird742, Juvia is my spirit animal, NaLu and InuKag, Dragondancer81, EchizenRyoma, FtfanDessarai, and Trigger-Happy Texan!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	204. Chapter 204

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

A week passed and Lucy found that there was no change with her Spirits. She tried every morning and evening with no success, and she found herself struggling not to get angry with them whenever they didn't show up. They likely had their reasons, but it was still frustrating.

She trained most mornings with Jellal, although Natsu and Gray had taken over for one session, and it was doing her some good. She'd slowly begun to improve though she was still struggling a little to figure out how to move fast enough to block blows that had resulted in bruises. Everyone who had made them apologized, but Lucy waved them off, taking them with an easy smile.

It was only a few days before the Fantasia Parade and Lucy found herself in a shop with Erza and Jellal. The two mages had been dragged out of their training by Erza to get some costumes fitted for their float on the parade - another thing they'd been working on. Lucy was somewhat annoyed that she couldn't do very much without her Spirits, but prided herself in knowing she could use her whip and had finally figured out how to force her magic into her fingertips. She hoped to be able to show it off by the Parade.

"I wish I could get some of the clothing from the Celestial Realm," Lucy admitted as she picked out a beautiful piece of cloth for a dress. It was black with a shimmer that looked like stars. It had nothing on the clothes Virgo could get her.

Jellal glanced over from where Erza was helping a seamstress get his measurements. "Nothing can be done about the matter, Lucy. It's not your fault. We'll figure out what's going on after the Fantasia Parade. Have you talked with Yukino?"

Lucy checked her new phone. "Yeah. She said that her Spirits aren't coming when she summons them either. It nearly got her killed when she was on a job with Rogue. Before they wrecked the guildhall."

"Then it might be a bigger problem than we thought," Erza commented with a frown. "I'll speak to Master. He might have a suggestion on what we should do. Jellal, what do you think of this shade of gold for the material Lucy picked out?" She offered him a swatch of cloth.

"Let me see that cloth, Lucy," Jellal mused, and she handed it over. Jellal paused to compare them. "A shade darker would be better. We want to maybe match Lucy's keys and the shades of gold that Natsu's gifted her."

Lucy grimaced, remembering the arm bands that they'd pulled from the debris of her house. Not much else had been left and Natsu, for whatever reason, had begun to lay gold objects along her bookshelves when she wasn't paying attention. He'd spread the armbands out, carefully arranged a small amount of gold jewelry he'd given her, and even had set up what looked like some ancient golden statue in the corner of the top most shelf.

"If someone broke into the house," she muttered, rolling her eyes, "They'd be rich instantly. And then fried. He's been laying out some dragon-related magic with Gajeel's help."

"Is he moving his hoard or something?" Erza demanded.

"No," she laughed. "He says he's just rearranging." She flicked a ridiculously long strand of hair off of her shoulder, and then examined it. "Hm...I've been thinking of getting a haircut. I was going to have Cancer style it, but…" She faltered.

"Why don't you wait until after we've figured out what's going on?" Jellal looked at her for a quick moment and then selected a style of jacket from the book a man brought him. He'd made sure to choose a style that would match well with the style of dress Lucy had wanted, and Erza gave him an approving nod.

"Yeah," Lucy agreed. She paused. "Do you think Natsu's going to have a melt down over it?"

"He might," Erza admitted with a grin. The scarlet-haired woman planted her hands on her jean-clad hips. She'd decided on her favorite armor for her own float and said she'd been there with Gray and Juvia three days before for their costumes. "The other slayers have pointed out time and time again that your hair is the closest anyone's seen to gold."

"No wonder Igneel liked my mother so much," Lucy said with a snort and Erza chuckled before touching her arm gently. "Lucy, we've been thinking. Would you perhaps like to take a day and visit your parents' graves soon?"

Lucy jolted, not having expected such a suggestion. "Yeah," she said softly after a moment. Then she sighed. "I need to run and check with some government stuff in Bosco anyways, make sure that Hisui's running the country pretty well. I need to make an appearance - and soon, before they start spreading rumors that I don't care."

"It would be bad," Jellal agreed, "If there were things going wrong that you didn't know about. Hisui has not been the...best source of information. Nor has she been a good leader as of late."

Lucy thought over that. Her face paled. "If I can't convince my people that Hisui is a good leader, that she will do right by them, I will have to...I will have to hand my throne over to someone else entirely or I will have to take it myself. And if I take that throne...I will not be able to stay here. I'll have to go back and be a queen and I will have to marry some man I don't even like to keep the alliances Bosco holds going."

Silence fell. The men and women who were working on them said nothing. Erza and Jellal exchanged a look. Neither liked the idea of her words reaching Natsu's ears. The cranky dragon slayer had been having problems with his temper lately, had even been restless enough that he'd snapped at Wendy. If they took Lucy, who could usually keep him calm, away and put her in a place he _knew_ she didn't like…

There was a long moment in which Jellal studied her, and then he said quietly, "If someone needs to take your throne...even temporarily...say the word, Lucy, and I will do it."

Even the seamstress working on him gaped up at his serious face.

"Jellal," Erza began, but he held up a hand to silence her. His eyes were locked on Lucy's, whose mouth had fallen open in her shock.

"I'm serious," he told her. "If you do not believe they will listen...that Hisui is no longer capable in their eyes, that you need someone you can trust to take the throne until you yourself are ready to take it, I will run your country for you. I appreciate everything that Fairy Tail has done for me, and I certainly appreciate what I have learned and been entrusted with here, but...working as I have will not allow me to make up for the mistakes of the past." His shoulders tightened. "I fought alongside you all in the Grand Magic Games. And I battled with you in the streets of Crocus, but it isn't enough for the damage I have done. Being cleared by the Council is _not enough_. And I will never be able to get rid of the whispers this way. Never." He raised his chin suddenly.

"I have already decided to leave the guild. I wasn't sure when. Perhaps when Lucy didn't want to train anymore. Perhaps before. Perhaps as soon as after the Fantasia Parade. Cobra is leaving with me."

"What?" Lucy gasped.

"Meredy is leaving Lamia Scale," he continued, "And Sorano is leaving Sabertooth. I have invited the three of them to join me in a new guild, an independent guild, that will focus on redemption. And should anyone else join us, they will be welcomed with open arms and fully trusted until proven otherwise." He turned his dark eyes gently on Erza, who looked heartbroken by this. "I do not regret joining Fairy Tail, Erza, nor do I wish to upset and hurt you. But we have not yet turned back the clock like you believe we have."

Erza was silent.

And then she shook her head and left.

Lucy was quiet as he watched after her, guilt fluttering over his expression, but she reached out and squeezed his arm reassuringly. "I think," she said gently, "That that is a brilliant plan, Jellal. And I am sure that you will be more than welcomed back when you have deemed yourself able."

He offered her a kind smile. "Thank you."

She saw the true gratitude in his eyes and smiled warmly. "And I accept." He blinked in confusion. "I accept your offer. To take over Bosco for me. Cobra, Sorano, and Meredy can all help you, of course. I'll accompany you to where the government is centered around and I'll instruct those there on who they will answer to. I will announce it to the people of Bosco, and I will alert Hisui."

Jellal's lips curved into a surprisingly large grin. "We will do our best to make sure that Bosco is run correctly, Lucy."

Lucy beamed. "We head out the day after the Fantasia Parade."

* * *

That night found Lucy waking up to shrieking and smoke, sobbing and heat.

She shot to her feet, dressed in some new pajamas Levy had picked up for her. She raced out of the room without hesitation and wrinkled her nose at the smell of smoke, her eyes watering at the thickness of it as it rolled out of Natsu's room.

Without hesitation, fully trusting that he wouldn't hurt her, she ducked in.

He was in the middle of the charred room, huddled into a ball. Happy was pressed against a wall, fur singed and his eyes full of tears and terror. He fled when Lucy appeared, bristling. Natsu had shed a shirt to sleep, leaving his scarf on.

The room itself was in flames.

They leaped and then roared when he let loose a keening cry that brought tears to Lucy's eyes. She stumbled through the heat and flames, ignoring the pain they brought, until she reached him, and then dropped to her knees in front of him.

His onyx eyes were wide, unseeing, his breath heaving in his chest. He stared at his hands blankly. Tears rolled down his cheeks and then a ragged sob tore from him. Panic took over and he was soon struggling to breathe, unable to draw in that breath he so desperately needed.

"Natsu," Lucy said gently, cradling his face in her hands. "Natsu, calm down. Breathe. You're okay."

He slowly shook his head. "Dead," he choked out, sobbing. The sounds tore through her. "She's dead, Lucy's dead-"

"No," Lucy denied, tightening her grip on his chin. "I'm right here. Natsu, look at me. _Look at me._ "

His gaze lifted slowly, the shadows beneath his eyes as black as ever. He stared blankly at her and then let his gaze slide back to his hands. His eyes widened in horror. "There's blood," he said in a strangled voice. "Blood-"

Lucy forced his head back up, trapping him there. As he'd done so many times for her, she pressed her forehead against his. His smoky breath washed over his face, and his gaze searched hers, forced to focus. "Natsu," she said firmly. "There is _no blood_. I'm not dead. I'm right here. You had a nightmare, okay? Just a dream. It was just a dream."

"Dream?" he whispered. "It was...a dream?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "Just a dream, Natsu. I'm right here. I'm alive. See?" She took his hand gently and rested it over her heart so he could feel the steady thumping. "I'm alive."

He shook free and she jumped when he suddenly lunged. He caught around the waist with his arms and slammed his ear almost painfully over her chest, searching. When he found the sound of her heart, fluttering wildly at his sudden action, he groaned, shuddering.

"I'm alright," she soothed, stroking his hair, cradling him to her. She rested her cheek against the top of his head. "Everything's fine. We're home, remember? We're in Magnolia. The dragons, all of that stuff, it's all gone. I'm right here."

Lucy wondered if anyone else had nightmares like they did.

* * *

When they went to the guildhall the next morning, Erza was there, gaze stony and strawberry cake in her hand. But her gaze softened when Natsu and Lucy joined her. She watched Natsu slump onto the table, back asleep in seconds, and Lucy reached across the table to gently run her fingers through his hair before telling Erza quietly, "We had a really long night."

"Nightmares?" Erza asked.

Lucy nodded. "When we were in Crocus," she said, frowning, "My future self died in front of us. She died holding my hand. Natsu...Natsu lost it for a moment. And then he started fighting. But he's been having a rough time sleeping because of it."

Erza's eyes flashed and then she smiled gently. "I do not agree with sharing beds without marriage, as you know, but I am glad that you're able to help him at least a little. When we were working on the house, he was genuinely worried that you wouldn't like any of the changes he'd made."

Lucy snorted. "Nonsense. I appreciate it a lot."

"Yes, but he was very picky because of it." Erza gave a wistful smile. "A little over a year ago, Lucy, that house was empty and we hadn't seen him in months. To see him every day, even as exhausted from nightmares as he is...relying on us, on _you_ …"

Erza reached out and ran her fingers through his hair, too, affectionate.

Neither said more.

* * *

 _Some precious moments that make us feel bad for a certain someone. And yep! Jellal and Cobra will be leaving FT! Crime Sorciere incoming._

 _DragonL, my tumblr is **riverofmemoriesft** :3 _

_Thanks to reviewers (ReviewWithFace, Trigger-Happy Texan, LePengwen, Guest #1, RandomAnimeNerd, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, CupcakeGoddess22, DragonL, FtfanDessarai, and Juvia is my spirit animal!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	205. Chapter 205

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The evening of the Fantasia Parade arrived without much drama beforehand.

Lucy had closed and locked the door of her bedroom so she could get dressed for her float, which she and Jellal had styled and built with the help of their nakama, and she found herself excited.

She looked like some kind of empress of the stars.

The dress was sleek and hugged every curve. It held itself up around her breasts, and she'd pulled on black lace "sleeves" that stopped half way up her upper arm, trapped in place by a golden cuff. She'd chosen Aquarius' and Scorpio's cuffs, assuming they'd appreciate it. The black and starry fabric faded into gold at the hem, as if stars had been scattered at her feet. She'd arranged her hair with care, the golden locks french-braided down the back of her head.

She'd decked herself out in Natsu's gifts, too. Her choker was wrapped around her throat, a beautiful golden necklace with a heavy golden amulet hanging low on her chest. Each wrist had bangles that clattered together. The hoops from Natsu dangled from each ear and to finish it all off, she'd put a diadem in her hair, weaving it among looser locks. The golden material had black gems embedded into it.

She beamed. She was proud of her makeup, too. She'd exaggerated it, dusting golden eyeshadow over her eyelids and contrasting sharply with the black eyeliner.

"Luce, c'mon!" Natsu called. He'd reluctantly agreed to take her car - she hadn't driven it in forever - to the guildhall so that they didn't ruin their clothes. "We gotta go!"

Lucy swept her gold-tipped nails down her dress, smoothing it, and then called back, "Coming!"

She stepped out of the room without hesitation, and then smiled hesitantly. "What do you think?"

He froze in his tracks, gaping open-mouthed at her.

Natsu liked to see her dressed up. No matter what the event was. Christmas, the Grand Magic Games party. This. He _really_ liked this. He eagerly drank in how the gold complimented her - his gold. His gifts.

And he practically purred, "You look really nice."

She flushed at his tone and took in his own appearance, how he'd dressed in specially designed clothes. Dark jeans and military boots that tied half way up the calf. A tight black top that hugged the column of his neck and showed off his hard-earned muscles, a thin red cloth vest pulled over the top. His hands supported the frayed gloves she'd gotten him, each wrist circled by a leather cuff.

"You look good, too," she murmured, smiling brightly at him. She smiled even wider when his face turned red, his gaze dropping to his feet.

"Wish we were on the same float," he mumbled with a pout as she grabbed her keys. She tied a belt made of golden circles around her waist, keys hooked to it. They were still cold, but she tried to ignore that fact as they headed out to the car.

"Me, too," she said sympathetically. "But I think you, Gajeel, and Wendy will look great together."

"You should see our plans," he said proudly.

"I'll find it on the computer later," she promised. "We can watch the entire parade."

He lit up excitedly.

* * *

They made it to the guildhall in record timing despite the traffic that had spilled into the streets. Natsu slunk into the building with a moan of pain, seeking Wendy and clutching his stomach. Lucy laughed and then went to find Levy.

She found Levy with Freed. He offered Lucy a kind smile, both dressed just as grandly as everyone else. Levy's hair had miraculously been put up, a quill stuck in to keep it up. "Lucy!" she gasped. "That's a beautiful dress...you and Jellal did great. He matches perfectly."

"You look pretty, too," Lucy told her, carefully hugging her friend. She waved at Freed.

He chuckled. "Jellal's with Erza, of course, though Erza's somewhat upset. Be careful."

"Thanks, Freed," Lucy said honestly.

She went to track down the pair. Gray and Juvia stood with their heads close together, dressed like a fairy tale prince and princess. Juvia's massive skirts swirled around her heels as she hurried off, calling a farewell as she went to see to their float. Gray waved to Lucy and Lucy waved back.

Lucy passed Laxus, who looked uncomfortable beside Evergreen and Bickslow, tugging at the tie he wore, and Mirajane paused to smack his fingers away, her demonic gaze shifting over to Lucy with a shockingly friendly look that didn't match her transformation.

It took a moment of searching to hunt down Erza and Jellal. Erza wore her best armor, a decorative set that made her look like a deadly valkyrie. Jellal matched Lucy in a jacket that supported the same inky material that shimmered like stars.

"Jellal!" Lucy called as she hurried over. He looked over and smiled. "I've been looking for you guys...you look amazing, Erza."

"As do you." Erza chuckled. She hesitantly searched Jellal's eyes for a moment, and he pressed a hand to hers before she hurried off.

"Everything okay?" Lucy asked softly.

"Of course," Jellal murmured, his voice warm and full of affection for Erza. "We spoke. She understands. She said she would wait for me."

Lucy knew that she would, too. Erza would wait centuries if she had that kind of time. But she said nothing other than, "Make sure you don't make her wait too long, please. I'd like to see children someday. I call godmother."

Jellal sputtered furiously and Lucy smirked as she longingly touched the keys at her hip.

A spark.

She jolted, ripping them from her hip so fast her fingers cut themselves on the belt. She stared at each key, shifting them one by one. She must have looked insane as she moved her lips, mouthing each name.

"Cancer, Capricorn, Virgo, Leo, Cancer, Taurus, Scorpio, Aquarius, Gemini, Aries, Crux, Lyra, Plue…" she muttered, and then went through them again, seeking, even as her gashed fingers dripped blood, staining the metal.

"Lucy," Jellal said, alarmed. "Your hands-"

It took her a minute to realize that her hands were burning, searing, blistering. She gasped, but didn't drop them, struggling to figure out which key it was until she finally gripped one that was so hot it glowed.

" _Lucy,_ " Jellal snapped, suddenly grabbing her wrist. He squeezed until she dropped the ring of keys. A small rasped cry left her lips when they struck the ground, but he ignored her in favor of turning her palms upright, looking at them.

"Your hands," he said softly. "Lucy, they were hurting you."

"Plue," she whispered, voice trembling. "Plue called for me. I have to...I have to summon Plue-"

Her palms were raw and painful looking, blood trickling down them and to the floor below. Blisters had risen and burst, and when she looked at her hands, at the damage Plue's key had done in an attempt to get to her, she gave a heartbroken sob. "Plue needs me."

"I know," Jellal soothed softly. "I'm going to text Wendy so that she can tend to these, okay?"

"Kay," Lucy sniffed, eyes never leaving her keys.

Despite the usual delay in technology, it was only a few minutes after he'd sent the text that Wendy showed up with a furious Natsu in tow. He gave Jellal a suspicious look as Jellal relayed what had happened. The fury faded when he listened, and then Natsu scooped the keys up.

Wendy frowned when her magic didn't work as it usually did on the wounds. "It's not healing…" she mumbled, and looked up at Lucy. The blonde looked exhausted suddenly. "It's not healing like it should. This shouldn't have been too hard to heal, but the most I can do right now is the cuts. The burns won't be fixed."

Natsu lifted the keys to his nose. "Lucy, this doesn't really remind me of Plue's scent. Are you sure it was Plue's key burning you?"

"It was Plue," she hissed fiercely, flinching at the pain. Wendy told her she'd be right back and ran off. "I know when Plue wants me, Natsu. Give me my keys back. _Now_."

He glared. "So they can hurt your hands like that after being gone? Hell no."

Not wanting to make the pain worse, Lucy stamped on his foot. He swore and dropped the keys. Before she could grab them, Jellal snatched them up and pocketed them. "Lucy, see sense," he ordered, rolling his eyes. "We have a parade to go through and your hands are so burned, I'll be amazed if there isn't scarring when Wendy figures out what to do."

Lucy glowered furiously as Natsu swore under his breath, hopping up and down, and then dropped her gaze in defeat. "Plue needed me," she rasped. "I felt it. He needed me, even if his key was burning me. He was trying to get to me when the others won't even tell me they're okay. I have to summon him. I _have to_."

Jellal promptly took the keys from his pocket and tossed them. Natsu snatched them out of the air, kissed Lucy's cheek apologetically, and then ran.

Lucy gaped after him like a fish.

"We have a parade," was all Jellal said before Lucy started shouting at Natsu to get his ass back over there because _damn it_ , she would make him sleep outside.

Jellal rubbed his temples tiredly.

Never a boring moment in Fairy Tail.

* * *

Wendy managed to fix her hands up a little bit. They still ached, but there was minor scarring after she'd used a ridiculous amount of her magic to heal them. She'd fretted afterwards, mumbling anxiously that too much sky magic was bad, but Lucy had reassured her it was fine.

Still annoyed with both her boyfriend and Jellal, Lucy reluctantly apologized to the heavenly body mage, who looked amused with her as he assisted her onto their float. It was large and Lucy had suggested designing it around what she remembered of the Celestial Realm from her visit. It was gorgeous. Gray had helped them out, creating a building that Lucy remembered Loke saying they used as a meeting place for the Zodiacs. The ice wouldn't melt, he'd reassured. Those who had been done with their own floats had helped she and Jellal carefully adjust the colors through layers upon layers of paint, making it match their outfits.

Black and gold platforms rose up to make it look as if they stood on nothing. Lucy and Jellal each took their place on those platforms, and despite the situation with Plue, Lucy pushed a smile onto her face.

"Are we ready?" someone shouted as everyone took their places. "Almost time!"

Jellal went to work, his magic glowing at his fingertips. Planets began to dance around them, decently large yet not too large, and Lucy copied him, remembering what he'd been teaching her. Her magic rushed into her, unused outside of training for the past week. She'd been working on controlling Urano Metria, but hadn't dared to use it for the parade. She frowned when she couldn't force her magic into stars like she'd done before.

Jellal smiled kindly. "Here, give me your hand." Lucy did as he said, and the second their fingers touched, she could feel his magic helping to shape her own like they wanted it to.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"Of course," he chuckled, and then focused as the float began to move.

The parade had started at the guildhall and would circle around a block before going down the main street. Most of the people were lined up waiting there, but even now, some had gathered at the front of the guildhall to cheer and watch. Lucy forced her smile wide and joined Jellal in waving at the children there. They squealed in delight when behind their float, a roar of water filled the air as Juvia and Gray went to work on creating a beautiful display.

The planets and stars whirled above Lucy's and Jellal's head, glowing brightly and dancing, making the building Gray had helped with shine beautifully. Lucy looked at them longingly, aware that they were in the form of constellations, and wondered why her Spirits were acting so strange.

The float turned a corner and continued on. Lucy peacefully continued waving and smiling and shouting alongside her nakama, who were all having fun with this. Jellal gave it a moment and then suddenly spun, his index and middle fingers extended and pressed to his lips while his thumb and other fingers curled in.

Lucy wasn't surprised when a quick jerk of his hand crafted a series of falling stars and comets that plummeted from the skies above and scattered along the street, exploding into what looked like stardust and showered down upon those watching. The crowds of the festival cheered.

Lucy giggled when children screamed bloody murder because Natsu's fire had exploded around the dragon slayers' float and swirled around them, as if they were trapped in an inferno. Music blasted, sung by Mirajane, and Lucy grinned, closing her eyes and finally relaxing after what had happened with Plue and just enjoying herself-

"Well, isn't this delightful?"

Lucy sputtered, head snapping around, a relieved look materializing. "Loke," she cried, only to stop and stare.

The Spirit that had earned the shrieks of delight and excitement from the crowd brought chills down Lucy's spine. Jellal's face was wiped of amusement as he stared in horror.

It was Loke, Lucy knew. It couldn't be anyone else. Not with that color of hair or shape of face and eyes. The voice was his. But it wasn't. Her Loke didn't wear black and gold armor that looked as if it was impenetrable. Her Loke didn't have his hair that long, nor did he go without his shades the majority of the time.

And her Loke most certainly did _not_ look at her with an expression of cruelty and darkness.

A smirk crossed his face, showing off sharp teeth when Lucy breathed, "...Loke?"

"Leo," he corrected with a snicker.

Jellal's face was white as he demanded, "What happened to you?"

"Nothing," Leo mused, cocking his head. "That I regret, anyways. Did you like the gift we gave you a last week? We thought you might. It's not everyday that twisters tear through the middle of Magnolia, is it? Oh, and Aquarius certainly loves her tsunamis...childish, but enjoyable."

The stars Lucy's magic had sustained fell to the earth. "That was the...the Spirits?" she whispered. She staggered, her chest aching as she reached for him. Her most trusted Spirit, her beloved companion who had been there through everything and protected her-

Who now brandished an armor-tipped hand and laughed, flashing sharp teeth at her. "Give the Spirit King my regards," he sneered, magic that Lucy didn't recognize gathering into his palm.

And then he froze and Lucy shrieked, ripping at the choker on her neck when it seared at her skin. She flung it away instinctively and Leo shouted in agony when it bounced off of his face. Clutching his seared flesh, he disappeared.

The pendant struck the floor of the float and then clattered to the street.

* * *

 _Loke made an appearance before Lucy! Kind of wild chapter._

 _On another note! If you go to my profile, you'll see that I've added some fanart and stuff from BTL! There's ajdrake's gorgeous piece available without messaging me, and I added my own in, too. I've drawn the date scene from Crocus, as well as the part during the Grand Magic Games dance/ball where Natsu kisses Lucy's hand. And then there's the epic and beautiful amazingness by artemismoon100, who drew Natsu and Lucy's first meeting. I cry every time I look at ajdrakes' and artemismoon100's pieces. :D_

 _We're almost to 5k reviews! I've decided that if we can hit 5k by July 8th, I'll post an extra chapter alongside a preview of the most recently written chapter. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (CupcakeGoddess22, silver light of dawn, 19vanelkc, Dragondancer81, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, youngneez, RandomAnimeNerd, ToukaKanekiUlle, LePengwen, OOANDISAOO, Guest #1, ReviewWithFace, quite-a-riot, DragonL, PinkFireandGoldenStars, and Juvia is my spirit animal!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	206. Chapter 206

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy felt numb as she watched a child grab her choker and hurry to catch up and offer it, jogging beside the float. Her gray eyes lit up when Lucy forced a smile to her lips and thanked her earnestly, taking it. When the girl was gone, Lucy stumbled to her feet and hastily threw her stars back into the air. Jellal followed suit, but neither wore their previously cheerful looks.

Both felt ill.

"Are you alright?" Jellal asked as the float began to near the end of the street.

"No," she whispered, but Jellal didn't demand an explanation. He understood.

It seemed like ages before the parade was over. When it was, Lucy let Jellal help her down, face blank. "I need to call Yukino."

"Do it when you get home. I'll have someone drop Natsu off, so you go on ahead. If you come up with any information you think we'll need to know, text one of us, okay?" He patted her shoulder comfortingly. "Be careful when you drive."

"I will. Thank you Jellal." Lucy left without another word.

* * *

"Lucy?" Natsu called as he ducked into the house with Happy. "Lucy, where are you?"

"In here," she called quietly. He followed her voice out of the living room and into her room. He frowned when he found her on the floor, curled up beside her bed with her head resting against it, her fingers loosely holding her phone. She'd long ago changed out of her dress and pretty clothing, the outfit that had made his mouth go dry. She'd changed into comfortable shorts and one of his T-shirts, her long blonde hair curling around her shoulders.

"Luce," he mumbled, ducking to kneel by her, but she held up a hand to shut him up.

"I called Yukino and told her. That Leo tried to kill me tonight." Her voice trembled. "I told her that one of my Spirits finally showed up again and that he tried to kill me. And do you know what Yukino told me?" He waited. "Yukino told me that Ophiuchus had showed up. Perfectly normal, just as she remembered him. And he _apologized_. For the first time that she knew of...Ophiuchus apologized and pleaded forgiveness before he tore their guildhall into nothing."

Natsu's eyes widened. "Sabertooth's guildhall was wrecked by Ophiuchus?"

"Destroyed. Entirely annihilated. Three members were killed. She and Rogue have been in the hospital for a while. Rogue was severely hurt, his back broken. Remember? Sting's in pieces and Rufus and Sorano have been working together to take over while he gathers himself back together.

"So I looked into it. I was curious. I wanted to know what else had happened. I found that there had been sightings. Weird sightings all over. That Ophiuchus in particular had appeared everywhere and anywhere and _apologized to people_." Her eyes welled with tears. "My Spirits, Yukino's Spirits, they're killing people all over the place. Nature's gone nuts. There was snow in Clover Town yesterday. There were temperatures reaching incredible highs at the tips of mountains in the north. There was an earthquake in the west. A hurricane that came off of a lake.

"Natsu," she said shakily. "Sting was so angry over Rogue's state that he shouted at Yukino. He blamed her. He accused she and I of this happening. After everything that happened in Crocus, we're the ones at fault."

"It's not your fault," he said angrily, all ready thinking of calling the white dragon slayer and snapping at him. But Lucy shook her head, as if reading his mind, and he grudgingly agreed that Sabertooth had been an ally for far too long to consider ruining the friendship between guilds over it. Sting was just upset over Rogue. He'd be fine and apologize.

"Yukino was really upset, of course." Lucy tightened her grip around her knees and took a deep breath. "She's decided to leave town until everyone calms down. She and Orga are going to come stay here in Magnolia. Frosch and Lector, too. Orga feels bad and doesn't want her to be alone, and Sorano's helping Rufus, so she can't come of course. And we're going to figure out what's going on." A pause. "She needs help, too. She tore something in her neck and she wants Wendy to look at it even though a doctor told her it would heal, and she broke her wrist trying to help Rogue."

"What does Rogue think of all of it?" Happy asked, blinking owlishly.

"He's been out. Sleeping most of the time in the hospital. He's having surgery in the morning and Yukino doesn't want to stress him out by telling him, so she's leaving during it. She said that Rufus and Sorano promised to call with an update."

"I wonder if this is why Plue burned you." Natsu gently plucked her phone away and examined her scarred hands. They weren't too bad. They could have been worse. "He knew."

"I should have listened," Lucy said wryly before suddenly squaring her shoulders. "I want to speak with the Spirit King."

His shoulders tightened at the thought. "Luce, I doubt that's possible. We can't just bring some ultra powerful Spirit to our Realm-"

She held her hand up to silence him. "I know. I want to talk with him, not summon him. But I don't know how to get to that point. If he knew what was happening, he'd stop it. Even Loke bows to him. Surely there must be something wrong if he's allowing this."

Natsu withdrew Lucy's keys from his pocket at her demand. She took them from him and caressed the metal lovingly, her gaze dark. "Natsu."

"Yeah?"

Her dark eyes snapped to his, suddenly determined and fierce. "I want to find Leo."

Natsu thought over various ways they might be able to do so. "Not Leo," he decided. "He tried to kill you. We should find one of the others that are less likely to kill you. They're strong, but Leo's strongest."

"Virgo?" she suggested.

Natsu beamed. He liked the Virgin Spirit. She worshipped Lucy and did everything she asked without question, protecting her fiercely.

"Virgo," he agreed. "But I think we should still have our team."

"Levy," Lucy added. "I want Levy and I guess Gajeel since he goes everywhere she does. Lily, too. And Jellal and Juvia, I suppose."

"The stripper, Erza, Jellal, Juvia, Wendy, Charle, me, you, Happy, Lily, Gajeel, and Levy," Natsu listed, nodding. "What about Yukino, Orga, and their cats?" She immediately said that they needed to join, too.

Relieved that Lucy wasn't looking so depressed and was even looking a little happy, he offered a hand to pull her to her feet, hearing Happy purr in his ear. "C'mon then, let's go enjoy the festival before we get to work."

He was pleased with the decision to find Virgo.

The maid Spirit was peaceful and kind. She wouldn't hurt a hair on Lucy's head.

Natsu smirked.

 _What's the worst that can happen?_

* * *

The next day found Lucy and Happy at the train station, waiting for Yukino, Orga, and the two Sabertooth cats to arrive. Natsu had wanted to join them, but Lucy had told him to go explain to the people they wanted to bring with them what their plan was. She'd set up a group chat for them to use on their phones, and so far, Gajeel had used it to inform Lucy that she was as psychotic as Natsu.

"Lucy!"

Lucy smiled gently when she saw her friend. Yukino limped out of the station, Orga beside her with a frown on his face and a cat on each shoulder. Frosch sniffled every few moments, and Lector just looked plain out pissed off.

Lucy made a sound of sympathy at the bruises that lined both mages, as well as the neck brace that Yukino supported. "How are you feeling? Any update on Rogue?"

"We're fine," Orga chuckled. His gaze was annoyed. "Just bruised and battered. We told Sorano to have Rogue chew Sting out when he woke up."

"He went into surgery a couple of hours ago." Yukino chewed on her lip. "It was...scary. I don't think either he or Sting have ever been like that since I've known them. They're like brothers, of course, so I understand why Sting was so upset."

Orga snorted. "No fuckin' excuse."

Lector growled, much to all of their surprise. Even Orga gave him a surprised look. "He was too mean. Just 'cause Rogue is hurt doesn't mean he's allowed to call Yukino a traitor!"

"He said that?" Lucy gasped, amazed.

Yukino hastily waved it off, though her gaze flashed with pain. "It's fine. He's upset over Rogue. He'll come and grovel at my feet when Rogue's feeling better. It's what he did the last time we fought."

"The last time you two had a fight, Rogue was there to talk him out of it and explain how he was wrong," Orga pointed out.

"I wonder if we can send Wendy or even Porlyusica there," Happy murmured to Lucy. "To help Rogue."

Frosch climbed from Orga's shoulder and gently into Yukino's arms. She held him with her good arm, smiling faintly as he whispered, "I want Rogue."

Lucy made a sound of sympathy for him and then waved them forward. "C'mon. I'd say you both could stay with Natsu and I, but...the idiot has yet to fix his room after he burned everything in it. So Mirajane's offered some of the empty guest rooms at the guildhall. We're going to meet in whatever one you choose with a bunch of other Fairy Tail mages."

Yukino blinked, dark eyes lost. "What are we meeting for?"

"The Spirits," Lucy said darkly. Yukino clenched her jaw, her eyes full of pain. "We're going to see if we can somehow get a hold of Virgo. You know what Leo did. If Ophiuchus did what you said he did, then we figured it might be best to figure out what's going on."

Yukino nodded slowly, her entire upper half moving with the action. "I'll text Sting…" she trailed off. "I mean, Sorano," she said after a moment. "She'll let Rufus know. They're...they're going to tell him everything when they think he won't try to kick me out of the guild."

Lucy frowned. She remembered how close the trio were. They were as close as Lucy figured she and her team was. They were a team themselves! She couldn't imagine Sting threatening such a thing.

"Why don't you wait until we have a plan," Lucy suggested and Orga grunted his agreement as Lector launched himself into the air with Happy. The subdued Frosch merely hung from Yukino's arm.

"I brought my car so you don't have to walk," Lucy promised.

"Thank you, Lucy," Yukino murmured, suddenly looking near tears. Frosch tried to purr.

Orga merely nudged her forward with a gentle touch and the group set off for Lucy's car.

* * *

When they arrived at the guildhall, they received a bunch of stares, but Lucy ignored them all. "Come on," she told the Sabertooth mages after a word with the sympathetic Mirajane. "They're all upstairs. Mira wants you to tell us what to keep an eye out for if the Spirits try to attack here."

"We can do that," Orga agreed. He wrinkled his nose, glaring when someone stared at him with overly curious eyes. They immediately looked away.

Lucy helped Yukino up a flight of stairs and led her to where her friends were. She knocked before entering. "Luce!" Natsu said happily, beaming at her from where he was seated. Their friends were sitting in a circle, space left for those who were still coming.

"Hey," Lucy murmured.

"Hello, Yukino," Erza said gently, smiling kindly. "Natsu told us what Lucy said and most of us received an email from the Council with a proper explanation last night. How are you four feeling?"

"Sting wants to kick me from the guild, so not very well," Yukino said bluntly. She ignored their shocked looks and seated herself with care beside Gray, who gave her a friendly smile. Orga dropped beside her and Natsu nudged Levy closer to Gajeel so Lucy could sit with him.

"Rogue's hurt pretty badly," Lucy informed them as she ignored him and sat instead by Gajeel and Orga. Natsu pouted.

"That's horrible," Levy murmured, cuddling Lily in her lap as Yukino did the same to Lector and Frosch. "I hope he feels better soon."

Frosch whimpered.

"Alright, let's get a move on," Gajeel grunted. "I don't like that Spirits are tearing through places and killin' people. Haven't ever seen that before. Bunny Girl's usually-"

He was cut off when without asking, Cobra sidled into the room, kicking the door shut behind him. They all stared at him. Cobra snorted. "What?" he challenged. "Ya think I was gonna miss out on this mess?" He squeezed himself between the gawking Natsu and Erza, who arched a brow at him. "I'm not deaf. I can hear you from a block away."

Lucy rubbed her temples. "Okay, so we've got…" She did a quick count. "Seventeen people. Including the five cats. Even if Virgo's kind of nutty, that should be plenty of people, right?"

"Not if it's like what we saw with Ophiuchus." Yukino smoothed her fingers over Frosch's head. "He tore through all of us with no problem."

Jellal spoke quietly. "Natsu said that Ophiuchus apologized beforehand?" Yukino nodded. "Leo did not. Leo was entirely different than what we know Loke to be. Armored, longer hair, brutal attitude. He was ready to kill."

"That wasn't Loke," Lucy said darkly. "That wasn't my Spirit."

"We aren't saying it was, Bunny Girl," Gajeel grunted. Cobra had his head tilted, watching the blonde as she remembered what had happened. He grimaced.

"Bastard," he muttered.

"Stop reading my mind," Lucy huffed, glaring at him. He smiled angelically, which only made him look like some sort of demented demon.

"Moving on," Orga huffed, rolling his eyes. "Ophiuchus showed up and didn't do anything at first. Sought Yukino out. He just circled the place until she came out. I think he tried to keep her out of the way."

"My Spirit," Yukino murmured warmly despite the agony on her face. "He told me he was sorry and then ripped Sabertooth apart."

"I've been thinking," Erza said suddenly. "Perhaps we should forget about finding Virgo. Perhaps we should see if we can find Ophiuchus. Ophiuchus apologized...perhaps it is still sane? We could gather information."

They all looked to Lucy and Yukino, who exchanged a quick look with one another.

"Ophiuchus," they said simultaneously. Lucy cleared her throat. "Let's find Ophiuchus."

Lucy wrapped her fingers around the pendant at her throat and could have sworn she heard the rumble of a dragon in her ears.

* * *

 _So Natsu did the thing. "What's the worst that can_ _happen?_ _" Dumbass._

 _There were a couple questions about Lucy's choker, so! Answers. And I don't remember what I've said about it, so there MIGHT be a little bit of spoilers. I dunno.:_

 _Lucy's choker was originally a part of Igneel's hoard. Each item within a dragon's hoard (in this universe) is embedded with that dragon's magic. When it was moved to Natsu's, Natsu's magic was added in. Since his disappearance and since Lucy first picked it out, Igneel has used that choker to funnel his magic so that he can sort of keep an eye on her (and Natsu in turn). When it heats, it's his version of a warning. Lucy hears "whispers", which are basically Igneel just urging her to do something in particular. I think that about covers it. XD_

 _NaluLuva23, damn straight I do. XD I even reread them all. Reviews make my days exciting, and I LOVE hearing how people respond to certain things I do. Chapter 231 will be a fucking blast to hear about. XD ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Elisha Silverpine, Terra of Life, Mizuki-Dono, Fiery-Guardian, Typhlosion8, LePengwen, RandomAnimeNerd, CupcakeGoddess22, ToukaKanekiUlle, Dragondancer81, Juvia is my spirit animal, Brooke315, ReviewWithFace, OfInkNRoses, youngneez, NaLu and InuKag, Meow Orbit, PinkFireandGoldenStars, FtfanDessarai, NaluLuva23, Iris Patton, Guest #1, and ILoveAnime2010!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _Almost to 5k! Remember, guys! Get there by Saturday and I'll post a bonus chapter alongside a special preview. ;)_


	207. Chapter 207

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

It took two days for them to come up with a plan.

Yukino hadn't ever been as grateful for the existence of other guilds as she was during those two days. Orga was with her, of course, and while he wasn't on her team, he was a damn good friend that she trusted with her life. Frosch and Lector refused to leave her for more than an instant, and with Wendy's help, Yukino was walking around without her neck brace and broken wrist.

It was the evening of August 4th and she found herself nodding as Levy relayed what Lucy and Erza had come up with for a plan to catch Ophiuchus. Yukino informed them on what Ophiuchus liked best - power.

So they'd gather all of the power in an area free of human life.

"Natsu and Gajeel are going to hate us," Yukino chuckled as Levy mentioned that they were going to load up in various cars and drive out.

"Cobra, too. He's a venom dragon slayer, second gen," Levy explained. "Like Laxus."

"Is Kinana coming?" she asked, thinking of the young woman.

"No, she's staying. She doesn't know what Cobra's doing, only that he's going on a guild trip with a few of us," Levy said with a grin. She squeezed Yukino's hand. "We'll figure out what's going on, Yukino. I promise."

"I know, and thank you for that," she said honestly.

Suddenly, Orga ducked into the borrowed room, lips set in a grimace. Yukino met his gaze and sighed. "Excuse me, Levy. I have a phone call to answer." She held out her hand for the phone, and Orga tossed it to her. She snatched it up with ease. Covering the speaking piece, she asked, "Frosch and Lector are with Happy, Charle, and Lily, right?"

"Yep!" Levy winked. "We'll watch them. Don't worry. Come on, Orga, let's leave her alone, you can have some alcohol on the house if you want…"

The door closed behind them.

Yukino took a deep breath and then lifted the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Yukino," a familiar voice rasped. Her eyes filled with relieved tears. _Rogue!_ "Where did you go?"

"Fairy Tail, naturally," she sighed, biting her lip to force back the tears. "Sting was being an ass like usual." Rogue snorted tiredly. "I didn't tell him. I haven't talked with him at all, actually."

"Good. He deserves it. He's been running around in a panic since I woke up yesterday morning." Yukino's lips twitched. Rogue was usually serious, refusing to so much as laugh at a joke. She was more than grateful to hear his voice. "I'll let him squirm before I tell him. Is Frosch-"

"He's here, so is Lector." She was quick to reassure him. "I haven't taken my eyes off of him. Except for now. But he's being watched by the four other cats and Levy, so I doubt he'll get lost."

"Thank you. Don't lose him." Rogue sighed heavily. "Your Spirit-"

"We're looking into it," she said immediately, voice trembling. "I'm sorry, Rogue, I...I'm so sorry!" Her voice broke, the tears falling. "It's my fault, I'm so, so sorry!"

He huffed. "Stop that. It's no one's fault. Something's wrong. We've known it for weeks now, since you couldn't summon any of your Spirits. If I was not as I am now, I would have gone with you in Orga's place."

Yukino's lips twitched a little. "Are you okay? Are you going to have permanent damage?"

"No. I'll heal. It will take a few months, however, before I'm on my feet. The king himself stopped by." Yukino blinked. "He's sent a letter to Lamia Scale. He's demanded that Chelia come and see what she can do. That amount of time may be lessened to under a week."

"That would be great," Yukino said enthusiastically. "I'll have Fairy Tail hold off until you get word, so that maybe you can come-"

Before she could finish telling him about their plans, their was a swear, followed by an insult shouted in the background before a huffing and puffing Sting Eucliffe snapped into the phone, "Where the _hell_ are you, Yukino?"

She clenched her jaw, irrationally angry for a reason she couldn't determine.

 _"What did you do?!"_ she remembered Sting shouting at her as she stumbled out of the debris, sobbing for someone to help Rogue. His own blond hair had been matted with blood from a head wound. She remembered how he'd snapped at her in the hospital, too, snarling viciously, _"You betrayed the guild, bringing that thing here! What made you think it would be okay to destroy our_ home _, Yukino?! You killed people! You hurt Rogue! I should kick you out for this!"_

Icily, Yukino snipped in a furious tone, "None of your business. I'm with Orga, Lector, and Frosch, and that's all you need to know. Put Rogue back on. I was talking with him."

"Give me the phone, Sting!" she heard the shadow mage agree in the background.

"Yukino," Sting began again, this time clearly trying to smother the anger. He took a deep breath, let it out, and then said seriously, "I'm sorry. I'd never kick you out of Sabertooth, you know I wouldn't. None of it is your fault. Like you said, we knew something was off, and I didn't listen. I'm _sorry_."

Yukino checked her nails. Wendy had painted them for her in an offer of friendship. She didn't want to mess them up. "I'm a traitor, remember? I betrayed the guild. I brought Ophiuchus to the guild and ripped it to pieces for a laugh."

"No you didn't," he huffed, sounding horrified with himself. She nodded, noting that. "Yukino, please-"

"In the years that I've known you," she cut him off. "In all of the years we have been friends and teammates. In all of the years that I have saved your life, and you have saved mine, and Rogue has saved both of our lives, I not once gave you a reason to believe that I would do something like that. I _never_ joined in the battles. My Spirits were summoned for self-defense. For helping people. And you accused me of _murder_ , Sting. Because my Spirits have gone insane and started killing people. Not me, my Spirits."

"I know," he mumbled. "I know that. I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry, Yuki." She stiffened. He rarely called her such a name. It was one he used when he was desperate. When she was hurt badly enough that she was on the brink of death. And being mages, that had been a state she was often times at. "I'm really sorry. I know you wouldn't do that kind of stuff on purpose. You'd hurt yourself before you hurt us."

Yukino sighed heavily. "Fine. I forgive you." Before he could get too excited, she added firmly, "But you owe me. Big time. Do you hear me?"

"Yeah," he said hastily. "I owe you. Where'd you go? You should come see Rogue."

Yukino rolled her eyes. "I'm in Magnolia. With Fairy Tail. Orga and I brought Lector and Frosch here and we're going to go catch Ophiuchus, figure out what's going on. Leo showed up during Magnolia's Fantasia Parade and basically admitted to the twister that tore down Strawberry Street. Aquarius was behind the tsunami in Hargeon." She paused. "Sting, Leo tried to kill Lucy."

Sting uttered a low sound that was similar to a snarl. "What the hell is wrong with them? We've dealt with your Spirits for years and they've never done this."

"I don't know," Yukino admitted, shaking her head. "Look, text me if Chelia agrees to help Rogue. I'll send Orga back to the guild and you two can meet us. We're going to the middle of nowhere. Some beach on the western coast of Fiore."

"Got it." Sting let loose a huge sigh. "I'm sorry, Yukino. I really am. I'll take you out for dinner and stuff when this is all over."

"You better." Yukino smiled and demanded that he put Rogue back on the phone, sitting back. There was a fluttering in her chest at the thought and Yukino giggled when Rogue swore at Sting before launching into some sort of rant about Sting taking advantage of the injured.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Yukino knew that Rogue was trying his best to help her feel better.

And it was certainly working.

* * *

Lucy found it odd that she had her head bent close to Cobra's, murmuring in low tones to he and Natsu, who had joined them moments ago when he'd noticed just what was happening. He kept giving the venom mage nasty looks, his shoulder leaning against Lucy's. Lucy shoved him for it, rolling her eyes at the moron.

"We're not going to tell Makarov," Lucy told them. "Erza decided he'd tell us not to. She's calling it a vacation."

Cobra cackled. "What a lovely vacation we're going on. A beach. To probably get ourselves killed."

Lucy flashed a quick smile and then glanced at Natsu. He puffed a smoky cloud in thought, his onyx eyes flashing. "How are we even going to summon him?"

"Yukino and I think that he'll sense what we want. Through the key. If he's not as insane as the rest of them, he'll come. We just need to hope he's alone. I think we could handle one Spirit together. If they all showed up, we'd be in trouble - even with two S-Class mages."

"Isn't Orga S-Class?" Natsu demanded, bewildered.

"Yes, but he's going home." They jolted, looking up as Yukino slid into a seat beside them, dangling Orga's phone from her fingers. "Sting apologized. The king sent word to Chelia, requesting that she come and help Rogue. So when we head out, Orga's going home and they're going to meet us."

"You forgave Sting that easily?" Cobra grunted, gaze searching the silver-haired celestial mage's head with a thoughtful look. "Bastard was brutal."

She smiled warmly, though there was a warning glint in her gaze. "Please don't read my thoughts, Cobra. I'd appreciate if I had some privacy in my own head."

"Sorry," he said hastily.

"Luce," Natsu said suddenly, ignoring them. He looked at her sharply. "D'ya think there's something weird going on with that old guy?"

"The King?" Lucy thought over this. "I want to talk to him. But I don't think he can be summoned in our world...nor should he, like you said. We can't just summon the Spirit King. Maybe we could...maybe we could go to the Spirit Realm, but we'd go insane within seconds of getting there without the clothes and the protection of the Spirit King. And we need the King's permission. We can't just waltz in."

"If Ophiuchus isn't insane," Yukino murmured, "Perhaps we could convince him to take us there?"

"We need to figure out what's going on first," Lucy decided, and Yukino agreed.

Natsu just sat back and slammed his flaming fists together. "I don't care about what's wrong with the rest of them. I'm going to kick Leo's ass for making Lucy cry."

Lucy rolled her eyes, but a pleased smile appeared on her face.

"Hey, Bunny Girl." Gajeel's elbow descended on her head and he leaned heavily on her. Natsu scowled as Lucy squawked, upper half buckling to land on the table. She shrieked at him to get off, and he merely grinned before pulling back. "We got a problem."

"And what is that problem, Gajeel?" she hissed, glaring at him.

He thrust an envelope at her. She tore it open when she saw the royal crest of Bosco upon it. She scanned through the letter and then scowled, throwing it at Natsu. He caught it, careful not to burn it in his shock. He immediately read it with a curious look, and then narrowed his eyes.

 _Dear Princess Lucy Heartfilia of Bosco,_

 _As lead advisor to the throne that your father, King Jude Heartfilia, occupied, it has been decided that your presence is required in Bosco. Your people are restless and there have been isolated incidents in which we worry are the beginnings of a rebellion. We find ourselves concerned that your choice in temporary leadership - Princess Hisui of Fiore - has been the basis of rumors about a betrayal in the country you reside in._

 _A decision is to be made. Either you take over your throne and run it from the capital of Bosco, withdrawing your membership from the guild you have worked with...or we will drag you here by force._

 _The Heartfilia line has run Bosco for centuries. We will not allow it to end because of one princess deeming herself above it._

 _You have three days upon receiving this letter to send word before we come for you ourselves. Your guild has no say in this. This is between the residents of the country of Bosco and you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Beroder,_

 _Head Advisor to the Boscan Throne_

Natsu turned the letter into ash, a black expression on his face.

"Lucy?" Yukino said softly.

She shook her head. "Cobra, go get Jellal. Natsu, tell Gray to call Lyon and send Meredy here. Yukino, do the same for Sorano. It appears," she paused, taking a deep breath. "It appears it's time for me to go home."

* * *

 _I have this headcanon that Yukino gets really sassy/bitter when Sting or Rogue upset her (mostly Sting), and it takes a lot for her to forgive him._

 _Mizuki-Dono (and everyone else): I haven't seen Dragon Cry and I really want to! I was going to input it into BTL, but it's not looking as if I'll be able to. :( If anyone has a link to it, let me know!_

 _We hit 5k reviewers, so bonus chapter and sneak peek!_ _THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR KINDNESS. EVERY REVIEW MEANS THE WORLD TO ME and I truly appreciate it. :) Now, for thanks and your sneak peek! I was going to do something else from chapter 231, but it spoils a lot, so you'll have to make do with this. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (waiting-for-you443, Lover of Writings, LePengwen, Dragondancer81, Guest #1, Mizuki-Dono, LittleLadyRedfox, Mike Uzumaki-Heartfilia, FtfanDessarai, PinkFireandGoldenStars, The Age of Awesomeness, Autori Fantasia, CupcakeGoddess22, NaluLuva23, littleRAINlover, 1ShipperxNalu, Iris Patton, ToukaKanekiUlle, and Leahcar-Soutaichou!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

* * *

 **A Preview of Chapter 231!**

 _She shifted, tightly crossing her arms. Her own temper was high, stress levels, too, with the lack of Tartaros attacks and sightings. Grinding her teeth for a moment, she stared at him, and then said lowly, trying to keep herself calm, "I want you to give me a reason why I shouldn't consider taking over my throne right now."_

 _Natsu sputtered, head snapping back to stare up at her. "Lucy-"_

 _She held up a hand to silence him. "Don't you dare and act all innocent after you've been so rude to us the last few days. Give me a reason, Natsu. I want to know why you think I shouldn't consider taking over my throne."_

 _Natsu pressed his lips together, unhappy with this discussion. Lucy arched a brow, waiting. She wasn't threatening to take over her throne, of course. She wasn't going to leave him and her guild. But she wanted him to think. She wanted him to get out of this mood he'd been in, realize that he was doing something that wasn't good for any of them._

 _"Well?" she demanded. "Why shouldn't I?"_

 _"Because," he said slowly, furrowing his brow. "You don't want to?"_

 _"Maybe I do," she replied. "Maybe I want to."_

 _Terror flickered over his face. "Luce-"_

 _"Come on, tell me why I shouldn't. Especially after what you've been doing to me and the others. Apparently, you don't need me. So why shouldn't I go home and take over my throne? Why should I stay here, where you're being as bad as the advisors would be to me."_

 _Natsu's breath had quickened, panic written over his features now as he stood, and it took all of her effort to not reassure him that she wasn't going anywhere as he made a soft whine-like sound. "I'm sorry," he began. "I'm sorry!" She raised her eyebrows, as if in disbelief. "Lucy, I'm sorry, I swear!"_

 _She narrowed her eyes. "That's an apology, not a reason."_


	208. Chapter 208

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Okay. Here's what's going to happen."

Everyone's attention turned on Erza, who held a notebook in her hands and a pen between her teeth as she whipped it open. She noted something down. "It's August 4th of the year X785," she announced. "I hereby announce this meeting in session."

Yukino looked at Orga in terror. "What's going on?"

"Team meeting," Natsu said seriously. "Except this time we have a lot of people."

"How often do you guys do this?" Lily demanded from Levy's lap, a frightened look in his eyes. Outside, thunder rumbled, and he flinched in terror. Levy smoothed a hand lovingly over his head to help comfort the scared cat.

"We do have a lot of people this time," Gray admitted as Juvia snuggled up against his side.

"First things first," Erza said, cutting them all off. "We will have to make a change of plans. Lucy, why don't you explain to those who don't know."

"Right," Lucy said and stood. Natsu's gaze followed her, and Cobra hissed something to him, elbowing him when he realized that Natsu hadn't bothered to realize he was looking right up the skirt Lucy had worn. Lucy glared at him for it and he had the decency to look flustered, looking away hastily.

"Jellal, this is important to you and Cobra in particular." Lucy took a deep breath. "Here's the deal. I received word from the head advisor of Bosco. He's the one who takes care of various things in my place. He's basically told me that I can willingly go back to Bosco and take my throne or I can be dragged back."

"Lucy," Gray said, shocked.

"Yeah, that's kind of bad." Lucy raked a hand through her blonde hair. "So...that's what Erza said I needed to tell you all about." She dropped down to sit beside Natsu, who huffed with a pout. Lucy snorted.

"So what's the plan then?" Gajeel grunted. "Forget findin' that crazy Spirit? Uh, no offense," he added when Yukino frowned.

"No." Erza shook her head. "We're going to split up. Yukino, first off, inform them of the update."

"Orga's going home," she said hesitantly. "We're meeting Sting and Rogue."

"Got it." Wendy nodded confidently and they all echoed her.

Frosch cheered, tail flicking back and forth. "Yay! Rogue! Is he feeling better now?"

"Not yet. But he texted me not too long ago that Chelia agreed to go visit him," she replied, hugging Frosch. "But soon he will be."

Frosch and Lector both purred.

"I'll head out tomorrow," Orga added.

Erza wrote that down, too.

"So here's the plan that Jellal, Lucy, and I came up with," Erza said. "Lucy has to prioritize. She's going to take Jellal, Cobra, Happy, Natsu, and I, and we're all going to Bosco. We'll be meeting with Sorano and Meredy upon our arrival. Lucy's decided that Jellal will take over her throne until she is ready to take it herself. Cobra, Sorano, and Meredy wish to join him and become an independent guild and will use this as their first official job."

Silence.

"You're leaving Fairy Tail?" Natsu whispered.

Gajeel sputtered, " _Huh_?"

"You're leaving Fairy Tail?" Natsu snapped, puffing up angrily.

"Jellal...are you sure this is okay?" Levy asked gently, concerned about the heavenly body mage.

"You're leaving _Fairy Tail_?" Natsu's voice rose in alarm.

"Yes, you freak," Cobra snarled. "We're leaving Fairy Tail. Gotta problem with it?"

Natsu threw his hands up. "How could you leave _Fairy Tail_? No one leaves Fairy Tail! It's...it's like a life sentence! You can't physically leave! This is _home_! We're your _family_! How could you even think about leaving?!"

"Natsu," Lucy said patiently, tugging his hands down with a look of embarrassment. "Not everyone wants to stay...besides. Jellal said he was thinking that when he felt it was right, he'd come back."

"I did say that," Jellal agreed calmly. "I'm not leaving permanently, though I can't speak for Cobra."

Cobra scoffed. "Like I'd leave Cubellios."

"Moving back on topic," Levy said quietly. "Lucy...what if they don't accept this? What if we cannot physically get you back to Fiore? What will you do then?"

Natsu bristled at the thought. "I won't let them keep her there like-"

Lucy silenced him with a touch to his shoulder. "Then I have a group around me that includes two official S-Class ranking mages, two previous members of Oracion Seis, one previous member of Grimoire Heart, and Natsu. And Happy," she added when he huffed. He purred at her including him and looked pleased.

"Natsu's a force all on his own," Jellal muttered, and they all snorted their agreement, much to his amusement.

"Erza, too," Cobra uttered.

"What'd you say?" Erza said, pen freezing on the notebook paper.

"Nothing!"

"That's what I thought. We'll break her out if we need to," Erza promised the worried Levy. "If all else fails, we set Natsu upon them and escape."

"Hey," he protested, frowning when Lucy grinned at the thought.

"While we're doing all of this," Erza continued. "The rest of you - excluding Orga and including Rogue and Sting - will go to the beach and see what you can do about Ophiuchus. Everyone will be required to have their phones on them at all times, fully charged, ringers ready. I want to know _the second_ a Spirit is spotted. Whether it be Ophiuchus or some other Spirit. Am I understood?"

"Aye, sir!" Team Natsu echoed. Juvia, Gajeel, Levy, and Lily echoed a "yes" while Jellal and Cobra exchanged nods.

Yukino and Orga gaped wordlessly as Lector copied Team Natsu.

Frosch giggled and curled up happily against Yukino.

"If Leo shows up," Erza told them, "Then you are to contact Lucy first and foremost. If one of you sees any of Lucy's Spirits, then Lucy needs to be contacted first. The same goes if you see one of Yukino's. I demand second."

Everyone threw out numbers quickly to be alerted, but no one really took note outside of Lucy and Yukino before Erza.

"Before we draw this meeting to a close, is there any final statements any of the participants would like to make?" Gray said seriously, arching a brow. "Outside of me demanding I go with the rest of my team."

"I want to go with Lucy, too," Wendy mumbled.

Erza chuckled. "I know. But we have Jellal's new guild coming along with us. Jellal, has there been a vote on the name of your guild?"

"I contacted Sorano and Meredy about it and Cobra offered his agreement as well. We've chosen Crime Sorciere as the name of our independent guild," Jellal said calmly. Erza took note of that as well.

"Is there going to be any trouble with the Council?" Yukino said quietly, worried about her sister.

"Not that we know of," Jellal reassured. "Should there be any trouble, I'm sure Sabertooth and Fairy Tail - and Lamia Scale - will be quite capable of offering us assistance, will they not?"

"They will," Juvia said firmly.

"They will," Orga echoed with a grunt. "Ya want us doin' anything from my guild's end? We don't want to just sit around while our guildmaster and his team are running around risking their lives."

Erza inclined her head to acknowledge the question and then suggested, "Keep an eye out for Spirits. Let us know if you hear or see anything - and we mean _anything_. Even the smallest detail could help us solve this confusion."

"I'll tell the others," Orga muttered.

"Thank you," she told him.

"If you see Leo, deck him," Natsu suddenly told everyone, and Lucy glared in disapproval, smacking his shoulder with a huff.

"Natsu!" she snapped and rolled her eyes. He muttered that he was serious and she smacked his shoulder a second time, scolding him. "Loke's not in his right mind, Natsu, we can't just go around punching him!"

"I'm going to punch him," Natsu said firmly and Lucy groaned, burying her face in her hands.

Gajeel suddenly grunted, "We done here? Lev' and I got stuff to do."

Erza smiled harshly at him and he flinched and muttered an apology when she snapped, "We're not done until I say we're done, thank you." Turning back to the group, she said, "Let's sum up so that our meeting can end, shall we? Crime Sorciere, Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and I will go to Bosco. Gray, Juvia, Lily, Gajeel, Levy, Wendy, Charle, and Sabertooth will go to the western coast, that piece we picked out. Is that clear?"

"Aye, sir!" everyone cheered.

"I feel like I'm in a cult," Yukino whispered.

Orga muttered his agreement.

* * *

The next few days passed rapidly and it was within the week that they were set to go. Lucy had made sure that Makarov was aware of what she and the group going with her were up to and in that time, Jellal and Cobra spoke on occasion with him about leaving the guild. Lucy caught sight of a quiet Kinana, her eyes a little swollen, but Lucy had been reassured by her that she was doing fine.

The morning that they all decided to leave, Lucy stood in the middle of the house she'd begun to call home, aware that Natsu was impatiently watching her from the doorway, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. Lucy patted her own, making sure she had what she needed, and then gave the room a loving look.

"C'mon, Luce," Natsu whined, impatient. "Can we go?"

"Sorry, I'm committing this to memory. Just in case." Lucy flashed him a quick smile that he didn't return. Instead, his gaze darkened.

"You aren't staying in Bosco, Luce," he huffed. "I'll make sure of it."

Lucy smiled. "I know you will." She gave him an affectionate look and then strode over to join him. He grumbled as she adjusted the scarf around his neck, her fingers moving gingerly to arrange it. He didn't move. She stroked the scaled material for a short moment and then looked up at him. He searched her gaze.

"I'll make sure you come home," he mumbled. "I'm not going to let you stay in Bosco. I'll make myself into a kidnapper if I have to, Luce."

Lucy grinned. "You won't have to go that far, you idiot." She arched a brow when he lightly tugged on a lock of her hair, suddenly winding the strands around his fingers and studying it with look of almost wonder. She waited patiently to see what he was going to do, and then snorted when he let go and smoothed it with warm fingers. "Ready?" she murmured.

"Ready," he echoed. He suddenly scowled, punching his fist into his open palm and letting flames burst to life. "I hope Leo shows up. I'm gonna kick his ass."

" _No_ ," Lucy huffed. "You're _not_ , Natsu."

"Watch me," he muttered as he ducked outside.

She kicked him in the shin as she passed, batting her eyes when he glared at her for it, and then jumped when Happy landed on her head. She smiled up at him. "Ready to go, Happy?"

"Mhm!" he purred, tail flicking. Lucy reached up and plucked him into her arms, waiting patiently for Natsu to shoulder the bag they were bringing. Something clinked within. She silently wondered what it is, but said nothing.

When he was ready, he smirked.

"Let's do this."

* * *

 _Team meeting with a bunch of others! I love their team meetings. I don't have them enough._

 _Late update, but blasted like two and a half chapters out yesterday, so. I'm not upset. I hope you aren't either. I'm so close to the high point of Tartaros, and then I get to do my original arc! With some mini stuff between._

 _You guys are gonna hate me._

 _To Kathiena, who was confused on which was the bonus chapter...I update regularly on Mondays and Thursdays (unless I'm lazy like this week). So Saturday's was the bonus. ;)_

 _PinkFireandGoldenStars, this arc is moving rather slowly, isn't it? Don't worry. It picks up in the next chapter or two. Like, it seriously gets moving._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Kathiena, The Age of Awesomeness, Iris Patton, ReviewWithFace, CupcakeGoddess22, Dragondancer81, Guest #1, LePengwen, OneWhoCharms, DragonL, AlexisTyrande, PinkFireandGoldenStars, animequeen100, Samm, and Juvia is my spirit animal!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	209. Chapter 209

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"I'm going to murder anyone who touches me right now."

"No, you aren't," an amused Sorano retorted. "Because if you do, it won't go well."

"Nothing ever goes well for us," Meredy mused, watching them from beside Jellal.

He merely stared openly at the three he'd decided to form a guild with, looking as if he was questioning his sanity on the matter.

 _I'm putting these four in charge of a country,_ Lucy realized distantly, sighing heavily to herself. Natsu immediately looked her way, worried, but Lucy ignored him and instead patiently waited for he and Cobra to gather their wits after a long plane ride. She remembered the last time. Loke had escorted her to this very airport.

She could feel the stares, accusing and delighted. Several began to approach before thinking better of it and leaving. Mostly when they saw Natsu's glare. But no one thought to get too close. It was something she appreciated.

They'd found Meredy and Sorano only moments before, while they were dragging Cobra from the plane. He looked ridiculously sick, almost more than Natsu, who'd recovered after a few words from Lucy. Happy hadn't been bothered despite confused look from the passengers on the plane.

It was amazing they'd gotten this far with him. Lucy had thought they'd be stopped.

Erza watched all of this with patient eyes and then turned her gaze to the blonde woman at her side. "We need to go, do we not?"

"Yep. This way, guys," Lucy told them all. She ignored the stares that Natsu received as he fell into step beside her, his fingers tight on her wrist. He was clingy, terrified that she'd somehow get forced to remain. No matter what she'd told him, he was under the impression that she wasn't going home.

Lucy would punch anyone who tried to keep her there. With or without her Spirits present.

* * *

They took two separate cars, Crime Sorciere in one and Erza, Happy, Natsu, and Lucy in the other. After giving the directions, Lucy sat back, shoulder to shoulder with Natsu. He was fidgeting, sick as he rolled the window down, gulping down the offered fresh air.

Rubbing his back, Lucy turned to Erza. "Remember. We have to make them think that Jellal is worthy of running the Boscan throne, and that includes-"

"I'm aware," she chuckled, smiling gently. "I'll make sure that a certain fire mage isn't trying to interrupt."

Natsu threw them a glare. "I'm not stupid. I'll let Luce and Jellal work, y'know."

He retched and hung out the window again.

Lucy sighed heavily. "Anyways, I'll make sure we're roomed by one another. I won't be able to share a room with Natsu, so I'm going to push him into a room with Jellal so he doesn't go running out in the middle of the night-"

Natsu popped back in again. "Can't. I'll burn the room down, Luce," he rasped. "You know that."

"I do," Lucy said calmly. "But we don't really have a choice."

"What's wrong with Natsu?" Erza asked. "I heard that he was having problems…"

"Nightmares," Lucy said at the same time that Natsu denied, "Nothing." He threw her an accusing look that she ignored.

Erza's gaze softened. "Natsu, you don't need to be ashamed or anything. Just let us know if you need a rest or if we can help. We'll do what we can."

He shook his head. "Lucy and Happy are the only ones who can," he mumbled. He rested his cheek on the car, groaning in relief as fresh air washed over his senses. "I can't sleep at all without 'em."

"You barely sleep at all _with_ us," Happy mused, flicking his tail. Natsu shot him a huff for trying to make it worse. Happy beamed innocently, not the least bit bothered by him.

"May I ask what they're about?" Erza asked after a moment. Natsu gave her a long look out of the corner of his eyes, not exactly eager to share, and looked relieved when the driver said quietly, "We've almost arrived, your Highness."

"Thank you," Lucy said with a smile. He looked flustered beneath her look, somewhat close to their age, and Natsu glared at him from ill-looking eyes. He didn't look very intimidating at the moment, no matter what he thought.

Erza caught the look even when Lucy didn't and smirked a little, stroking Happy's head.

They arrived at the Heartfilia household not too much later. Lucy stood by Natsu, letting him lean on her as she rubbed his back and made sure everyone they needed was there. Happy flew around them eagerly, impatient to get going so they could find out what had gone down later with the others.

Cobra was nearly as well off as Natsu, but staggered forward on his own two feet, heaving for fresh air. Jellal snorted as Meredy giggled, hands pressed over her lips.

"Everyone ready?" Erza asked.

"Aye, sir!" they chorused, excluding a bewildered Sorano and Meredy.

Lucy waved for them to follow and squared her shoulders. "This way," she said firmly, determined. She wasn't going to be the person she'd been when her father had been alive. _She_ was the heiress to the throne. Not anyone else there.

And what she said was going to happen.

* * *

Natsu shifted impatiently, Happy in his arms as they watched Lucy and Jellal walk away with the advisor. They'd been sent to a series of rooms to wait and he desperately wanted to go with the blonde and Jellal, but knew better than to try and follow. For one, Lucy would be angry and Erza stood beside him, a hand on his shoulder.

And it also was somewhat of a big deal to defy the princess of Bosco's orders when you were in her palace.

It would make her weak if she didn't retaliate, and he didn't want that.

"Jellal will protect her," Erza promised and then looked over at him when he made an impatient sound. "You've been strange these last few days, Natsu. Are you alright?"

"No," he grunted. "Nightmares and now the Spirits - and it's only been like...like two weeks since we had to fight _dragons_!" He dropped Happy and threw his hands into the air, frustrated.

"Natsu," Erza said quietly, "Calm down." He reluctantly settled a moment, still bothered.

"I don't have time to do _anything_ fun with Luce," he complained. "She's always busy doing things with other people. I wanted to take her to the movies but she was having a session with Jellal, and she wants to get stronger, so I can't ask her _not_ to…"

Erza chuckled, entirely amused with her friend's problems though she gave him a kind smile. She patted his shoulder. "I'll help you get her out on a date when we get home, alright? For now, we need to focus on the matter at hand. We're having good luck right now, as the advisor took an immediate liking to Jellal. Let's keep it that way."

"Hey! Titania!"

They glanced over to see Cobra ducking out of the room he was staying in, his good eye flashing. "Sorano's sister just called."

Natsu's head tilted. "Anything important?"

"Not yet," he grunted. "But they'll reach the beach later this evening and set up camp to wait for Ophiuchus. She's gonna try and summon the bastard."

"Good." Erza gave a nod of approval. "Thank you for the update, Cobra."

He snorted. "The advisor might like Jellal, but he doesn't want anyone but Lucy on the throne." He suddenly grinned. "I heard his thoughts. He thinks she would be someone who is easy to manipulate so through her, he could rule the country."

Natsu blinked, and then burst into laughter. Happy cackled along with him. "Oh," he gasped, wiping his eyes after a long moment. "If he thinks that Lucy's easy to control, he's got another thing comin'. I can't wait 'til she tells him no and that Jellal is taking over for now."

Erza laughed at the look on Natsu's face and then put her hands behind her back. "Come, why don't the six of us have a look around? We were given the freedom to explore, it would be a shame to not take advantage of it, especially when it is the home of Boscan royalty!"

"Yeah!" Natsu said eagerly, looking forward to getting his mind off of more important matters. He wanted to distract himself, and this was the best way to do it.

"I'll grab Sorano and Meredy." Cobra headed down the hall and they set off after them with a smile on their faces, though Natsu's was a tad bit forced.

* * *

"Yukino!"

Yukino went down with a yelp and a blond dragon slayer crushing her to him, burying his face against her shoulder. She flushed as Rogue appeared, arms crossed with an amused look on his face. He grimaced, and Yukino looked at him with concern, but he merely smiled kindly.

"Sting," she protested as Frosch ran for Rogue with a pleased cry. Rogue's eyes lit up and he knelt to catch the cat, hugging him tightly. "I need to get up, if you don't mind! There's a rock digging into my back!"

"I'm sorry," he repeated several times as he helped her up. Yukino's cheeks were a brilliant red as he hugged her again, refusing to release her for an instant. "I'm really, _really_ sorry, Yukino!"

She patted his back and returned the hug gently. "I know. Thank you for apologizing. Lector's happy, too."

Lector glared from where he'd been slammed into the ground. "I _was_ happy!"

Wendy giggled as she climbed from one of the cars they had taken there. She cradled Charle in her arms. "Are you okay, Rogue?" she asked immediately, beaming at him. "Did Chelia get all of the injuries? I can tend to whatever pains you have."

He blinked, and then hesitated before admitting, "There's a little in my back…"

Wendy went to tend to him and Yukino untangled herself to go and greet Rogue with a gentle hand to his cheek, demanding to know if he was okay as the rest of those coming piled out of the car. Gajeel and Levy were followed closely by Juvia and Gray. Levy tightened her grip around Lily as she looked around. "So we're going to summon Ophiuchus _here_?"

"Yes," Yukino said seriously, pulling back. "We need to be careful. I know we're all decent mages, but dark Spirits aren't easy to deal with, I think. Even we had issues with Ophiuchus and would now. No matter how many of us there are or how strong, they're immortal."

"Are you _sure_ they're immortal?" Gajeel grunted.

"Positive," Sting chimed in. "I've been forced to nail Libra with one of my Roars and she was turned into nothing. Yukino summoned her a few days later so I could apologize."

"Good to know you apologize a lot," Gray commented drily. "Can we have an apology for you wasting our time?"

" _Gray_ ," Juvia chided and then turned to Gajeel. She latched onto his arm and tugged. "Come, Gajeel! We'll set up our tents! Levy can put up protection wards!"

"I'll help, too," Lily offered.

They trampled off, leaving Gray alone with Wendy, Charle, and the Sabertooth mages. he turned back to them with a thoughtful look on his face. "I'll call Erza later, give her an update and see how Lucy's situation is going," he decided. He crossed his arms. "Is there anything we need to prepare for, Yukino?"

She wrapped her arms around herself. "No. Only that the Spirits know teamwork better than anyone else. They've had thousands of years to work together. They make Sting and Rogue or Natsu and Lucy look pathetic."

"They do," Rogue admitted quietly. "Pisces alone is trouble, as I assume Gemini would be."

That earned him a nod of agreement from everyone present.

Suddenly, Gray stiffened, his eyes snapping wide. "Shit."

"What?" Sting demanded. He frowned at the horrified look on Gray's face. "What's your problem? Nothing's happened yet."

"Maybe not, but…" Gray rubbed his temples anxiously, as if warding off an oncoming headache. "All thirteen are roving the country destroying everything. Who's to say that all ten of Lucy's Spirits won't attack? Caught by surprise, they could very easily confuse Natsu and the rest of 'em. It would take a moment for them to get their hands on her, even less if they're separated."

Yukino opened her mouth to respond, but froze. Her eyes were locked on something in the sky, a massive black streak that sped towards them.

"Incoming!" Sting shouted, recognizing what she was staring at.

Ophiuchus hit the ground so hard it shook. Black metallic flank gleaming, the Spirit hissed as they all gathered before it. "Mistress," he murmured in a thick, heavy voice. "I told you not to seek us. It will prove fatal."

Gray gawked up at the massive black creature in shock.

"Tell us what's happened to the Spirits, Ophiuchus," Yukino commanded, voice shaking.

Ophiuchus' tongue flicked out from his metallic jaws. "They have been converted to something dark by the Spirit Queen."

Confusion flickered in Yukino's eyes. "There is no such thing," Levy huffed. "Lucy would have-"

"The Spirit King is gone," Ophiuchus hissed. "She has imprisoned him. I am all that is left. She caught Leo first, and through him, the others. Even the lesser Spirits are frightened. I alone remain."

Yukino's face paled. "What do we do?"

"Nothing." Ophiuchus' tongue flicked again. "There is nothing that can be done."

"There has to be something," Charle said fiercely, but high-pitched laughter suddenly filled their ears. Ophiuchus hissed viciously, suddenly lifting his body and moving. Within seconds, he'd coiled himself around the group despite several protests.

"Cassiopeia will know of this betrayal, Ophiuchus," that voice mocked.

Ophiuchus clicked his jaws.

Yukino stared up at the sky, her jaw parted. Even looking so differently, she knew who they were looking at. "Pisces," she whispered. "That's-"

Wendy suddenly hit the ground, the rest of them shoved down a moment later. Gajeel bellowed out his anger, furious. "We're in trouble," Rogue gasped.

"Libra," Yukino whispered as another Spirit appeared, its appearance entirely different from what she remembered Libra as. Libra sneered down at them.

"The Queen wishes to see you," Pisces laughed.

"No!" Yukino suddenly shrieked as light gathered around them. "We can't survive the-"

She was cut off by a blinding flash that exploded around them.

When it was gone, the beach was empty, the only signs they'd been there being the massive indent in the ground where Ophiuchus had rested.

* * *

 _And it's time for craziness! It begins!_

 _Sorry about the late update, guys! My brother's British girlfriend came to visit for two weeks and is staying in my room. Managed to drag my laptop out finally. :3_

 _The next FT chapter is the last one! I'm crying. ;-;_

 _Thanks to reviewers (CupcakeGoddess22, youngneez, ReviewWithFace, LePengwen, The Age of Awesomeness, iTwiisT, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	210. Chapter 210

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Ugh," Lucy groaned as she strode into the room she alone occupied. It was her old bedroom, and she immediately wanted to grab a pillow and sleep in the hall, but sank onto the mattress anyways. She relaxed, and then opened her eyes to study the ceiling above.

Jellal had been incredibly on top of things throughout their talk with the advisor, not once giving him the advantage over them. When the advisor had tried to protest, he'd come up with several good arguments. It had taken hours, but finally, they'd worn him down, and he'd agreed to have those involved with public relations inform the Boscan citizens that someone was stepping in to take the throne.

They'd agreed to come up with a story for the people around them. Since Boscans didn't tend to interact _too_ much with Fioran mages, they'd came up with the story that Jellal was Lucy's cousin - disowned, previously, but brought back in by Lucy herself. Lucy would explain that she wasn't prepared to take the throne, but that Jellal - who would gain citizenship in the country - was fully qualified with his councilors - Sorano, Cobra, and Meredy - to take over.

Erza had thought the plan brilliant, from the texts she was receiving.

The advisor had been pissed.

Lucy studied her phone, biting her lip. Nothing from anyone who'd gone to look into Ophiuchus. When she tried to call Levy, there was no response. So, instead, she called Natsu.

He picked up on the first ring.

He always did.

"Luce," he greeted cheerfully. "Why are you calling? You're two doors away."

"One, that's because you've secretly moved rooms without permission," Lucy sighed, but couldn't keep the amusement out of her voice. "And two, because being seen with my boyfriend at two in the morning when he should be asleep isn't good."

"Oh." He huffed. "I couldn't sleep. Happy's with Erza 'cause I accidentally burned his tail when I tried."

"Natsu," Lucy sighed. "Honestly. You have to figure out what to do about those nightmares-"

"They aren't going anywhere anytime soon, Lucy," he said bluntly. "I see you die every night, and there's nothing I can do about it. I see Rogue - the future one - turn on you. I see the magic, the shadows, and I see how it misses me no matter what I do. I see how no one can stop it. And I see it tear through you like it's nothing. And then you die in front of me, and I can't get you to wake up no matter how hard I try."

" _Natsu_ ," Lucy repeated gently, hearing the distress in his voice. Natsu stopped, listening anxiously. His breathing was harsh, his panic evident. "Listen to me. I'm fine. I mean, I know it doesn't help to tell you that, you've told me. But I'm okay. I'm alive. So are you, and so is everyone else. So here's what you're going to do, okay?" She sat up. "You're going to go to bed. And when you have your nightmare, I want you to repeat that to yourself over and over, and if you need to, you can call me and I'll answer as soon as I can, okay?"

"Yeah," he muttered. He took a deep breath. "I'll do that. Thanks, Luce. Did it go okay? With Jellal?"

"I'm free as a bird," she told him, smiling broadly. "Jellal will be announced tomorrow as the temporary leader of Bosco."

"Yes!" Natsu cheered, and then paused. "Poor Erza."

"Poor Erza," Lucy agreed softly. "But she'll be-"

Lucy cut off, jerking to her feet when she heard footsteps racing down the hall. She opened her mouth to say something to Natsu, but was cut off when Cobra exploded through her door like a whirlwind. Venom spilled from his mouth in a poisonous cloud and Natsu wasn't far behind him, phone still to his ear when he realized something was going on.

"Cobra, what the hell," Lucy shrieked, but he ignored her and threw the window that Loke had once gotten her in and out of open, leaning as far out as he dared. Lucy threw herself at him, latching onto the back of his jacket when he nearly tipped too far forward.

"I know you're out there, bastard!" Cobra shouted, baring his teeth. Lucy felt Natsu's breath hot on her neck as he hovered protectively beside her. "I could hear you! I still can! Doesn't matter if you're a Spirit or not, I hear you!"

"Natsu, call Erza," Lucy began to say, but she was already shoving herself through the door, followed closely by the other three in their group. Meredy looked deadly serious, Erza's face icy.

Silence filled the room. Natsu drew Lucy away, hand on her hip, and Cobra withdrew into the room. He was heaving for air, gasping after his run through the Estate.

And then there was a blast of light in the darkness. Lucy's heart twisted in panic. "Momma," she whispered, turning and racing out of the room. Natsu shouted her name, racing after her with Happy clinging to his shoulder, and the others followed suit. Erza ordered Jellal and Crime Sorciere to remain just in case something happened. Lucy knew there were shocked guards around and other such personnel that stared as they went, but she didn't care.

 _I know where Leo's gone,_ her heart screamed.

Her bare feet tore on gravel as she ran outside. Natsu snagged her arm, stopping her. "Lucy," he hissed, "Stop!"

"My mom's grave," she protested. "He was-"

"It's not as important as you," he growled, glaring at her. "We can rebuild it-"

She slapped him and he released her, touching his cheek in shock. Heaving for breath, Lucy sprinted away again.

He didn't understand. Natsu didn't realize it. To her, that grave meant _everything_ , and she knew it was important to Loke, too. She would not let this strange version of him defile it-

"Got you," a voice purred. Lucy shrieked when something tripped her - a leg. She hit the ground, skinning her hands and knees. Natsu was there, standing over her in a flash, with Erza close behind. His onyx eyes blazed.

Loke - Leo - stood before them. His golden armor glinted and glowed in Natsu's flames and the moonlight above. He grinned mockingly, canine teeth much larger than Lucy remembered them to be. His green eyes glowed with triumph. "Got you," he repeated, proud.

"Loke," Lucy wheezed as Natsu helped her to her feet. She leaned heavily on him, feeling Happy's tail lashing against her shoulder. He hissed at Leo, and Lucy couldn't bring herself to think of him as someone different in the mood she was in. "Loke, what are you _doing_ -"

Leo spread his arms out, laughing. Before he could get a word in, another Spirit appeared beside him, a smirk on her face, and Lucy's heart twisted with pain. " _Virgo_ ," she rasped, not recognizing her friendly maid friend.

Virgo flashed her a wild grin, her pink hair sticking up in every direction and her blue eyes vicious. "Is it time for their punishment, Leo?" she sneered with a hopeful tone, and Lucy shuddered.

Virgo was terrifying enough with all of the punishment nonsense on a regular basis.

This was _not_ okay.

"Not quite. The Queen's gathering them," Leo explained without faltering. His smile grew. His gaze full of malice, he stared harshly at Lucy over Natsu's shoulder. "She said we could have free reign to do whatever we wanted though. Do you want first blood?"

Natsu became a blur. He lunged and Leo's head snapped back as he smashed his fist into the Lion's face, a snarl on his face. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" he shouted as Leo leaped back, clutching his face with a hiss. "What happened to make you like this?! You were our _friend_ , you have our _emblem_ on your _back_ -"

"And now I don't," Leo retorted. "Who'd want to be a member of your pathetic guild when we can have the world? Fiore, Bosco, Seven, even the Alvarez Empire." He grinned. "Black mages have nothing on what we will do."

"Enough talking," Virgo said impatiently. "Can we get going?"

"Right." Leo shook his head to clear it, the blood disappearing from his armor. An odd sensation raced over Lucy's skin - one she'd felt before. "Natsu!" she cried as Erza snagged her arm. He reached out and caught her wrist-

White.

* * *

When Lucy came to, she could barely draw in air. Coughing and hacking, she rolled onto her stomach and remained there until she could finally clear her lungs. The air around her was heavy, tugging at her mind.

 _Play with us!_ something cried cheerfully. _Play, play, play!_

Lucy understood the full extent of the dangers of the Spirit Realm in that moment. She stumbled to her feet and looked around her. She wasn't alone, she was relieved to see. Erza was with her, stumbling to her own feet.

"Lucy," she breathed. "Where are we?"

"The Spirit Realm." Lucy helped her, letting the scarlet-haired woman lean heavily against her. They stood on a path beneath a black velvet sky full of stars, constellations outlined in the sky and glowing. The sky was streaked with red now, however, like blood had been thrown against a canvas. "Where's Natsu?"

She shook her head. "I am uncertain." She looked around herself. "We need to find the clothes of this Realm," she decided. Erza bit her lip. "Do you know where we can?"

Lucy thought long and hard about what she'd seen and heard. "No," she finally whispered. "I've got nothing."

They stood there in silence for a few moments.

And then Erza smiled gently at her. "Come. We can't stand here. The Spirits will be trying to find you, I'm certain." She looped her arm through Lucy's and together, the women set off.

* * *

" _Shit_ ," Leo hissed, hitting the ground on his knees with his hands pressed over his ears. Andromeda looked at him with a frown on her face. Hydra sneered and Cassiopeia didn't bother, looking into the orb before her, her eyes glowing excitedly.

Leo ignored all of them, too busy trying to block out the roar that rumbled through his ears, angry and ready to destroy.

 _"You have angered me, Leo. No amount of apologizing will earn you any forgiveness from the Fire Dragon King."_

Leo clenched his jaw and for some reason, that comment drove fear into the depths of his heart. He gasped, pressing a claw-tipped hand to his heart. He wanted to run - run and never look back. "Screw off," he rasped, ordering the voice away.

Cassiopeia froze. "Excuse me?"

"Not you," he said hastily, narrowing his eyes. "Never you. Someone else. Someone in my head."

"A tad unbalanced,are we?" Hydra mocked.

Leo snarled at him.

 _"You rested your dirtied claws upon my son and the mistress you swore upon your existence to protect - after the King granted you leniency on Layla Heartfilia's request. I will watch you burn in the flames breathed from my gullet and I will enjoy it."_

"Shut _up_!" he bellowed, ignoring the pain as he dug his claws into his scalp.

"Perhaps you need to fight it off?" Andromeda suggested, looking to Cassiopeia for confirmation. She inclined her head, giving her approval.

"Go," the Queen hummed, smiling to herself as Leo staggered to his feet and stumbled away.

"Let's see just how well these mages can hold up against the Spirits of my Realm."

* * *

 _I'm back! Sorry about the small break. I had someone staying in my room and couldn't get to my laptop, and then we went on a small vacation. I'm back now though!_

 _Fairy Tail ended while I was away! D: I'm so sad, but I'm happy with how it ended. It was a good ending._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Iris Patton, CupcakeGoddess22, The Age of Awesomeness, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, Vilchen, Dragondancer81, RandomAnimeNerd, OOANDISAOO, ashcator2002, quite-a-riot, LePengwen, ToukaKanekiUlle, ReviewWithFace, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	211. Chapter 211

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu stopped mid-step, heaving for breath. Happy clung to his shoulder, claws dug into his scarf. "Natsu," Happy whispered. "Where _are_ we? There's whispers…"

"I know, little buddy." Natsu said, gently pressing his hands over Happy's ears. "Ignore them, I can hear them, too." Natsu shuddered as a deep one spoke to him, coaxing him-

 _Lucy_ , he said silently. Lucy was his light. She would keep him out of the shadows that threatened to close in. He thought of her as they wandered forward, seeking their friends or a Spirit that would help them.

Suddenly, he was on the ground, someone towering over him. He wheezed for breath as Happy shrieked beneath him. It felt like he'd been side-swiped by an eighteen-wheeler and he snapped his jaws before thrashing, preparing his flames to incinerate everything but Happy-

"Natsu?"

Natsu blinked, clearing his vision. " _Rogue_?"

"Fro is here, too!" a cheerful Frosch cried from nowhere. Rogue pulled back, getting off of Natsu and fully forming his body from the shadows he'd been using. His arms cradled his cat, his red eyes wary.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Natsu retorted. He checked Happy, who reassured him that he was fine, and then threw an accusing look at Rogue. "Where's everyone else? I thought all of you were going to be summoning Yukino's Spirit-"

"We did," he muttered. "And then Libra and Pisces showed up and we were here. I can't find Sting or anyone else. Frosch is the only one I could find, and I'm glad I found him at least."

"Yeah, probably a good thing that you did." Natsu climbed to his feet, rubbing his back with a grimace. He narrowed his eyes. "Lucy and Yukino are gonna be the ones who are targeted, we need to find them."

"We'll all be targeted," Rogue sighed. "We need to get our hands on this Realm's clothing before we go insane. We can't stay here long without the King's protection, but at least it'll help."

Natsu mumbled his agreement.

A gasp caught their agreement. Both looked back to see a wide-eyed Spirit, her green eyes flickering with excitement and horror that mixed together. Natsu recognized her in an instant. "Lyra?" he muttered, wary.

"Natsu!" she cheered. Her gaze slid to Rogue. "And you're Rogue, Miss Yukino's friend! But you shouldn't be here...the Zodiacs have lost their minds and are in league with the Queen…" Her voice faltered, filling with grief. "Please don't be mad at them. They...I don't think it's their fault."

"Either way, we need Spirit clothing," Natsu huffed.

"I know where to get you some." Lyra beamed. "This way!"

Natsu paused. "How do we know you won't betray us like the others?"

Rogue murmured his agreement, suspicious.

Lyra murmured, "Because if you don't trust me and the other lesser Spirits, all will be lost and all of the Realms will crumple beneath us."

* * *

Lucy kept a hand on her keys, not once removing her fingers from the metal. They'd almost run into Aries - Lucy had cried softly over her Spirit, not recognizing the old Aries at all in this odd new one - and Erza had been the one to notice that whenever a Spirit came by, a key warmed up. So they used it as a radar, ignoring the voices whispering in their heads as they ran around the Realm like a chicken with its head cut off.

"Erza," Lucy breathed when one warmed up and Era stopped. She looked down and checked through each key. She furrowed her brow. "Plue?"

A soft call of "Pun!" filled their ears and they whirled around to discover the small Spirit standing behind them, shaking and looking delighted. Lucy threw her arms out and Plue hurried into them. "Plue!" she shrieked happily, hugging the Spirit tightly. Plue made happy sounds as Lucy hugged him, and then gave a very insistent sound, tugging on her shirt.

"Do you want us to follow you?" Erza guessed.

Plue made a soft sound of agreement and Lucy set him down. He took off and they kept up with ease as he guided them through twisted paths.

* * *

"Lucy?! Erza?!"

" _Gray_?!" Lucy gasped as he appeared, his black eyes wide. He held Lector for some reason, with no one else in sight. Lector looked terrified, his eyes flicking around anxiously - seeking Sting, Lucy guessed. "What are you doing here?!"

"We got brought here along with Ophiuchus," Gray said darkly, making his way over. He ruffled her hair affectionately, giving her a warm smile. Lucy gave him a brief pat on the shoulder to express her relief and then blinked.

"That means that _everyone_ is here. And every hour we're here is a week in our Realm." Lucy pressed her lips together. "We need to get a move on and figure out where to go. Plue," she said, looking to her friend. Plue made a soft sound.

They all set off again, this time with Gray. He kept a close eye out for anything suspicious and it took what seemed like ages before they finally reached a building that Lucy remembered. "This!" she breathed. "Good job, Plue!"

"Pun!" Plue said cheerfully, and then sprinted off. Lucy moved to go after him, but Erza stopped her.

"Plue will be fine, Lucy," she said gently. "Come, we need to get into the Realm's clothing."

"Right," Lucy said, puffing out a breath. They ducked inside.

Lucy screamed when something sharp was suddenly at her throat. Erza had a sword pointed at the other person in an instant on one side of her, Gray copying with one made of ice. There was a moment of stiff silence.

"Oh. You fuckers." Gajeel dropped his arm, returning it to normal. Lucy gasped, sputtering as she glared at him and Erza calmly put her sword back at her hip. Gray rested his on his bare shoulder.

"Lu!" Levy shrieked, flying at the blonde. Lucy hugged her tightly, relieved to see that the small bookworm was okay. They pulled apart. "We were led here by Crux! He found us and guided us and then left."

"Plue did the same for us," Lucy said, smiling at her friend hesitantly. "Are you guys okay? I see you've changed already." She added, looking at the layered dress that Levy wore. Her blue locks had been pushed back by a handkerchief embroidered with stars. "We really need to do the same."

"Right!" Levy turned to Gajeel. "Take Gray to where you got yours."

"They're really fuckin' weird," Gajeel told Gray as he and Lily headed towards the back of the building. "I mean, look at this cape thing I grabbed…"

"Gajeel's enjoying himself," Levy admitted and then grabbed Lucy's hand. "This way." She led them towards a side-room. "Lucy, did you see any of your Zodiacs? We nearly ran right into Taurus… He's got this weird metallic head…"

"Aries," Lucy whispered. "We ran into Aries almost, and Virgo was with Loke...I mean, Leo. When he dragged us here."

"They're terrifying," Levy told her. "And we'll make sure we can get them back to normal, okay?" She squeezed Lucy's hand, and Erza added a murmur of agreement.

Together, the three women found clothes for Lucy and Erza. "What even is this?" Lucy muttered as she studied herself, looking down. The clothing she'd chosen was high-collared and supported a jacket with tails that hovered by her knees. It buttoned just over her breasts, a heart shape embroidered into the material there. There was no pants - only a piece like a bathing suit to go beneath it, leaving her legs free and bare except for some thigh-high boots.

"You look badass if it makes you feel better," Levy told her with a brief grin before tensing when footsteps filled the air.

Erza, who was tying her hair with a black ribbon, froze. The Spirit clothing was somewhat revealing on everyone, and a simple black piece had been tied around her chest, a vest pulled on over - a vest that left her stomach and chest on view.

They went very, very quiet, watching, waiting-

"Huh. Can't say I'm _not_ happy to see you."

"Sting," Lucy said, greeting the white dragon slayer with relief. "It's good to see you. You scared the life out of-"

" _Sting_!"

"Lector!" Sting rasped, catching his cat with a groan of relief as Gray and Gajeel wandered back over. He hugged Lector tightly, his blue eyes sparkling. "You're okay! Good, I was worried. Have any of you seen Rogue or Yukino or Frosch?"

They all shook their heads.

"Damn," he huffed and then jabbed a finger at Gray. "Where'd you get those?"

* * *

The next hour or so - or Lucy guessed it was an hour anyways - was filled with waiting for others to arrive. Juvia finally showed up alongside Wendy, who was near tears until Yukino showed up with Charle. It took forever, however, for Lyra to arrive with the last of their group.

"Luce!" Natsu called, diving at her. She laughed as he hugged her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder as Happy purred loudly, utterly relieved to see her.

Erza smiled gently and then turned to the others. "Do we have everyone?"

"Yes," Rogue confirmed as Yukino hugged him, pleased that he was okay. Sting swung his arms around both of them with a smug look on his face as Lector scampered up onto Yukino's head.

Lucy leaned briefly into Natsu before pulling away as Gray joined them, ruffling her hair before turning to Juvia to see if she was okay. She picked unhappily at the dress she'd chosen, one Lucy herself had worn before, but smiled at him.

Lucy took Happy from Natsu's head, hugging him as she said seriously, "What do we do now? The Spirits aren't _all_ crazy, so maybe we could find a few and find out what they think?"

Yukino smiled barely. "Lucy, the second we were here, they were gone. They're in hiding. The Zodiacs terrorize them, I think." She became thoughtful. "Ophiuchus is gone. I don't know where he went, but...he'd be our best chance."

"Pisces and Libra went after him. We need to avoid him for now," Rogue told her with a shake of his head as Frosch squirmed nervously, tail lashing back and forth.

"Perhaps we should seek out the link directly?" Lily said, frowning as he thought this over. He stood beside Gajeel's feet, tail flicking back and forth and a vest tugged over his furry body to help protect him. "Ophiuchus mentioned a Spirit Queen."

"So did Leo," Erza said thoughtfully. "So either we seek the Spirit Queen, or we find the King of this Realm so that he can help us set things right."

"I propose we split up," Levy suggested. "Half of us go to hunt down this Queen, half of us go to find the King."

"I don't know, Levy," Lucy said uncertainly. "We're not in our own Realm. I don't have the slightest clue on where they'd put the King if he needed us to find him, but guaranteed that this Queen would be on his throne."

"I remember that," Natsu muttered.

"As leader of the Zodiac Spirits," Lucy said slowly. "Leo would probably be close to her. We could use his key to lead the way. I'll go with one group. Yukino, how about you lead the other group and find Ophiuchus? I bet he'd know where the Spirit would be."

"That sounds good," she agreed. "I'll take my guildmates. Um, Gajeel, Levy, Lily, would you perhaps like to come with us?"

"Sure," Levy agreed instantly before turning to Juvia. "You should go with Team Natsu. You and Gray are difficult to go against when you're together."

Juvia gave a shy smile, pleased.

"I don't think we can contact one another here," Erza said, "So we'll have to trust that we'll see each other again soon. Is everyone ready?"

"Aye, sir!" everyone chimed, even joined by Sabertooth.

Lucy put Loke's key in one hand and Natsu's in her other before setting off.

* * *

 _Not an exciting chapter as they all kind of meet up, but meh. We'll have some SERIOIUS big events soon enough. ;)_

 _Evilhyperpixie13, I won't say yes or no to Nalu marriage or children. But it'll be a while before you see anything that gives you an answer._

 _Thanks to reviewers (ReviewWithFace, CrazyMagic16, CupcakeGoddess22, The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, Evilhyperpixie13, Iris Patton, ToukaKanekiUlle, Rose, Guest #1, tinybabyleafs, HummingBird742, PinkFireandGoldenStars, and RandomAnimeNerd!) as well as those who favorited and followed._


	212. Chapter 212

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The time they spent wandering felt like forever.

Natsu kept a tight hand on Lucy's, Gray and Juvia following behind them with Erza and Wendy bringing up the rear. Erza chattered lightly with the sky mage, who was fretting anxiously over everything. Natsu couldn't blame her. It _was_ scary to be in this Realm, where the air itself seemed to press in.

He had Lucy now, however, so it didn't seem so intimidating.

He'd never seen her this determined. Even when they were dealing with Oracion Seis, or the Grand Magic Games. Someone had hurt her precious Spirits.

And she was going to make them pay.

She glanced at him and he grinned reassuringly, searching her dark eyes anxiously to make sure she was okay. She smiled back at him, her face softened with affection. Natsu's heart swelled with adoration for her and before he could help it, he made a high-pitched sound in the back of his throat that he'd never made before.

Her eyebrows rose. "What was _that_?"

He made a weird expression. "I have no idea," he sighed, and then narrowed his slanted eyes when she suddenly dropped her gaze to her keys. "Luce?"

"He's nearby." Lucy lifted her eyes. "Leo's-"

Before she could finish telling the rest of their friends, something exploded. Between one moment and the next, Lucy was on her back, ears ringing. Happy wailed in pain beside her, but she barely heard him as a familiar face leaned over her, smug.

"Hey, Princess," Leo mocked. "Miss me?"

Laughter filled the air, dark and menacing. Lucy struggled to roll over, seek out Wendy at the very least, but Leo grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him as he grinned. "Wondering where your friends are? Have a look." He forced her head to the side.

Dazed, Lucy caught sight of Erza fighting furiously against the heavy Taurus, who had her pinned with a thumb pressed into a pressure point that would hurt should he choose to use it. Natsu flailed, bellowing flames at Virgo. Gray and Juvia were back to back on their feet, magic at the ready as Gemini, Aries, Cancer, and Scorpio circled them. Aquarius and Capricorn had Wendy shrieking beneath them and Sagittarius stood off to the side, looking very much like the Spirit she'd first expected him to be.

"Let go of her!" Natsu bellowed.

Virgo cackled above him, bending low so that her nose was an inch from his. "Shall I deliver his punishment, Leo?"

Lucy shuddered. "Leo," she pleaded. " _Loke_ , I'm begging you. Snap out of this."

"What is there to snap out of? I'm happy. I'm _free_. I'm no longer chained to a human like you." The other Spirits shouted their agreement. "Ophiuchus is psychotic. Thinking that there's something that needs to change. Hey, let's play a game!"

"No," Erza gritted. She requipped, lashing out -

And was gone.

"Erza!" Lucy shrieked, struggling beneath Leo. He didn't look concerned. Then again, he wasn't.

"Wendy!" Natsu bellowed, echoing her. Lucy's head whipped around to discover that Wendy, Taurus, and Aquarius were gone.

"Shit," Gray seethed as Aries laughed, sticking her tongue out at him.

"I call dibs," she cheered, suddenly lunging. They disappeared in a flash of light and Juvia was gone, too, when it had faded, alongside Sagittarius. Gemini danced around as two children, their gazes flickering.

"Can we have _him_?" Gemi pleaded, staring at Natsu.

"We could have fun," Mini agreed, beaming.

"Sorry, but he's mine," Virgo purred, smirking at Natsu. He spat at her and they disappeared. Lucy kicked at Leo desperately. She had _nothing_ here! Her Spirits were the ones hurting her, hurting her friends-

She needed her whip.

Dark light gathered in Leo's hand, which he pressed against her head. The pendant at her throat suddenly seared, however, and he swore, rearing back.

"Leo?" Scorpio questioned.

Leo clutched his head, swearing under his breath. "That damn voice won't shut up," he gritted out. "Screaming at me-"

 _There!_

Lucy whipped a leg out and caught Leo over the head. He skidded away with a shout. "Happy!" Lucy cried, and he grabbed her, zipping away. Charle followed suit, left behind in the Spirits' eagerness.

"Leo!" Cancer snapped, glaring at the leader of the Zodiac.

Leo staggered to his feet. "Damn it!"

 _"You've attacked Lucy twice, threatened to kill her, and have gone after my son. I will watch you burn in Hell. I will leave my prison and come after you. If I cannot find you, I will look for all eternity."_

Leo wanted to turn and run the other way.

* * *

They didn't remain in the air for long. Lucy stumbled, feet catching on her heels as Happy landed. Happy dropped into her arms immediately, whimpering softly when he jarred his injured leg. Lucy caught him and Charle when she reluctantly dropped into her arms, too.

Lucy hoped her friends were okay. She had no doubt in her mind that they were strong, that they could handle the problem.

"Charle, have you seen anything about this?" she asked, keeping her legs moving. She didn't dare stop.

"No," Charle huffed. "Nothing. It's odd, usually I see _everything_ big before it happens."

Happy curled his tail around Lucy's wrist, his body quivering. "They're scary now. I liked Gemini and Virgo. Do you think we'll help fix them, Lucy?"

"Yeah," Lucy said, though her voice was uncertain. "I think we will." She thought for a moment, hurrying her mind up. "Let's see if we can find Yukino somewhere around here, or even come across where one of them took our team."

"I hope we come across Wendy," Charle hissed. "I'll claw that Spirit's eyes out if she hurts Wendy!"

Lucy thought of the childish Aquarius, the sparkling eyes, and shuddered.

For the first time in her life, Lucy wanted the old Aquarius beside her.

"Let's find someone else," she decided. She rubbed her aching head. "We _have_ to be out of here as soon as possible, or retrieve the Spirit King. We'll die without his protection. I can't do anything without a whip here. If I could use that Star Dress spell Jellal was helping me figure out, or even Urano Metria...but my magic is useless when it comes from a Realm controlled by a psychotic Queen."

Happy's claws gently dug into her arm. "Virgo took Natsu...I hope he'll be okay."

Lucy wouldn't have doubted Natsu's safety had they been in their own Realm. But in the Spirit Realm...it felt like she knew _nothing_.

Scowling, Lucy muttered, "I'm going to learn everything I can about this Realm when this is over. Just in case."

"I wish you'd thought of such an idea from the beginning," Charle told her.

"Me, too."

* * *

Natsu swore as he hit the ground rolling. He was on his feet in an instant, his face furious. He adjusted his scarf, making sure it wasn't going to fly away. Virgo lightly stood a few feet away, and he barely recognized Lucy's weird Spirit the way she was. Her blue eyes sparked with excitement, her leather-clad hips shifting as she changed her weight to her left foot.

He needed to find the Spirit Queen or the King to fix this, but he couldn't if Virgo was in his way. And while he didn't trust her - she wasn't normal Virgo - he didn't want to fight her if he could avoid it.

"Get out of my way," he rumbled, bristling. His fists lit with flames.

Virgo's lips curved into a huge grin. She didn't look the least bit bothered by him. "Not likely," she purred, lifting a hand. A whip appeared in it, one that reminded him of Lucy's. He narrowed his onyx eyes warily. Virgo cracked the whip. "Let's play a punishment game," she hummed, eyes lighting with excitement. "For every strike I land, the pain gets worse."

"That's not a game, that's called torture," he retorted and then struck without hesitation. He used his flames to propel himself forward. He crashed into Virgo, who flicked her wrist. The whip she held took on a mind of his own, absorbing his flames and wrapping around his ankle. Before he knew it, Natsu was flying through the air and crashing to the ground. He wheezed for breath, clutching his chest until he finally caught it. Pain flared up his ankle.

" _Shit_ ," he muttered, hopping back onto his feet.

Virgo's whip snaked through the air and before he could move it was around his wrist. He wasn't bothered by the flames that flickered over his skin, but it sure as hell hurt when she yanked.

He used the motion to his advantage and twisted mid-air, crashing his shoulder into Virgo's gut. She coughed, driven backwards, staggering and he lashed out with his foot. When she avoided his blow, he danced away, clutching his shoulder.

He'd heard the pop when Virgo had yanked.

And he knew it was anything but good. Natsu's jaw worked furiously. Dislocations weren't pleasant. On top of it all, that was his dominant side. He wouldn't be able to work as efficiently until it had been popped back into place.

He lit his entire body on fire. _I need to spar with Luce more,_ he decided.

Virgo grinned. "How do you feel?" she mocked.

The next crack of her whip split his flesh and he felt blood trickle down his back as he spun to try and avoid it. It hurt like hell, stinging and burning far more than it should have. Natsu swore under his breath, dropping and inhaling sharply.

He bellowed a Fire Dragon's Roar at the Spirit, losing patience. He watched the way she threw her hands up to protect her face - and caught sight of something gold glinting in her ear. His eyes flashed with excitement, zoning in.

Virgo's symbol.

Not Lucy's key, but the symbol itself, turned into an earring. Natsu grinned.

That had to be important by the way she reached up to touch it. Right?

Swallowing thickly, Natsu shifted his weight, light on the balls of his feet and ready to move. His muscles tensed, his magic gathered tightly in preparation.

"Hey, Virgo," he called after a moment. "Want to try something else in this little game of ours?" She gave him a suspicious look, pausing. "How about you tell me about that earring of yours?"

Virgo's gaze darkened defensively and that was enough.

Natsu plunged forward with a wild grin, the strange cloak from the Spirit Realm swirling in his flames.

* * *

She was _furious_ and it didn't take a genius to figure that out.

Cassiopeia looked into her beloved orb, caressing it at the same time that she hatefully snarled at it. She bristled, fought the urge to scream, and yanked a hand through her hair.

"Cassi?" Andromeda whispered nervously from nearby, standing close to Hydra.

Cassiopeia took a deep breath to calm herself. "Leo messed up."

"Not of his own accord. There really is a voice in his head," Hydra rumbled. "I sensed it, the portion of another's soul when I implanted a piece of your own in there."

"Still, it's annoying." Cassiopeia tossed her hair back and then took a deep breath. "Ophiuchus is gone. Disappeared. Leo's not reliable. And these damn mages are stronger than I thought. "Do me a favor, would you Hydra?"

"Sure." Hydra shrugged heavy shoulders, tongue flickering out.

"Go and find Ophiuchus. I need to punish him. Perhaps the Spirit King will appreciate a friend." She twirled a lock of hair around her finger, watching in her orb as a man with long dark hair and piercing red eyes used a pillar of iron to fight back Scorpio, whose face was twisted with shock.

"Oh, and Hydra?" she added. He stopped mid-step, having headed for the door. He looked back patiently.

"Bring me one of those cats."

"Sure," he agreed with a mock salute.

He left, his brow furrowed, and wondered what had happened over the past thousands of years to change Cassiopeia from the girl he remembered meeting to this.

* * *

 _Late update because I'm lazy. XD_

 _And so the fighting begins! We'll be in for some serious exciting things next week, I believe._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, RandomAnimeNerd, Dragondancer81, CupcakeGoddess22, Crazymagic16, PinkFireandGoldenStars, lePengwen, ToukaKanekiUlle, Iris Patton, ReviewWithFace, tinybabyleafs, and HummingBird742!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	213. Chapter 213

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

As Lucy ran around with Charle and Happy, seeking their friends, each of the others found themselves matched against a Spirit. Natsu bellowed flames at Virgo, Wendy blasted Aquarius with wind as the cheerful Water Bearer wielded her water from an urn in her arms. Yukino found herself facing various people as Gemini switched from form to form, digging through her memories to find them. Erza's swords clashed with Taurus' axe, a wall of water defending Juvia from a series of arrows. Levy fell into a game of wits against Capricorn and Aries nearly tore Gray to pieces as he struggled alongside Gajeel to catch both she and Scorpio. Rogue worked against Libra while Sting viciously went after a pissed off Pisces. Lily helped Frosch and Lector, defending them from Cancer.

Cassiopeia saw all of this from her orb and more. She watched Hydra bring Ophiuchus down, not minding that he'd forgotten her request for a cat. Andromeda had been sent to deal with lesser Spirits, eager to work.

Suddenly, the floor shook beneath her feet. A failing effort to break free of restraints, she knew, but without the keys to the locks she'd placed, the King couldn't get out.

Cassiopeia snickered.

"Try all you want, Spirit King. This is your end."

* * *

The attack came out of nowhere.

Lucy leaped out of the way when the black energy skimmed past and hit the ground with enough force to crack the earth - or what would have been earth. They had been crossing a field that looked as if it was made of stars. Charle hissed and Happy's tail lashed as Lucy righted herself.

A fairly pissed off Leo stood before her. His green eyes glittered with malice. "You've officially pissed me the _fuck_ off, Princess," he rumbled.

Determined to get herself, Lucy gave him a charming smile. "Funny, because I could have sworn you liked to piss _me_ off."

A growl rumbled in his throat, a sound that Lucy had only really ever heard Natsu make when he was truly angry. Black light - she snorted to herself - glittered in his hand, cackling dangerously. She touched frayed hair, grimacing. He'd caught her hair and sheared a good amount of it off.

And then Leo was after her and Lucy was desperately trying to stay out of his way. She was wheezing for air within seconds, drawing on her magic with desperation and receiving no response. She flinched when he caught her across the cheek, blood spraying the air.

"Lucy!" Happy whimpered, worried.

"I'm fine," she gasped, twirling. Remembering her lessons with Jellal, she forced herself to take a deep breath.

She fought back.

She fended off blows, sliding beneath each one to deliver a punch or some kind of kick to him, aiming for the weak spots in his armor. He hissed in pain with each blow. The amulet at her throat burned and Lucy nearly got a fist to the face when a voice whispered, _"Draw on his magic like he draws on yours."_

Lucy licked her lips and did just that. She could feel something in her blood guiding her as she shifted back, drawing her magic to her in fragments. Something clustered in her, locking in-

A bright glow filled her gaze for the briefest of seconds, as if she'd summoned a Spirit, except she only saw Leo's shocked look. Happy breathed a "Wow, Lucy!" in her ear and Charle purred her approval.

The fluttering of a skirt first gave her the clue as to what had happened. That and the hair piled on top of her head. Lucy blinked, glancing down at herself. The clothes she'd shoved onto her form had been replaced with a sleek black gold-lined dress, a golden sash tied about her waist. She grimaced at how the black skirt to the dress slit all the way up to her left hip, how it hung low around her chest. She just barely saw the symbol emblazoned on her chest, and the black sleeves tickled her wrist as she curled her hands loosely into fists.

"Gotta love royalty," Lucy mused, smirking at Leo. He glared. "I bet I can kick your ass in these heels. Happy, Charle, go find Natsu and the others, okay?"

"Aye, sir!" Happy cried, surging into the air with Charle hot on his heels.

When he came at her again, she swung her leg out.

Her heel glowed a brilliant light as she caught him over the side of the head. She grinned proudly when Leo stumbled, caught by surprise. "Hey, Leo!" she laughed as he lifted a taloned hand to swipe at his bloodied nose. He narrowed his green eyes. She grinned.

"How well can you hold up against your own magic?"

* * *

Natsu's calloused fingers wrapped around the earring and - muttering a quick apology to the real Virgo - he yanked. She shrieked in pain, blood flying as he ripped the earring free. He shot backwards when she lashed out with her whip, throwing an arm out to protect his face. It cut deeply into his arm. He ignored the dripping blood in favor of turning his gaze onto the earring.

It was real gold. Greed told him as much. But rather than stashing it away for later, he upped the heat in his hand and simply went to work on melting it. Virgo screamed as he did so, clutching her head and collapsing to her knees. She trembled before him as the gold dripped between his fingers, turning black as it touched the ground.

And then, suddenly, she gasped. She coughed, choked, hacking. Hesitantly, Natsu stood before her, watching as she retched and vomited up something black that hit the ground and then bolted. He didn't bother to give chase.

He'd worry about that later.

"Virgo?" he said with care, ready to fight if necessary.

"...Master Natsu," she said after a moment, looking up at him with bewildered blue eyes. The harsh cruelty was gone from her face, replaced by shock and then horror. "Master Natsu, you should not-"

He groaned in relief and toppled backwards, landing heavily on his back and puffing a cloud of smoke into the starry sky. "Good to have you back, crazy lady."

She merely stared at him in confusion. "I don't understand-"

"Lucy'll explain later." He cranked his head up to peer at her. "What do you remember?"

* * *

" _Shit_ ," Gajeel grunted as he caught a face full of sand to the face. Gray snorted behind him, fending off a blow out of nowhere from a smirking Aries. "What the fuck are we supposed to do? They're immortal here!"

"They're immortal period," Gray retorted, settling into a stance and drawing on what magic he could. He didn't dare reach too deep - he was getting too tired. And too much magic loss would mean death.

Something driven into every mage the second they knew about magic.

An idea came to him. Gray had always been particularly good at sensing magic, from the moment he'd met Ur. With care, he probed and prodded until he came across what he was looking for.

Springing at Aries, he roared, "Gajeel, aim for that tie in his hair, the one with his symbol!"

Gajeel shot forward without hesitation, swiping at the Spirit. He made a face, remembering just how crazily different this Spirit looked from the Scorpio Lucy had used previously. He was his out of the way by a wave of sand and Scorpio scowled as Gray fought to reach for a symbol at Aries' throat.

Gajeel wiped the sand from his eyes and grinned.

 _Gotta love a challenge._

He pressed on.

* * *

Yukino could hear something clashing in the distance as she slammed her heel down upon the golden halves she'd miraculously retrieved from the stunned Gemi and Mini before her. With a pop, they'd returned to their original appearance. Now, they stumbled deliriously around in front of her. She smiled to herself, relieved.

"Gemini," she murmured, kneeling before them.

"Miss Yukino," Mini slurred.

"Miss Yukino," Gemi echoed.

"You should not be in our Realm," they said simultaneously.

"No, I shouldn't," Yukino agreed. "Are you alright now? Lucy will be glad to see you back to normal, hm?"

The Spirit collapsed before her and Yukino scooped them into her arms. Gemi and Mini didn't stir.

A flash of light caught her attention and Yukino narrowed her eyes, studying it.

"This'll be the only time I walk into the light willingly," she joked softly to herself, and set off.

* * *

Erza hissed softly in pain, blood dripping from a wound that ran down her side, left by her opponent's axe. Taurus said nothing, the metal head he now supported glinting in starlight. The axe was brutal, and even she would admit that. On top of the whispers, she now had to deal with the pain of an axe that felt like it had electric barbs lining it.

Taking a shaking breath, Erza requipped and found herself supporting specially built armor, made to withstand blows of great strength.

She staggered as pain coursed down her side.

How had she, Erza Scarlet, been caught by surprise?!

Frustrated now, Erza fought harder. She fell into familiar steps, her blade moving like an extension of her arm as it sang through the air. She caught Taurus on the arm and then the shoulder. _Closer_ , the voices coaxed. _Closer!_

She just barely stopped herself from beheading the Spirit when she knocked him to the ground. She scowled at something, her breathing harsh. "Give me," she rasped, "Your nose ring." The metal head blew steam in response and losing patience, Erza snatched it, feeling the metal break with a loud snap.

And when it did, she stood over a bewildered Tauru as she somewhat remembered him. Smiling faintly, Erza stepped aside to give him space and closed her eyes, sinking to the ground with a groan.

The voices echoed in her mind.

* * *

"Rogue!"

Levy gave the upset cat a sympathetic look as she cradled he and Lector in her arms. Lily hovered beside her, protective. Cancer stood at her shoulder with Capricorn on the other. Both looked unhappy, though neither were angry with her, she knew. They were angry with themselves, with Leo, and with the Spirit Queen that had invaded their home.

Frosch was in tears, distressed and worried about his friend. "He'll be okay," Lector soothed. "Sting's gotta be with him, right?"

"Right," Levy agreed. "Besides, we're near someone else. Capricorn said so." She flashed the Spirit a quick smile and he met her smile with a scowl. She lost the smile.

"There are far too many dragon slayers present," he said darkly.

Levy ignored him and instead soothed Frosch when the cat began to cry, his tail wrapped tightly around her wrist.

Sighing, Lily told her, "I'm sure we'll find Gajeel before long. Despite all that he claims, he is _not_ sneaky."

Levy awkwardly touched the ring on her finger and laughed. "No," she agreed. "He's not."

* * *

Rogue rumbled a low growl-like sound of satisfaction as Libra crumpled. Ignoring the scratches that lined his jaw, he stepped forward and knelt beside her, reaching. He snatched the symbol away and studied it, cocking his head. "Natsu would like these," he mused.

He shrugged and snapped it with little effort.

He watched as Libra's strange appearance vanished. She looked dazed as she returned to the Spirit he remembered her to be. She narrowed her eyes at him, but gave a curt nod of thanks, saying nothing otherwise. He didn't expect more. He never did when the Spirits were involved.

Rogue climbed to his feet, opening his mouth and tasting the air as he ignored the whispers in his ears. Sting thought it was a stupid habit of his, but Skiadrum had taught it to him and he was unlikely to forget it. He tasted white magic, he realized, immediately turning in that direction before faltering. He could taste Sting's magic, though…

He went back and forth for a few moments before deciding.

Rogue started for his partner.

* * *

Sting's hands shook with pain as he struggled to examine his leg. Pisces was gone. Had been gone for a while now, fled after Sting had figured out what he needed. His blue eyes flashed with agony. He didn't dare touch the broken flesh. He could seen where bone had pierced it. Definitely not a clean break.

Rogue was going to kill him.

A hiss filled his ears and Sting swore under his breath, gathering what shadows he could. But there weren't any to hide in. Not in this strange Realm.

The massive black head that filled his blurred vision gave him relief. "Ophiuchus," he recognized.

His tongue flicked out. He was covered in nasty marks, as if he'd been in a fight, and even the way he moved was slower than normal. "My mistress seeks you," he rumbled.

"Yukino?" Sting's gaze flickered. "Is she okay?"

Ophiuchus didn't answer. His jaws parted, the metallic portion connecting them creaking. "I will fetch my mistress," he decided and then was gone, as if he'd never been there.

Sting swore and found himself abandoned, alone in a Realm full of Spirits who wanted his head.

* * *

 _And Lucy has Star Dress! She won't use it often (she's gotta train with it, of course), but yay!_

 _I'm just finishing up the Tartaros arc! Bubbles skimmed through a few bits and agrees that you'll all scream at me._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, CupcakeGoddess22, Vilchen, tinybabyleas, Crazymagic16, ToukaKanekiUlle, ThayetJade, ReviewWithFace, RandomAnimeNerd, LePengwen, Samantha Cummings, HummingBird742, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	214. Chapter 214

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy remembered being concerned about her fight with Gajeel and then Minerva in the Grand Magic Games. She remembered how Natsu had tried his damn hardest to snap her out of it and had succeeded for the most part.

And she laughed at her past self.

The power surging through her veins, the magic, wasn't entirely hers, but partly. It mixed with her own and it was comforting, a familiar presence from someone who was replaced by an enemy. Loke's magic flooded her body as Lucy copied his actions, gathering light into whatever body part she used to strike. Leo's armor did surprisingly badly against the white light.

Happy and Charle had long since left together, determined to find someone to come and help her before she tired. She didn't mind, knowing better than to thinks he could hold up forever. Even if she _was_ doing better than normal.

Suddenly, Leo caught her by surprise, grabbing her leg and sweeping the other out from under her. Lucy gasped breathlessly on her back, beating on her chest as Leo knelt over her with a snarl on his lips. Black magic gathered in his palms, his hands roughly grasping either side of her head. Lucy felt the sparks with a grimace of pain, fighting desperately, silently calling for her Spirits-

A roar filled her ears as his magic swelled and both flinched, but Leo didn't stop.

She gritted her teeth and cracked her elbow across his face. He swore as blood dripped from his nose, but didn't stop. Pain exploded through her brain and Lucy's mouth opened as she gave a short scream.

Desperation suddenly raced through her.

If Leo didn't stop, Lucy would die.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy gathered every ounce of magic within her and suddenly blasted it. There was an explosion of white light and then Leo was gone, coughing into his hands a short distance away. Golden armor covered him in splinters, barely remaining. The symbol etched into a golden plate had cracked and he retched, hacked, and then vomited, something Lucy had never seen a Spirit do.

Exhausted, Lucy stumbled to her knees. The Star Dress she'd managed to use vanished. Her Spirit Realm clothes returned, hair tumbling loosely around her shoulders. She crawled over to her Spirit, worried despite everything that had happened - especially when something black and slimy left his lips. Only then did he collapse onto his hands, heaving for air.

"Loke?" Lucy breathed.

There was a moment in which Lucy thought her heart would explode and then his gaze lifted to meet hers and she sobbed in relief at the kindness there.

"Hey, Princess," Loke croaked. "Long time no see."

She tackled her Spirit in a hug, bursting into tears, and cradled him to her as exhaustion swept through him. He merely held an arm gently in his grasp, listening.

 _"You have done well, Leo,"_ Igneel's voice murmured in his ears. _"Despite everything, you have done well."_

Loke closed his eyes and slept.

* * *

Natsu found, much to his surprise, Sting before anyone else. It was only because he smelled the blood.

And because a blast of white nearly seared his left side off.

Swearing, he shouted, "Next time you're gonna attack someone, make sure they're an enemy first, you bastard!" His onyx eyes blazed with annoyance. The annoyance faded as he approached the other dragon slayer, understanding racing through him.

"Natsu," Sting croaked. The white mage was tensed, ready to defend himself if need be. Even from a few feet away, Natsu saw the bone splintered out of his leg. Blood had pooled beneath it and he was pale, sweating and ready to slump into unconsciousness.

He couldn't blame him for firing at first sound.

Crouching beside him, Natsu examined his leg. "You can't walk with that," he muttered. "Not even with help, it'll mess it up more."

"You think?" he drawled, voice cracking. "Could...could Wendy help?"

"No promises." Natsu glanced up into his eyes. "She's good, but she doesn't work with this kind of stuff."

"Shit." Sting scrubbed a hand down his face and groaned.

Natsu clenched his jaw, wanting to chase after Lucy and Leo, knowing that Leo presented a huge threat to her when she had no working magic. Urano Metria would have exhausted her too much, even if she'd improved her magic. It wasn't smart to be tired here. Or injured.

He didn't dare leave Sting alone. Dropping to sit, he grunted, "What happened with you guys? Were you ambushed? We were."

"Not really. We were walkin' and then Levy was gone. Gajeel panicked and before we knew it, Rogue was gone with Yukino and the cats." His eyes flickered with worry for Lector. "If anything's happened to Frosch, Rogue'll lose it. But then Gajeel was gone and I was alone with Pisces, who snapped my leg and ran off when I started trying to get that gold piece on them."

"I broke Virgo's gold earring," he told him. "It snapped her back into normal. Virgo's searching for Lucy or the others now and said she'd find me when she found someone."

"Yukino," Sting murmured. "I hope Yukino's found. I owe her. A lot."

Natsu merely grunted.

* * *

"Rogue?!"

The shadow mage stopped dead in his tracks, wishing that he had shadows to hide in. His gaze darted around before settling on a familiar person. "...Juvia," he greeted. Juvia smiled kindly, helped a long by a Spirit. Rogue felt relief in him when he saw that Sagittarius was as Lucy had once described him.

Juvia smiled faintly. "Did you win against a Spirit, too?"

"Libra is normal," Rogue promised. He turned to Sagittarius, aware of the annoyance in the Spirit's eyes at seeing him. "I'll help her. Could you find Yukino?"

"Yes," Sagittarius agreed with reluctance. Rogue let Juvia lean against him as Sagittarius left and curled a lip after the Spirit with a look of disgust. He hated the way the Spirits treated the dragon slayers, as if they were less.

The blue-haired woman took a deep, tired breath. "Juvia is ready to go home."

Rogue chuckled and led her forward. "Sorry, but we've still got work to do."

She fluttered her hands. "Juvia knows. Juvia's not happy about it."

He grinned. "None of us are."

* * *

"Holy _fuck_ , I hate you bastards about as much as you hate me," Gajeel gasped, slumping onto his back as Scorpio blinked in confusion at the sky, his brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what had happened. Gray was curled on his side in the starry sand nearby, dozing off after snapping Aries' golden symbol. The Ram looked worried, kneeling over him with an apologetic look.

"Likewise," Scorpio said hoarsely. "Where's Miss Lucy?"

Aries looked anxious. "Is she-"

"Leo went after her," Gray grunted, opening his eyes. He rolled onto his back. "We don't' know what happened after you guys ran off with us. Virgo took Natsu. Hope his punishment turns out to be fun." Gajeel cackled. "Can you guys sense one another?"

"What do you think we are?" a voice snapped furiously, "Some kind of bloodhound?"

Scorpio lifted his head with a beaming smile. "Aquarius!"

She gave him a pout from where she was beside a tired looking Wendy. The sky dragon slayer gave Gajeel a pleasant smile, one full of exhaustion. "I'm ready to go home now," she said softly.

Gajeel chuckled. "We all are, kiddo. You see Shrimp anywhere?"

"No," she told him, "But I'm sure we'll-"

Suddenly, both dragon slayers whipped their heads around. Gray looked to them with confusion, and the Spirits frowned.

A moment later, a scream pierced the air.

"Yukino," Gajeel grunted, lurching to his feet. The three mages booked it, leaving the Spirits behind, and anxious, Aries looked to Aquarius and Scorpio. "Do we-"

"Go find the brat," Aquarius ordered, studying her nails. "They said Leo will be after her. Pain in the ass. Dunno how he got the rank of leader."

Scorpio grinned at her. "You should challenge him for it."

"Please," Aquarius scoffed. "It'd be like taking candy from a baby."

* * *

Yukino screamed bloody murder as she bolted, chased by a suddenly enraged creature that she'd never seen before. Its eye was bloody, a wound she'd left with a blade she'd hidden away for emergencies. Its black dragon-like heads snapped viciously at her, trying to snatch her up. She felt something skim her arm, blood spattering-

And then flames engulfed it.

"Yukino!" a voice called faintly.

She recognized it and bolted, her eyes wild with panic as she left Natsu to fight. "Sting!" she cried, relieved to see him. She flinched at the sight of his leg as she dropped to her knees beside him, shaking. He briefly kissed her forehead in greeting - something he did often - and then rasped, "You good?"

"No," she admitted and then turned to watch as Natsu was swatted aside like some kind of cat toy. He hit the ground rolling and then sprang to his feet, swearing as the dragon-like creature went after him, several jaws snapping. The largest lunged, jaws gaping and Natsu lit himself on fire, tensing in preparation.

The teeth never closed.

Its jaws clamped down on an iron rod and Gajeel grinned mockingly at the fire mage as he forced the head back. It screamed in rage. "Need help, Salamander?"

Natsu glared. "I had it handled."

"Like hell you did," Gray retorted, throwing up a wall of ice between he and another head. "What is this anyways?"

"Hydra," a rumbling voice hissed. Yukino jumped when Ophiuchus curled himself around them, protecting she and Sting as best as he could as a shadow sprang lightly over his scales.

"Rogue," Sting said hoarsely.

"I see you've managed to get yourself gravely injured," Rogue mused as he watched, ready to defend his friends. "Should we threaten to kick Yukino out of the guild again?"

"I'm going to punch you," Sting muttered back and then looked at Yukino when she squealed in relief, throwing her arms out. "Lector!" he cried happily as the red-furred cat landed in her arms, cuddling close with a loud purr.

"Rogue!" Frosch called as he dropped out of the air. Rogue expertly snatched him up and pressed his head to the cat's, a rumble of relief in his throat.

As Sabertooth worried over Sting and what to do to help him, Wendy slid over to help and Natsu and Gajeel were joined by Lily, Juvia, and Levy. Gajeel shot Levy an anxious look only she received from him and she beamed before blasting one of the heads with a face full of bricks. Juvia, almost too tired to draw on her magic, joined Gray, letting him freeze whatever she created.

"Where did the Spirits go?" Natsu muttered, ducking to avoid a blow. Gray shielded him and Natsu shouted a word of thanks before bellowing out a Fire Dragon's Roar, his eyes narrowing. "And where the hell is Lucy?"

"We didn't see her," Lily called as he fended off a head. Without the sword he usually used, he was at a disadvantage, but could still deal some damage.

"None of us have," Juvia agreed. She slashed out with water, hissing in frustration when a cut appeared on her leg. Gray clenched his jaw and fought harder, finally beheading the first of the heads.

It screamed in agony, all of its heads rearing back and shrieking. The dragon slayers flinched, covering their ears, and Lily grimaced. Juvia exchanged a look with Levy, who didn't dare relax.

Hissing, its heads focused on them, snapping and clicking their jaws, and Natsu sighed, readying himself.

This fight was far from over.

* * *

"Are you _sure_?" Lucy demanded, studying the sleeping Spirit whose head she cradled in her lap. After everything he'd done, it was the least she could do. "That's who they are?"

"Cassiopeia," Virgo, who'd finally found them, said, "Andromeda, and Hydra. They were banished into another Realm. Cassiopeia is the one that has planned all of this and Hydra has enabled it, Princess." She frowned at Leo. "When the Eclipse Gate opened, they were able to sneak through and surprise us. They caught Leo alone after a meeting over everything. He cancelled all of our contracts so that we wouldn't harm you. I suppose it didn't work like he'd hoped."

"Well, we'll have to reforge those contracts, now won't we?" Lucy said with a smile.

Virgo looked delighted. "I would like that very much, Princess." She looked down at Leo with more emotion than Lucy had ever seen. "Leo tried very hard despite suffering the most. Please don't think too badly of him."

"Igneel," Lucy said suddenly, "Speaks to him, doesn't he?"

Virgo fell quiet before admitting, "We believe so. He's never said anything, but sometimes he talks to Igneel as if he is there. Dragons are as strong as we are, perhaps even more so despite the fact that we are older. They can implant fractions of their soul into people and objects." She inclined her head at Lucy's choker. "There is a piece in there. It's very possible he implanted one into Leo before…"

Lucy didn't push for more information. "So we need to find the Spirit King," she decided. "What do you know about where he might be?"

"We have a prison," Virgo said firmly. "He will be in the Depths."

"The Depths?"

"The bottom most level." Virgo suddenly faltered, looking down at Leo. "The problem is...the Depths belong to the darkest and most deadly of Spirits, those who betrayed us centuries ago. Those who have murdered and tortured us. If he is in the Depths, retrieving him…"

"It'll be difficult."

Lucy looked down to find Loke looking up at them with tired eyes. His mouth was tight, his green gaze wary. "To retrieve him from the Depths will mean the death of us."

"Spirits can die?" Lucy whispered.

"Just as you can, though it's more difficult." He struggled to sit up with her help, and she let him lean on her heavily. "For your information, I do speak with Igneel, Lucy. You figured it out on your own. I no longer need to hide it. Do _not_ tell Natsu."

"I won't," she sighed, guilty about it. "What do we do?"

"First things first." Loke scrubbed a hand down his face.

"I want out of this damn armor."

* * *

 _Loke's back! Now to focus on the actual enemies. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Crazymagic16, The Age of Awesomeness, silver light of dawn, ReviewWithFace, RandomAnimeNerd, Mike Uzumaki-Heartfilia, PinkFireandGoldenStars, tinybabyleafs, CupcakeGoddess22, LePengwen, and Vilchen!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	215. Chapter 215

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Loke looked much more at home out of the odd armor. He'd sheared his own hair off, leaving it choppier and not as nice looking as usual, but about its normal length. Adjusting his tie and perching shades on his nose, he turned his attention back on Virgo and Lucy. "Virgo. We're going to need Lucy's whip."

"I have it here," she murmured, offering the hilt to Lucy. Lucy took it and studied the gold carvings. Shoving it into a belt she'd grabbed, she rolled her shoulder, admittedly nervous. Loke squeezed her shoulder and ordered Virgo to go find Pisces and deal with the Spirit.

"Just you and I are going in," Loke told Lucy. "I'd say Natsu, but he's busy now, I believe."

"Do you know if he's okay?" Lucy asked as they set off, Lucy fighting off exhaustion. She wondered if she'd end up able to use Star Dress again.

"No. But he's alive." Loke eyed her as they walked. "You used my Star Dress. I can feel the change even now. You did well."

She smiled a little before shaking her head. "I don't think I'll be able to use it again any time soon," she murmured, looking at him grimly. "It was hard, even with whoever's magic was helping me."

"Igneel's," he told her, and she clutched the choker at her throat. "Igneel knew what was going on. Not entirely. He's pissed at me. But he understands, I think." He fell quiet as they walked through starry streets that faded into fields, as if a light had been switched. "Lucy...change is coming. The Spirits can feel it. Not like the Eclipse Gate. This is bigger. Forces we can't see are beginning to move. You've been here for long enough that you'll notices the differences when you go back. People will die, the dragons will rise, and secrets will come out."

Lucy's breath hitched. "The demon."

"Yes," he admitted, looking at her. "The Demon King."

"Does the Demon King have a name?" Lucy prodded, but Loke had clamped his mouth shut. His gaze was locked on something in front of them and when she followed his gaze, she understood.

There was some kind of rock with a stone door carved into it. "My key, if you don't mind," Loke requested. She unhooked her keyring from her hip and gave them to him. He stepped forward and pushed the key into a lock. With a click the door sprang to life, swinging open.

Smiling grimly at her, he gestured into the darkness beyond, keys in hand. "Welcome," he murmured, "To the Depths."

* * *

The blow came out of nowhere and Natsu shouted in pain as he was sent flying into a very heavily armored Erza. She yelped as they went flying, tumbling head over heels. Erza lost her sword and Natsu smacked his face on her armor, cutting his forehead.

"Sorry," he muttered, climbing to his feet. He helped his friend up and she shot him a forgiving look before lunging back into battle, summoning a second weapon. Wendy retreated, stumbling, and then suddenly collapsed.

Charle swooped out of nowhere and dragged her aside a moment before jaws closed over where she'd been. "Natsu!" Happy shouted, dropping onto his head. Natsu grinned at his friend.

"Happy!" he cheered as Charle set Wendy down beside Sabertooth with tenderness. "Good to see you, little buddy. Where's Lucy?"

"With Leo," he admitted. Natsu stiffened. "She'll be okay, Natsu. She used Star Dress!"

Natsu hesitated, but decided to trust Lucy to fend him off. Instead, he rolled his shoulders. "Okay. Happy, join the other cats in the sky and help where you need to, okay?"

"Aye, sir!" Happy saluted Natsu from above and then flew up to join Lector and Frosch.

Natsu's jaw worked furiously as he quickly swept his eyes down Hydra's body. Rogue had joined in the fighting not too long ago, and he could see the shadow mage darting this way and that as he landed blows where he could on each head. The head that had been taken off had split into two, and it made him nervous.

Taking a deep breath, Natsu's onyx gaze traveled down its body until it landed on the center of the Spirit.

 _There_.

If he could aim for the center of it-

Natsu didn't hesitate. He threw himself forward - but a flash flew by as someone dove for it. "Juvia," he protested as she disappeared amongst the heads. Gray shouted her name and Gajeel immediately looked furious at the sight of his best friend charging at the monstrous creature.

Her body became water as she slid and slipped through the heads. When she reached the center, she suddenly became solid, springing lightly on top. The monster roared in rage and turns its heads on her, but Juvia shouted, "Gray, freeze it!" as she created a sword of water within her hands. A stream of water connecting to the sword slithered through the air towards him.

Gray touched the stream the second it was close enough. Ice splintered along the water, freezing every drop so quickly that when it reached Juvia, her hands were frosted over. She ignored the pain and slammed the sword down.

The Spirit screamed.

Natsu and Gajeel fell to their knees with their hands over their ears, shouting in pain, and Yukino gently covered Sting's when Rogue covered his own, ordering her to. Juvia shrieked when the heads suddenly bunched in, trapping her where she was.

A moment later, the Spirit toppled over, still.

"Did we just kill," Erza murmured, "A Spirit?"

"Well, now we've finally given the Spirits a reason to actually hate us." Natsu climbed to his feet, narrowing his eyes. Happy dropped to his shoulder and he touched his friend's head briefly as Gray surged forward. Gajeel flew towards the body after him and Erza jogged over as well. Natsu moved to help - until a hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"Master Natsu!"

"Gemini," he recognized, though Gemini had taken on a new form - his own. Onyx eyes blazed back at their twins'. "Where's Lucy and Leo?"

"Leo has returned to normal," Gemini murmured. "Leo is safe. Miss Lucy helped him. The only one that remains unnatural is Pisces." It was weird to hear Natsu's own voice speaking to him, to be honest. "Leo has taken Miss Lucy to the Depths to free the Spirit King."

"Then we'll find that crazy Queen. Do you know where she is?" Natsu asked as Ophiuchus unwound himself, freeing the injured Sting and Yukino. Rogue went to them with Frosch and Lector landing on his shoulders. Yukino looked up and smiled faintly, her gaze filled with anxiety.

Wendy had done little to nothing for their friend. His injury was great and required professional attention. His face was deathly pale, his blue eyes dulled, breathing quick. Yukino stroked his hair comfortingly as Rogue knelt before him, eyes flashing.

"With Leo free," Ophiuchus rumbled, "We are free to send you home."

There was a moment of silence as Yukino studied her Spirit. "...send him home," she murmured. "Can you place him near a hospital? Or near Orga? Orga or Rufus will help him."

Ophiuchus nodded, but Sting grasped her wrist. "You two-"

"We'll stay here and fight," Rogue muttered. "We can't go back now, Sting. Take Frosch and Lector with you. We'll be fine."

Sting's eyes flickered worriedly. "Rogue-"

It had been years. Years since the pair had been separated like this, and while they bickered often and argued every day, sometimes taking separate jobs, they'd never parted in a situation so dire. Even when the dragons had attacked, they'd fought side by side.

Sting was terrified. For Rogue, for Yukino, even for those other mages who were waiting impatiently for a decision to be made. He selfishly wanted his guild to be sent home safely while they dealt with the problem.

But he nodded instead. "Be careful," he rumbled, shakily gripping Yukino's wrist tightly. He tugged her in for a small hug, and she returned it tightly, a shaky sigh leaving her lips. "Make sure you two come home."

"We will," she murmured, smiling through tears.

Frosch whimpered as Rogue handed he and Lector to Sting. Rogue smiled gently at the cat.

And then Ophiuchus and the trio were gone.

Swiping at her eyes, Yukino shoved herself to her feet. "We need to go after Pisces, Rogue."

He inclined his head and turned to those of Fairy Tail. "We're going after Pisces."

Natsu's gaze was locked on where Gajeel and Gray had finally pried Juvia free with the help of Erza. Finally, he looked over at them. Beside him, Gemini had freed itself of his form and instead chosen to take on its own. The two parts of the Spirit clung to one another anxiously.

"We're going after the Queen," Natsu said with a low sound in the back of his throat. He looked down at Gemini. "Would any of us be able to get to Lucy and help there?"

Gemini shook its heads.

"No," Gemi said firmly.

"No, Mini echoed quietly.

"Then let's get moving." Natsu slammed a fist into his open palm, impatience flickering across his face. Looking over his shoulder, he called, "Lily! You, Charle, and Wendy go with Yukino and Rogue!"

"Got it." Lily flicked his tail. Charle anxiously looked at the barely conscious Wendy and Rogue stepped forward without question, scooping her up. With Yukino's help, they got her onto his back so he could carry her. She blinked gratefully. When they were ready, the small group headed off and Natsu turned back to his friends.

Juvia smiled tiredly, leaning heavily into Erza's side. "Juvia is okay," she promised.

"Good." Natsu suddenly grinned, checking. He, Happy, Erza, Gray, Levy, Gajeel, and Juvia were present. Clenching his jaw, Natsu sighed heavily and hoped it would be enough.

"Let's go."

* * *

Lucy practically clung to her trusted Lion's hand as they paced through the dark. She'd reluctantly stepped into the Depths with him, and he refused to let go of her, stating that it was easy to get lost. She believed him. Not that she'd wander off if given the chance. She was terrified.

Suddenly, Lucy snapped her head around, a voice in her ears.

 _Taste you...chew you...lick the flesh from your bones...suck the blood from your veins…_

"Loke," she whispered, her voice small.

He smiled gently at her, green eyes kind. She'd missed his reassuring presence in his psychotic act. "I've got you. You're fine. Ignore it, Princess."

"Got it." She took a deep breath, free hand tight on her whip's hilt.

He suddenly turned and she didn't question it. A shadow flickered in the corner of her eye but he told her to look straight ahead and she did. Every order he gave was to be followed down here, and she wasn't about to disobey. Not when their lives were on the line.

They kept up like this for a long while. It seemed like endless walking.

Suddenly, Loke paused and a door seemed to materialize before him. He clenched his jaw, growling softly. "This is a door that leads to a deeper portion of the Depths. Are you ready?"

"What's kept down there?" Lucy breathed, not daring to look anywhere but at her Lion.

"Things that make me fear for my life," he admitted. "But they should be somewhat okay to pass. Don't let anything touch you."

"Got it," she agreed quietly.

They stepped through the door.

When they reached the other side, she kept her gaze on her feet. She didn't let go of Loke.

Suddenly, however, a voice caressed her ears.

" _Lucy…"_

Her head snapped up. Her dark eyes grew wide, her heart skipping a beat in her chest as fear raced through her veins. A choked cry left her lips.

Her mother stepped out of the darkness.

* * *

 _AND NOW some interesting things are to be revealed. The next chapter has a particularly important thing happening._

 _Some have mentioned a connection between the Depths/Tartaros and Greek history and I wish I'd thought of that when writing because it's brilliant, but I've got nothing. I didn't think of it. XD There's no connection between them and Greek myths and whatnot. Although I'm realizing stuff like Hydra is in here and yeah. I should have thought of that sooner._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Mike uzumaki-Heartfilla, RandomAnimeNerd, Crazymagic16, FanfictionWriterandReader, 19vanelkc, Dragondancer81, LePengwen, CupcakeGoddess22, ReviewWithFace, tinybabyleafs, The Age of Awesomeness, HummingBird742, ThayetJade, Juvia is my spirit animal, xSkiesofBlue11, FairyRains, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	216. Chapter 216

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Yukino had never thought she'd see the day where Ophiuchus was trying to help her more than any other Spirit she held a contract with. The massive snake-like Spirit's tongue flicked out at it slid beside them, metallic jaw parting every now and then with a creak. Rogue kept a long stride, easily carrying Wendy, and Yukino cautiously held Charle and Lily in her arms.

Wendy lifted her head after a while, rasping, "I feel sick."

"That's because you've used so much magic in a place that tries to drain it...or something." Yukino stopped Rogue and checked the young mage's pulse. She frowned and smoothed a blue lock of hair out of her face as Charle hauled herself onto Rogue's shoulder, worried.

"Will she be okay?" the white cat fretted.

"I don't know." Yukino glanced at Ophiuchus, who was watching them with a hiss. "Will she?"

The Spirit rumbled quietly. "It is not that our Realm drains magic from those of your Realm. You have drained it yourself, using it as often as you have. Your magic cannot rebuild itself here. Your stores will remain as they are until you return to your own Realm."

Yukino's face paled. Her gaze darted to Rogue, who was giving the Spirit a long look through wary crimson eyes. He'd been fighting that Spirit that now lay dead in the middle of the Realm - Hydra, Ophiuchus had called it.

"I'll be fine," Rogue said, reassuring her. "At least Sting is safe."

"Will your injuries hold up?" she asked anxiously.

"Wendy fixed the last of them." He gently shifted Wendy, who had begun to doze off. "Would it be best to send her home, Ophiuchus?"

Ophiuchus flicked its tongue out and snarled at him. With the Realm returning to its normal state soon, he'd returned to hating the dragon slayers and had been giving Rogue nasty looks every now and then. Even now he gave Wendy a hateful look. "Dragon slayers can die for all I care."

" _Ophiuchus_ ," Yukino snapped, furious. "She's a young girl!"

"Tch." Ophiuchus finally became serious, reluctantly speaking. "She will be fine unless she uses more magic. She has my protection from the affects of our Realm."

"Sorry," Wendy breathed, but Yukino merely touched her cheek and started forward again.

"Don't apologize," Yukino murmured, smiling gently.

Her gaze lifted to the pair above their heads, sneering down at them.

Rogue set Wendy near Ophiuchus, who coiled protectively around her as Charle hissed. Lily dug his claws lightly into Yukino's shirt as she helped him onto her shoulder. Rogue's shadows flickered to life along his fingers. Her dark eyes locked on Pisces, sorrowful.

"Because none of this is your fault."

* * *

Gemini was helpful, as was Plue when the small Spirit came out of hiding, greeting Natsu with more excitement than Natsu had ever been greeted with from a Spirit. Natsu held Plue even now, Happy on his head. Gemini had led the way to where they needed to go not once throwing an insult or angry look in the direction of the dragon slayers.

Pushing her scarlet hair from her eyes, Erza said warily, "How many enemies are we against, Gemini?" She looked at the building before them, the doors towering high above them.

Gemi hopped once, cheering, "Two!"

"Two," Mini agreed. "Andromeda and Cassiopeia!"

"Andromeda - the Queen," Gemini said in unison.

Once again, Natsu was impressed with their skills and childishly wanted to learn how to do it with Lucy when he found her.

"The Queen is the oldest," Gemini suddenly added and Mini squirmed a little.

"She can persuade," Mini murmured.

"She can persuade," Gemi agreed.

"And Cassiopeia can read thoughts," the Spirit added.

"Great," Gray said bitingly. "Just what we wanted to hear, am I right?"

Juvia nudged him gently, her lips set in a tight line as she gently nudged him with her elbow. Taking a deep breath, the water mage murmured, "Juvia thinks we should separate them. But Juvia is running low on magic."

Gajeel jerked his chin in Juvia's direction. "What she said. Separate the pair and they'll be easier to deal with."

Levy lifted a delicate hand. "I can look into making a trap with runes. Freed taught me a little bit."

"Get to work then." Natsu suddenly dropped and scooped up Gemini, aware that he looked like some kind of transport for small creatures. The Spirit didn't squirm, looking to him expectantly as he said seriously, "What is the extent of what you can transform into?"

Gemini looked to one another and then replied in unison, "What Miss Lucy's magic is equivalent to. As of now, we can change into you, Master Natsu. Or perhaps even Miss Lucy if you wish."

"Do you need a feel for someone's magic before you turn into them?"

"No," Gemi supplied.

"Just their appearance," Mini added.

"Our magic fills in the rest," the Spirit finished.

Natsu's teeth flashed as he grinned at the pair. "Gray!" he called, gesturing for him to step over. Juvia shifted her weight onto Gajeel with care. Gajeel bent his head to mumble something to her and she smiled tiredly in reassurance. "Could you help Levy and Gajeel with Cass...whatever her name is?" He stuck his tongue out, unable to finish saying the Spirit's name.

"Sure. Juvia comin' with?" Gray crossed his arms, frowning. "Or is she going with you and Erza?"

"Me and Erza. And that bastard we just got rid of." He hated that they'd killed. It wasn't something they did in Fairy Tail - they avoided murder at all costs, but it had been necessary. And they could use it to their advantage. "Gemini. Did that Spirit we got rid of have a humanoid appearance that you could see before we came?"

Gemini's forms nodded together.

"Could you take it on and confuse her? The Queen?"

Gemini looked to one another and then leaped from Natsu's arms. He shifted Plue and then backed up a few steps as Gemini hugged one another, cheering a cheerful, "Piri!" A moment later, a man stood before them, eyes gazing coldly and viciously. "We can see as he sees," they rumbled in a gravelly voice, "Feel as he feels, and speak as he speaks."

"Good. That'll work then. Let's get going to find that Queen." Gray rolled his shoulders, grimacing at an ache in his back.

Levy caught sight of Natsu staring up at the stars anxiously and smiled gently. "Lucy's fine. Trust in Loke."

"I did," he admitted, "And then look what happened."

"I'll give you that." Levy planted her hands on her hips. "If you don't trust Loke, then trust Lucy."

That he could do.

Always.

* * *

"Momma," Lucy breathed, stepping forward. Loke was too shocked to move, staring at his dead mistress in confusion - in terror. He'd failed her a thousand times over. What right did he have to stand before her like-

Layla Heartfilia smiled sadly and held her arms out. Lucy lurched forward, a sob in her throat.

Only for a strange heated magic to force her to a stop. A rumbling snarl filled her ears. Layla paused, looked up with fear in her dark eyes, and then _melted_ into a puddle of pitch-black that looked like a pool of starless night. Lucy's jaw fell open, her heart stopping in her chest as a ear-shattering roar filled her ears. Glowing eyes stared harshly at her as they appeared, hot breath washing over her.

But she was not scared.

Instinct and a year of Natsu told her what she was looking at, even as its form stayed hidden. The smell of smoke filled her nose, the flickering of flames shining in the black around them.

"This?" Loke rasped suddenly. " _This_ is where you've been since-"

The eyes blinked once, sharpening and narrowing. "Do not lose sight of your path, Leo. Do not lose that light that guides you. Protect her. Protect _him_ from what tears at his mind day and night, biting away bit by bit." And then those large, saddened eyes turned on Lucy. They neared and Lucy stilled as hot breath puffed over her. "You look like your mother."

Lucy's heart ached. "I know who you are."

"Indeed," he murmured, "And I am pleased that you do."

"You'll be proud of Natsu," Lucy said, smiling brightly. He blinked once.

And then he chuckled and something large and scaley pressed to her stomach. She rested her hand on the invisible scales, a shiver racing down her spine. If this was the tip of his nose, then how big was the rest of him? He pulled back and those eyes flashed. "Do not stop. Do not trust your eyes or ears, trust only the wildest parts of your magic here. Follow it to your King. We will keep the monsters here away."

"Thank you," Lucy breathed as the scaly head pulled away. Those warm eyes blinked kindly and then disappeared and she knew he had left.

"What will you tell him?"

"Natsu?" Lucy tucked a lock of golden hair behind her ear, biting her lip for a moment. "I'll tell him what I know."

Loke's eyes flickered with amusement. "And that is?"

"I know that Igneel is alive and well. I know that he's proud of Natsu. And I know that he and the other dragons made a choice that was hard. I know that they did what they thought was best for their children and for me and for Momma - for the world. I know where the Fire Dragon King is."

She turned to her Spirit with a warm smile, her gaze glowing with what he supposed might have been excitement.

"And I sure as hell know that I love him."

Without an ounce of fear that had dwelled before, Lucy strode into the darkness of the Depths, leaving Loke to scamper after her with a laugh tumbling from his lips.

* * *

 _IGNEEL! I told you guys something exciting would happen!_

 _I can't remember who, but one of you bastards mentioned the idea of Ingeel being in the Spirit Realm, and when you put that in a review, I was confused and annoyed as hell. Mostly 'cause I didn't think anyone would think of it. Good job. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Typhlosion8, EeveeOfFairyTail, ReviewWithFace, lavenderMoonRose, RandomAnimeNerd, LePengwen, 19vanelkc, xSkiesOfBlue11, FairyRains, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Heavenly Star, Vilchen, The Age of Awesomeness, FtfanDessarai, tinybabyleafs, quite-a-riot, and ElleEiffel!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _Now. Back to my cross-stitching and obsessing over Once Upon A Time's Captain Hook, because my precious child keeps making a thousand mistakes in season 2._


	217. Chapter 217

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Here, Master Natsu!"

Natsu stared at the familiar building he himself had visited before. He shuddered at the sight of it, remembering the Spirit King. But the Spirit King wasn't there. Instead, someone far less benevolent was.

Gray and the others beside him were eyeing the building curiously as he contemplated what to do. "Gray, take Juvia and go around. See if you can find a way through the back. Happy, you're with me. Gajeel, Levy, hang back here. Wait and see if someone else shows up. You'll be back up. Erza, you're with me. We're going-"

"Hold on," Gajeel cut in. "You're takin' your cat and that little thing instead of another person?"

Natsu looked down at Happy and Plue. "Your point?"

"Give me the goddamn cat and Spirit," Gajeel rumbled, holding his arms out. "Levy and I'll watch 'em."

Natsu reluctantly handed Happy over and the blue cat purred reassuringly. "Be careful!"

"Pun," Plue agreed as Levy took him, her ring flashing. She cuddled the Spirit close to her and Gajeel tucked Happy under his arm. Erza requipped into a fresh set of powerful armor, a massive axe in her hand. She exchanged a look with Natsu. "I'll come in behind Gemini," she decided. "Let Gemini bring you in as if you've been captured."

Natsu pouted. "But that's not fun!"

"When I give the signal," she mused, ignoring his look, "Blow up."

Natsu loved that signal.

"Alright, Gemini," he mused, grinning at the confused Spirit. "Do your worst."

Gemini dug into the other Spirit's mind - Hydra, it had called him - and shoved Natsu forward.

* * *

They traveled quickly through the Depths. Loke walked side-by-side with her, and despite her fearlessness, she held onto his sleeve to make sure they weren't separated. Nothing bothered them as they walked through the darkness.

"There," Loke breathed, eyes locked on something ahead. A glow, faint yet bright.

"What is that?"

"The Spirit King." Loke darted forward and Lucy sprinted after him. They got closer and when they reached the source, her lips parted in shock.

A cliff stood before them, a thousand foot drop. From the way the glow was contained, Lucy guessed that this cliff circled - a crater of sorts. At the bottom was a simple key. Lucy frowned as she looked to Loke for an explanation.

"Even the Spirit King," he rumbled, "Has a key. He just doesn't let people have it. Normally, a Zodiac key has to be broken for him to appear in the Mortal Realm." He paced a few feet away, along the edge. "The question is, how do we get down there?"

"We jump." The answer escaped her without permission and she smiled faintly as he gave her an incredulous look. "What? I'm serious."

Loke shook his head. "Fine. That's our only way down as of right now." He frowned. "Unless you toss my key down?"

Lucy shook her head. "I don't want to risk losing it."

"Then let's jump." Without hesitating, he scooped her into his arms. She didn't protest, winding her arms around his neck and peering over the edge as he stepped close. They exchanged a look.

And then he stepped over the edge. Lucy screamed as they plummeted through open air for a few seconds, and then grunted when Loke hit the ground. He flinched as he stumbled, dropping her, and then bent to rub his aching knees. "Sorry, Lucy."

"No worries," Lucy breathed, climbing to her feet. She swept herself off, wishing she could draw on the Star Dress again, but her magic was barely there. She didn't dare use it at the moment. Together they made their way over to the key.

"May I?" Lucy asked, and he nodded. She picked up the key, caressing it. It was a simple key, almost like what she expected pirate keys to have looked like. She ran her fingers over the metal. Not quite gold, not quite silver. A mixture - almost platinum. And practically seething power into her.

"If I summon the Spirit King," she said quietly, "I'll die."

"I thought your magic was low." He frowned. "We'll get out of the Depths first. Summon the Zodiac. You can combine your magic with Yukino's and then draw on our own. Even then, we might all die. There's a reason his key remains within him and not handed out." He eyed the cliff they'd jumped. "The next question is, how do we get out?"

Lucy's jaw dropped. "You didn't think of this before we jumped down?"

"Hey, you're the one who suggested it," he pointed out.

She silently admitted he was right and then rocked back on her heels. "See if there's anything along the edges," she ordered. Everything around them was black - she couldn't even see the cliffs themselves. She stalked over to the edge and ran her fingers over a smooth cliff she couldn't see. When she was done, she began to follow the edge.

She'd nearly gone halfway around, the Spirit King's key in her pocket, when she felt something cool and hard beneath her fingertips. She blinked. "Loke!" she called over her shoulder. After a moment, he jogged over, tie askew.

"Feel here." She took his hand and guided it to rest over hers, moving her own hand back once he'd figured out the spot. He pressed against the surface she'd found.

"A handle," he murmured. Loke wrapped his finger around it, jiggling it until something gave. He staggered back, some kind of door opening. He reached out, feeling with care - and frowned as his arm sank into darkness. "What the hell is this?" he rumbled to no one in particular.

Lucy shrugged. "Loke, I don't think we have much of a choice," she murmured. "We have to-"

Hot breath on the back of her neck had her whirling around, a short scream flying from her lips. A massive shadow - darker than the space around them if possible - with glowing red eyes bared piercing teeth in her face. It clicked its jaws, spindly legs reaching, talons grasping-

Loke grabbed Lucy by the arm and threw her through the door. She disappeared into the black, eyes shocked, and he jumped through, slamming the door shut behind them.

* * *

Natsu grimaced as he caught sight of a woman with a child hanging off of her long skirts standing before an orb that had been propped on a stand. Her gaze flickered up - and then stared as Gemini shoved him forward. He flinched as he hit the ground hard enough that his teeth clacked together.

 _Ouch_.

The woman stepped around the orb, coming closer. The girl followed, starry eyes staring. "Hydra? What is this?"

"Natsu Dragneel," Gemini drawled in Hydra's voice. "The son of the Fire Dragon King and the...boyfriend of Lucy Heartfilia, a girl of the stars."

The girl giggled. "Can I play with him?"

"Not yet," she scolded gently, touching her head. The woman swept closer, dropping to crouch before him with a smirk on her painted lips. He glared viciously at her. Her golden hair looked as soft as spun gold - he silently admitted to his hoarding instincts spiking, but he refused to act on it. Hoarding this witch would be as bad as hoarding someone like Zeref.

Natsu licked his lips and then bit the inside of his cheek. He used his tongue to swipe blood over his teeth before he bared them in a grin. _Wild_ , he told himself, _look like you're not entirely human._

Easy enough when his second nickname outside of Salamander was "Monster".

"Igneel's child," she breathed. "Your blood is more valuable than you know."

"Where's Lucy?" was his only question. "If you've hurt her," he added, softening his voice to a purr, "I'll rip you into little bloody pieces."

And, somewhere in the back of his mind, Natsu realized he wasn't entirely acting.

It scared him.

Because he sure as hell meant what he was saying.

She looked delighted. "Miss Heartfilia is not here. I watched her sever the connection between my Hydra and Leo through the use of Star Dress and I must say she impressed me. She is very, _very_ interesting. They delved into the Depths to retrieve the key of the Spirit King. Too bad no one ever comes out of the Depths."

His heart missed a beat. Flames tickled his lips. Where was Erza? He wanted to _burn._

"Oh, well. That leaves me with one less bitch to deal with." The Spirit drifted away. "I am Andromeda, though my name shouldn't interest you. Cassiopeia," she suddenly added, looking to the young girl. "You can play now."

Cassiopeia stepped forward, giggling as she rested her fingertips over his temples. A throbbing raced through his head, as if she was delving into his mind-

"Natsu!" a voice suddenly shouted.

Natsu smirked, showing his blood-stained teeth to the girl, and exploded.

* * *

 _"Wait until Natsu's signal_ ," Erza had told Gray before disappearing into the building.

Juvia stood beside him, her warm figure leaning gently into his. He had his arms crossed, black eyes locked onto the building, _waiting-_

The entire building burst into flames with a roar, and Gray exchanged a look with Juvia before they slammed through a window they'd chosen in the back. They hurtled over the short wall beneath it, ignoring the glass that raked their skin.

The sight that met their eyes was anything but pleasant. Natsu beamed like a praised child in the center of the throne room, his onyx eyes delighted as fire raced in every direction, the heat blasting _everyone_. Erza had her sword at the throat of an amused woman, Gemini had lost his form, and a little girl screamed in agony as she burned.

Gray felt sick.

 _Natsu_ was burning that girl.

Juvia threw herself forward, becoming a small tsunami that put out the girl. She cradled the sobbing Spirit in her arms, frowning, and then looked up at Natsu. He was looking up at the flames in fascination, and for a moment, Gray wasn't entirely sure about who he was looking at.

Because that definitely wasn't Natsu.

But then he blinked, shaking his head to clear it, and horror flickered through his eyes as he dropped his flames, erasing them and leaving the world stained with ash that fell around them like snow. He staggered, as if exhaustion had suddenly struck him, and then collapsed.

Erza froze. "Natsu?"

Gray darted forward to check on him as Gemini sprang to his side, bouncing anxiously.

"Piri," Gemi murmured as Gray knelt beside them.

"Master Natsu is suffering deficiency," Mini added.

"Deficiency of magic from using so much," they said together.

"He needs to leave," Gray realized. "We have to get him home."

Natsu scowled weakly, showing off his bloody teeth. Gray nearly shuddered - in horror, in disgust, he wasn't sure. "I'm not leaving without Luce."

"You don't have a choice," Gray retorted. "You won't see Lucy at all before dying at this rate. Gemini-"

Gemini hopped once. "We will take him."

Natsu clenched his jaw, flames trying to flicker around him before dying out. Gemini gently rested their small bodies on him and they disappeared in a flash of light. Gray took a deep breath, mentally promising himself that he'd help Lucy first and demand answers later.

Andromeda laughed. "You don't know," she said with a grin. "The truth about the Dragneel boys...how interesting." She turned her face towards Erza. "Drop your weapon, girl. Maybe I'll grant you clemency instead of killing you outright."

"I'll take my chances with death," Erza said grimly.

Andromeda opened her mouth to speak, her eyes glittering with outright malice, but then the doors to the throne room were flung open and Gajeel strode in, crimson eyes smug. Levy was at his side, arm looped elegantly through his despite the height difference, her gaze sparkling with laughter, and Rogue and Yukino weren't far behind them.

Andromeda blinked, and then narrowed her eyes hatefully at Yukino in particular.

But then, a massive head nosed its way through the door - Ophiuchus. Andromeda's face paled at the sight. She was scared of the Spirit, Gray realized.

Libra and the twin Spirits of Pisces came next, back to normal and furious.

Spirits spilled in after them.

Gemini was back, hopping in with Capricorn. Cancer strode in with Virgo, who surprised Gray by winking at him. Aries entered shyly with Taurus, who eyed Erza eagerly. Aquarius and Scorpio came in together. Finally, Sagittarius entered the throne room on his own. Lyra, Plue, and Happy came in behind them. Happy mewed anxiously as Charle and Lily followed them, not seeing Natsu.

Silence fell. Gray looked to Gajeel for an explanation, but Levy winked and looked to the door.

And then, Lucy strode in, arm and arm with a smirking Loke. She'd changed, body clothed in a black dress, the symbol for Leo plastered on her breast. Her hair was piled on top of her head, tied there with some kind of black ribbon. The dress slit up on her left to her hip, tied in place with a golden stash. Her heels clicked on the floor, her high-raised chin showing off the black lace at her throat. Tied into her hair was a golden crown studded with black.

She looked like she belonged in the Celestial Realm, at Loke's side rather than with them in their world.

For an instant, Gray was scared of her.

Lucy beamed at Andromeda.

"I hear you're the one who ruined our lives," she hummed as Loke dropped her arm. The celestial mage strode up to the stunned Erza, gesturing for her to move. Erza did so without question, bewildered.

"How about I do the same to you?" Lucy murmured.

She dropped a plain golden key to the floor and it sank into nothing with a ripple.

* * *

 _This arc's almost over! Then we launch right into Tartaros. :D_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, Typhlosion8, LavenderMoonRose, AzaleaFields, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Crazymagic16, CupcakeGoddess22, EeveeOfFairyTail, ReviewWithFace, LePengwen, Vilchen, Juvia is my spirit animal, and Heavenly Star!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	218. Chapter 218

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu was flailing the second he hit the wooden floor of the guildhall, gasping and sputtering, spitting blood. Exhaustion swept through him as people shouted, leaping to their feet. Mentally, he did the math.

Twelve hours equaled three months in the Spirit Realm. Four hours meant one month. He wasn't sure how long they'd been in the Realm, but he was certain they'd been gone for at least four hours at least, so a month away meant that his guild was in a state of confusion.

"Natsu!" a familiar shrill voice trilled.

"Wendy," he slurred. She must have made it back safely...good. Although he wondered who'd taken her back if Gemini was with him and the others were elsewhere. He blinked as a familiar face appeared above his. "Mira-"

Her blue eyes were worried, her fingers gently checking his pulse. "Natsu, stay awake. Alright? We need you to keep your eyes open." He tried to shove her away, but she ignored him. "Wendy-"

"Here." She looked a lot better than she had under an hour ago - or was it a week? He didn't know. Wendy's dark eyes shone with worry as she rested her hands over his chest, her magic gathering in her fingertips. "He's deficient in magic like I was - dangerously so," she added. "Get Porlyusica-"

"No," he mumbled, "I don't...no crazy witch. Luce is...crazy bitch lady was there. And some kid. I...I burned the kid, I watched her burn…"

Echoes of shouts filled his mind.

 _"Monster_ ," he'd been called, _"Mindless monster. Beast. Demon. Murderer. Monster, monster, monster-"_

Natsu's eyes slid shut and he knew no more.

* * *

The key disappeared into the floor and silence fell over those who'd gathered. Even the sobbing Cassiopeia fell silent, hiccuping and gasping in pain in Juvia's soot-smeared arms. Lucy dropped her arm, returning to Loke's side. He bent his head near hers, murmuring.

When light exploded, Erza kept a sword at Andromeda's throat and used her free hand to protect her eyes. Rogue warily watched, sheltering Yukino's, and Levy turned her face into Gajeel's arm. Gray threw an arm up alongside Juvia, who gasped softly.

Andromeda fell to her knees with a nervous laugh. Erza let her, stepping away as the light grew and grew. "King," she whispered, shaken.

It took a long moment before the light softened, surrounding the Spirit King's full figure menacingly. His face was full of calm rage that had even Loke flinching - though, Lucy supposed that had to do with the fact that he tried to kill many people and had succeeded in some. She would plead on her Spirits' behalf if it came down to it. For now, she was exhausted.

"Andromeda," he rumbled furiously, voice booming.

"My King," she repeated, shaken. She tried to smile. She failed. "My King, it's an honor to see you-"

" _Silence_!" the King roared, and Lucy flinched.

"The Spirit King is so angry," she breathed.

"You can't blame him," Loke admitted in her ear, "He was imprisoned and had to watch as everything fell apart." Her grip tightened on his arm. "Patience, Lucy."

Andromeda shook, her face pale. Where she'd been so confident before, she looked only terrified, her arms outstretched pleadingly towards the Spirit King. But the King was not merciful now. Lucy could only stare in horror as a large hand darted out and caught her by the head, her face smashed painfully into his palm.

"For your crimes against the King of the Spirit Realm," he snarled, tightening his grip, "You are sentenced to death. The young Spirit will be sent to the Depths for all of time and your stars will be erased from the sky."

"Please," she sobbed, voice muffled, but before another plea could be given, the King tightened his grip into a fist.

The mages could only watch in shock and horror as Andromeda turned into nothing but star dust.

* * *

"Lucy?"

Lucy turned to look thoughtfully over her shoulder at Gray, who was scratching his bare chest. There was a bleak look on his tired face, shadows beneath his eyes. He was tired, too.

They all were.

An hour or so had passed since the King had been returned to his rightful throne. After everything had gone down with Andromeda - a Spirit who Lucy felt could have been a lot stronger than they had seen but was weakened for some reason - he had returned to being a somewhat kind Spirit, merciful. He'd thanked them all, granting Yukino and Lucy a favor of the stars each.

Yukino had used her favor immediately when the King had turned his attention on Loke - scolding him fiercely for his behavior - and the other Zodiacs to keep them from punishment. She'd reassured Lucy it was all right when Lucy had protested, that she felt Lucy would need her favor in the future.

"Hey," she said softly.

Gray yawned and scrubbed a hand down his face. "I know celestial magic is supposed to be badass, but _damn_ , this stuff scares even _me_."

Lucy smiled faintly, tugging down the shirt she'd put on. They'd be heading home soon and with the King back, they'd been able to lower the amount of Spirit Realm clothing they had to wear. He'd granted them all protection. "Yeah. It's kind of scary coming here." She bit her lip. "I did the math." He glanced at her. She looked up at the star-splashed sky. "Gray...we've been here for almost seven hours. Maybe more. That's almost two months in our Realm's time. Natsu was sent back a week ago."

Gray gave a low whistle. "We've lost that much time?"

"Mhm," she mumbled. Lucy chewed on her lip. They went quiet for a few moments before she said, "I hope that Master's not _too_ mad…"

"He'll be more relieved when we get back than anything." Gray ruffled her hair playfully. She giggled. "You need to call Jellal and check in with Bosco when we get home. That should be your number one priority, you hear me?"

"Right," she agreed, rocking back on her heels. She tried to forget the sight of the child Spirit being hauled away by Loke, who was unsympathetic about the matter, and instead turned to face her friend. "Let's see if we can go home, shall we?"

Gray playfully offered her his arm. She took it eagerly. He guided her back to where everyone else was dozing. Happy was cradled with Lily in Levy's arms. Yukino was seated on the ground with her back pressed against Rogue's her head draped on his shoulder as she quietly napped. Rogue looked entertained.

"Sting'll be pissed," he told Lucy when he caught her looking.

"Are we leaving?" Juvia murmured hopefully, tired.

"I think so," Lucy said. "They don't need us anymore. They've got it handled now. I just need to find Loke, or maybe Virgo-"

"Say my name and I'll be here, Princess." Lucy looked over her shoulder to find Loke watching her with sparkling eyes. Gray rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair before going to help Juvia to her feet. Loke stepped up to her. She'd long since lost the Star Dress, much to her disappointment, but Loke had promised to work on it with her. "You'll have to recreate our contracts," he said apologetically. "We cancelled them ourselves."

"That's fine," she reassured. "I'm just happy to know that you're back to normal." Her gaze warmed. "I missed you guys."

He chuckled. "But I'm sure you're ready to go home now."

"Yes." Lucy bit her lip. "I'm worried about Natsu."

"He's with your guild, safe. Frantic, but safe. As is Sting Eucliffe and Wendy." He glanced at Rogue, who'd been watching them closely. "Fret not about them. Focus your efforts on what's ahead of you, Lucy. A storm is brewing, and I'm not sure you'll like what it brings."

Lucy noted the warning. "Thank you, Loke."

"Are we goin' or not?" a cranky Gajeel finally huffed. "I want to go home, damn it. I'm hungry."

For some reason, that made Lucy burst into giggles.

* * *

The flash of light faded and Lucy shrieked as she was immediately soaked in freezing rain. Levy screamed alongside her, jumping at the chill, and Happy and Lily hissed in disgust. Juvia merely laughed and tilted her head back, soaking in the rain - literally.

Loke chuckled, his hair dripping water. "I best return to my Realm. Good luck with your guild, Lucy." He bowed playfully and then was gone.

"Quick question," Gray mused, looking around. "Where the _hell_ did he drop us off?"

Lucy squinted into the rain for anything familiar. "...near my place," she recognized, "This is the far side of the clearing that Natsu made for sparring."

While she and Happy were pleased, everyone else moaned and wailed.

"Gajeel's house is in the complete other direction," Levy sobbed.

"I don't want to be here again," Gray huffed.

Gajeel just looked ready to commit murder.

"It's refreshing to see something familiar," Erza said quietly as she requipped an umbrella from who knew where and set it up. Levy lunged for safety from the rain with the cats. "Even if it is slicked with water."

"Well, how about we see if Natsu's home?" Lucy suggested. "And even if he is, I can get my car started and we can go to the guildhall, or I can drop you all off at your places."

"Guildhall," they all decided in unison, everyone but Erza grimacing at what they expected to be greeted with. Raging temper on behalf of Makarov, glowering from Mirajane, and endless questions. Lucy hoped that all of this had been sent towards Natsu and Wendy before they arrived, to be honest.

Lucy led the way and when they reached the small house that she now lived in, she tested the door knob. Unlocked.

"I'm going to kill him," she declared and stepped inside. She knew instantly that Natsu wasn't there - mostly because he didn't come flying to yell at her or anything more. She would have been in a full body hug had he been home. He was at the guildhall then. " _Do not_ ," she warned Gajeel, "Eat all of my food, Gajeel Redfox."

"Yeah, yeah." He went to check the fridge, taking that as permission. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"I'll go with him," Levy promised.

Lucy nodded and then checked her pockets. She was pleasantly surprised to discover that her phone had been slipped into her pocket. Beaming, she pulled it out and checked the battery. Just enough to call Jellal and check on her kingdom.

She called him and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Jellal answered, sounding exhausted, and Lucy grimaced, feeling horrible.

"Jellal," Lucy said immediately. "It's Lucy."

He perked up immediately. "Lucy. You're back? Is Erza with you?"

Lucy laughed. "Yeah. Erza's fine. She's with me now. I'll let you talk with her in a moment if you'd like."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, I will call her back later. I'm assuming you called to check in on Bosco?"

"Yes, if you don't mind." Lucy planted a hand on her hip, glancing over her shoulder when she heard Gajeel raising his voice in protest over Levy denying him food. "I've been worried. Did everything go well?"

"Beautifully," he said, much to her relief. "Sorano and Meredy helped me prepare a speech. When I delivered it, many of your citizens recognized me from the Grand Magic Games. When I explained that you had business working as they did in Fiore, but were working closely with me, they accepted it with no questions outside of asking if you would speak to them soon."

"When things have calmed down here, I'll fly in and give a speech," Lucy promised. "Thank you so much, Jellal. I owe you."

"Nonsense. It has been pleasant for all of us. Cobra and Sorano have been working at helping the government catch a few criminals that they need to detain. Meredy's been made an advisor and helps with international relationships. If you wouldn't mind, however, I would very much like written permission to fire a few of your people. They're more trouble than they're worth."

Lucy hunted down a pad of paper in the kitchen and a pen. "Give me their names. I'll send a letter out tomorrow sometime." He recited them and she scribbled them down. "Got it. I better go before Gajeel eats everything. Call me when the letter gets in. I'll tell Erza to call you later."

"I will," he promised. "I have to go, but before I do...be careful. Something's going on in Fiore, and we're not entirely clear on what. Goodbye, Lucy."

When he was off the phone, Lucy put it away and stretched, looking around. A smile curved over her lips despite the curiosity that had risen over Jellal's comment.

 _It's good to be home._

* * *

 _I had some questions about the early update on Sunday and let me give you my answer: I literally forgot it wasn't Monday. I updated early because I forgot what day it is._

 _On another note! The end of the Spirit Arc is here and the next chapter brings the rise of Tartaros. ;) I apologize if it wasn't as dramatic as you thought it would be in terms of the Spirit King's reappearance, but I promise you there's a lot more that'll happen soon. I'll post an update Saturday, for one reason and one reason only..._

 _BTL will be going on break. :( I leave for college on Monday and as an incoming freshman, I have no idea what I'm doing and don't know if I'll be updating for a while. I definitely won't for the next week. Who knows after that. So, yeah. Thank you for your patience!_

 _Thanks to those who reviewed (The Age of Awesomeness, kklolo2oct, astorytoremember, Guest #1, Vilchen, Flipperzz, Millamay, xSkiesOfBlue11, LePengwen, tinybabyleafs, RandomAnimeNerd, HummingBird742, OOANDISAOO, Crazymagic16, Rose, quite-a-riot, AzaleaFields, FtfanDessarai, Juvia is my spirit animal, Guest #2, ReviewWithFace, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Elisha Silverpine, and m0ranaper0n!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	219. Chapter 219

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy shoved her keys into her pocket as she and the others made their way towards the guildhall doors that had been firmly shut. They were damp from rain, but no one cared. They were just glad to be home.

Lucy kind of wished Natsu was there to throw the doors open in his signature move.

She hoped he was inside, at least.

Clearing her throat, Erza gripped the doors and then threw them open. "We're-"

The words died in her throat.

The guildhall was dark. They stared at the empty room and its smashed benches and tables, the splintered remains of the bar littering the area alongside shattered glass. Dried blood smeared the walls. Gajeel covered his nose with a cough.

"Oh, my god," Levy whimpered. "What...what happened while we were…"

Lucy shoved her hand into her pocket, thanking the heavens above that she'd charged it while they were drying off in her house. No wonder Natsu hadn't been home; he wasn't here either! She dialed Natsu's number, raising a shaking hand to her mouth as she held it to her ear. "Please, please, _please_ -"

The line picked up. "Hello?" an exhausted voice rasped into the phone.

Tears of relief flooded her eyes. " _Natsu_ ," she breathed. "Oh, thank goodness. Natsu, it's-"

"Luce!" His voice brightened, a strangled laugh leaving his lips. She nearly dropped to her knees. Gray quietly squeezed her shoulder and from the top of her head, Happy mewed. "You're back?!"

"We all are. What...where are you? What happened? We're at the guildhall-"

"You're _what?!_ " His voice rose. "Lucy...hey!" His voice became muffled as he scrambled to take his phone back from someone.

"Lucy?" Makarov said gruffly. "Who's with you?"

"Erza," Lucy said. "Gray. Juvia, Gajeel, and Levy. Happy and Lily. Everyone who went to the Celestial Realm with us except for Rogue and Yukino. Why?"

"Leave." It was an order, and she hastily put it on speaker so everyone could hear it. "Leave Magnolia. Now. Take your car, and get out of town. Go to Lamia Scale, Crocus, or one of the other guild's territories. Don't stop to grab any personal possessions. Leave now and don't look back."

There was only silence among the group of Fairy Tail mages. "Gramps," Gray said after a long moment. "What happened here? Why...why aren't you here? I thought Magnolia looked empty, but _this_ -"

"To say what did this is a summons for more disaster. We'll explain later. Here, Natsu, I need to go speak with Lamia Scale's guildmaster…"

"Luce!" Natsu said the second he was on the phone again. Lucy dropped the speaker, waving everyone back outside. "You okay? What happened with the Spirit Realm?"

"I'll tell you when we get to Hargeon," Lucy promised. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I got a new scar on my back, but I'm fine." He was quiet for a second. "Are you?"

"My Spirits are back to normal and I'm unharmed," Lucy said quietly. "I'm okay, Natsu."

"Good." Natsu let loose a huge breath. "It was bad, Luce. I got back and things were okay for a day or two. I talked with Sting. He's healed up pretty much, by the way, Wendy went with a few others to check in with them when she went back. And then a couple days ago everything went to hell."

"We'll figure it out," Lucy murmured.

"Tell him I say hi!" Happy suddenly huffed, smacking her forehead with a paw. She glared and repeated his phrase before adding, "I'm going to let you go now, okay? I'll see you soon."

"Yeah. Tell Happy I say good job on keeping everyone safe." Natsu faltered and then stopped Lucy before she could hang up. "Wait!"

"Yes?" she said with a hint of impatience.

He paused. "...never mind. I'll tell you when you get here."

"You can't do that to me," she whined, "That's just rude!"

She could practically see the smirk on his dumb face. "Bye, Luce!"

Natsu hung up.

* * *

Tapping his finger impatiently on the table he sat at, shoved into the booth with Wendy, Charle, Chelia, and Lyon, Natsu squirmed. "Ugh, they should be here by now, shouldn't they?"

The tired Lyon yawned and told him, "Patience, Natsu, they'll be back soon."

"I'll look them over when they come," Wendy added and Chelia nodded in agreement, drinking from her water bottle quietly. Natsu heard a blaring sound and snapped his head upright. The two dragon slayers listened intently and even Chelia lifted her gaze. "Is that-"

Natsu shook his head. "Not a raid siren. We're okay for now."

It had literally only been four or five days since the attacks began, but it felt like they'd been dealing with this forever. Natsu still had scrapes and bruises from the Spirit Realm, not just the attacks. He ached all over and couldn't wait for Lucy and Happy to be safe with them.

"At least Gray's alive," Lyon muttered, "I can't believe they've been in a complete other world... _again_!"

Natsu laughed lowly, grimacing. "Yeah. We do that a lot. You can thank Luce and her damn Spirits." He wanted to throttle Loke. All of them, but Loke especially. "At least the tsunamis, earthquakes, and other stuff have stopped."

"I'd rather have those, to be honest," Chelia said softly. "At least those kill unintentionally."

Wendy nodded. She leaned lightly against Natsu. "Charle, have there been any more-"

"No. No more visions, thank goodness." Charle blinked tiredly. "Nothing."

"Good." Natsu ruffled Wendy's hair gently. He swallowed thickly, impatient. He wanted _Lucy_ , damn it-

As if reading his mind, someone came sprinting in. Jet looked delighted as he shouted, "They're back!"

Natsu vaulted over the table and Lyon's head, bolting out of the doors as Lyon squawked in disapproval. He burst through the doors, locked onto the group that was piling out of Lucy's tiny car, and then practically bellowed, "Luce! Happy!"

"Natsu!" Happy wailed, laughing, and Lucy threw her arms open just in time for him to crash into her, tackling her to the ground. Gray huffed when he had to step out of the way to avoid being smashed into the car, but neither noticed.

Lucy buried her face into Natsu's scarf-clad throat with a happy sound and Natsu crushed her to him, pressing his own into her hair and breathing in the scent of pure Lucy. Happy screamed that he was being crushed between them, but Natsu only cackled and ruffled his friend's ears.

"Holy fuck, Salamander, you're gonna suffocate 'em," Gajeel grunted, saving Happy by reaching down and plucking Natsu off of them. Natsu swiped at him with a scowl, though it wasn't really all that angry. The pink-haired fire mage helped Lucy to her feet, holding Happy on his shoulder.

"I'll go let Master know we're back," Erza chuckled after a brief greeting. The others filed into the guildhall after her, probably seeking information, but Lucy looked to him for answers and Natsu felt proud.

"Start speaking," she ordered. "Tell me everything that happened."

So he did.

* * *

Natsu told her everything.

He explained that upon waking up in the guildhall, bandaged and confused, that he'd awoken to shouts and screams and sobbing below followed by crashes and roars. He'd lurched from the bed he'd been put in and had throw himself into the commotion without a second thought to find that the guild - and all of Magnolia - in shreds. There were enemies everywhere. Mages, he told Lucy.

And monsters.

He explained the creatures they'd seen. Monstrous creatures like none they'd seen before, stitched together like experiments. He told her how one had nearly ripped Laxus' arm from his body and how Mirajane had been tending to the injury every few hours to make sure it wouldn't need to be removed when infection set in. He told her how the monster had taken one of the bolts of lightning like it was nothing and continued to maul others.

Natsu mentioned how the guild had fought viciously but most of Magnolia's population had been slaughtered. Some members of the guild had been found dead, some even in pieces, and they'd barely had time to sift through the wreckage when they all left to find their nakama before the Council had stepped in and ordered them to evacuate.

He continued, telling her how the attacks had been spread throughout the whole country and even others.

He told her how the sirens that went off every now and then varied, giving hints as to what they were dealing with that day.

He spoke of the message the Council had received from a man proclaiming himself to be the leader of the mythical guild Tartaros to hand over a powerful object they sought or sign the death warrant for the country of Fiore.

And Lucy cried. She cried for missing such devastation, for being safe with Loke instead of with her guild, helping protect them. She cried for leaving Natsu to handle it, allowing her boyfriend to take charge when Mirajane and Laxus couldn't, when Erza was gone with the rest of them, when Gildarts had to leave to check around. She cried for the suffering of all of those around her.

When she was done, she sniffled, cradling Happy while Natsu held her between his legs, his back to a wall. They sat outside, his chest warm against her back, his chin on her messy haired head. No one had bothered them, sensing their need for privacy, and he appreciated it. His grip on her tightened when she shifted.

"Natsu," she said softly, and he looked down his nose at her. "I...I didn't see Tartaros on the site I used to research magic when I first discovered it...what is it? What kind of guild?"

Natsu swept a thumb over her arm, clenching his jaw. "They're the most powerful in the Baram Alliance. No one knows where they came from. People think that the black mage Zeref made them." Lucy snorted and he chuckled. They had _that_ right, she thought, thinking of the monster he'd let through the Eclipse Gate. "Supposedly, the guild is made up of various layers. What we fought would be considered the lesser layers, the simple ones. Humans, black mages, monsters. But the Nine Demon Gates are what people are scared of, what the nightmares come from. There's...there's a tenth demon, but he hasn't been seen in a long time. They say he's the most powerful demon in creation." He frowned. "Igneel taught me about them, but he always strayed away from the topic of that one, so I don't know much about him."

Lucy thought of the flaming monster once more and clenched her jaw. Something told her that demon was the one he was thinking of. "Speaking of Igneel…" She faltered, nervous. This was something that you had to deliver carefully. "Natsu...I think I know where he is."

Natsu stilled and Happy gaped up at her, gasping, "You do?"

But she was looking at Natsu's suddenly white face. He stared down at her blankly, stunned. She pushed onwards. "The Depths...where the King was kept. He saved us, Natsu. Chased off a...thing that was down there. He's in the Depths. And so are the other dragons, I think."

"...you…" Natsu's voice was strangled. "You talked with...you met…"

"Yeah." She gentled her voice, reaching out to gingerly push some hair from his face, but he smacked her hand away. He looked distressed.

"You left him there?" he whispered.

"I can't just break a dragon out of a place that trapped the Spirit King, Natsu. There's got to be an entrance into the Depths from this world," she added, frowning. "There's no other way they would have-"

"You _left him there_ ," Natsu repeated, hoarse. "You left him, Luce, and you...did you even _try_ to get him out?"

For some reason, a spark of rage flickered through her. "No," she snapped, "I didn't. Because one, I was trying to find the Spirit King. And two, he was helping us." She took a deep breath. "There was some kind of creature that turned itself into my mother, Natsu, and he stepped in because Loke almost fell for it, too." She looked at him closely. "He put himself in there. At his request, my mother sealed he and the other dragons there. Why, I don't know. But he's proud of you. And we _will_ find him after this mess with Tartaros, okay?"

After struggling with his emotions for a moment, he forced himself to relax. Lucy curled up against him again and he drew her tightly to him, smothering his shaken breath in her hair.

Happy left after a while to find Charle and see how she was. When he was gone, Natsu, still shaken by the discovery that Lucy had actually seen his father, pressed his lips to her head.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

He shook his head. In the back of his mind, he was still furious that Lucy had met him and hadn't brought him back, but he understood that there was little she could do about dragging a dragon around.

After a moment, she murmured, "What were you being a jerk about not telling me on the phone?"

He grinned, remembering. Natsu pulled back after a moment and she tilted her head back to arch a brow expectantly at him. "Hm?" she questioned as he searched her gaze.

Gently, Natsu rested his forehead against hers, sitting there for an instant before shifting to lightly kiss her. She returned it contently, fingers reaching to gently tangle in pink locks. When he pulled back, he returned his forehead to its previous place and made a happy sound in the back of his throat, opening his mouth to speak.

"Natsu," she cut him off suddenly, looking fiercely at him, "I love you."

His jaw dropped. " _Lucy_ -"

She looked offended. "What?" An eyebrow rose. "Do you not feel the same way?" She flushed at the thought, trying to escape his grip, suddenly furious. "Isn't that just-"

"Luce!" he huffed, scrambling to drag her back and pin her so she couldn't get up. "Give me a second, would ya? Now I'm mad."

"What? Why are _you_ mad?" she growled, "You're not the one who just-"

"I'm mad," he huffed chidingly, using his fingers to pinch her lips closed. She puffed her cheeks irritably. "Because you stole my thunder and now I can't be badass and Gray's gonna win his bet with the rest of the guild and I'm gonna owe him money!"

Lucy sputtered. "What do you mean you're going to owe Gray money?!"

He froze. "Uh…" He struggled to come up with excuses. Natsu panicked as the time drew on and then finally just smashed his lips against hers, trying to distract her. She pushed his face away, flustered, and he hastily muttered, "You beat me to it." She blinked in confusion and he clarified, "I love you, too, Lucy."

She smiled as brightly as the stars she summoned and Natsu grinned, relieved to have escaped her rage. He rested his forehead against hers once more, and for just one moment, everything was perfect.

* * *

He tapped his finger thoughtfully on the arm of the chair he sat within, black eyes studying something that no one else could see as he came up with thought after thought. Impatiently, one of the people before him snarled, "Can we _go_?!"

"Patience," a woman nearby murmured, lifting her eyes from the book in her hand. He sneered at her and she closed it swiftly, sharply curling a look. "He's thinking of ways to get what we want without pissing off the brother of our leader."

"That _is_ something we need to avoid," a soft spoken man murmured.

"I want-"

"Silence," the man in the throne snarled, silencing him. "I've figured it out. We need to drive the guilds away from the center of Fiore. That series of mountains was where we sensed it to be, but we can't get there because of the magic...we'll need to trick someone into getting it out for us."

The woman with the book's eyes snapped up as he looked at her. "Can you do it?" he requested.

She nodded slowly. "Yes," she hummed, "I should be able to." Her gaze slid to an eager woman's face. She tilted her head in the woman's direction and he nodded his agreement.

"Then the rest of us and the scum," the other woman snarled, "Will proceed to alienate the people of the areas surrounding those mountains."

"Yes!" the loud man laughed hysterically. Sparks snapped in his fingers. "Boom!"

And despite his annoyance, the man in the throne rested his chin on his fist and purred, " _Boom_."

* * *

 _And now you guys won't have an update for a while because college. I'm laughing maniacally right now. I told you thing_ _s wouldn't slow down for a while._

 _JustACuriousKid, I literally have no idea what I'm talking about with that stuff. I just chose nice sounding constellations. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (PinkFireandGoldenStars, Elisha Silverpine, m0ranaper0n, Guest #1, LePengwen, TabathaEvans, tinybabyleafs, RandomAnimeNerd, Mentalhead123, The Age of Awesomeness, Crazymagic16, ReviewWithFace, JustACuriousKid, Reviewer, and Iris Patton!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	220. Chapter 220

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The next morning, Lucy found herself introduced into the life that her nakama had been living in for only a few days.

And it was hell.

The first time a raid siren went off, the blonde nearly panicked. Natsu led her through the ordeal with surprising amounts of patience. Her usually energetic boyfriend - a person who adored the idea of fighting on a normal basis - had guided she and Erza through it while others helped their friends, showing them the protocols they'd come up with in their absence. Happy was sent to sit with Asuka and other children.

The raid had been horrible.

Lucy couldn't remember ever seeing so many bodies lining the streets, even during the fight with the dragons...even with the reveal of magic. Children, men, women, old, young, everyone and anyone was targeted by the black mages and monstrous creatures that tore through Hargeon.

That evening, after spending the majority of the day fighting, gathering bodies, and helping the injured, Natsu surprised her by hunting her down and just burying his face against her throat. Lucy, shocked, had gently reached up and wrapped her arms around him. After a long moment, Natsu had returned the action, crushing her to him.

Gently, she stroked his hair and murmured, "Natsu?"

Natsu shook his head. "I hate looking for bodies."

"I know." She swallowed thickly. "I know."

Natsu dug his fingers into her for a moment, as if making sure she was there, and then pulled back. He rested his head against hers, taking a deep breath. "I want to go _home_."

Lucy murmured, "Me, too, Natsu."

* * *

Lucy awoke in the middle of the night to searing pain and smoke and heat.

"Natsu!" Happy wailed in the bed. Lucy lunged to free their cat friend, ignoring the blisters that instantly formed on her fingers as she shoved at Natsu's leg to free his tail. And then she went to work on waking him.

"Natsu!" she shouted, trying to shake him awake.

He lurched awake with a cry, flinching away from her. A sob ripped from his lips and Lucy frowned, ignoring the pain in her hands and arms as she gently touched his arm. "Natsu," she repeated calmly.

It took her nearly an hour to calm him down, but when he took notice of the burns on her, he began to panic once more. "I burned you!" he cried, gently tracing a finger near a blister. She flinched despite trying her damn hardest not to. His onyx eyes filled with guilt. "Luce-"

"It's fine," she said fiercely. "I'll be fine. Just...help me bandage them up, okay?"

"We should go see Wendy-"

"It's nearly three in the morning and Wendy was helping Porlyusica and all of the doctors yesterday. This is nothing." Lucy ignored the pain and grabbed him by the shoulders, giving him a gentle but firm shake. "Natsu, listen to me. I'm fine. Okay?"

"You're _not_ fine!" he spat. "I burned you again!" He raked a hand through his pink hair, giving a shaking breath. "Lucy, I _burned_ you because you were in the same bed as me."

"And you would have likely incinerated the building otherwise," she said dismissively. "You have nightmares. I do, too. They're going to be bad after the day we had. It's understandable and no one - especially not me - blames you for that. Our magic going as crazy as it does? That's what happens. We get to help people because of it, but at the same time…"

"I know that." Natsu muttered. "I'm sorry, little buddy," he added when Happy blinked anxiously at him. "About your tail."

Happy flicked his white-tipped tail around to look at the burned and singed fur. Skin showed where it had burned away. "It's okay," he said sincerely. "It'll grow back, Natsu."

"You should talk to someone about your nightmares," Lucy said suddenly. "Even if it's not me. It helps. Go talk to a _tree_ if you have to. Just...talk. It makes you feel better and lessens the burden. It'll help you sleep."

Natsu shook his head slowly for a moment, thinking. "I don't want to go talk to anyone. Or a tree."

"Talk to Happy then." Lucy ruffled Happy's ears.

"I'll hear you out," Happy supplied with a purr.

Natsu sighed. "I know you will, little guy." He gave his friend of several years a warm look and then flopped back onto the partially burned bed. Ash and cinders flew, but he didn't seem to notice. He looked incredibly dragon-like, surrounded by a mess of soot that streaked his face and body, onyx eyes piercing even in the dark.

"Well, if you won't talk," Lucy huffed, " _I_ will. Because you're not the only one who has them." Natsu turned his head to look at her. "I've had nightmares for a long time. Of being stuck in Bosco and never meeting any of you. Of Phantom Lord. Of Deliora and of other demons. Of losing my Spirits and Fairy Tail and the other guilds. I've had a lot of nightmares in my time in Fairy Tail and even before. But do you want to know what the worst nightmare I've ever had is?

"It's the one where I see Natsu's future self turn into nothing," she told them. "Only it's not him, it's my Natsu. And I can't stop it. And when I turn around, Happy's gone. And Levy and Gray and Erza and _everyone_ I know and love is disappearing. And it's my fault. Because I couldn't stop it."

"But-"

Lucy cut Natsu off. "And the worst part is, I wake up and sometimes, you're not there. Happy's not there. I'm alone. And you've disappeared."

"You never told me," Natsu mumbled, sounding bothered by the idea.

"And you don't want to talk about your nightmares," she chided gently. "Natsu, nightmares are just that - nightmares. They're what you're most scared of."

"I have nightmares of all of the fish in the world being gone sometimes," Happy offered softly. Lucy's lips twitched in the darkness, and even Natsu's quirked. "But those don't scare me. I get scared when I can't find anyone and I'm stuck somewhere."

"Aw," Lucy crooned. "Happy!" She gathered him up in a tight hug.

Silence fell and Lucy said gently, "You don't have to tell us, Natsu. But you don't suffer alone."

Natsu thought over this as she moved to climb to her feet so that she could turn on a light and see the extent of the damage he'd done to the room they were staying in. But before she could get too far, he stopped her with a hand on her wrist. "Luce, wait-"

She glanced back at him, grimacing a little in pain,but didn't tell him to let go of her. Instead, she settled back onto the bed. "Yes?"

"You're dead."

His voice was hoarse, agonized. Happy went silent, looking up at him with round eyes. Lucy furrowed her brow.

"You're dead," he repeated, "And it's my fault. Because I can't stop it from happening. And then your...your blood is everywhere on me, and when I try to save you, you tell me that I did it, that I cut you that badly. You tell me that I'm a monster, and that you wish you would have stopped me before I could get so bad." He took her hand gently, pressing the back of it to his forehead. She let him, arching a brow.

"Natsu," she said softly, "I'm not going anywhere."

"I know that, but it doesn't help." His grip tightened on her hand. "Not when I'm the one cutting you up."

For some reason, a chill ran down her spine. Lucy remembered what Gray and Erza had told her about Natsu in the Spirit Realm, how he'd burned the child Spirit without remorse. Gently, she shifted closer to run her fingers through his hair, frowning. "You'd never do that."

He wheezed out a choked laugh. "So we think."

"So we _know_." Lucy said this fiercely - warningly. "If you start thinking that way, I'll get worried."

After a long moment, Natsu nodded. "Sorry, Luce. I won't."

"Good. Now, let's go see about a new room. I think you've turned all of the blankets in here to ash…"

* * *

"Natsu's been having a rough time, hasn't he?" Erza asked at breakfast the next morning. It was a relatively small breakfast, just a piece of toast. With the attacks going on nationwide, getting food around had been rough and the guilds had all agreed that it would be best to send out rations rather than binge on their usual meals.

Natsu and Gajeel had expressed disappointment, but hadn't complained.

Lucy was worried about her boyfriend. He'd disappeared without eating at all, slipping away when she wasn't looking. Happy was gone, too. She hoped they were together. "Yeah," she said softly. "His nightmares are worse."

"All of ours are as well," Erza murmured sympathetically, furrowing her brow in concern. "But his...he has a particularly hard time when surrounded by death in this manner. Keep an eye on him. If it gets to be too much, we may have to send him to play with the orphaned children or even to another location until we can figure everything out."

"We're not sending him away," Lucy huffed. "He's an adult and can make his own decisions about things like this. I told him to tell me if it gets to be too much and I trust him to do that. Trust him, too."

Erza smiled reassuringly, rocking back a little. "I don't mistrust him, but he won't leave you, even if it destroys him from the inside out. We haven't come across any reasons on why Tartaros has chosen now to come out, why they're attacking us so brutally. Sabertooth mentioned that they've been especially brutal around Crocus, that there may have even been a demon from the Nine Demon gates prowling their city."

Lucy shivered at the thought. "I've scanned my mother's diary and...there's nothing about the guild in it. If it was made by Zeref, though, it can't be good." She thought over the man who'd come after her at the Eclipse Gate, touching her chin. "...Erza, I...he was there. In Crocus during the dragon attack."

"What?" Erza gasped.

"He let something through that Gate. I'm kind of fuzzy about it now, but...it wasn't good." She licked her lips. "He grabbed me. He was the reason I bruised my chin. He grabbed it. He saw something he liked and I don't know what it is, but it can't be good. But he said _nothing_ about Tartaros. Only one demon that he wanted."

"What demon?"

Lucy bit her lip. "I don't know. I have an idea of what demon it was, but I'm not entirely certain."

"And what demon do you think it is? Do you think it'll show up, Lucy? This could be bad," Erza said quietly.

"He called it his brother." Lucy furrowed her brow. "I don't know of any family in regards to Zeref, so it's a demon he cares greatly for. My mother's diary mentioned a demon...a special one, his first. '...he has created something. Or he did before he disappeared. A demon, more powerful than anything we've ever seen. It appeared overnight, he says. One moment Igneel was resting peacefully and the next, there was a powerful demon ripping people apart in the streets and setting others aflame. Igneel went to fight it, and he now supports a horrid scar, but he couldn't defeat it.'" She recited the passage with ease, knowing every word of that diary by heart.

"I don't think he cares about these demons, but is using them to try and find something about that one," Lucy finished.

"We've seen nothing of any demons until now outside of Deliora," Erza protested. "Surely we would have seen something if a demon that Igneel couldn't defeat was still around."

"Not if it disappeared." Gray dropped beside Lucy, and she groaned at the fact that he'd overheard everything. He ruffled her hair playfully, licking the last of his breakfast from his lips. "If he's hunting it down, then maybe that's what Tartaros is looking for."

"No, I think they're after something smaller." Lucy tapped her chin in thought, leaning back. "I wish we knew what…"

"Well, whatever it is, I hope we don't run into that demon your mother heard of." Gray stretched his arms above his head. "It'd be bad if we had to deal with it."

Lucy thought of the star of her dreams - that flaming monster and its purring bone-on-bone voice. She thought of its high-pitched scream that spoke of agony and how it would probably be capable of destroying Zeref.

And Lucy agreed.

* * *

 _Surprise! I managed to update this Monday! No promises on Thursday, as it's the day I actually start classes, so. :3 Thank you for your patience!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, Vilchen, FanfictionWriterandReader, RandomAnimeNerd, ReviewWithFace, Crazymagic16, quite-a-riot, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Juvia is my spirit animal, CupcakeGoddess22, Samm, ElleEiffel, FtfanDessarai, Otaku, and Heavenly Star!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _Now, excuse me as I go and prepare myself for a placement exam in German..._


	221. Chapter 221

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

A week later found Hargeon to be a town of massacre.

From where he grimly sat atop a half-smoldering roof, his breath puffing out in small clouds in the chilly air, Natsu studied the streets. They were stained with dried and fresh blood and soot. No one moved amongst the once busy paved streets. Those that were left were too frightened to go anywhere.

Not that he blamed them.

The black mages were gone, replaced by demons that slunk through the night and tore into homes without waiting for others to join them. They weren't much compared to what he expected the legendary Nine Demon Gates to be, but they were still problematic, disappearing before a mage could get close.

Natsu exhaled, letting the cloud form in the cool morning air. The sun had risen a little over the horizon. He paused to look down through the holes in the roof of Lamia Scale's guildhall, making sure that no one was awake yet. He could see most of the mages of his guild and Lama Scale curled together in the main portion of the building alongside what remained of the civilians.

His onyx gaze drifted over everyone, thinking of how Jellal had called with grim news the evening before, news that had broken Lucy's heart. A demon had been sighted in Bosco. Thinking of how the order to evacuate to Crocus had been given, where the guilds were fighting to make a stand against the massive raids of demons and monsters. Of black mages and death.

Natsu licked his lips as he shifted, grumbling to himself. He remembered the easy days, when his biggest concern had been watching over Lucy in her apartment in Crocus, and he longed for them. Sure, he hadn't had Lucy to comfort him like he did now, but she was always safe. It wasn't like now, when people were dying every day even as they tried to save them.

Natsu took a deep breath and then heaved himself to his feet, tugging his scarf away from his lips. His eyes darted down to the white scaled material. _Igneel_. Lucy had met Igneel, seen him, knew he was safe. She knew where he was. And while it pissed him off that he hadn't been the one to find him, that Igneel hadn't tried to come back with Lucy, at least he knew that Igneel was safe. Lucy still felt guilty about the matter, and he felt bad for making her feel bad.

"Natsu!"

Happy appeared, clawing his way onto the roof. Bandages were wrapped around some injuries on his torso, but that didn't stop him as he quickly came over. Natsu scooped him into his arms, hugging him briefly. "Hey, little buddy. You good?"

"Mhm." Happy flicked his tail. "Nightmares?"

"Yep." Natsu tried to not think of how his teeth had sank into Lucy's throat, blood spilling down his chin, and how he'd enjoyed it. How he'd felt a dark thrill spill down his spine. He licked his lips again and grimaced, thinking of the salty tang of his own blood that came from biting too hard. He tried not to think of how he'd raked blackened talons over her, enjoying the feeling of ripping flesh-

"She's awake," Happy told him. His head snapped around, onyx eyes wide.

"Really?" he said, relieved. "Good."

The day before had held a particularly nasty attack that had ended with several dead and more than a few injured. Lucy had been one of them, receiving a nasty wound to her stomach. Natsu had been panicked, watching as a doctor worked furiously to fix it, trying to avoid needing Wendy or Chelia's magic as the pair of sky mages struggled to overcompensate for the lack of doctors out and about.

It had been a rough three hours for the fire mage. Lucy had been in and out of consciousness, her blonde hair matted with blood. But she'd pulled through and he was more than relieved.

"She wants to talk to you," Happy prodded.

Natsu shook his head. "I'll talk to her in a bit. I'm thinking."

"Natsu," Happy huffed, "She said that she'd try and get up!"

"Okay, okay. I'm coming. Do we know how she's getting moved if we end up evacuating?"

"No. Erza went to find the doctor to see what he says and Makarov so that she can inform him."

"Good." Natsu ruffled Happy's ears and then stretched, taking in the destroyed port town, eyes roving what had once been a beautiful and thriving town.

Their future selves had been frantic to fix the dragon's destruction.

But had they known about demons?

* * *

"Gray," Lucy protested as he gently tugged on a lock of hair, grimacing as blood flaked off of the blonde strands. "Watch it, that hurts!"

"Sorry," he muttered, carefully untangling the comb he was using. "I don't do this every day, you know. Juvia doesn't like when I try to brush her hair. I don't know what I'm doing." He tried again, carefully working the comb through a small section and nearly shouted happily when it didn't get caught so easily.

"Like that," she told him, and he nodded.

That was how Natsu found them. Lucy was still on her back, but Gray had carefully spread out her ridiculously long blonde hair out behind her head, working the comb through it. It was still stained red, but at least it wouldn't feel so harsh on her scalp. Natsu tried to not feel irked. He like to do that. That was _his_ job.

"Natsu!" she cheered, brown eyes full of pain yet twinkling with happiness. He grinned, forcing it to his face as he dropped into a crouch beside her, elbows on his knees and hands hanging between his legs.

"Hey, Luce," he rumbled as Happy crawled over, too, purring loudly. "Feelin' better?"

"Not really." She grimaced. "I'll get there. Don't worry."

"We're running low on pain medication," Gray explained. "They're using the rest of it for children who need it. Adults can handle the pain better than they can."

Natsu inclined his head, too tired to point out that some children could handle pain better than adults. He let Lucy gently play with his fingers with one hand, his onyx gaze darting to the bandages around her stomach. He took a deep breath. In his dreams, he'd been the one to do that and to see Lucy with the wound…

"Natsu," a voice called. He glanced over with a frown when Erza called his name, her dark eyes troubled when he caught them with his own. She didn't look happy, which meant Natsu wasn't about to continue being happy.

He glanced to Lucy anxiously, not wanting to leave her, but she waved him off. "Gray said he was going to come hang out, so I'll be fine here. Besides. I'm waiting on a call from Jellal. He said he had something to tell me when I checked in last night."

Lucy pressed her lips to his fingers after taking his hand in hers and then released him. "Gray," she said cheerfully as Natsu climbed to his feet, "When are you going to-"

Natsu zoned them out as he left them to chatter and made his way over to the scarlet-haired woman. Erza patiently smiled for a moment and then leaned in so that their heads were close together. "We're evacuating Hargeon."

Natsu stiffened. "What?"

"We're evacuating," she repeated. "Master and Lamia Scale's guildmaster agreed that too many have been killed and that we've lost too much ground."

Natsu's throat tightened. He loved Hargeon. Not as much as Magnolia, but it was a once beautiful port town that he couldn't imagine leaving behind. So much had happened here...so many memories…

"I don't want to either," Erza sighed, as if reading his mind. "But we've been ordered to. Jura and I are going through the people we have marked down on paper and organizing who's going where and who's traveling with who."

"What do mean who's going where?!" Natsu's eyes widened. "Are we-"

Erza nodded. "We're separating. Some will go with the civilians and get them to safety. The rest of us are going to go to Crocus and help get Sabertooth and their civilians out. And then the guildmasters and their guilds will be sent where they're needed by the Council. Natsu...the king declared war."

Natsu took a deep breath, thinking furiously for a few moments before he mumbled, "I'll tell Luce and Gray."

"Thank you," Erza said gratefully. "I'll make sure you and Lucy are put in the same vehicle, though I think I'll put Gray elsewhere. His magic seems to be particularly strong against the demons. I'll pair him with Lyon and put them on defense…" She made her way towards another group, thinking wildly about who to put where.

Natsu watched her go and then returned to Lucy and Gray, who looked up expectantly at him. Happy paused in purring when he saw the look on Natsu's face. Gray's amused grin faded. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"We're leaving Hargeon," Natsu said bluntly.

"We _are_?!" Lucy jerked, trying to sit up and then hissed in pain. Natsu hastily dropped to shove her back down so she didn't ruin her injury's healing.

"Natsu," Gray said, gritting his teeth. "What's going on?"

"We're evacuating," he repeated. "And some of us are helping those that need it to some unnamed place while the rest of us are going to go and help Sabertooth do the same. And then we're being sent around the country by the Council. King Toma said we're at war."

Lucy's face paled. "Oh, no," she breathed.

Happy flicked his tail and said nervously, "Fairy Tail's...splitting up?"

"Probably," Gray muttered, shoving a hand through his black hair. "I don't like this. Tartaros is doing this on purpose. They're trying to pick us off so they can get to us one by one."

Lucy quieted suddenly, thoughtful. Natsu curiously looked at her. Usually excited and bouncing around trying to fight people, the man before her was near silent, entirely calm and thoughtful. "Luce?"

"It's nothing, I'm just...trying to figure out what Tartaros thinks they're doing. I mean...why pry us apart like this? What are they trying to _do_?" she murmured. "They're supposedly searching for something, right?"

"Then the question isn't what they're trying to do, it's what they're trying to find," Gray told her.

"And why they want it so bad," Happy added, earning muttered agreement from around him.

Thoughtfully, Lucy touched her chin, remembering the bruises that had finally faded from it.

If Zeref made demons…

Her eyes widened a fraction, her heart thudding wildly. As if hearing, Natsu glanced at her, tilting his head. "Luce?"

"It's nothing," she breathed.

A lie, a complete lie!

 _Does Zeref have something to do with this?_

* * *

Tapping his finger thoughtfully on the balcony he stood on, one that overlooked the capitol of his country in all of its glory, Zeref smiled to himself. He'd abandoned the robes he'd once worn, robes from another time, and was dressed in a simple suit. His crimson eyes studied the comings and goings of his people, filled with delight.

"Emperor?"

The black mage looked over his shoulder, lips curving upwards when he recognized who had spoken to him. "Invel," he murmured, straightening. "What can I do for you?"

"A report." Invel was as serious as ever, nothing like some of the other Spriggans. "On the matter with the demons of Tartaros."

His smirk vanished. Zeref hated the creatures he'd created, just as he hated the Heartfilia bloodline and the dragons. And Mavis. He hated her especially. They had been tests, attempts at creating something like the flaming demon he longed to bring back but with more control and personality.

It made him incredibly furious to know he'd never succeeded.

"What report?" Zeref adjusted a cuff link, dropping his gaze to his sleeve. Invel was one of few who truly respected him in his group of Spriggans. Some, like Dimeria, merely enjoyed the conquering of other countries that he ordered, while August and Brandish cared deeply for their country and worried about its people, entirely prepared to turn against him if they thought he was bad for them.

He wouldn't need them soon. Not when he had his little brother back.

"They've located the item you wish for them to retrieve." Zeref's gaze snapped up in surprise. "However, they can't retrieve it."

It took all of his willpower to remain calm. "And why not?"

Invel's sharp gaze never left him, burning into his own. "It appears that it's protected by a magic they cannot penetrate. They have sent someone after the Heartfilia girl to force her to retrieve it for them so that they may give it to you."

"Oh?" Zeref purred, leaning forward.

"And what kind of magic is it protected by?"

* * *

 _Zeref's back! And they're evacuating from Hargeon! Some exciting stuff will be picking up. I'm so excited._

 _I'm thinking my update schedule MIGHT change a little. Most of my classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so. I'm not entirely sure just yet. I'll get back to you on it next week. :D_

 _Thank you for all the well-wishers on my placement test! It went better than I thought; I placed intermediate instead of beginner, which surprised the hell out of me._

 _Lodemai04, I didn't even think about the air raids, but I like the comparison. I read a lot about WWII so maybe it just slipped in? I really like the comparison though._

 _Thanks to reviewers (waiting-for-you443, Typhlosion8, DeadlyKitten44, Vilchen, CupcakeGoddess22, NoReviewWithFace, whitepolkadot, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Crazymagic16, RandomAnimeNerd, LePengwen, Lodemai04, and the Age of Awesomeness!) as well as those who favorited and followed._


	222. Chapter 222

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Two days later found Lucy leaning heavily on Levy as the blue-haired woman carefully helped her into the passenger seat of a car. Natsu supervised them carefully, onyx eyes blazing when Lucy wheezed in pain, her breath hitching. "Careful," he huffed.

"Sorry," Levy apologized, pausing until Lucy gave her the okay. Finally, Lucy found herself a comfortable position, still grimacing, but no longer struggling. "I tried to be careful."

"I'm okay," Lucy reassured and then smiled brightly at Natsu, who snorted and grinned back. She squeezed Levy's head and then beamed as Happy carefully crept into her lap, holding her keys for her. "Ready, Happy?" He nodded with a purr.

"Who's riding with you?" Levy asked curiously, leaning against the door of Lucy's car.

"Me," Natsu said, "Asuka, Wendy, Romeo, and Cana since we have the kids with us. Oh! Charle, too." He smiled sheepishly. "Cana's driving since I can't."

"Are you going to be sick the entire way?" Levy's lips twitched. "I mean, Gajeel convinced Wendy to help him out since he's heading straight for Sabertooth with a few others." Her gaze darkened a little. Levy was going to help evacuate rather than heading to Sabertooth, effectively separating her from Gajeel as well as her teammates since Jet and Droy were going with him. Lucy knew it killed her in these times to be away, but she'd been allowed to take Lily with her, so she wasn't entire alone. And there was, of course, Lucy.

"Wendy said she'd help him," Lucy laughed and Natsu stuck his tongue out childishly at her.

But Levy saw the look on his face, the look of terror for her and the self-directed agitation he'd been expressing as of late. So she grabbed his arm, bid Lucy farewell, and then dragged him away on the pretense of getting Wendy and Romeo in the car. When they were far enough away, she lowered her voice and said, "Natsu, you haven't been acting like yourself lately."

He huffed, puffing out a cloud of smoke. "I don't know what you're - _ouch_ , woman!" He hopped on one foot when she kicked him sharply in the ankle. "What the hell?"

She glared. "Are you not happy with Lucy?" she said sharply, "Because if you plan on hurting her, I'll-"

Natsu snapped his jaws angrily, glaring at her. "I'm not unhappy with Lucy! Damn, Levy! I love Luce." He made a low sound in the back of his head, agitated. "I've just...I've been crabby. And I don't like what's going on here with Tartaros. There's something going on, I just don't know what."

"Well, stop acting odd then." She huffed. "You can't start getting distracted when we could die at any moment." His gaze snapped to her and her own softened. "Natsu, look. I know you're suspicious of it all, we all are, but you can't...go strange now. We need normal Natsu. I know your nightmares are bad, Lucy told me." He scowled at that. "Did you not think we'd take a guess when Lucy had Wendy look at the burns? We all have them. Just...not quite as bad."

"I'm fine," Natsu snapped. "I'm fine. I just want to get this done with. I want to figure out where Tartaros came from and why they're here so we can go home. I've taken Lucy on only a few normal jobs, and it's...I miss taking her on jobs and we've only taken a few real dates."

Levy made a huge groaning sound and then ran a hand down her face. "Oh, my - okay. Okay. Just...don't let yourself get distracted. We need you now. Everyone. Not just Lucy."

"I _know_."

She gave him a long look. "Do you really?"

He didn't answer.

* * *

"Everyone ready to go?"

Lucy smiled at Gildarts through the open passenger side window, running her hand over the purring Happy's ears as Asuka, Wendy, and Romeo all cheered a quiet "yes". Charle rolled her eyes. Natsu beamed as broadly as Asuka. "I think so," Lucy told him.

"Take good care of Cana, would you?" His gaze darkened with worry. He was going to Sabertooth alongside several other mages. "Don't let her get into any trouble."

"I won't," she promised.

"We won't," Natsu corrected, earning an amused look from Gildarts.

"We're leaving in a minute. We'll send off a signal when it's time to move. Stay behind your respective vehicle and keep in sight of it at all times. The car behind you will do the same. If something should happen, our first checkpoint is home. Just head there."

"Got it." Lucy gave a curt nod. "Thanks, Gildarts."

"See you soon. And hurry up and heal, you hear me?" He reached in and ruffled Lucy's hair before continuing on his way. Lucy couldn't turn in her seat when Natsu made a sound of disapproval, even as Wendy giggled.

"We can't stop for your hoard, Natsu," Wendy was telling him insistently. "There's too much. It'll be safe."

"But my _hoard_ ," he whimpered.

"But _no_ ," Lucy chimed in.

Natsu made a soft huff behind her and Lucy smiled when Happy cackled. Cana appeared and climbed into the car, humming as Lucy handed her the keys, "Ready?"

"Yep. You?"

Cana nodded. "Let me know if I need to call Erza to stop. We've got a lot of injured like you, so breaks will be good on occasion. That's what she told me anyways." Her dark eyes, usually sparkling with light and fun, were serious now. "And I mean it, Lucy. If you need to stop, we'll stop."

"Okay." Lucy flashed her a smile. "But first we need to get going."

Cana muttered her agreement and started the car. As the engine purred to life, there was a honk somewhere in the distance. And then the car ahead pulled forward. Lucy tightened her arms around Happy. "Here we go," Cana said cheerfully.

 _Here we go._

* * *

The car drive wasn't so bad, as Natsu wasn't nearly vomiting every now and then and Asuka was more than willing to keep them all occupied with a fairy tale of her creation. She scolded Natsu fiercely when he interrupted, making them all laugh, and when Asuka was done, Cana turned on some music that she was sure would be appropriate for Asuka, who'd begun to miss her parents.

Lucy felt bad for her. Makarov had asked that Bisca and Alzack entrust their daughter to them before having them sent to Crocus alongside most of Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale's other mages. The pair had been miserable when handing Asuka over, making Natsu promise to take exceptional care of her, and he'd vowed he'd protect her with his life.

They reached Magnolia well before sun down and Lucy's heart ached as Cana pulled into a parking spot in front of their guildhall. Fairy Tail's guildhall looked just as Lucy remembered it from their few minutes at home before they'd rushed to Hargeon. She stroked Happy's head and then her keys, wondering if Loke had known what he was leaving them to.

She hoped the electricity worked. She tapped the broken screen of her phone, longing for the long since lost never dying phone Loke had given back to her once upon a time. She wanted desperately to call Yukino and check in with her and Sabertooth.

But no such luck.

There was a huff as Natsu hauled himself and Asuka out of the back seat. Wendy and Romeo climbed out with Charle with a happy groan, and Cana climbed out, too. Happy didn't budge, keeping his promise to stick with Lucy.

"I'll take Asuka," Cana hummed. Natsu sent her over to the brunette and then went to work on freeing Lucy. Only when he was reaching over to help her unbuckle her seatbelt did Happy crawl out to go and check in with Erza for them. There was chaos everywhere as people unloaded from crowded vehicles.

"You okay?" Natsu rumbled as he gently gathered her in his arms and lifted her out. Lucy flinched, pressing a hand over the injury, but nodded. She was sure she'd be walking soon, especially if Wendy came to do a little bit of healing. "Luce?"

"I'm fine, Natsu," she said with a reassuring pat on his shoulder. "Just put me down somewhere."

"In a minute." He gave her an impish grin, letting flames tickle at her and she glared.

"If you burn my clothes, Natsu Dragneel," she all but growled, yanking on his scarf until he choked and nearly dropped her to fix it, "I will kill you."

He pouted and muttered something under his breath. Something along the lines of "but it would be a sweet death" and she took on a murderous look that had him hastily promising, "I won't, I promise!"

"That's what I thought." She gave him a glare and then dropped her head to rest on his shoulder as she looked over, smiling when Cana winked playfully at them and called, "Erza knows we're good. She said Natsu could run to your place if he wants."

Natsu's gaze slid to Lucy. She rolled her eyes. "Go. Cana can sit with me. And if she has somewhere she needs to be, someone else can."

"I'll sit with her," Cana chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Natsu."

Natsu frowned. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Cana vowed. "I'll make sure the pretty blonde girl is safe and happy and fed. Let's just find her a place to sit, okay?"

"She's right here," Lucy grumbled, earning a laugh from Cana and a snicker from Natsu.

They found her a decent place to sit, wrapping her up in a thick warm blanket to fend off the chill. She wrapped it tightly around she and Cana, who dropped to sit next to her on a broken curb, as Natsu bid them farewell, taking Happy as he left. People moved around them, many of the mages sifting through what was left of Fairy Tail's guildhall. The civilians from Magnolia looked around sadly at their town while those from Lamia Scale comforted them.

Lucy watched them, and then murmured, "You know, I remember when we first revealed magic and they were running around like a chicken with its head cut off."

"I remember when you first came to Fairy Tail," Cana hummed. "We were all honestly impressed with the girl who'd somehow mastered Natsu's psychotic attitude."

Lucy giggled. She longed for those days, remembering walking through a park after returning Natsu's scarf, e-mailing Mirajane excitedly about her own novels, and even watching as her friends booked it down a street while she wondered about what that symbol emblazoned on their skin meant. They'd been a mess, but they'd been fun, peaceful even.

She hadn't yet watched as the world turned to hell around them.

Cana glanced at her with a warm gaze. "Lucy, I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't ever come into our guild. It would have been a lot less light in our lives had you not been here."

Lucy swallowed the lump in her throat and leaned into her friend. "It's the same for me, Cana."

A moment later, a scream pierced the air.

* * *

 _A somewhat chilled out chapter, but it's okay. Things really pick up soon._

 _Don't wear sandals when entering a building with heavy doors. My toes got caught and I think my toenail might fall off. First week of classes and I've all ready damaged myself._

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, ReviewWithFace, Lodemai04, LePengwen, TabathaEvans, PinkFireandGoldenStars, RandomAnimeNerd, whitepolkadots, iTwiisT, tinybabyleafs, and Samm!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	223. Chapter 223

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Despite the pain in her stomach, Lucy surged to her feet, Cana right beside her. They exchanged wide-eyed looks as a shout filled the air, Erza's voice calling out for assistance. A few mages surged to help, Levy amongst them with flashing eyes.

"What's going on?" Lucy breathed.

"Stay here," Cana ordered, giving her a sharp look. "I'll take a look. Don't try and help, okay? Summon Loke or one of your other Spirits and sit here with them. I'll tell you what it is if they don't need me." Without waiting to see if Lucy did as she said, Cana booked it.

Lucy made a sound of distress, but summoned Virgo to sit with her. The Spirit said nothing, bowing in greeting at the waist. "Sit, Princess," she said firmly. "You're injured. Leo is worried for you."

"He worries too much," Lucy huffed. "He and Natsu could get together and have a party about it." Virgo snorted and pushed her gently down to sit. Lucy flinched, touching her stomach with a soft sound of pain, but didn't dare try to push back. It hurt far too much to…

Lucy fiddled with her fingers and dead phone impatiently as she waited, and waited, and waited some more. She found herself ready to summon Loke and send him after them, to see what was happening.

It was nearly half an hour before someone came back.

"Levy!" Lucy breathed in relief. Levy flinched, limping over. "What happened?! You're hurt…"

"Small raid," she admitted, dropping to sit beside her with a wheeze of pain. "Turns out that someone came here looking for Fairy Tail and found themselves confronted with monsters instead. Erza's questioning them, but…" She smiled, eyes twinkling. "You'll be pleased to know that someone who claims to be your editor and publisher is alive."

Lucy nearly shot to her feet and would have had Virgo not firmly pushed her back down. "You're serious?! Ali's alive?!" Her eyes flooded with tears, her body quivering with relief. She hadn't so much as spared Ali a thought since she'd last seen her disappearing into thin air. While the woman had been suspicious at the time, Lucy was pleased to hear she was alive.

Levy laughed. "Yes! Erza said she'd send her your way when they were done."

"Yes!" Lucy cheered, practically radiating the need to bounce up and down. Levy squeezed her hand after grabbing it. She took a deep breath to try and force herself to calm down. "Has Natsu come back yet do you know?"

"Yep," Levy agreed, "He'll be coming here soon. He stopped to entertain Asuka and other kids until we could spare someone to come and watch them. I came back with a few others, so he should be over here any minute."

"Thank you," Levy," Lucy said honestly.

"No problem." Levy winked. "Just stay here. Virgo, make sure she doesn't move."

"Of course," Virgo promised, eyes glinting dangerously. "I'll deliver Princess' punishment should she not comply with your wishes."

Lucy arched a brow at her Spirit. "Didn't Leo ban you from punishing me?"

"In special circumstances, I am allowed to," she replied.

Levy rolled her eyes and then waved. "I'll be off to see if Natsu's free. If he's not, I'll watch the kids so he can come sit with you."

Lucy thanked her and then sat back with Virgo at her side, tilting her head to watch the sky so she didn't have to see the ash-streaked cobble streets of her home.

"Luce!"

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted, waving when her boyfriend appeared, recognizable even from a distance thanks to his hair. Virgo chuckled and then disappeared as Natsu sidled over and dropped beside her, immediately leaning his body against hers. Eagerly, she told him what Levy had told her, and he frowned a little as he explained that Happy had stayed with Levy.

"I didn't like her. Somethin' was weird about her," he muttered.

Lucy didn't care, waving him off. "I'm just happy she's alive."

"I guess." He suddenly shifted so that she sat between his legs, resting his chin on her shoulder as he pressed something into her hands. "Here. I found it in our place. Someone must have gone through everything." A furious growl raced down her spine as it filled his chest.

Lucy ran her fingers over the spine of one of her books. Natsu's favorite, signed over to him with her signature in the cover. She smiled slightly at it and then looked at him, smiling. "Don't worry, I'll have some more sent my way. I'll replace all of the books we lost when we go home."

 _When we go home._

As if this war against demons and monsters and black mages would end.

Natsu made a pleased sound in the back of his throat. "Thanks!"

She laughed, then flinched when he suddenly tugged at the hem of her shirt. Glaring, she smacked his hands away. "Natsu!" she hissed, scowling. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Ow!" he whined, shaking his hand out. "I wanted to check. I wanted to see if I should get Wendy."

"Well, I'm fine," she muttered, rolling her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she turned the conversation away from her injury and said, "Was anything else left?"

"Not really." Natsu raked a hand through his pink hair, sighing heavily. "There was a few things, like a couple dishes and a pan, or the bed frame, but...everything else was destroyed or taken. Even the gold things I gave you." He scowled. "I hate it. I hate that people went into our house and took our things. I mean, the gold will probably curse the people who took it, but..."

She patted his cheek comfortingly. "But everyone's alive, Natsu. And _that's_ what matters."

"I guess." He was quiet for a few minutes before he took on an almost haunted look. She frowned. Hesitantly, he rasped, "Luce-"

"Lucy!"

He clamped his mouth shut and Lucy gave him an apologetic look even as he helped her to her feet so that she could greet Ali, who came running over with a worried look on her bruised face. Tears were in her dark eyes as she smiled, her hair wild around her shoulders and face. The tattoos that circled each upper arm were stark against her pale skin. "Lucy," she repeated. "You're alive."

"Ali," Lucy said with a faint laugh. "Good to see you. You remember Natsu?"

Natsu gave Ali an icy look, remembering the dark attitude she'd had the last time they'd met. This woman was nothing like she'd been last time. When she'd been ridiculously cold towards he and Lucy. Now...she was...friendly. But he supposed it wasn't anything to be wary of if the way Lucy tackled her in a hug was an indicator.

"Of course," she replied, giving Natsu a faint smile. She rubbed a nasty bruise on her cheek. "I'm glad to see you are all okay. I was worried when I heard your new hometown had been attacked."

"I was out of town," Lucy told her. "Natsu and the others had it handled, though."

"Because blood everywhere says it was handled," Ali muttered.

Natsu took it back. She wasn't friendly.

Not wanting to stick around, he muttered, "I'm gonna go and check in with the others. You gonna be okay, Luce?"

"Yeah," she said dismissively. "I'll be fine. See you later?"

He rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "No. I'm gonna fly off to the moon, where I can be safe and happy. Yes, you'll see me later. Like hell I'm not gonna come and find you."

She grinned, though there was a spark of concern in her eyes as Ali gingerly grabbed her arm and tugged her carefully forward.

As she slowly led Lucy away, Natsu paused and looked back, glaring suspiciously at Ali.

 _How does she know Lucy's hurt?_

They'd never told her. Nor had Lucy shown Ali any sign of being injured.

Natsu wanted to drag Lucy far from Ali in that moment.

* * *

As the day wore on, it only got progressively worse. Natsu didn't see his girlfriend until it was time to go to sleep and by that time, he was so cranky, he barely spoke a word to her. She frowned, questioning if he was okay, but he merely grunted in response.

There was something about Ali that twisted him the wrong way - and brought out feelings dark enough that he found himself almost scared.

He didn't have names for those emotions, roiling so deep in his chest and mind. To avoid remembering them when he could, he merely curled up beside Lucy, burying his face in a makeshift pillow as the ever-smiling Wendy tended to her, chatting quietly.

The next morning, Lucy was on her feet, almost back to normal. She was grumpy with him - not that he could blame her. He was grumpy right back, stressed out with what seemed to be clawing at his mind. He wanted to snarl at her, yell, and he didn't even know _why_. Frustrated, Lucy went to speak with Ali and Levy, who was eagerly speaking to the previous-editor, wanting to hear everything she could about what it had been like to be the only one to have read an upcoming novel.

Natsu found himself alone, sitting on a stupid curb. Happy had fled to ride with Charle and Wendy in a different vehicle, as the sky mage wanted to keep an eye on one of the injured, and Chelia felt inclined to join her.

Sadly, that meant Ali was going to ride in their car.

That meant he was going to either have to deal with her or leave. And he wasn't willing to leave Lucy alone for too long. Not when Ali was pissing him off.

"Ready, Natsu?" Cana called when everyone else was in the vehicle. She was all ready in the driver's seat. Lucy had crawled into the back with Ali, too grouchy with him to ask if he wanted to sit with her. Natsu inclined his head and plucked up a giggling Asuka.

"Want to sit up front, Asuka?" he said cheerfully.

"Yeah!" she said excitedly, eyes glowing. "With Cana?"

"With Cana."

He crawled into the passenger seat, keeping his eyes downcast and settled Asuka into his lap. Lucy furrowed her brow. "Natsu, are you sure...are you sure she should be sitting up front like that?"

"Yes," he said curtly. He needed Asuka there to keep him distracted from the woman sitting behind him. "Cana's a good driver when she's not drunk. We'll be fine."

"I don't think-"

"She's _fine_ ," he snapped.

Cana whistled lowly as she started the car, grinning a little to herself. "Looks like we've got a lovers' spat going on, eh? Make sure to not drag Asuka and I into the middle of it please."

The way she glanced over her shoulder, the way she made sure to not include Ali in that-

Cana didn't like Ali either.

Natsu felt entirely relaxed now, playing with Asuka as they set off with everyone else. He felt so much better knowing that someone else wasn't entirely confident about Ali.

Natsu played with Asuka until Cana turned on some appropriate music, and then let the young girl play with his scarf and grinned at her. He was delighted to see that at least someone was having fun with their horrendous adventure.

This continued on for a while, with Natsu making sure Asuka didn't try to get herself hurt by accident. Lucy giggled at the young girl alongside Cana while Ali smiled out the window, her gaze searching whatever they passed. Natsu found himself relaxing, even shooting Lucy a huge childish smirk when everyone took a turn to pick a song and see which one Asuka left and she declared him the winner.

She stuck her tongue out.

Cana smirked-

And then hit the brakes as hard as she could with a shout of surprise. Natsu swore as his entire body slammed forward into the seat belt. Lucy screamed in the back seat. Ali yelped. Gritting his teeth, Natsu wrapped his entire upper half around Asuka, who squealed in surprise at the sudden change of motion.

The car barely skidded to a halt before it struck a woman who stood in the middle of the road. Her chin was raised high, her cold gaze staring them down through the windshield, and Lucy made a strangled sound in her seat, reaching over to clutch Natsu's arm.

"Minerva," she gasped, staring at the woman. She looked nothing like Natsu remembered, with horns on either side of her head and black marks streaking over her pale skin. But that glint in her eye-

Minerva's lips, painted as red as ever, curved upwards. She gave a little wave as someone thudded to the ground beside her. He was blond, with inhuman features. A tail and ears, hands that looked as if he'd dipped them into tar and tipped with talons that sparked as he grinned maliciously at them with sharp teeth. Natsu's chest thundered with a sound akin to a growled snarl. He protectively curled himself around Asuka, glaring viciously through simmering onyx eyes.

Behind him, a giggle escaped Ali's lips. Their heads snapped to her.

She smirked knowingly at them all, her eyes glowing cruelly.

"Boom," she chuckled.

Lucy's face paled.

" _Boom_!" the man beside Minerva screeched, slamming his taloned fingers into the ground, shoving them through pavement. It splintered as something blasted through it.

The car _flew_.

* * *

 _AND SO IT BEGINS! I'm so excited. I don't like how the later parts of the arc turned out, but this part was one of my favorites to write. :D_

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, ReviewWithFace, WinterKit18, Lodemai04, AzaleaFields, TabathaEvans, RandomAnimeNerd, The Age of Awesomeness, DeadlyKitten44, Crazymagic16, PinkFireandGoldenStars, FtfanDessarai, HummingBird742, PandaBearSamm, OOANDISAOO, NaLu and InuKag, and AnyonymousStalkerFriend!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	224. Chapter 224

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Everything in her vision was bleary and there was a sharp ringing in her ears as Lucy weakly dragged herself out from under the piece of car that hovered only a breath away. She gasped, feeling her breath rattle painfully in her chest. "Nat-su," she muttered. She found herself searching for him before anyone else him - because not only was he in trouble, but so was _Asuka_.

That pink head of hair was familiar, even stained with blood. Her throat tightened when she saw him still curled around Asuka, who was crying quietly, trying to wake him with gentle shakes. He was still breathing, from the fogging on the glass of the splintered windshield. That alone was enough to let her relax. She looked around for Cana and found her slumped forward, still strapped into the driver's seat. Nasty burns raced up her arms and face.

Lucy licked her bloody lips and looked around, searching for her keys. No sight of them, but she could feel that they were close. The choker she'd worn seared at her throat in warning as she studied her car.

The blast had thrown it completely off the road and into the nearby trees. It had tipped, the ceiling slamming into a few trunks that had flattened it. Cana somewhat hung, hanging over the other two. Lucy didn't question the lack of Ali; the look on her face, her words-

Natsu had been right not to trust her, even if he'd never said it aloud.

Lucy closed her eyes, evaluating her own injuries. A broken leg, maybe. It hurt like hell. A nasty gash along her cheek and another on her arm. Various scrapes and bruises. She'd cut her forehead when she'd smacked it.

But nothing life threatening. She was more worried about Cana and that nasty head wound, or Natsu's.

Asuka looked to be okay enough, and that was what mattered more than even her own health.

"Natsu," she heard Asuka screaming, "Natsu, wake up! Wake up! Please, Natsu! Please!" The young girl's voice dropped to broken sobs. "Wake up...please…"

Lucy rested her head on her arms, exhausted. She just wanted to go _home_.

Relief flooded her when Natsu stirred, flinching sharply at an injury. She smiled faintly when he blinked, dazed, and immediately slurred comforting words to the girl he cradled. He was okay. Well, not okay, but _alive_ -

He weakly shifted, looking, and locked gazes with her. She could see the pained film over his eyes. He wasn't entirely conscious, but he was trying. Suddenly, he groped until he found Asuka's mouth and then covered the sobbing girl's mouth, his eyes widening a little in alarm and fear.

For her, Lucy realized a moment later when a foot landed on her back, shoving her into the cold dirt. Lucy gasped, grunting in pain as a set of feet planted themselves in front of her face.

A masculine voice cackled above her, "Look at this. I thought she said they were stronger than this."

"They are." Lucy grimaced. Minerva. "I've seen it firsthand, remember. We caught them surprise, like I told you was smart. Seilah, what did Mard Greer say we have to do next?"

Lucy glared when Ali lowered herself to peer into her face, painted lips curving into a cold smile. "Hello, Lucy," she purred. Lucy shuddered at the difference in her appearance. Horns curved around either side of her head, her arms now bare and body clad in some kind of clothing Lucy didn't recognize, all drab and dull colored yet vibrant at the same time. Her hair had parted along the center of her forehead and showing off another symbol that went along with her arm tattoos. "Long time no see, hm? I've been watching you for a long time."

Lucy gave her a dark look. "Your point?" she snarled.

"My point," the woman giggled, "Is that you'll be coming with us, Miss Heartfilia."

 _Seilah_ , Minerva had called her. "Your real name, then," Lucy murmured, trying to buy time. Erza would have heard the explosion. Someone would come soon. "Where did you come up with Ali?"

"Kyoka did, actually. When we first started this plan years ago. The three letters are in my name. Reverse their proper order…"

"And you get Ali. So you're name is truly Seilah then."

"Enough _chat_ ," the blond man wailed, flattening the ears atop his head. His taloned fingers twitched as he stared at Natsu. Lucy checked on him. He and Asuka looked as if they, too, were unconscious. "You promised I could play."

Lucy shuddered when Seilah purred, "Maybe Kyoka will give you a turn with Miss Heartfilia later, Jackal."

Minerva sneered down at her, swinging something gold around a finger. Lucy whimpered as her keys went flying, jingling somewhere in the trees. _Loke_ , she pleaded silently, wondering if he'd hear her even now and somehow summon himself to his key to help her friends and Natsu.

"Shall we be off?" Seliah hummed, nudging her broken leg with a sandaled foot.

Lucy stifled a scream.

* * *

Natsu knew better. His instincts screamed to protect his hoard, his close friend and girlfriend. But he knew better. He shoved them down, feeling the power that spiked off of all three attackers. Lucy would hate him if he risked Asuka. And Asuka was his priority right now, shivering against his chest violently, silent like he'd told her to be.

The dark feeling Ali - no, his sensitive hearing told him, _Seilah_ \- had shoved into him had returned full force with no end insight, but he kept it in check. _Asuka_ , he repeated in his head to fend it off. Protect Asuka.

It tore him to pieces when they vanished with Lucy in tow. Some kind of teleportation magic. Only then did his shoulders shake, his body groaning with pain as he gave some kind of low sob. Lucy was gone. Lucy was-

"Natsu?" Asuka breathed.

"H-hold on." He swallowed thickly, tasting blood. This was why he hated cars. He undid his seatbelt and grimaced at the bruises on his chest that were blossoming into view. "Okay. Crawl out. Careful. Don't cut yourself."

"Kay." She patted his cheek gently and he forced himself to smile. With a whimper, Asuka slowly crawled out of the shattered window, and then scrambled to her feet. Natsu heaved himself out, ignoring the glass that dug into his palms. Asuka grabbed him under the arms and tried to help. While he appreciated her thoughtfulness, it was somewhat unhelpful and put her in his way.

When he was free, Natsu took a deep breath and checked himself for injuries. Several lacerations and a nasty cut on his head that made him nervous of a concussion. Maybe some broken bones in his wrist, as it hurt to bend it even just a little. Licking his bloody lips, Natsu decided a cracked rib or two might also be a possibility.

"Stay close, Asuka." Natsu hauled himself to his feet, leaning heavily on the smoking car. He hoisted himself up to look at Cana, who was still unconscious. His heart twisted with fear for the brunette until he saw that she was breathing, blood dripping from between her lips. He didn't dare move her alone.

Asuka gripped the pants of his jeans lightly as he pulled his phone out and checked to see if it worked. The phone had survived miraculously, though the screen was so badly cracked that it cut his finger as he worked to carefully dial a number.

"Natsu," Erza said the second he picked up, voice urgent. "Natsu, what happened? I'm coming back with a few others. We saw smoke and heard something explode-"

"Ali's a bitch," he said bluntly, "and also Seilah of the Nine Demon Gates."

Erza breathed out a soft curse. "Are you alright?"

"No." His voice cracked, but he forced himself to keep himself in check until he knew they were safe. "Minerva and some guy showed up, too. The guy blew the car right off the road. Asuka's fine, but Cana's unconscious in the car still. I don't want to move her. And Luce... " He took a deep breath. "Just hurry."

"Where's Lucy?" Erza demanded, but Natsu hung up, sliding to sit beside the destroyed vehicle that held so many memories. Asuka scampered to sit beside him, shivering. He wrapped an arm protectively around her shoulders and tucked her close to his side.

"Natsu?" Asuka whispered. "Will Lucy be okay?"

"I hope so, Asuka." He rested his head back, trying not to think of where Lucy was and what she was doing. "I really hope so."

* * *

It seemed to take ages for the others to show up. Erza was out of the car in an instant, sprinting towards them. Asuka leaped to her feet, but paused when Natsu was slower, struggling. He gasped for breath, pain racing down his spine and through his chest. Definitely a cracked rib. He moved slower, trying not to jostle it too much as Wendy shot like an arrow for the stirring brunette trapped in the car.

"Natsu," Erza breathed, stopping before them. Asuka hugged her around the waist and she returned it, eyes wide. "What happened? Where's Lucy?"

"You know what happened and I don't know," he muttered, "They took her. They just...disappeared, and I don't know how to find her." His voice broke. Finally, they were what he supposed could be considered safe-

He finally snapped, a hoarse moan leaving him. Erza furrowed her brow in worry. "She's gone," he breathed, breath hitching. "She was hurt and they just...they didn't care! They took Lucy!"

"I'm sure Lucy will be fine. They need her for something if they ran off with her," Erza reassured, squeezing his shoulder with care. He winced at the gentle touch, shaking with exhaustion and pain and fear.

Lucy was gone, and that dark feeling was clawing and shredding at his control.

Shredding and shredding and shredding-

Natsu, instinctively, sought out the one who would help shove that darkness down, but Lucy was nowhere to be found. Panic overtook him, his breath coming in heavy gasps that sent pain rocketing through him. "Lucy," he gasped, snatching at Erza's arm, tightening his grip to a bruising one. She looked alarmed. "I need...I need Lucy-"

"Natsu," Erza soothed, "We'll find her. We need to get Cana out of the car and to safety first, okay?"

"No," he wheezed. "Not...I _need_ her. There's something wrong. She pushes...she helps. Please, Erza. _Please_." His voice cracked, full of desperation that sent a chill down the requip mages spine.

She looked at him for a long moment, taking in the wildness in his expression and the black look that had appeared in his eyes. "...I'll see what I can do right now, but I can't promise anything. Just...keep with Asuka, protect her. Asuka, watch over Natsu for me, okay?" Erza smiled warmly at the young girl, who beamed back.

"I'll watch him," Asuka said firmly, grabbing Natsu's scraped, calloused hand.

"Good girl." Erza sent a final worried look at Natsu and then bustled away to help where she could with Cana, a few others working furiously to free her.

Asuka squeezed his hand. "Lucy will come home."

"She better," Natsu breathed, trying to calm his breath.

He needed Lucy.

But Lucy was gone.

* * *

 _Dramatic chapter! I forgot to mention last chapter...Asuka will have a surprisingly important part throughout the Tartaros arc. Simply because I think it's important to keep in mind that children are around and that's not something I ever recall seeing in the manga._

 _RandomAnimeNerd, I've had that planned since before BTL was in the process of writing. XD To have it finally revealed is very exciting to me. Around chapter 250, I'm starting to get some other little things revealed and oh my gosh, it's so nice to have them down and not in my head._

 _On that note, i haven't figured out if we'll hit 300 chapters or not yet. I think we MIGHT._

 _Thanks to reviewers (guest #1, AzaleaFields, LePengwen, ReviewWithFace, RandomAnimeNerd, Vilchen, TabathaEvans, Dragondancer81, Secrets of Midgard, The Age of Awesomeness, FtfanDessarai, EraticMind, Heavenly Star, NaLu and InuKag, peacerockgirl123, HummingBird742, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	225. Chapter 225

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy stirred to a hard cold floor beneath her, eyes flashing with agony when she accidentally jostled her body. Her leg alongside a few other major wounds were gone though she wasn't sure how or why, but she could feel the sore aches of being thrown around a car that had flipped several times.

She hoped Natsu, Cana, and Asuka were safe.

Lifting her head with a soft grunt of effort, Lucy peered around her. She gripped the dragon pendant on her choker for comfort, seeking Igneel's presence in the gold, and it warmed gently against her skin. She was naked otherwise, she realized, sitting up and drawing her knees to her chest with a shiver. She didn't bother to question why.

It wasn't like she'd get answers.

Rubbing her temples, Lucy sorted through what she knew.

Ali was Seilah, which explained a little bit about her attitude and why she'd hated them so much. Lucy knew she'd been kidnapped by the damn Tartaros guild, but she had no idea what they wanted with her - which was important. Extremely important. As far as they knew, the guild had taken no prisoners - they'd merely killed and slaughtered every innocent person they came across alongside the mages defending them.

Lucy took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, thinking of her Spirits, of Natsu, of everyone in Fairy Tail, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill.

* * *

When Wendy was done with Cana, she came to tend to Natsu and Asuka, explaining that she'd left Happy and Charle with the patient she'd been watching.. Natsu made her take care of Asuka while he walked around, searching for the keys he'd seen tossed away. He found them after a few minutes of searching, feeling Loke's key sear at his hand as he gripped them.

"I'll find her," he promised the keys quietly, tucking them into his pocket.

Now that he'd took a moment to force his thoughts to calm down, he was thinking clearly about what needed to be done. He had to get Lucy back. To do that - and to make sure his guild was safe - he had to stop Tartaros from killing. Which meant finding whatever they wanted before they found it.

They'd centered themselves near Crocus, he remembered, letting Wendy brush a hand over his arm, seeking wounds neither of them knew about. So he and Happy would go.

He wouldn't drag anyone with him. Not there. No, he'd be in and out so quickly they wouldn't know he was gone-

"Whatever you're thinking, please don't do it," Wendy breathed. He glanced up and she searched his gaze with desperate brown eyes. "Please, Natsu, don't put yourself in harm's way. Tartaros took Lucy because they need her. _Alive_. She won't be killed and if she is, they'll show us in some brutal way. She's safe for now. Let us orient ourselves so that we can all save her. She's our nakama, too."

Natsu studied her and then lowered his gaze, muttering, "Fine."

She was right, he told himself as she smiled broadly in relief. Lucy was their friend. And while he was her partner and more, they cared, too. And if he was caught while he was alone...they wouldn't be just after Lucy. They'd have to rescue him, too.

Clearing his throat, he said, "I need to talk to Gramps. Does your phone work?"

She shook her head. "It died."

He cursed the fact that electricity didn't work in the places they'd been in recently and turned his attention on those who were chatting about what to do and who to inform about what had happened. "Erza's?"

"I'll find out." Wendy bustled off with a huff to ask, and Natsu raked a hand through his hair, wondering if he'd be able to get Loke to summon himself. Their link with Lucy might help him find her…

"Here!" Wendy said as she came back, wielding Erza's phone. "They figured out that the car they were using had a chord in it. She said they could charge your phone while we're driving."

Natsu grinned. "Great!" He took the phone. "Thanks, Wendy." He dialed Makarov's number as he sidled away from Asuka and Wendy, determined to have this conversation a little bit away from the two. When Makarov picked up with a curt greeting, he huffed, "We have a problem."

"Nice to hear you're well, Natsu," Makarov said with a hint of amusement.

"I'm not," he muttered back, "We were attacked. Lucy's editor turned out to be a demon named Seilah. She, Minerva, and some bastard blew us up and then took Lucy. She's gone. I don't know where to even start looking for her at this point. And Wendy doesn't think I should run off alone."

"Something she's right on," he said firmly. He gave a tired sigh. "Natsu, we don't...Lucy's a beloved member of Fairy Tail, our family, but there just isn't enough mages to send after her-"

"What?!" he barked, furious. "What do you mean we don't…" He sucked down a breath, trying to calm himself down as flames crept up his neck. "Gramps, it's _Lucy_."

"And we have thousands of innocent lives who need defending," Makarov said evenly - gently. "I'm worried as well, but we have to think outside of our own concerns right now. Lucy can handle herself."

"I have her _keys_! And they're _Tartaros_!" Natsu snarled.

"I didn't say we wouldn't go after her," he reassured. "We can't right now. But we will find her."

"...no," he breathed, frustrated. "No, we're finding her right now. I'm not leaving her to stay with Tartaros, Gramps. No way. Let me take our team. Please, Gramps. _Please_."

Makarov was quiet for a long, long moment. Finally, he said fiercely, "You will take Gray, Erza, and Happy. No one else. And you won't go in and risk their lives, Lucy's life, or your own. You will find where Tartaros is, where they are keeping Lucy, and then you will meet me in Crocus after you're done and we will discuss what to do from there. Am I understood? Gray will meet you in Crocus. Those who are with Erza will escort Cana and Asuka to the rest of those heading for Bosco and the pair of you will take a car."

"Thank you," Natsu said, pushing as much warmth and gratitude as he could into that simple phrase.

"Do not make me regret this, Natsu," Makarov warned.

"I won't," he said fiercely.

Makarov hung up and Natsu bolted for Erza, who was in the midst of ordering a few younger mages around. He grabbed her wrist, cutting her off mid-sentence with a look that had her faltering, hesitant. "We need to grab Happy and we need to leave for Crocus now."

"Crocus?" Erza was bewildered.

"Crocus," he confirmed. "We're meeting Gray there, and then the four of us are going to find Lucy. Gramps cleared it. We need to go as soon as possible, Erza. I don't know what they wanted with her, but we can't leave her with them for long."

"...right." Erza pushed her crimson hair from her face and then told the mages before her, "Send Happy after us. Give us one of your cars. Continue on our route that we were on before and tell Levy McGarden that I'm putting her in charge of this train of people, am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," a soft-spoken young woman agreed. She smiled faintly and then waved for the two men with her to follow her away. When they were gone, the woman back-tracking to press a set of keys into Erza's hand, she looked to Natsu expectantly.

"Tartaros needs Lucy," he rumbled, a low sound leaving his throat at the thought of it. "I don't know why, but they do, and it can't be for anything good. If she can't find it, she dies. If she does find it, she dies. We _have_ to get her out of there. Gramps wants us to find her and back off though."

"We'll see depending on the situation," Erza decided. Her dark eyes flickered with thought. "If she is in no immediate danger, then we will do as we're told, but if she is...we will make a statement on what happens when one of our nakama is taken."

Natsu bared his teeth in a somewhat malicious grin, excitement clear in his eyes at the prospect of harming those who had taken something precious from him, and Erza wasn't entirely sure if that smile was human.

* * *

Jellal's jaw worked furiously as he set aside the paperwork before him and rubbed his temples, dragging in the tiny bits of patience that still remained within him. Meredy was dozing nearby, and he could hear Cobra and Sorano snipping at one another distantly as they figured out what to do about the borders and how to keep the demons from crossing them.

He didn't mind the paperwork. He didn't mind taking in all of Fiore's citizens, didn't mind encouraging them to come, actually.

But it felt _wrong_ , sitting here and watching as the world went to pieces around them.

His phone going off had him looking over. Meredy jerked awake, rubbing sleepily at her dark eyes and looking his way in confusion. "Erza," he murmured, recognizing his ex's number. _Ex_. Such a weird thing, considering they'd not dated for long. He felt horrible about that mess.

"Erza," he greeted as he put the phone to his ear, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What can I do for you?"

"Jellal," she greeted curtly, sounding breathless. "We have a problem. Lucy's been taken by Tartaros."

He stiffened, face filling with enough alarm that Meredy summoned their companions with a call of their names. Cobra and Sorano appeared a moment later, suspicious as they waited, all three looking his way. "Was it _just_ them, Erza? Or was it the Nine Demon Gates?"

There was a moment in which there was some shuffling and then Natsu's voice answered quietly, "Nine Demon Gates, I think. They smelled funny, at least. Erza, just focus on the road, I'll talk," he added with a huff, "I _can_ talk to Jellal, you know." Jellal could hear the wild agitation beneath calm words, the desperation. "Their names were Seilah, Minerva, and Jackal. I'm not sure on the last one."

" _Minerva_?" he repeated, stunned.

"Right, she's not a member, but she was one of the three there. Do you know anything about Seilah and Jackal?"

"Yes." Cobra was staring openly at him, eyes wide. He had grown fond of the sarcastic blonde who threw right back at him what he could give. And Jellal knew it. "Seilah, from what I know, is close with the demon Kyoka and uses the Macro Curse. It allows her to control people, living and dead, along with various objects. I'm not sure about her demon form...they all possesses an etherious form."

"Etherious?" Natsu questioned, and there was such an odd twinge to Natsu's voice that Jellal and Cobra both stared at the phone for a long moment.

With an exasperated snap of his jaws, Cobra stormed over and took the phone, demanding, "What the hell? Do you not know what etherious material is? It's deadly to us in large amounts, but we all possess some within our bodies. The demons have a large amount and thrive on the stuff."

"No, I know what it is," Natsu said. "Just...surprised me to hear you guys say it." He moved on hastily and Cobra and Jellal exchanged a suspicious look as Cobra put the phone on speaker. Sorano and Meredy drifted closer. Sorano's eyes had sharpened at the mention of Minerva. "What about the guy who blew us up?"

"Jackal," Jellal sighed, "Is another Nine Demon Gates member who uses the Bomb Curse. He has a particular fondness for torture, according to legends. You have to remember, Natsu, that this information, all of it...it's based off of stories and myths we've heard. Not off of complete fact."

"Well, the Bomb curse stuff is true at least," Natsu huffed, "'Cause let me tell you. Getting blown off of the road is not fun whatsoever."

Meredy giggled softly and then stood swiftly. "I'd like to come and help."

"Same," Cobra agreed. "I want to help Kinana...where is she?"

"With the rest of our group, heading to Bosco." Cobra faltered, but remained firm in his decision to help the guild he'd joined.

Calmly, Jellal said, "I would also join, but-"

" _Go_ ," Sorano urged, giving him a fierce look. "I'll stay here and watch over Bosco. I've done enough that I can do it alone for a few weeks, until this is over."

Jellal studied her gaze and then said firmly, "We'll meet you in Crocus, Natsu. It appears we have a helicopter to take." Cobra moaned in despair, not wanting to find himself in any mode of transportation, but he was ignored as Nats cackled in excitement.

Something didn't sit right with the blue-haired man as he listened to Natsu say farewell and cut the call off. "I want," he said slowly, "To do more research into Tartaros while we're flying. Cobra, I won't ask you to do anything while you're in the helicopter, but Meredy, can you? I'll fly it."

"Sure." Meredy's eyes flashed. "I'll get my hands on whatever I can find and if there's some mention of weakness, you'll be the first to know."

"Thank you, Sorano," Jellal said firmly to Sorano, who looked slightly sad that she wasn't going. "We'll make sure that Yukino is kept alive."

Sorano's eyes lit with a hint of relief. "Thank you," she breathed.

"Let's go," said Meredy with a dark look in her eyes, and they all set out.

* * *

 _And so the hunt for Lucy begins!_

 _To those who were demanding answers about why they didn't immediately hunt for the keys...guys, they were blown off the road. Give them a minute. XD_

 _Just a quick reminder, because I'm looking at the road ahead in BTL: from here on out, the arcs will be NOTHING like the manga. Based on, yes. But incredibly different._

 _FtfanDessarai, college is going fabulously! I've only had two incidents, but both were (hopefully, in one's case) solved._

 _Thank you to the reviewers (FtfanDessarai, ReviewWithFace, guest #1, LePengwen, DeadlyKitten44, Typhlosion8, RandomAnimeNerd, Vilchen, AzaleaFields, 19vanelkc, Crazymagic16, peacerockgirl123, AnonymousStalkerFriend, The Age of Awesomeness, PinkFireandGoldenStars, and TabathaEvans!) as well as those who favorited and followed._


	226. Chapter 226

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu, Happy, and Erza arrived in Crocus the next evening, their faces set in a grim look at the sight before them. The city, once destroyed by dragons and repaired to a certain extent was now once more turned to rubble. Dried blood spattered the streets and Natsu could see a few bodies as Erza drove the car up a street towards a part of the city that had been boarded off.

Natsu practically squirmed with impatience. Jellal, Cobra, and Meredy had met Gray there earlier in the day, and _damn it_ he just wanted to get a move on and find _Lucy_ -

They were stopped by a couple of mages that stood before a hastily made gate, suspiciously glaring at the car. Erza rolled the window down as they were approached. Natsu was grateful for the troia that had been gifted to him by Wendy, to help him along. She'd made it extra-long lasting, warning that it would eventually not work on him at all if she did it again.

"Who are you?" a young woman demanded, voice dark with suspicion and hatred.

"Erza Scarlet, Natsu Dragneel, and Happy of Fairy Tail," Erza supplied, nudging Natsu. He quickly yanked up the sleeve of his shirt, flexing his gloved hands in thought as the woman studied the emblem on his shoulder.

"...go on through. Make sure you check in with Sting," they were ordered.

"We will," Erza promised, waiting until the gate had been shoved open to drive through.

Natsu felt sick at the sight that met them.

What had once been a beautiful modern city had been turned to rubble. Crocus? He wanted to laugh. This wasn't Crocus. This was what happened during the worst of wars. Everything he knew was gone, even more so than Magnolia.

"Easy, Natsu," Erza murmured, and he realized that his hands had lit with flames. He shot her and Happy a sorrowful apologetic look that they returned.

Erza put the car in park when they found what seemed to look like a centralized area full of people. Natsu saw Rogue dart through the crowd, chasing after someone - a child, Natsu realized when a relieved woman went after him. He guessed that Sting would be inside the half-collapsed building that a few people were working on fixing up.

"Come on," Erza said as she climbed out.

Natsu hopped out after her. Happy clung to his shoulder, tail lashing as he saw people walk by, some even missing pieces of their bodies. Guilt spiraled through Natsu. He felt so bad for these people…

They meandered through the crowds, who were beginning to organize as shouting filled the air - orders, from Sting. Natsu heard the white mage shouting at them to get into the groups they'd been assigned and prepare to evacuate, his voice bellowing out so loudly that he thought magic had been used to amplify it.

Natsu kept close to Erza, taking Happy from his shoulder and cradling him to his chest to make sure he wouldn't lose track of his little buddy. Happy didn't mind, lightly tanging his claws in Natsu's shirt. When they reached the building, they were met out front by a dark-eyed Rufus and Orga.

"Go on in," Orga said, nodding towards the doors.

"Gray and the others who agreed to meet you here are within," Rufus added with a scowl on his face.

Natsu gave Rufus a wide-eyed look and Orga sighed, "Ignore him. He was out late last night patrolling. Take a right and they're in the room that's third on the left."

Erza chuckled as Rufus gave Orga a rude gesture, and then thanked them before ducking past and stepping inside. Natsu rolled his shoulder, wincing at some of the soreness in it. Wendy hadn't been able to heal everything, after all. They paused in the lobby of the building to look around at the Sabertooth mages that were running around. This must have become their headquarters after the attacks began.

Natsu took a deep breath, rubbing his chest anxiously, and looked around as they began to move. They followed Orga's instructions until they reached a door. Natsu could hear muffled voices from inside. He knocked once and then pushed it open.

"'Sup, pyro," Gray greeted, though his black eyes were blazing with rage. His face was set in a mask of it. On the other hand, Meredy was beaming at them, Cobra was giving them neutral looks, and Jellal was smiling calmly, his gaze entirely for Erza.

"Hello, Erza," Jellal said quietly, sitting on a couch with Meredy and Cobra. Gray looked as if he'd been pacing. His hands were clenching and unclenching. Natsu suspected that Gray wanted to honestly hit him.

"Jellal," Erza said simply in response, and then said firmly, "We need to get a move on. Lucy's been taken by Seilah, Minerva, and Jackal of Tartaros, two of which we are certain happen to be members of the Nine Demon Gates." She ran a hand down her face. "We don't think they're going to kill her and if they are, not any time soon."

"Okay, but how did she get caught up in this in the first place?" Gray said icily, furious. "What the hell were you doing, Natsu?"

"I was protecting Asuka." Natsu bared his teeth, agitation swimming up his spine. He wanted to crack his fist into Gray's jaw for this. It wasn't like he'd handed his girlfriend over on a silver platter! "I couldn't just send Asuka off and help!"

Erza rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "He's not at fault, Gray, this would have happened had Gildarts been in the car with her. Magic versus magic is one thing, but the car flipped and he did the right thing, protecting Asuka."

Gray only huffed and looked as if he didn't believe her.

Cobra, who'd been staring nonstop at Natsu, suddenly grunted, "So are we going after Blondie or what?"

"Where do we even start?" Meredy asked. She swept her pink hair over her shoulder, her gaze locked on Erza. "Do we have a basis?"

"Yes. We know that Tartaros has centered its attention a little ways north of here," Jellal said thoughtfully, sitting up. This was his expertise, Natsu supposed. Finding people was something he was good at. "They keep us away by attacking Crocus and its people, but the majority of its attention is in the mountains."

A shiver ran down Natsu's spine. An idea sprouted in his mind. But he said nothing, only listened intently as the others chattered away, his mind locked on a fire dragon that he hadn't seen in a very long time.

* * *

Lucy's jaw worked furiously as she stared at the man that was staring right back at her, his burgundy eyes glittering with pure malice as he bared shark-like teeth at her, entirely amused with what was happening to her. She held her chin high, kept her eyes locked on his without so much as blinking, even as her eyes burned.

After ages, Jackal finally cackled and said, "Bitch."

"Demon," she said coldly, earning a delighted laugh from him.

"Can't you come up with better insults?" he questioned, digging his blackened fingers into his pant legs, impatience written across his face. "I want a better excuse to hurt you later, when Kyoka's done."

Lucy pretended that didn't send terror spiking through her mind. "I don't entertain for people like you. You'll have to find Cobra. He's pretty good at that."

Jackal's lips twitched, tugging downwards. A scowl crept onto his face. "I can't wait to blow the limbs from your body."

Lucy gave him a brilliant smile, brown eyes cold. "And I can't wait for Natsu to turn you into ash, but patience is a key in a situation like this, so _fuck off_."

The scowl turned into a furious snarl and he lunged, snatching up her throat through the bars and Lucy shrieked in surprise, choking and sputtering when his grip tightened. "You _bitch_ -"

"Now, now, Jackal," a voice suddenly purred, and Jackal stiffened as Lucy clawed at his hands. "That's no way to treat a guest like Miss Heartfilia. We need her afterall, and if we're not kind, she may not help us retrieve what we need to find our master and Lord Zeref."

Lucy's took a deep breath the second Jackal reluctantly dropped her, coughing heavily and giving the man who'd appeared a suspicious dark glare at Zeref's name. She shivered as she sat back on her knees, covering her chest by hugging her naked knees to it. "I won't."

"Ah, but you will," he hummed, crouching to look at her. She flinched when he reached through the bars of her cell and lightly touched her hair, as if admiring the golden strands. "You see, we have a way of forcing you to do our bidding. And either you do it willingly, or we will make sure that your will is taken from you. You see, we need a book retrieved from within the hoard of Igneel, and not even we can step past the wards he put up around it. You can retrieve it for us, or we take your will, make you get it anyways, and then send you to kill the members of Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, Sabertooth…"

Lucy's shoulders hunched. She had no doubt they could actually do it. The choker on her throat seared warningly, and she thought a voice whispered in her mind to not do it, to leave the book they wanted where it was, but Lucy thought of what he'd said about forcing her to kill her friends-

"Fine," she spat. "I'll get the damn book, but only if you promise to leave Fiore."

"Why the fuck would we-"

The man cut Jackal off. "Then we have a deal. My name is Mard Greer, by the way. It will be an honor to work with you, Miss Heartfilia."

Lucy turned her face away, shivering and pretending she hadn't heard him.

* * *

Loke ignored the bickering and shouting of the other Zodiacs around him, his gaze distant and his mind on a conversation with someone else, who was surprisingly close but unable to be physically reached right now.

 _You need to stop this, Leo, and you know why,_ Igneel was urging, his voice desperate for the first time that Loke could remember. _Natsu-_

"I know," Loke snarled aloud, cutting off Igneel and every other Spirit, who all stopped to stare at him. Swallowing thickly, aware of just what was going on with the guilds, with _Lucy_ , Loke looked at each and every Zodiac. He raked a hand through his hair, clearing his throat. "We need to help Lucy. Helping her is the first step. The book can only be picked up by one of the Heartfilia line. It can only be brought out of Igneel's hoard by Lucy."

"What if she stays in there until we can figure out what to do?" Sagittarius suggested. "They can't so much as get in the hoard. If she stays until we can get her help-"

"Miss Lucy's smart enough to figure that out," Scorpio said with a heavy sigh. "They must have something to use against her."

"They didn't kidnap anyone else?" Aquarius asked.

"Not that we know of," Aries said quietly, shifting anxiously.

 _The girl needs to be told the truth of the book._

Igneel's voice in his ear had Loke snapping upright, shock crossing his face. The Zodiacs all watched him as he listened to Igneel's explanation.

 _I would rather the book be destroyed rather than placed back into Zeref's hands, Leo. I would rather the book be gone than its demon be released onto the world. The girl needs to know the truth so that she can destroy it._

Loke's face paled. "You can't mean that," he murmured, "Lucy would never-"

 _Tell her the truth, but not all of it._

"Leo?" Aquarius snipped, glaring at him. "What is it?"

" _No_ ," Loke hissed. He hated many people and things: Igneel, the book, _Natsu_ , but he would not force that pain, that _guilt_ on Lucy Heartfilia. "I will do no such thing, Igneel. We will figure something out, but destroying that book will not be it. Can we send one of the others to free you?"

 _No,_ Igneel growled, _Layla's daughter has to do that as well._

"Leo," Aquarius hissed.

Loke held a hand up to silence her so that he could keep speaking with Igneel, but was cut off when a strange feeling ran down his spine. He froze, mouth opening in surprise. His key, _melting_ -

He vanished.

* * *

 _Exciting chapter involving Igneel! :D I'm so excited for what's to come._

 _I just started chapter 250. And, at this point, I'm sure we'll hit 300 chapters. I hope you guys are ready to continue for that long. ;)_

 _AnonymousStalkerFriend, FtfanDessarai, college is going fabulously. :D I've decided to major in psychology with a minor in forensics (I want to get into criminal profiling), but I'm considering doing a self-published book online, so._

 _Thanks to reviewers (AnonymousStalkerFriend, LePengwen, TabathaEvans, FtfanDessarai, ReviewWithFace, iTwiisT, Juvia is my spirit animal, Treblemkr, Crazymagic16, Miss Xscape Artist, PinkFireandGoldenStars, HummingBird742, Band-Nerd1013, and Alexia Colette!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	227. Chapter 227

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Natsu nearly dropped the key in his hand out of shock when Loke appeared, immediately lashing out with a fist. He jerked back with a yelp, shouting, "Hey! Watch it!"

Loke looked nearly feral as he snarled, "What do you think you're doing to my key?!" He tried to snatch it back, but Natsu yanked it out of the way with a grunt. "Do you know how valuable those are? There can only be one at a time! If you destroy it, not only do you summon the King himself, you destroy my ability to assist Lucy or even get near her unless she can find my key again!"

"I didn't know what else to do," Natsu retorted with a growl, glaring furiously at him.

"How about call my name sometime, that usually works!" Loke bared his teeth much like Natsu sometimes did, and then looked around him crossly. "Where the hell are we, anyways?"

"A room in Sabertooth's temporary headquarters." Natsu leaned back, crossing his arms after replacing Lucy's keys in his pocket. "We're leaving in the morning to track Tartaros through the mountains. I wanted to ask what you knew about my father's hoard."

To Natsu's surprise, Loke flinched. "Why?" he barked. "Why would you consider going there?"

"I think they're looking for it." Natsu lifted his chin. "Tartaros, anyways. Only a few select people can get into it, Loke. We both know that. Dad has to approve whoever tries to enter and since he's not here right now, the people have to have been approved beforehand. With their location, or their centralized attacks, it's the best I can come up with."

Loke gave him a long look, and Natsu got the feeling that Loke knew precisely what Tartaros was looking for. But rather than asking about, he asked, "Can you confirm it? Do you know where she is?"

"Not right now. But I can agree that they're trying to get into Igneel's hoard." Loke pushed his shades up, still looking agitated. After a moment, he took a deep breath. "Natsu, you are aware that Lucy and I spoke with Igneel?"

Natsu gave a curt nod, suddenly irritated. "Yeah. She said you found him." He looked pissed about it. "Before I did, after years of looking."

"To be fair," Loke said quietly, "I have spoken with Igneel since he first disappeared. Similarly to Lucy, I have forged a connection with the Fire Dragon King. I am one who helped seal him, and had Layla survived, it would have been a three-way bond."

Natsu looked at him for a long moment, silent.

And then he muttered, "I don't care anymore. I just want to find Lucy and bring her home."

Loke's lips quirked a little. "You know, the Fire Dragon King's territory is only able to be entered by those who are known as allies of he and his kin. When he dies, he will pass it on to you, giving you the ability to allow whoever you wish enterance of it." Natsu's gaze snapped up and Loke removed the frames perched on his nose to look at him fiercely. "No one can enter it or use magic unless given specific permission, and that includes demons. So, Natsu, I suggest you get a move on and beat Tartaros to Igneel's cave, because if you meet Lucy there, you can keep her there until a new way out can be figured out."

" _Thank you_ , Loke," Natsu said roughly and then flung himself from the room, shouting Erza's name.

* * *

She was given back her clothes, though she was dismayed to find that they'd taken her phone. Lucy was even allowed out of the cell she'd been put in, but decided to stay within it, even when the door was left open. She'd rather be alone in a dungeon-like cell than hanging around with the likes of Jackal, who'd made it his personal mission to torment her.

She saw very few other demons. Minerva swept past once, smirking, and she thought she saw Seilah walk by with another demon, a female demon that gave Lucy a look that promised agonizing pain.

Lucy had to fight the urge to cry over the course of the next few hours, longing to go home and find her friends, but she kept strong and instead kept herself focused on other things. Like, for example, a possible way out of doing what they wanted without hurting her friends. She didn't know why that book was needed, but she wondered if there was a way she could destroy it or keep it from them.

She kept a firm grip on her choker throughout the time she spent in that cell, taking comfort in whatever presence Igneel and Natsu's magic provided. The metal was constantly warm, sometimes nearly burning her fingers, but she didn't mind. It was reassuring.

She had no idea how much time had passed, but something finally happened that she knew to be a bad sign. There was a nasty jolt and Lucy was thrown forward onto her hands and her knees. She yelped, the skin splitting. Blood trickled down her fingers and legs as she hoisted herself upright, brown eyes wide.

"What the hell?" Lucy breathed.

A moment later, she was on her feet, because there were footsteps in her ears, and when she looked up, a man stood over her. He looked nothing like the other members of Tartaros she'd seen, more human than anyone else, and familiar, even. A scar, massive in size, had been carved into the left side of his face, just missing the corner of his eye. He grinned, looking friendly, though Lucy didn't dare to believe he truly was.

"You've got your work cut out for you. We're only on the edge of the innermost workings of Igneel's place. You'll have to go on foot from here," he told her, and Lucy gave him a hateful look.

"Who are you supposed to be?" she challenged, uneasy. He looked familiar, ridiculously familiar, and it was pissing her off that she didn't know who he was.

"Silver," he mused, as if entertained by her agitation. "My name's Silver."

"I'd say it's nice to meet you, but I kind of want to kill you," she said in a dark tone, earning a laugh from the man.

Silver leaned in, smirking a little and Lucy forced herself not to flinch away when he tried to intimidate her. "Tell me, Miss Heartfilia, how's my son?"

Lucy jerked. "I don't know your son," she retorted, bewildered.

"Sure you do. The name Fullbuster ring a bell?"

Her face went white, and she gasped, "Gray? You're Gray's father? But you're dead. He told me you were killed by a demon named Deliora-"

Silver chose not to answer that, instead pulling back and looking over his shoulder. "Time to go," he said with a small hum, as if not hearing her. He grabbed her by the arm despite her shriek of protest and attempt to free herself from his grasp, but he was having none of it and forced her forward anyways.

Lucy flinched, glaring over her shoulder and wondering just how this man could possibly be Gray's dead father.

* * *

Natsu lurched from the car, retching violently alongside Cobra, earning amused looks from Gray and sympathetic ones from Erza, Jellal, and Meredy. Happy gave an anxious mew from his shoulder. "I'm fine, little buddy," he said after a long moment.

"Are you sure?" Happy demanded. "You have to be in perfect shape."

"I'm fine," he repeated, shooting his cat friend a grin. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and then scrambled to join his friends. He breathed in the familiar heavy scent of mountain air that filled the town, grateful that no police had remained to stop them from going nearly one hundred miles an hour the entire way there. They'd left at four in the morning and had made record timing, arriving at the edge to Igneel's hoard in the early afternoon.

Meredy suddenly gasped, pointing. "They beat us here."

Natsu's head snapped up and a growl left his lips, dark emotions swirling through him. A massive cube-like structure towered nearby, much larger than even the tallest of mountains that resided in the center of Fiore. He glared at it suspiciously, feeling his flames creep up his fingers.

"Natsu," Gray said urgently, "Which way do we go?"

Natsu inhaled to calm himself. Lucy was there. Lucy was in that cube, or in this area. He didn't dare think about what might have been done to her. "Keep close and if I tell you to avoid something, make sure you avoid it, because Igneel's magic is touchy." He hoped that the flames encircling each of their wrists would keep them from being entirely denied access. He started forward and they all fell into step behind him. "Step where I step, don't touch anything unless I touch it."

"Damn this is a pain in the ass," Gray muttered.

"What about Lucy? How will she get in?" Erza asked. "Won't she be hurt on the traps that have been set?"

Natsu shook his head. "That necklace she wears, the one I gave her? It holds Igneel's magic. If it doesn't guide her, then she'll either follow the path she took when she found Loke or the magic will recognize her bloodline and merely weave itself around her. She's fine."

He hoped.

Jellal was silent, studying the cube out of the corner of his eye. "Something's off about that cube, we'll need to keep our eye on it as we're traveling. I believe that to be the rumored headquarters of the Tartaros guild. The Nine Demon Gates rarely leave it alongside their leader, so it's more than likely that they're all around this area."

Erza's gaze was hard as she said, "I dare them to try and approach us. We'll shred them."

Cobra hissed his agreement, venom bubbling eagerly at his lips. Natsu snorted. Cobra had been anxious to know about Cubellios when everything had been explained, and Natsu had been more than willing to reassure him that Kinana was okay, that she was safe in Bosco, helping those who had evacuated.

"Look!" Erza suddenly called, pointing at the cube. Natsu paused, Happy digging his claws in with a terrified look as they all stopped hiking to stare.

The cube was shuddering, shifting, moving, and then it was rising into the air. Natsu bit his lip hard enough that it bled and surged forward, desperation filling him.

If they hadn't gotten there early enough, they could have just left with Lucy.

Terrified, Natsu ignored the shouts of his friend and disappeared into the trees, shouting at Happy to guide them instead.

* * *

 _And so more drama begins! It was Natsu, not sure of how to summon Loke who was melting his key as you can see. XD The precious idiot. Silver's here!_

 _On another note, I'm almost done with another piece of artwork I'm doing for BTL, so if you're interested, keep an eye out for that. ;)_

 _NaluLuva23, they have for a while, sadly. I feel like that's normal for longer fics. But I do SERIOUSLY appreciate everyone who takes the time to review, so. :)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Typhlosion8, The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, AzaleaFields, silver light of dawn, Crazymagic16, PinkFireandGoldenStars, NaluLuva23, Alexia Colette, TabathaEvans, RandomAnimeNerd, FtfanDessarai, HummingBird742, Guest #1, Vilchen, Samm, naluobsessed, Juvia is my spirit animal, and AnonymousStalkerFriend!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	228. Chapter 228

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy wasn't entirely sure on she made it all the way to the trees; it was all somewhat of a blur, being escorted there by Silver and another demon that made her nervous, with his hidden eyes and dead looking skin. But she groaned softly in relief when she was alone, wrapping her arms around herself to help her feel safer. Her dragon pendant seared at her skin gently now, warming her throat as a chilly breeze washed over her.

Instinct told her which way to go. She remembered her way to Igneel's hoarding cave, and even if she didn't, the pendant would have led the way. Its burning faded the closer she got until she finally stepped into the cave.

It was as if she was had come home.

Although home would never be complete without Natsu and Happy, she supposed.

Lucy took in the mounds of gold, of treasure like no other, and wondered what would really happen if she didn't return to Tartaros and those who dwelled within the guild. Her eyes darted over her shoulder. Even from within the hoarding cave, she could see the cube they called home. She wondered if it had a name.

Suddenly, it was airborne. Lucy's lips parted in shock and unease. They could be fooling anyone who was nearby into thinking they'd left, but she had no doubt that at least one of them was hanging around. An ambush.

Lucy shook her head to clear it and then waded into the hoard.

* * *

Natsu could hear his friends struggling behind him, but surprisingly keeping up, and he found himself pausing despite his fear to make sure they could keep up, because even Natsu Dragneel wasn't entirely sure he could stand up against a demon.

They burst into a back entrance, and Natsu's nostrils flared as he plunged down into the escape tunnel he knew about. Igneel had showed it to him long ago, telling him sternly, _"This one's for emergencies. I will always know if you have used this entrance."_

Natsu didn't mind that so much as the fact that it was a longer tunnel than the main entrance.

He darted into the hoard, inhaling sharply in hunt of a scent, friends spilling behind him and gasping at the sight of the gold that filled the space around him. His gaze was all ready hunting through the familiar and unfamiliar stacks, the strange throne at the back, the books spilling everywhere.

Cobra, heaving for air from their never-ending run, wheezed, "She's here. I can hear her."

Natsu nearly collapsed to his knees in relief, but forced himself forward, inhaling as deeply as he could. "Lucy!" he shouted, knowing just how large the cave was. He trusted his voice to carry, and within seconds, he heard a fainter, "Natsu?"

Cobra pointed and Natsu waved for Happy to join him, instructing them, "Don't touch anything, or I'll kick your ass." Tired, the fire mage jogged forward, following Cobra's direction, instincts surging at the gold surrounding him.

He itched to steal what didn't belong to him, but he knew what would happen if he did. Not even being Igneel's son would save him from Igneel's wrath.

He nearly passed her, backpedaling when he remembered seeing movement, and bounded the last few steps. He caught her by surprise from behind with a gasped, "Luce!"

She gave a sobbed laugh of relief when he tackled her from behind, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair and neck. Happy purred in relief on his shoulder, and Lucy reached back to touch his cheek, hands shaking. She was bruised, and he could smell dried blood on her, but he could care less, only that she was there.

"You shouldn't be here," she scolded, though she didn't sound as if she meant it.

"Neither should you. I brought backup," he added.

"Who?"

"Erza, Gray, Jellal, Cobra, and Meredy," Happy listed for them, and Lucy reached up to pluck him into her arms for a tight hug.

Natsu loosened his grip finally and let her spin around to look at him. She looked feverish, her face flushed, eyes a little glazed. She shivered every now and then, as if she was freezing cold. He made a sound of worry when a determined look encased her face.

"I can't stay or go with you," she explained. His face settled into a snarl, and she held up a hand to silence him, continuing. "They said they could use me to murder everyone. With what I've seen, what you've seen, too, I have no doubt in my mind that they could. So here's what we're going to do…"

* * *

Natsu helped her hunt for it, the voice in her ear whispering what it was they were searching for, eager to help and willing to go along with Lucy's plan. She knew that he hated it, this plan, but was relieved that he and Happy would help her. The others, they avoided, not wanting to create a lie that was too complicated.

Natsu found it, much to Lucy's surprise.

"Luce," he called, and she jogged over.

It was a book, she realized. They'd been searching for something that caught their attention, that held ancient magic that she could now sense after months of practice. She shivered when she recognized it. She'd held this book once, when Loke had dragged her here against her will.

Lucy pressed her lips together. "This is it," she confirmed. She took in the brown leather binding, the golden letters emblazoned on the spine of the book. A chill ran down her spine because now, she recognized just what they meant: END, a demon of utter destruction. A demon who'd been let through the Eclipse Gate by Zeref.

She and Natsu exchanged nervous looks. "Here," Natsu said, taking her jacket with care and holding it out in his arms. Lucy took the book, flinching as sparks raced up her arms, coaxing her to open it. She shoved it into his arms, and he quickly wrapped it safely up in his sweater.

"I wish Mavis was here to make an illusion for me," Lucy whispered, shaking her head grimly.

"I don't want to leave you here," Natsu said hoarsely.

Lucy looked at him, his pleading expression, and then reached up and gently rested her forehead against his. He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, taking advantage of her nearness to gently press a familiar ring of keys into her pocket. She looked at him in surprise, but said nothing. "I'll be fine," she said softly, smiling faintly. "I'll see you soon, okay? Tell the others what we agreed on." She pulled back after a moment of hesitation. She turned to Happy and took him in for a tight hug.

"Bye, Lucy," he said sadly, whimpering as he wrapped his tail around her wrist.

"See you later, Happy," she murmured, kissing his head. She released him and his wings snapped out to catch him before he fell. She stepped back, meeting Natsu's eyes.

And then she turned and walked through the mounds of gold, selecting a book that was similar enough in appearance, and did not look back.

Even as she shook in fear.

* * *

Natsu watched Lucy leave with a dark feeling in his chest. "Damn it," he muttered, "I really don't like this."

"Neither do I," Happy admitted, tail flicking and lashing anxiously. His claws dug into Natsu's shoulder. "The book she gave us is weird."

Natsu rubbed his chest, looking down at the bundle in his arms. Something told him not to touch it, not to open. Not to so much as even look at the letters that were written down its spine. So he hugged it tight to make sure he didn't drop it and hunted for the friends that had doubtlessly come across a problem he'd known they would.

Erza and Gray gave him nasty looks when he appeared, Cobra surprisingly quiet as he stared openly at the fire mage. Jellal and Meredy calmly but impatiently looked at he and Happy for answers. Natsu sent Cobra a look, ordering him silently - and knowing he would hear - to go along with the lie. Cobra would know the truth. It was something he'd known, warned Lucy about, and they'd casually brought it up in conversation while she'd explained her plan.

Cobra inclined his head a fraction and Natsu felt a stab of relief before he said bluntly, "We need to leave."

"What?!" Erza crossed her arms. "What about Lucy?!"

"She's gone," Natsu muttered, pretending to be dismayed by this fact. Gray gave him a suspicious look alongside Jellal, and Natsu dragged up every horrified and sad moment he'd had in his life. Even comparing this to Igneel's disappearance - and that did the trick.

Because hadn't Lucy willingly left him, too?

He held up the bundle in his arm. "She left this," he murmured. "It had a note that said this is what Tartaros was looking for, and that we need to keep it away from them." His throat tightened at the thought of what might happen to Lucy with her refusal to bring the real book back. "She said that we need to find a way to get it to Mavis."

Still giving him a suspicious look, Gray said gruffly in a tight voice, "Mavis hasn't been seen in weeks."

"Well, that's what the note said," Natsu retorted, tucking it under his arm. "We need to leave. Now. If Tartaros wants whatever this is, then we need to get it out of here."

"You said they can't get in here, wouldn't it be safer to leave it here?" Jellal asked quietly.

Natsu thought of the book, the strange feelings it gave him. "No," he said finally.

"He's right," Meredy said softly, surprising them. She was looking at Happy, and for the first time, Natsu realized that Happy was crying softly against his shoulder, and he reached up to gently touch his buddy's head with a sorrowful look. "We should move it, so that they don't have any idea on where it is. Even a dragon's enchantments can be torn by powerful enough nullification magic."

With reluctance, Erza murmured her agreement. "That's fine and well," Gray drawled suddenly, "But can you get us out of this trap first?"

Natsu suddenly grinned despite the situation, snickering at how they had found themselves trapped with a series of invisible walls. He hadn't intended for them to be stuck there, but he was grateful they had been. "Sure," he agreed, stepping forward. He reached out until he touched the first of them, running his fingers down the magic and coaxing it to relax, to go away.

"There," he said finally.

The second they were free, Erza took charge. "We still need to find Lucy," she said firmly. "We know she's within Tartaros' cube - or we believe her to be. But that is something we cannot confront on our own."

"No," Jellal agreed, "It's not. What we'll do is take that parcel out, figure out how to give it to either Mavis or Leo, and then go from there upon Makarov's instructions."

"Lucy, though," Natsu protested, knowing that even with Lucy telling him to stay with the guild, he needed to get her to safety, too. "What about Lucy?"

"Natsu," Meredy said gently, eyeing Cobra, who'd been silent the entire time. She stepped forward and squeezed the shoulder Happy wasn't on. "We all are worried for Lucy. But the priority of the guilds and the Council will rest on this...thing that Lucy claims they want."

"That's not my priority," Natsu said darkly.

"Nor ours," Erza said firmly with a flash in her eyes. "So here's what we'll do, because Master honestly couldn't have thought that we as Fairy Tail mages would have obeyed his order when a member of our family is in danger. Meredy, you, Jellal, and Cobra will take this parcel-"

"No," Natsu said sharply, panic racing down his spine. He hugged it tightly to him. "I have to be the one to do it." He couldn't understand where the thought came from, but it was there, and he rushed to come up with an excuse. "It was a part of Igneel's hoard and lies within his magic."

"You can't do both, Natsu," Gray pointed out.

Natsu was quiet, panicked. He wanted to go after Lucy, but-

"I know." Natsu took a deep breath. "I'll take the book with Jellal and Meredy. Cobra can hear her before anyone else. Take Cobra with you."

Cobra's gaze snapped to the fire mage, stunned. "Huh?"

"...book?" Gray sputtered. "All of this for a _book_?"

"Come find us when you three are done," Erza said firmly, "You can join us then."

"What about _me_?" Happy huffed. "You guys always forget about me."

"Sorry, little buddy," Natsu said guiltily and then reached up to pat Happy's head. "Go with Erza and Gray, would ya? Protect 'em for me? Already lost Lucy to Tartaros. We don't need them gettin' a hold of that popsicle or Fairy Tail's Titania. And Cobra, I guess."

Cobra snarled a soft insult and then hung back as they all began to file out the emergency exit, grabbing Natsu before he could leave. "Are you fuckin' kidding me, Salamander? She left?"

Natsu nodded, scrubbing a hand down his face. "You heard what she said. They'll make sure to give some kind of punishment to us for it. She said they could somehow make her come after us herself, but we aren't entirely sure that's possible, so…"

"It's possible."

"Holy hell, Jellal," Cobra snarled, but Natsu stiffened, glaring at the blue-haired man as he stepped back out of the tunnel.

"Don't worry," Jellal reassured, "The others went on ahead. Lucy was truly here then? I thought it was odd when you didn't come back with her after Cobra said he'd heard her."

Natsu grimaced. "Yeah," he muttered, "She said to take this and go. I didn't want to leave her, but…"

"What is it?" Cobra demanded. "You said a book, but…"

"It is a book," Natsu said, "I don't think it should be opened though. It feels funny. The magic is gripping mine and...and I can tell that it's nothing good. Lucy took some random book that looked similar and said she'd take that back." He looked sharply at Jellal. "What do you mean that making Lucy come after us is possible?"

"I've studied demons intensively after...things happened," Jellal admitted. He crossed his arms. "One of the members, you're familiar with her...Seilah. She uses the Macro Curse. It allows her to control her victim's body while leaving their mind in tact. Lucy would be forced to watch as she killed us all with her bare hands."

"Could we snap her out of it?" Happy said, staring at him with wide eyes.

It was Cobra who rasped, "We'd have to kill her to snap her out of it. Kill her, or that bitch lets her go."

Natsu had no doubts on which one was more likely.

* * *

 _Whew! The book of END is out and about now! And look who has it!_

 _Sorry about the late update...got distracted. XD And I'm glad to see some reviewers come back after disappearing for a while. ;)_

 _Risa98, in regards to the amount of arcs...we have a few more. Tartaros is happening currently, followed by a bit of in between before we hit an original arc I have yet to name, something with Avatar, and then the Alvarez Arc. I MIGHT fit in Dragon Cry - IF I CAN SEE THE GODDAMN MOVIE._

 _Thanks to reviewers (TabathaEvans, Lodemai04, OfInkNRoses, AnonymousStalkerFriend, NaluLUva23, Juvia is my spirit animal, Risa98, LePengwen, naluobsessed, Vilchen, OOANDISAOO, The Age of Awesomeness, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	229. Chapter 229

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy wasn't surprised when she was met just outside of Igneel's land by Silver and the demon with the dead-looking skin, Keyes. They gave her a quick once-over, as if concerned she'd fooled them. She tightened her grip on the random book she'd grabbed, apologizing silently to Igneel. She didn't intend to steal, but by the looks on the demons' faces, the book she'd given Natsu was what they wanted.

It didn't bode well for her, but at least they wouldn't be able to have what they wanted.

Silver snickered suddenly, and Lucy's dark eyes darted to him. She gave a shriek when he snatched the book from her hands. "Really?" he mused, flipping through it. "A guide to measuring gold? Nice try, girl." Lucy's face paled as he grinned at her, though she could have sworn there was a glint in his eye - pride, maybe? "What'd you do with the book of END?"

Lucy, hands shaking, lifted her chin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you do. It's about the same size, same look. With three letters on its cover. It's kind of hard to-" He cut off suddenly, grinning. " _Oh_ , I see. You thought you could give it to your friends and they'd get it out, right? Did you really think we wouldn't know they were there? Mard Greer's particularly interested in one Mr. Natsu Dragneel, you know." Lucy fisted her hands, digging her fingernails into her flesh. "Kyoka, Jackal, and a few of our other ranks are going after them right now."

Lucy swallowed thickly. "Leave them alone."

"You could have made that possible, but you chose wrong." He jabbed her in the forehead sharply and she hissed in pain, smacking his hand away. "Kyoka's looking forward to breaking Titania Erza, so I guess Jackal will get his wish, eh, Keyes?"

Keyes didn't respond.

Lucy gave it a moment, and then she bolted.

* * *

"Shit," Natsu spat, aware that he and Happy were alone with the book, racing through the trees as he ran as fast as he could for Igneel's hoard rather than the car they'd taken to get there. Happy clung to his shoulder, tail bristling in alarm. "Damn it, we should have thought of this!"

"We should have," Happy agreed with a gasp, digging his claws in as Natsu ducked his head to avoid something that exploded over his head. He recognized the cackling laughter, the heat of the explosions around him.

This was the man who'd blown their car off the side of the road.

Happy shrieked in pain when something burned its way through his ear, leaving a hole in the flesh, and Natsu snatched him from his shoulder to hunch over him protectively, still running. He rumbled angrily as he smelled blood.

The ambush had come out of nowhere. Erza had been attacked by another demon, Jellal leaping to her aid in seconds, and Cobra had gone to Meredy's when some demon labeling itself as Ezel had tackled her, using two sets of arms to pin her and reach for her throat. The one the female had called Jackal - the one trying to catch him - had been sent after Natsu when he bolted, Gray chasing after both of them to help.

Natsu wasn't sure if he was still following of if he'd lost them. Either way was fine with him. One meant assistance; the other meant his nakama's safety.

"Natsu!" Happy shouted, and Natsu hit the ground with a shout of surprise and pain, rolling so that he wouldn't hurt Happy. The book almost tumbled from his grip, but he clung to it. Heat blasted near his head and even though fire and heat didn't bother Natsu, the force of the explosion sent him rolling. He lay breathless amongst a bush, stunned, head spinning.

"Go, go, go!"

So Gray was still with him, after all. Gray shoved him to his feet, eyes darting over his shoulder. He threw up a wall of ice to protect them from another blast thrown by the form in a high branch. It shattered, but did its work.

Jackal lost his grin and sneered as Natsu staggered to his feet. "Tch," he scoffed, and then lifted a black taloned hand, sparks snapping between his fingers. Gray bustled Natsu forward, snatching Happy up in the process, and together, the Fairy Tail mages ran.

* * *

Erza felt sweat drip down her spine as she threw up a sword to defend herself, blocking the blow that the demon known as Kyoka sent her way. A malicious smirk had worked its way onto Kyoka's face, her eyes twinkling with excitement. Jellal, clutching a massive wound in his side that oozed blood and what Erza feared to be more, watched with a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Jellal, go!" Cobra snarled, spitting venom at Ezel, flinching when the link Meredy had placed on the pair of them and Ezel sent pain racing down at his arm. Meredy whimpered as Ezel roared, baring sharp teeth. "You're in our way with how you are!"

"Go," Meredy agreed, sweeping blood-stained pink hair out of her eyes. "Get into contact with a guild, explain what's happening. Preferably Sabertooth. Yukino said they'd be ready to move out if need be."

Jellal faltered, pressing his lips together, and then bolted. Kyoka paused to look back, and Erza took advantage of the distraction to catch her in the jaw with her foot. Kyoka screeched in fury and lashed out at the scarlet-haired Titania.

Within minutes, Erza realized there was no more point in fighting. Ezel knocked Meredy out with a well-placed blow, and Cobra was lying in a pool of his own blood. Erza wasn't even sure if he was alive with the amount pooling around his head. She, herself, had been slammed by the throat to the ground, black fading in from every wheezed, struggling to drag in air, but it wasn't coming.

Erza felt black dragging at the corners of her eyes and wondered if this was how she'd die.

* * *

"This was a bad idea, Sting."

"You said that, like, thirty times, Lector," the white mage retorted as he planted his hands on his hips, looking around himself. Behind him, Rogue stood there with a frown on his face, Frosch on his shoulder and Yukino at his side. Between the five of them, they'd been tracking Fairy Tail, though they'd lost the trail hours ago. "But here's the thing. They were acting weird, and since now isn't the time for secrets, maybe we'll get lucky and they'll need our help."

"How does that make us lucky?" Rogue said, exasperated.

"It doesn't, actually, I don't know why I said that."

Rogue looked ready to throttle his partner as Sting inhaled, hunting for a familiar scent. _Any_ familiar scent would be nice at this point. But there was nothing and Sting huffed, instead turning his head around to look and listen.

"Should we look around from the sky?" Lector asked.

"No," Yukino said softly, "There could be enemies that shoot you down if they see you. Stay here, Lector."

"Look at the lights," Frosch said suddenly. They all looked at the cat who sat on Rogue's shoulder. He was looking into the trees, so they followed his gaze and found nothing.

"There isn't any lights, Frosch," Lector sighed, looking exasperated. The others turned to look elsewhere, muttering their agreement until Frosch suddenly squealed, "Look at the lights, Rogue, there!"

This time, Rogue saw the "lights", and his eyes widened a fraction as blasts flashed in the distance, smoke rising into the air lazily a moment later. There was a brief moment, and then the smoke faded. Another blast went off and the cycle continued. The Sabertooth mages stared as Rogue pointed them out.

"What the hell?" Sting wondered.

"Who cares _what_ they are," Yukino gasped as shouts filled their ears. "We should probably check it out!" She lurched forward without waiting and Sting protested before jogging after her, his blue eyes flickering with worry. Rogue was only a step behind them, pressing his lips together when he saw a shadow moving within the trees, limping.

The shadow mage had a dark, dark feeling that what they were about to experience might be a fight worse than what they'd experienced in the Spirit Realm.

* * *

Lucy thought she'd get away, but didn't. She'd almost made it, recognizing the familiar trees that surrounded the caverns that made up Igneel's hoard, but Silver had somehow kept right behind her even as Keyes failed. She lunged for the cave entrance and then screamed bloody murder as she was hoisted up around the waist.

Silver's thick arm lifted her with ease, a laugh in his throat as he mocked, "Really, kid? You really think we wouldn't be able to find one human girl?"

"I'm a celestial mage, you bastard." Lucy shoved her hand into her pocket, summoning whatever Spirit her fingers came into contact with, and Silver dropped her and leaped back to avoid a furious Scorpio's attack. The Spirit glared viciously at Silver as Lucy hit the ground with a yelp, flinching as pain raced up her spine.

"Alright, Miss Lucy?" Scorpio asked, not taking his eyes off of Silver as his expression iced over angrily.

"Just fine," Lucy snapped, irritated. She rubbed her throbbing wrist as she jumped to her feet, wishing she'd had the time to keep up her training with her friends. She'd make damn sure that every free moment from this point on was spent doing just that. At least Natsu would enjoy himself.

Lucy took advantage of her freedom to summon Sagittarius, who immediately left to hide amongst the foliage. Silver looked amused. Lucy contemplated a third Spirit, but the voice of Igneel rumbled in her ears that doing so would be unwise and destroy her from the inside out.

It was then that the ground first trembled and Lucy wasn't the only one to look confused; Silver paused to look over his shoulder, searching the trees. Lucy looked at Scorpio, who knelt to dig his fingers into the ground, feeling.

"We need to move," he said. Taking advantage of Silver's distraction, Scorpio shoved her hard and she bolted with him hard on her heels. When Silver snarled and went to stop them, arrows came raining down upon him. Lucy grimaced when he yelped, blood spraying as an arrow nicked his cheek, leaving a deep groove there.

A moment later, Lucy was alarmed to see Natsu bursting through the trees. She'd been so sure, she thought, that they'd get out-

Gray was hard on his heels, Happy flying at top speed to keep up, and a moment later, Lucy recognized what they were running from. Silver's eyes went to the bundle in Natsu's arms, and Lucy shoved against Scorpio.

"Protect Natsu," she ordered, flinching when Jackal appeared with a sneer on his face, his teeth bared and sparks leaving his fingers. "That thing he's holding is priority."

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a sigh.

"Drop the attitude, he saved your asses," Lucy snapped.

"Maybe. Doesn't mean I have to like it." Scorpio dug his heel into the ground and swung out with the metallic tail he had, dropping into a crouch. Sand sprayed shredding at Silver's eyes.

"Are you kidding me?" Silver shouted, furious with them.

Lucy shouted orders to Sagittarius, who turned his attacks onto Jackal when he appeared, lunging for Natsu. Natsu darted to the side, narrowly avoiding him with a gasp, and Jackal screamed in fury when an arrow went through his shoulder.

"Bitch!" Jackal seethed, turning a snarling scowl onto her, shaking with anger.

"Go, go, go," Gray chanted as he sprinted past her with Natsu. There was a nasty bruise on his cheekbone, and Lucy grimaced, turning to follow him. But there was a twist in her soul followed by Scorpio's pained shout that told her he'd disappeared. Her hand darted for another key.

"Oh, _fuck_ no," Silver snarled, grabbing her wrist in a painfully tight grip. Lucy flinched, spitting at his eyes in an attempt to free herself. "What the hell, lady, that's disgusting!" He yanked her closer, heaving for air. "Jackal," he snapped. "Come here."

"Why would I do that?" he said crossly, but approached anyways.

Lucy felt her keys plucked her from her pocket, thrown at where Natsu and Gray had gone. She could see Happy in the trees, shivering and watching with terror in his wide eyes. She tried to smile reassuringly as Silver instructed Jackal to rest a hand on the side of her head after shoving her to her knees.

"Hey, Dragneel," Silver laughed, grinning maniacally. "Come out, come out, wherever you are. Or we'll blow Miss Heartfilia to pieces. Gray, too."

Lucy wondered why she couldn't seem to get away from the demons, jaw working furiously as, after a moment, Gray and Natsu slid into the open, their eyes narrowed with hate. Gray took one look at Silver, though, and his gaze changed to horror and shock.

" _Dad_?" he sputtered. "You're _dead_."

"Clearly," Silver snickered, "Not."

Natsu didn't pay attention to that, though he acknowledged it with a brief incline of his head, taking note of it. His nostrils flared when Jackal giggled. His grip on the book tightened. Lucy could feel its magic tugging at all of them, even from within her jacket. "Happy," he called quietly.

Happy soared from the trees to rest on Natsu's shoulder, tail lashing.

"Give me the book," Silver ordered, holding a hand out. "Give me the book of END."

"No," Natsu said stiffly.

Lucy grimaced as Jackal shoved a hand firmly against her face, hissing when sparks seared at her eyes. "Wanna repeat that?" the demon cackled excitedly.

Natsu and Gray exchanged a look, Gray's face paled as they tried to figure out what to do. Lucy gave a nervous breath that shook. She didn't necessarily want to die. But she knew that should that book end up in their hands...well, she didn't know what would happen, but it didn't seem like it would be good at all.

"No," Natsu repeated, locking eyes with Lucy. His terror shot through her, a silent message there.

They couldn't win against these demons.

There was no way they could.

They were too strong.

And despite everything, despite all of his hard work to ensure Lucy's safety, he now found himself being the one to have to chose between the welfare of everyone versus hers. Lucy was grateful that he was choosing everyone's.

Gray, getting over his shock, suddenly blinked, gaze darting to something over Lucy's head. Sparks gathered, snapping and burning her cheek painfully, blood trickling down when they grew sharp enough to cut.

Natsu followed his gaze when Gray elbowed him. And then he began to grin. It was a devilish grin that Lucy hadn't seen in quite some time, a grin that meant something delightful was about to happen.

"You know, you should really avoid following our example," Natsu told them. " I mean, we forget to look over our shoulder, too, but your skills at realizing are really bad."

Silver swore, snapping his head around, but before Jackal could move, a piercing beam of light snapped through his chest, frying any blood before it could fly. Jackal dropped like a stone with a scream of fury and Lucy flinched away as he thrashed and squirmed and fought against whatever was happening before disappearing into black dust that coated Lucy's side. She looked down at herself in horror.

Silver lunged to grab her, shouting in agony when a mass of shadows separated his hand from his wrist. He snarled, and then turned and bolted, crying insults over his shoulder.

Lucy collapsed onto her hands and knees, shivering in terror, and after a moment, Natsu leaped to her side, kneeling beside her. He didn't let go of the book, but used one hand to drag her to him, burying his face her hair. "So much for not saving you," he breathed.

"Honestly," said Sting from where he was standing, an arm slung over his shoulders. His blue eyes glimmered with amusement. "What the fuck were you thinking, going after demons without backup?"

Lucy looked over her shoulder and saw Cobra, barely conscious and leaning heavily against Sting. Meredy was grimacing, touching her head, and Rogue carried Erza in his arms. Yukino and the two cats on her shoulder smiled brightly from their place beside Jellal.

Gray knelt, Lucy's keys in hand, and pressed them into her palm as he said hoarsely, "Hey, Lucy. Can you not scare the hell out of us again?"

Lucy laughed faintly and pressed her face into Natsu's shoulder.

* * *

 _Crazy chapter! Something exciting is coming and I can't fucking wait. There's a chapter I've been waiting for everyone to see for months._

 _I want to bring this up now, by the way: Gray's need for revenge against END won't be as big a deal in BTL. I didn't feel it necessary, but Silver will have a role to play, so have no worries._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Samm, LePengwen, Lodemai04, AnonymousStalkerFriend, TabathaEvans, The Age of Awesomeness, Dragondancer81, and RandomAnimeNerd!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	230. Chapter 230

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

They didn't stay where they were for long. Sting ordered them all back to Sabertooth's temporary headquarters, and no one dared to argue. Lucy cradled Happy as they walked, crooning soothingly as he sought comfort in her arms, terrified after everything that had happened. Natsu walked close beside her, his parcel held tightly in his arms. He was quiet for once, but so were the others.

Erza was still unconscious, and Jellal kept up with Rogue, giving her worried looks as Sting finally had to ask Gray for some help in hauling along Cobra, who was _still_ bleeding at a rate that alarmed all of them. Meredy and Yukino spoke quietly to one another as they walked, Frosch in Yukino's arms and Lector in Meredy's.

"You know," Lucy said softly to Natsu, aware that they were hanging back from the others, "I don't thank you enough for showing up out of nowhere to help me as often as you do."

Natsu snorted. "You're my girlfriend. Why wouldn't I?"

Lucy felt warmed by that comment. She glanced up as a shadow passed overhead. They all stopped to watch nervously as the familiar cube that belonged to Tartaros flew past, waiting to see if it would stop, but it kept going.

Finally, Gray asked, "How'd you guys get away from the two demons that went after you and Erza?"

"We showed up," Yukino said cheerfully.

"We thought something was off," Rogue explained. "So we followed you. We lost you for a few hours, but Fro found some kind of explosions and we were going to follow that, but Jellal found us somehow and we went and helped the others. We managed to get the demons off of them, though I suspect they let us do so. When we learned what happened, we went to find Natsu, Gray, and Happy and found you with them."

"You guys really should have told us what was going on," Sting scolded. It earned him a hint of a laugh from Meredy, who then grimaced in pain, touching a bloody spot on her head. Jellal stepped forward to gently look it over as they walked. "We could have helped."

"It wasn't supposed to be a rescue mission, to be honest," Gray sighed. "We were supposed to get in and get out, just figuring out where Lucy was."

"I'm not complaining," Lucy told them, running her fingers through Happy's fur. Her gaze flickered to the ice-make mage; she wanted to talk to him about Silver, see what he thought and if he was truly Gray's father. "Thank you."

"So just what did you make him drag out of there?" Meredy questioned curiously. She indicated Natsu's arms, what he held. "What is it?"

"A book," Lucy said, and Natsu's grip tightened when she reached out to quietly touch it, wondering if she should tell them what it was. She decided against informing them what the book was called and who it was tied to. "It holds magic that Mard Greer wanted. He's the leader of Tartaros, their guildmaster, I suppose."

"Interesting," Jellal murmured, "I would like to look at it when we return to a safe place."

"No."

The way Natsu's voice turned harsh and icy had them all stopping when he did. He glared at Jellal, onyx eyes simmering. A sound rumbled low in his throat, akin to a growl. "No one touches it. No one but me and Lucy."

Rather than looking offended, Jellal replied quietly, "Why?"

"...I don't know," Natsu admitted after a long pause. He suddenly looked at Lucy for help, but didn't relent on his tight grip. "Just...no one else can touch it." He shifted uneasily. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Interesting," Rogue murmured.

"Very," Yukino agreed.

"I don't have to touch it, just look," Jellal said, but Natsu was shaking his head.

"Natsu," Lucy said gently, and Happy looked between them as she touched his arm, furrowing her brow. "It's fine. Jellal's not going to take it and run off to Tartaros with it."

Natsu shrugged and shook his head, looking nearly desperate at this point as he said, "He can't. I don't know why, but he can't touch it. Nobody but Lucy and I can touch it. So stop asking," he added, baring his teeth at Jellal.

"Now we're more interested in why you're being a giant di-"

Gray was cut off when Yukino reassured, "We won't touch it, Natsu. We just want to look. You can hold it for us to look at. We'll put our hands behind our backs. No touching, we promise."

"You're acting like a child, Natsu," Happy pointed out, and Natsu stuck his tongue out at him, as if to solidify his point.

"Fine," Natsu grudgingly agreed, nodding towards Yukino. "So long as no one touches it, you can _look_ , and I have to be holding it 'cause Lucy doesn't have the strength to pry you bastards off of it."

Lucy wasn't entirely sure if she should be offended or not.

* * *

They made it back to the temporary headquarters of Sabertooth by evening, and Lucy looked after Erza anxiously as she was hauled away by Rogue. Cobra, now unconscious as well, was carried between Sting and Gray after her, and Yukino stopped the rest of them with a comforting smile. "They'll be fine. We've got doctors here from Crocus, including the royal doctor. He'll make sure to look after them personally when he realizes who they're with."

"If you're sure," Lucy muttered. She turned to look at her fellow celestial mage, her own keys gripped tight in her fingers. She pressed them to her lips, and Loke's key heated. A comfort after everything that had happened. Her body ached from fighting, and she rubbed her sore back as she said quietly, "At least we're somewhere they can get help. Meredy, you should get your head looked at, too, you know."

"I'll do it later. There's more important things that need to be done." Meredy exchanged a look with Jellal, who was grimacing in pain. "I'll contact Sorano. You _have_ to get looked at. You've been holding that wound, but you've lost way too much blood."

Jellal huffed. "I'm fine," he began, but Natsu reached over and poked him just barely. Jellal staggered, nearly falling over. "...fine, I'm _not_ fine. But I need to look at this book. It may help determine how we can get rid of Tartaros."  
That made Natsu more agreeable in terms of unwrapping the book, but he still hesitated when it rested lightly in his arms, Lucy's jacket between the book and his flesh. It looked harmless enough. Leather with gold letters and black symbols emblazoned onto it. He hesitantly touched the leather and flinched with a hiss when something dark and hateful snapped through him, threatening to drag that darkness he'd been feeling into the open.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked, looking up at him with concern. But he shoved it out, towards Jellal, and the blue-haired man, who'd taken to letting Meredy help him with his injury, reached out and rested his fingers over the cover.

The response was immediate.

Jellal and Meredy were both thrown violently back from the book, hitting the ground almost ten feet away. Yukino skittered back and the cats all bristled from their places on her and Natsu's shoulders. Lucy stared in shock, and then stepped forward to casually fold the jacket back over it.

"I think," she said hoarsely, "We'll give this to Loke."

"Lucy-" Natsu began, but before he could protest, she'd plucked it from his hands. He made a small grasp for it, desperate, but she held it out of his reach and summoned Loke with a single murmur of his name.

"Good to see you, Princess," Loke said when he'd appeared entirely, bowing at the waist with a playful quirk of his lips. He winked behind his shades, and then focused on the book. His gaze sharpened. "You have it...I didn't really expect you all to keep it from Tartaros."

"What?" Lucy sniffed, then smiled. "We're mages of Fairy Tail, Crime Sorciere, and Sabertooth. Like we wouldn't be crazy enough to keep it from those idiots. Here. I want you to keep it safe for me."

"Lucy," Natsu huffed, trying to grab it again. "That's not a good idea."

Loke looked at him for a long moment. "You're already feeling its effects, are you? Igneel should have thought about this when he made that damn book in the first place." Lucy handed it to him, and Loke took it without a hint of fear. He kept the jacket wrapped around it, grimacing at its weight. "Hate this thing. Igneel wanted you to destroy it, but I don't think it's smart to do so."

"Wait, you speak with the dragons?" Yukino questioned, voice rising in surprise.

"Just Igneel, and don't tell Sting and Rogue," Loke said with a vicious enough tone that even the subdued Frosch mumbled a promise not to. His green eyes darted to Lucy. "I'll hold onto it for now. Don't worry, Lucy."

"Thank you, Loke," Lucy said honestly, and then looked over when Natsu threw his hands up in frustration and instead turned to look when Gray, Sting, and Rogue came back.

"Dropped them off with doctors," Sting reported. "Erza's going to be fine, but Cobra's been put under so that they could stitch him up without him fighting it. He started to wake up and was dribbling venom, so…"

"He does that," Meredy admitted. "Come on, Jellal, we need to get your wound looked at…" She forced him to follow Sting, who waved for them to do so. Rogue watched them go and then snorted softly and, as if tired of all of them, stepped into Yukino's shadow, disappearing.

"Ugh," Yukino huffed, "That's rude, Rogue. First of all, you're heavy, and second of all, you have your own two legs…"

As she scolded him, Lucy turned back to Loke, glancing over only when Natsu grouchily stalked off with Happy muttering in his ear. Her gaze troubled, she said, "That book...Loke, why is he reacting like that? I touched it without the covering and it didn't do that to me. Nor did it send me flying."

Loke stunned her by reaching out and gently touching her cheek. His gaze softened. "I'm sorry, Lucy."

He disappeared without further explanation, and Lucy felt dread creeping up through her as Gray questioned her what that had been about.

* * *

Both hands were planted on the surface of a table, his burning red eyes locked impatiently on the magically-enhanced map that was set on it. Various names and words shifted. Some were slow, others leaping this way and that. He shifted his touch to rest directly over a spot.

"So you're with Sabertooth now, Natsu." With a scowl, Zeref pressed on the spot and the paper became more detailed. "Titania...Mr. Fullbuster...ah, Miss Heartfilia, of course, why would I think any different?" WIth a huff, Zeref pulled back and said icily, "Invel, what's the report on Mard Greer?"

Invel, who'd watched curiously, lifted his gaze. He pushed the glasses perched on his nose up and then cleared his throat. "Mard Greer has sent word to Brandish that they lost not only the Heartfilia girl, but the Book of END."

Zeref clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth angrily. "Have they now." A deadly wave of magic shot from him, and silence fell over the city. He'd killed no one - not yet - but even those without magic could feel it. Their emperor was angry.

He forced himself to quiet down, to calm. And then he said quietly, "Were there any casualties?"

"Jackal. They're rebuilding him now, however, and then they'll be targeting the remainder of Crocus. Once Seilah has a solid grip on one of them, or even multiple, retrieving the book should be easy enough." Invel shifted quietly, not the least bit frightened of his emperor's rage. It wasn't directed towards him. There was no reason to be worried.

"Good." Zeref rocked back on his heels and then said, "Inform them that should they get their hands on either Natsu or Miss Heartfilia, it would be beneficial to their goal to hold onto either. With one, the other can be acquired."

Invel inclined his head. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes." Zeref turned away and walked out to the balcony that overlooked the capitol of the Alvarez Empire and smiled to himself. "Send word out to the Spriggans that the first to find me Acnologia will be granted my favor."

Even Invel looked interested in that idea. "Of course."

Without a word, Invel left, and Zeref smirked to himself as he leaned on the balcony.

"Things are about to get interesting, are they not," he murmured, "Natsu?"

* * *

 _Their brief break is here! I'm like screaming my head off in impatience for one chapter in particular to be released. Should be next week._

 _Thanks to reviewers (TabathaEvans, Secrets of Midgard, FtfanDessarai, The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, OOANDISAOO, anand891996, Vilchen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Juvia is my spirit animal, naluobsessed, AnonymousStalkerFriend, and Samm!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	231. Chapter 231

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Two days later found Lucy growing more than a little aggravated with her boyfriend. Natsu was in an attitude - he had been since she'd given the book to Loke for safekeeping. He glared at all of them constantly, scowling whenever they caught him, and even snapped at Meredy when she went over to offer something to eat.

Flustered, the poor woman had looked upset enough that Cobra, still recovering, had tried to get out of his bed and throttle him.

Happy alone wasn't glared and snapped at, and it earned him a bit of annoyance from Lucy, too. After a while of trying to sort out what his problem was, Lucy finally went up to him. She wasn't entirely sure how long he'd been up at this point, though the shadows beneath his eyes said days, and she planted her hands on her hips.

"Alright, Natsu," she said, glaring down at him. He was sitting at a bench in the lobby of Sabertooth's temporary headquarters. She'd tracked him down after nearly two hours of looking. Happy was nowhere in sight. She was happy about that, grateful. He wasn't the one who she thought needed to be yelled at.

"What?" he said crankily, looking very dragon-like as he snapped his jaws.

She shifted, tightly crossing her arms. Her own temper was high, stress levels, too, with the lack of Tartaros attacks and sightings. Grinding her teeth for a moment, she stared at him, and then said lowly, trying to keep herself calm, "I want you to give me a reason why I shouldn't consider taking over my throne right now."

Natsu sputtered, head snapping back to stare up at her. "Lucy-"

She held up a hand to silence him. "Don't you dare act all innocent after you've been so rude to us the last few days. Give me a reason, Natsu. I want to know why you think I shouldn't consider taking over my throne."

Natsu pressed his lips together, unhappy with this discussion. Lucy arched a brow, waiting. She wasn't threatening to take over her throne, of course. She wasn't going to leave him and her guild. But she wanted him to think. She wanted him to get out of this mood he'd been in, realize that he was doing something that wasn't good for any of them.

"Well?" she demanded. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Because," he said slowly, furrowing his brow. "You don't want to?"

"Maybe I do," she replied. "Maybe I want to."

Terror flickered over his face. "Luce-"

"Come on, tell me why I shouldn't. Especially after what you've been doing to me and the others. Apparently, you don't need me. So why shouldn't I go home and take over my throne? Why should I stay here, where you're being as bad as the advisors would be to me."

Natsu's breath had quickened, panic written over his features now as he stood, and it took all of her effort to not reassure him that she wasn't going anywhere as he made a soft whine-like sound. "I'm sorry," he began. "I'm sorry!" She raised her eyebrows, as if in disbelief. "Lucy, I'm sorry, I swear!"

She narrowed her eyes. "That's an apology, not a reason."

"Because I'm sorry?" he tried, and she rolled her eyes with a flicker of frustration. She kicked him in the shin and he yelped, jumping. "Alright, alright. You have the thing the demons want, so they'll go and kill you and no one will be there to help if you take your throne." There was a moment of hesitation. "And I really _am_ sorry. I was crabby-"

"There's no excuse," she said evenly, "For you to tell Meredy that you didn't want anything she had to give you in regards to food because it was probably disgusting. And there's certainly no excuse for you to come and snap at me every time I try to talk to you. When I went to bed last night, I wasn't even sure if we're on the same team anymore." Natsu flinched, looking guilty. "What's wrong, Natsu? Why are you being so...horrible?"

Natsu faltered, still on his feet, and then dropped back to sit on the bench. He put his head in his hands and mumbled, "I don't know. I really don't know, Luce. There's...there's something wrong. Since the battle with the dragons, there's...something in my chest, and it _hurts_. Every time I turn around, there's something...something violent trying to burrow into me. I want to rip people apart, Luce." He looked up at her, and she looked down at him, stunned. "My nightmares...I told you guys that it was that future version of Rogue killing you."

A chill ran down Lucy's spine, something telling her she wouldn't like what he was about to say.

"But it's not." He looked scared, and it drove fear through her. "It's _me_. I watch myself tear you into pieces; I see your blood on my hands, and...and I scream at myself to stop, but _I can't_. Because I'm _enjoying_ it."

Lucy gave him a long look, and then stepped forward. She ran her fingers through his hair in a comforting manner and he shifted so that she could stand between his knees, wrapping his arms around her waist. His head rested against her stomach. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it freaks me out. I don't want to talk about it." His voice was muffled by her shirt. "And you have enough to worry about. And you were kind of taken by Tartaros, so…"

She smiled faintly. "Natsu," she said, guilt spiraling through her. She needed to tell him. About Zeref, the demon he'd brought forth through the Eclipse Gate. But before she could continue, Gray's voice cut them off.

"Okay, so if you two are done being all lovey dovey, we have a problem." They looked over. The dark-haired mage was standing there, his face pale, his hands shaking at his sides.

"What?" Lucy demanded. "What's going on, Gray?"

"It's...it's Bosco." Gray swallowed thickly. "Sorano just called Jellal. The reason they didn't show up for days is because they were traveling."

"What do you...what are you saying?" Lucy whispered.

"It's Bosco," he repeated. "Lucy, Tartaros wiped out the entire eastern half of your country."

* * *

"Is she going to be okay?"

Erza looked over at where Lucy was curled up alone on a couch, staring blankly at a wall with shock still written across her face. "I don't know," she said quietly to Jellal, her voice hoarse. He glared at her. The doctor had told her to refrain from talking until her throat healed.

Having no sky mages around was a problem, Erza decided. Sure, their healing magic was supposed to screw over your immune system, but who cared about your immune system at a time like this?

They'd all gathered in a large room. Even Cobra, wheeled there in a makeshift wheelchair to participate in the conversation, was quiet. Sting, Rogue, Yukino, Rufus, and Orga had stepped in to ask, too, and Natsu - after hastily apologizing to everyone for his behavior - had gone to get Lucy some water.

Gray pushed a hand through his hair and said finally, "We need a plan."

"What he said," Sting agreed, nodding at Gray.

"Alright," Yukino said softly, looking at all of them, "Then where do we begin?"

"I think we should start with what we know about demons." Jellal rested a hand on the back of his neck, carefully rubbing the flesh there in thought. He was sitting, ordered not to move so much and to let his injury heal. "And about Tartaros."

"Stories say," Rogue said quietly, "That Tartaros is a mythical guild made up of demons and monsters, of black mages. It's said that the highest ranking members are known as the Nine Demon Gates, all made by the black mage Zeref, and their leader is a demon a step above them. They have a master, a demon that no one's seen in years upon years, a demon rumored to bring destruction and death with each breath it takes."

Cobra's head snapped around. He stared at Lucy when she looked over, and her gaze flickered warily. But neither said anything, Cobra clearly reading a warning in her eyes. She looked away after a moment.

"It's true." Meredy leaned back, thoughtful. "As far as we know, Tartaros, the Nine Demon Gates, Zeref, and their leader are real. There's been proof of all of these people and monsters existing. I don't know about their master, but those are real for sure."

"What do we know about demons, then?" Orga said roughly.

"They're difficult to kill," Rufus supplied.

"Impossible, for now," Jellal corrected. "I've done a lot of research. There are some legends that claim they can be recreated within the cube they call home. We need to get into that cube and destroy what they use to regenerate if we want to kill them all."

"Great," Gray said sarcastically.

"It's the etherious material in their bodies," Jellal explained. "It helps them heal quickly, too, when they are injured. I believe they can even regrow pieces of their bodies." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'm sure you remember that the structure I used in an attempt to resurrect Zeref was made up of a solid form of it. Magic means we all have a little within us. Etherious particles, anyways. They just have more than we do."

"Then perhaps we can do something to nullify the etherious particles?" Rogue suggested.

"Maybe," Gray said slowly. "I can use my ice-make magic to try a few things, create a device that would help spread whatever we create. It should be a gas of sorts. Levy could create something, I'm sure, with some scientists. A scientific way of annihilating them, you know?"

"Eliminating what?"

They all looked over as Natsu appeared, ducking in and kicking the door shut behind him. "The cats are all hanging out eating some fish, by the way. Happy didn't want to come. Anyways, you're eliminating what?"

"We're trying to figure out how to get rid of etherious-"

Natsu looked alarmed, interrupting Yukino. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Etherious particles help the demons heal and regenerate," Jellal explained, "So we'll have to figure out how to put a stop to that-"

"What particles?" Natsu questioned, looking bewildered.

"Etherious-"

" _What_?"

"Etherious," Lucy cut in suddenly, voice hoarse from grief. He looked immediately to her, beaming when she met his gaze. But his smile vanished as he frowned.

"How'd you figure my name out?" he questioned, sounding confused. "I never told _any_ of you. Not even Happy knows."

Silence fell. They all stared at the fire mage. Finally, it was Gray who broke the silence. "What do you mean your name, Natsu? You're name's that. Natsu Dragneel."

"Natsu's my middle name," he said with a shrug, making his way over to Lucy. He handed her the bottle of water, dropping to sit beside her. "Igneel hated my first name, so he always called me by Natsu. I just went with it after a while. My full name is-"

"Etherious Natsu Dragneel," Lucy whispered, her voice cracking.

"Yeah," he agreed. "You okay, Luce?" he added when she looked at him in shocked horror, her body trembling as she stared at him. "What?"

"Nothing," she breathed. "Nothing at all."

"You're lying," he accused, but then turned his attention back on the others.

"You never told us that you had a different first name," Gray huffed. Erza made a wild gesture in agreement. "We just thought you were Natsu!"

"I _am_ Natsu. I told you. Igneel hated my name, so he used my middle name." Natsu shrugged. "I don't know why he named me Etherious if he wasn't going to use it - Luce, where are you going? We have to plan what to do for Bosco."

"I just...need a moment. Excuse me." The blonde rushed out of the room without looking back. Everyone but Cobra, who was sitting there with his hands clenched into fists, looked at each other in confusion.

"Anyways," Jellal said, "We weren't talking about your name, Natsu, the particles…"

* * *

Lucy wasn't sure where she was as she hit the ground on her knees, gasping for air, a hysterical lilt to her heavy breathing. But she didn't care, horror and fear and so much more heavy in her chest.

It all made sense.

 _The demon who went missing for months tore it apart when he suddenly appeared there. He was furious, though I cannot say why. I don't know, and Igneel doesn't know, either. Furious and weakened._

Etherious Natsu Dragneel.

 _Igneel won. He used ancient magic to defeat the demon and sealed it within a book. He tells me that the book is safely hidden within his board back in Fiore._

END.

 _Somehow, in the process, Igneel managed to pick up a child, an orphan that was roaming the streets of the port town he stopped in after sealing the demon away. He says that the child holds no memory of anything but his name, which is Natsu Dragneel…_

The first demon Zeref had created. His younger brother, an experiment when Zeref had fallen into black magic.

 _"This is the first demon and the most powerful. This is my little brother as his true self. This is Etherious-"_

She could hear what she knew to be Igneel's voice uttering in her head, feel Loke pleading to be summoned. Loke's apology, Natsu's ability to rip down a demon they couldn't touch in one strong blow, his attraction to that book, and the darkness in his soul made so much sense now.

The Spirits' hatred for him, so much stronger than their hate for the other dragon slayers.

Everything. Everything made sense.

Among the destruction of the city, the weight of this realization and the grief for her people pressing down on her, Lucy wept.

* * *

 _SO IT WAS THIS CHAPTER. I thought it was a different one, but I'm excited to have the chapter finally released! I've been holding this in for a long time. This was one of a few scenes (Natsu's name) I've planned since I first began writing BTL. I've been waiting for this moment for so long._

 _Also, we hit 5,400 reviews! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH GUYS!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Kauia, LePengwen, Secrets of Midgard, The Age of Awesomeness, Vilchen, TabathaEvans, AnonymousStalkerFriend, PinkFireandGoldenStars, and Guest #1!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	232. Chapter 232

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy didn't return until late that night. It was almost three in the morning when she limped into the room she'd been staying in. She'd slept alone while Natsu was in his black mood, but that had changed with his apology, apparently, because he was there in her bed, impatiently sitting there with Happy snoring away in his lap. One hand stroked Happy's fur, the other held one of her books.

He put both Happy and the book aside immediately when she quietly opened the door, lurching to his feet. "Luce-"

"We need to talk," Lucy whispered, aware that she looked like a train wreck. "We have to talk. Now."

"It's three in the morning," he said sharply, frowning. "Where have you-"

"Natsu," Lucy pleaded. "This is important."

He searched her gaze and then nodded. She let him take her hand, anxiously winding her fingers through his. He squeezed her hand gently to comfort her, to remind her that she wasn't alone, and then let her guide him out of the bedroom so they wouldn't wake Happy. He followed her to the room they'd all occupied earlier, where his name had been brought up, and when they were there, she kicked the door shut and turned to look at him.

"Luce?" he questioned as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"We need to talk," she repeated. He opened his mouth to tell her she'd said that, but she cut him off. "About Zeref."

"What about him?" Natsu was bewildered. Lucy had been gone for so long after being told her people were dead - or at least half of them were - and then comes back looking to talk about Zeref? He found his bewilderment turning into a hint of fear and more than a little concern. "Luce, what about Zeref?"

She began to pace. He dropped into the couch she'd curled up in earlier, his hands fidgeting anxiously. "When the Eclipse Gate opened...Zeref appeared," she said finally. His eyes snapped to hers, furious. "I said nothing because you weren't around. Your future self was. I...I think you were…" She trailed off.

She'd thought long and hard about what to say. Voices had told her to not inform him of the full truth, but of this at least. If Zeref came around, she couldn't fool Natsu about not seeing him. At least she could pretend she didn't know the truth about Natsu for now. Because Natsu was _Natsu_ , not some demon that was known for destruction and killing.

He saved people.

He saved _her_.

"You were fighting Rogue's future self at the very least," she said, waving it off. "Zeref appeared after we'd closed the Gate, releasing some kind of demon. It was...it was something else. It killed your future self, and then came after me. This was after it had chased off Zeref himself. I managed to get it off of me. I managed to miraculously use some kind of magic that I don't think was my own to force it off, and then, suddenly, we went back. Zeref was there again. The demon was gone. The Gate was about to open."

 _The demon who went missing for months tore it apart when he suddenly appeared there. He was furious, though I cannot say why. I don't know, and Igneel doesn't know, either. Furious and weakened._

That had to be where the demon had gone. The Gate had stolen the demon from its true time and then thrown it at her. When she'd somehow fended it off, she'd weakened it, and then it had gone back. She had been what enabled Igneel to defeat it the first time.

"But somehow, Zeref must have seen everything." Lucy licked her lips, her hands darting up and down her jeans to wipe sweat away. "We stopped him from opening the Gate, and then he was suddenly in my face." She touched her chin, running her fingers over the bruises that had long since vanished. Natsu seemed to recognize that and bared his teeth. "He told me something."

 _"I saw it. I saw what you possess. Remember me, Miss Heartfilia. So many secrets that you know nothing of...the dragons, the magic you hold, Natsu. Only when Hell...no. Only when the Demon King's flames freeze over will I forget you."_

"He saw something that I guess he was interested in, because he said he wouldn't forget me and then left." Lucy's gaze flickered up to Natsu. "And then you were ready to start killing dragons. So we did."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Natsu snapped, angry. He was on his feet now, glowering at her. "You don't not tell me things like this!"

"Gray knows. So does Cobra, since he's a nosey little bastard." Lucy pressed her lips together. "We didn't say anything because you'd try and hunt him down, or you'd react like you're reacting now and get pissed off."

"Why wouldn't I be pissed off?" Natsu looked fairly draconic as he snapped his jaws. "You didn't tell me that some mythical black mage came around and started letting demons run around!"

"I'm telling you now, aren't I?" Tired, Lucy rubbed her temples. "Can we just...not fight about it? Please? I don't...think I can handle a fight right now. I wanted to tell you so that if we come into contact with him again, he doesn't tell you."

Natsu ground his teeth, frustrated. He looked ready to explode, smoke leaking from between his lips. But after a long moment of glaring at her, taking in her exhaustion and her pleading expression, he dropped the snarl and muttered, "Fine. But I still don't like it."

She looked relieved. "Thank you." She shifted her weight and wrapped her arms around herself. After a long moment, Natsu reached for her and simply hugged her, his heart thudding wildly in his chest. She crushed her arms as tightly as she could around his waist.

They stood like that for a short while. Finally, Lucy said with a muffled voice, "I'm going back with Jellal. To Bosco. Will you come with us?"

He snorted. "'Course I will. I'm pissed off with you, but not _that_ mad. There's demons after us. But Happy has to come, too."

"I was already planning on that."

"Good."

"We should head to bed."

"Probably."

She pulled back with a giggle and, with a hesitant smile, Natsu pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes.

* * *

The next morning, Lucy felt much better both physically and emotionally. She wasn't tired except for usual morning grogginess and she'd managed to shove her grief away for the time being. She didn't have time to mourn; they'd do that later, when Tartaros was gone.

"Got it, Lucy?" Gray asked as he lifted her by her waist, helping her into the helicopter.

She nodded curtly. "Yep. Thanks, Gray. You sure you don't want to come with us?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I don't want to see you go all bitch queen again." Lucy glared at him and he laughed. "Besides, I have to head over with Erza and the others to the border. Apparently Tartaros is focusing its attacks there now, where we're trying to cross _back_ over to get away from them...the guilds and refugees need help. I'll make sure to send word when we get there."

She reached down and gave him a quick hug in farewell. "You better."

Gray returned it, ruffling her hair despite Natsu's glare from behind him. "Be careful, Lucy. We'll see you around, okay?" Erza, her eyes blazing with annoyance when Gray covered her mouth upon trying to speak, reached up to hug her, too, saying goodbye in silence.

"I'll protect her," Natsu said confidently. "Happy-"

"In here already!" the blue cat shouted from where he was all ready sitting with Jellal.

Natsu turned to Sting, Rogue, and Yukino, as well as their cats. The group of five had come to send them off. "Make sure you're careful, Yukino. They'll be specifically after anyone who can summon celestial spirits."

"Lucy's more of a target," Yukino replied, but nodded. "I will. Thanks for your concern, Natsu. Bye, Lucy!"

Lucy waved and then ducked into the helicopter. Natsu hauled himself into the machine behind her, waving over his shoulder at their nakama. "Bye, guys!"

As the helicopter took off, Gray lost his smile, turning to those behind and beside him. Beside Yukino, Cobra had wheeled himself over, rubbing his injury with a grimace, and Meredy was watching it with a look of pure acceptance.

"Are we sure about this?" Yukino asked anxiously. "The Spirit King...he doesn't like thievery. And Leo's about as stingy as a dragon when it comes to their hoard. Particularly in regards to something this important."

"We need to know what's in that book," Gray said firmly. "Besides. We're not keeping it. We can't afford for Tartaros come and take it from us. But if Natsu was behaving like that, and then...well, if Tartaros wants it that badly, we need to know why."

"I'm telling you," Cobra said through gritted teeth. "Leave the book alone. Don't even touch it. If we fuck up, I ain't joking when I say something worse than Tartaros will come."

They all stopped to give the venom dragon slayer a long look. And then Sting's lips curved into a smug grin. "You know what's in the book? Did _you_ look at it?"

"No," Gray said slowly, "But I bet you read Lucy's heart, didn't you? Or mind, or whatever you see when you read minds."

Cobra lifted his chin proudly, staring Gray down. "I ain't telling you, and we're not summoning a Spirit to steal it. No way in hell. If I have to kill myself stopping you, I will. You hear me? Leave the book _alone_."

Despite a protest on Meredy's part, Erza wheezed, "And what...is just so deadly?"

"Demons," he said darkly. "And that's all you're getting from me."

"Deliora kind of demon?" Gray asked, frowning.

Cobra jerked his face away. "Worse," he grunted and then wheeled himself back for the temporary headquarters. Meredy grimaced and followed him.

"What the hell could be worse than Deliora?" Gray demanded.

"Dragons?" Yukino suggested, earning a glare from her companions. She smiled sheepishly.

"Whatever it is," Rogue said quietly, "I think we should do as Cobra says and leave the book be if it's going to end that badly."

Yukino agreed and Sting reluctantly followed suit alongside Erza.

But Gray shook his head and looked over his shoulder in the direction of where the helicopter had gone and narrowed his eyes.

 _Just what the hell did you make us take?_

* * *

"They've located Miss Heartfilia and Natsu, Emperor," Invel said, breaking Zeref's concentration. A phone was held to Invel's ear. Zeref had been in the middle of planning, his eyes locked on a series of shadows he'd placed on a map to mark armies and places. He had been circling the same map for days, planning every possibility.

"And where are they?" he muttered, pausing to rest a finger on the map, marking a special location with the blackest of shadows. Here, he would lay waste to the Sabertooth guild.

"Bosco," Invel reported, waving his hand at a servant that hovered near a doorway. They handed him a remote that was sleek and silver and he pointed it to a large TV embedded into the nearby wall. Zeref stopped to study the screen when it turned on.

His lips twitched.

Lucy Heartfilia stood, proud, before a crowd of people. Her brown eyes blazed, the choker at her neck gleaming in the sunlight. She'd foregone fancy clothes, left in clothes that were torn and dirty. Her blonde hair was yanked back in a messy ponytail. Beside her, Jellal Fernandes looked down upon them as well. He looked just as messy and exhausted.

But Zeref was focused on Natsu.

The fire mage was exceptionally close to Lucy - not a surprise. Dragons were exceptionally fond of their hoards. His arms cradled that blue cat Zeref didn't understand. His onyx gaze blazed as he searched the skies, watching like the few mages beneath them were doing.

Lucy was speaking, her voice carrying angrily as she proudly declared the actions Fairy Tail and the guilds of Fiore were making towards ridding them of this problem. Zeref almost outright _laughed_.

They really thought they could get rid of Tartaros!

He stepped away from his map, towards the TV. He grinned, glancing back at Invel, who looked mildly startled. "Invel," he said, tugging at his cuff links thoughtfully. "I'd like to borrow August and Brandish if they are available."

Invel paused. A frown appeared on his face. Zeref had become far too unstable recently. The emperor had never been entirely sane, but Invel wasn't entirely sure that even Larcade was safe from his anger at this point. And Larcade was his favorite of the Spriggans.

But he bowed his body at the waist. "I will see to it that they are."

"Tell them to be ready to leave tomorrow." Zeref grinned. "It's time to pay Miss Heartfilia a visit."

* * *

 _Gotta have some little moments between Natsu and Lucy. And some arguing, because you know. Stress. Anyhow..._

 _Secrets of Midgard, the italicized paragraphs were from Layla's diary. :) The one from this chapter is as well._

 _Thanks to reviewers (anand891996, enchantedbeauty1, BomBardaa, The Age of Awesomeness, Secrets of Midgard, GueTabathaEvans, Vilchen, Guest #2, LePengwen, bookgirl18, KitKat, Sydneste, SecretAddition, Typhlosion8, naluobsessed, FtfanDessarai, Juvia is my spirit animal, Sekoorbwehttam, and HummingBird742!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	233. Chapter 233

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Once upon a time, Natsu had loved the holiday. He'd loved Halloween and watching people dress up in silly ways. He'd loved dressing up himself, if only to entertain the kids that wandered the streets in search of sweets.

This year, though, Natsu wanted shout to the skies that he hated it. If only because there _was_ no celebrating that could be done.

He was desperately worried for Lucy. She was staring blankly at the destruction of what had once been the Heartfilia Estate. There were a few bodies, but most of the Estate had been destroyed in the initial attack on Bosco's eastern half. She bypassed the building and Natsu watched in silence beside Jellal and Happy as she summoned Loke and turned to go and see what was left of her mother's grave.

"I can't believe it's gone," Jellal breathed. "I was there, only last week."

"At least Sorano was out and about, doing things when it went down," Natsu pointed out.

"There's that, I guess."

Sorano had met them, covered in wounds that were half-healed. They'd sent her back to Crocus in attempt to give her some time to recover. Yukino had vowed to watch her alongside the others of Crime Sorciere.

"You know," Jellal said suddenly. "This is only the beginning, Natsu."

Natsu grunted. "What do you mean?"

"Tartaros is the start of something much bigger, I believe," Jellal told him, rubbing his chest. He rested his hand just over his heart. "I can feel it here. I truly believe that the world we've come to know and love is going to change. How can it not with this kind of destruction? I feel as if we'll be fighting in a war that is so much bigger than the one we're fighting in now. Even if we destroy Tartaros, there will always be more enemies."

"That's the life of a mage," Happy sighed, and the other two muttered their agreement.

As they spoke, Lucy wandered through the once beautiful area to find her mother and father's graves. She found shards of what had once been the grave of Jude Heartfilia, and she felt her stomach churn when she thought she saw something that might have once been inside the grave.

Loke was quick to turn her face away, instead smiling gently as he said, "There was only one demon that could defeat Igneel's magic, Lucy."

Lucy nearly sobbed in relief at the sight of her mother's space, fully in tact. There was even some grass still around the obelisk with its golden winding pieces. It was beautiful, just as she remembered it.

Despite everything, she smiled in relief.

At least there was hope in some form.

* * *

After figuring out that there was nothing left on the Heartfilia Estate but Layla's grave, the group headed back to what was left of the nearby town. There, where Lucy had made her speech to her people, reassuring them that she was working with others to bring down Tartaros, Lucy ordered Jellal to go out and speak with various survivors. He was the current leader, the face that ran her country, so she needed him to reassure them after she had, to show them that he wasn't sitting back and forgetting about them as Hisui had done.

Unlike the royal family of Fiore, Bosco's leaders were getting down and dirty with the rest of them. Lucy had lost some respect for Fiore's royalty in the past few months. They had fled rather than help their country alongside their citizens, and it drove her crazy.

Within the inn they were staying in, Lucy leaned her head back and rested it lightly against Natsu's shoulder. He was dozing, exhausted after a night of nightmares. His head rested against hers, Happy purring in his lap. She was sleepy, especially after her long emotional morning of hunting down her parents.

She'd been resting that way for quite some time when Natsu's body suddenly coiled defensively, heat exploding from his fingertips and soaking into her arm where they'd rested. When Lucy looked, his eyes had snapped open, rolling with panic.

"Natsu," she coaxed, groaning as Happy fled to her lap and left scratches by accident. She twisted to grab his face between her hands, pressing her forehead to his cheek. "Natsu, you're fine. Calm down."

This one must not have been so bad, because he slowly turned and buried his face in her neck with a soft sound. She ran her fingers through his hair until he pulled back and groaned, "Damn it."

Knowing the truth of everything made those nightmares so much more terrifying for her. Although she wasn't scared of him, didn't think he'd do what he dreamed of, she had no doubts that they had to do with being a demon and the book of END.

"Natsu?" Happy said after a moment. "Are you okay?"

"No," he groaned, but sat up anyways. Lucy shifted until she was upright. "Sorry, little buddy. Did I burn you again?"

Happy shook his head. "No. We're okay."

Lucy ruffled his ears and then smiled brightly. "Alright," she said firmly. "I think we should be able to head back to the others here soon. I want to talk with them about a plan to maybe corner at least one of Tartaros' members, so maybe we can figure out what to do-"

The shift in the air was the only warning they had before something shifted the building around them. Natsu was on his feet in an instant, his hand dragging Lucy to her feet, too. They fell silent as she grabbed Happy, tucking him under her arm.

Natsu kept his lips clamped shut and Lucy did the same. Even one sound would give their position away to whoever might attack, and then they would be at a disadvantage. Finally, Natsu pressed his finger to his lips and crept over to the window, peeking out with care.

He relaxed after a moment. "It's just Gildarts," he recognized, confused on why the mage had arrived. Natsu realized now why everything had shifted like it had. Especially in a time like this, Gildarts had problems keeping his magic under control. "Wonder what he's doing here."

Lucy hummed her agreement. They headed outside, Lucy keeping close to Natsu with a frown on her face. Had Jellal called him to Bosco? She wasn't actually sure on how he'd found them…

Gildarts was being confronted by the owner of the place when they stepped outside, and had lifted his shirt to show him the guild emblem, explaining who he was there to see. When he caught sight of Natsu and Lucy, he lifted a hand, looking exhausted.

"It's okay," Lucy said to the inn owner. "He's with us."

The owner looked relieved. "Oh, good. Then, if you wish it, your Highness, he's welcome to a free room like you and your boyfriend."

"Thank you, that would be great," she told him. She waited until the inn owner had slid back inside, and then turned to Gildarts. He ran a hand down his face, looking ready to collapse. "Gildarts? What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you, too, kiddo." Gildarts shook his head. "Something's come up. I need you two and Jellal to come with me and meet with what's left of your team and the mages in our alliance."

"What?" Natsu demanded. "What do you mean 'what's left of our team'?!"

"Tartaros struck again. As soon as they showed back up, they just started...knocking mages out. They took off with most of Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, you name it, and then ran off to who the hell knows where." Gildarts' eyes darkened. "They took Cana."

"We'll find them," Lucy reassured.

"Who's left?" Happy asked softly.

"You three, Jellal, me, Mirajane, Meredy, Lyon, Frosch, and Orga." Gildarts pressed his lips together. "That's it. Out of all of the legalized and registered Fioran guilds, there's us. We're supposed to defeat an entire guild of demons and black mages on our own."

Lucy had never heard Gildarts sounding so defeated. She reached out and gently squeezed his arm and then ran a hand through her long hair. "We have to wait for Jellal to get back. Then we can head out. We have a helicopter we've been using."

"We'll figure it out," Natsu said confidently. "All of us always pull through in the end."

So it was a big surprise when Gildarts gave the younger man a long look and said, "What you saw with Oracion Seis, the Spirits you told us of, even the years of conflict with Phantom Lord...that was not even close to what we are going through now. Not everyone makes it through war, Natsu."

* * *

With a groan, Levy opened her eyes. She blinked at the darkness above her, confused. A low moan of pain nearby drew her attention away from her confusion, however, filling her with concern when she saw Juvia curled up on the ground. Kinana knelt over her, her hands cradling Juvia's head.

"Kinana?" Levy called, shoving herself to her feet. Her heart twisted as she made sure her engagement ring was still in place. It was dented, bent sharply at one part that dug into her finger, but still in place.

"Levy," Kinana said softly, voice quivering.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know." The woman gave a nervous breath. Juvia clawed at her stomach, sobbing softly. "We were fighting a demon, I think. She came to protect me, and then there was this wall of water-"

"Poisonous," Juvia gasped, face white. Her blue eyes were hazed over, face damp with sweat. "Poisonous water. Juvia absorbed it. Hurts. _Hurts_."

"We need Wendy or Chelia," Levy breathed. "Or Porlyusica, wherever she is."

"What we need is a miracle," Kinana replied.

Levy didn't disagree.

* * *

"Ooh, ow, that was a bad idea," Chelia said softly, hopping up and down on one foot after kicking a stone wall with a thoughtful look. Grimacing, she retreated back to stand beside the blond Sabertooth mage. He was still a little dazed, but she'd tended to the wound on his temple, hoping it would help him wake up. "Sting, can you hear me?"

"Yeah," he grunted. "Where's Lector?"

"I don't know," she said apologetically. "I haven't seen him."

"Damn." Sting took a deep breath, trying to focus his attention on the younger mage. "You're Chelia, right? Lamia Scale?"

"The one and only," she replied calmly, winking almost playfully. "I'm a god slayer, like your friend Orga." She looked back and forth, taking in the blackened open corridors. "We can go right or go left. Which way should we go?"

After a long moment, Sting dragged himself to his feet by clinging to the wall. "Don't you watch TV?" he wheezed, stumbling forward. "You always follow a right wall in a labyrinth."

Chelia gave a faint smile and rushed after him, slowing to walk beside him and help him where she could.

* * *

"I," a voice seethed near his ear, scaring the hell out of him, "Am going to commit murder before the day is out."

"Holy _hell_ , man, can you not whisper things like that in my ear?" Gray yanked away from Cobra, who was struggling up into a sitting position nearby. His black eyes flashed with annoyance when Cobra snickered.

Gray rolled his eyes as Cobra brushed himself off, looking around them. "Huh," the ice-make mage muttered. The last thing he remembered was definitely not being _here_ … "Erza!" he called. "Rogue! Sting! Yukino!"

Nothing.

"Meredy?" Cobra tried, shouting. He listened intently, his sharp ears catching nothing for the first time that he could remember. When Cobra caught Gray looking at him, he shook his head.

But then, something small filled his senses and he snapped around. "Hello?" Cobra shouted at the top of his lungs.

A trill just barely touched his ears.

Cobra sucked in a big breath and Gray, recognizing what was going to happen, covered his ears as Cobra roared in response, the sound closer to a bat's shriek than anything. The trill came again, and the venom mage darted forward. "Wendy," he called back to Gray.

Gray rocketed after him, wondering just how the hell Wendy was this close. She'd been almost a four day trip by car away! They raced down corridors, Cobra pausing to roar every now and then. Before long, Gray could hear Wendy's trill so well, he just kept his hands over his ears until they nearly tripped over the dirt-streaked girl.

"Cobra," she whimpered, nearly delirious with relief. She held Charle in her arms, the white cat bristling warily. "Gray!"

"Wendy," Gray greeted in relief, holding out his arms. She ran into them for a hug, relieved, and he soothingly kissed her head before ruffling her hair. "Good to see you. Although I can't seem to figure out how you're here."

"Tartaros," Cobra said darkly. His body was aching now, reminding him that he'd only been out of that damn wheelchair for two days. His stitches had been wrenched a little. "Must have come after us in the only way they knew how."

"What do we do then?" Wendy murmured, desperate. Charle huffed in her arms.

"We figure out where Makarov is, I believe," the cat snipped. Gray smiled a fraction at Charle's attitude.

"That's a smart move, but personally, I think Laxus or Gildarts is a better choice," Gray told her. "I'd rather have them with me right now."

"In any case," Cobra muttered. "We keep moving."

They all murmured their agreement, and, with Wendy tucked under Gray's arm, began to move, chatting quietly as they tried to puzzle out what had happened.

* * *

"Damn," the angry Jackal snarled, "You didn't manage to grab Natsu."

The cube shuddered beneath their feet, and Mard Greer smirked a little. "Don't upset it, Jackal, it did as I ordered. We weren't expecting them to have gotten to Bosco so quickly. We have the majority of the guilds now, however. It won't be long before they come hunting."

"Is that so?"

Mard Greer stiffened and Jackal froze. Nearby, Silver paused mid-talk with Kyoka, who was eagerly planning how to get her hands on Erza Scarlet, to stare at the man that had appeared before them. The others of the Nine Demon Gates froze in their tracks.

A woman stood there, her eyes showing indifference. She shook out her green hair and then placed a hand on her hip, her nose wrinkling as she hunched her shoulders so that the fur on her jacket brushed her cheeks. She looked at them for a moment with a look of disgust that returned to a lack of caring. "You don't have Lucy Heartfilia or Natsu Dragneel in your grasp? Or the Book of END? What use are you to my emperor?"

"Lady Brandish," Mard Greer recognized, inclining his head. "We're in the process of acquiring them."

Her lips twitched with disapproval and suddenly, the room seemed a fraction smaller. The demon that held them moaned, shaking the floor beneath their feet. "Your lord is coming," she hummed, studying her nails. "He expects that you'll have at least one of them by the time he arrives. He wants the book or Miss Heartfilia," she snarled the name, "More than Natsu Dragneel for now. Retrieve either, and I'm sure he'll be pleased. You have one day."

And then, Brandish had disappeared.

"I hate that bitch," Kyoka bit out, but Mard Greer's eyes glittered with excited malice.

"Keyes," he ordered, "I want you to deal with Miss Heartfilia upon her arrival."

"Are you sure that's smart?" Silver said sharply.

Mard Greer grinned, waving him off. "What better person to retrieve the book as well as Miss Heartfilia than her own mother?"

* * *

 _SO IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION THIS AFTERNOON THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN TO UPDATE TWICE. What kind of sleep-deprived monstrosity have I become? Sorry about the wait, but I hope it was worth it! I'll post a bonus chapter on Saturday as an apology..._

 _We're getting into the main part of Tartaros now and closer and closer to the end of it. I'm not too happy with how I dealt with the Silver issue and a few other things, but I managed to get the overall gist of what I originally planned, so._

 _Thanks to reviewers (TabathaEvans, pianoman555, peacerockgirl123, LePengwen, Secrets of Midgard, The Age of Awesomeness, KitKat, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Vilchen, Juvia is my spirit animal, and anand81996!) and those who favorited and followed!_

 _Now if you'll excuse me, I have a paper to finish editing so I can make a meeting with a professor tomorrow. :D_


	234. Chapter 234

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"What _is_ this?" Lucy murmured as Virgo adjusted a leather strap, tightening the metal plate over the small of her back, connecting it to the rest of the armor that had been strapped onto her.

"Celestial armor," was Virgo's response, her blue eyes darting up momentarily to land on Lucy's. Loke watched nearby, making sure everything was in place. Her golden whip was in his hand. Nearby, Natsu and Gildarts looked incredibly impressed while Jellal just quietly spoke over a radio to Meredy, who'd been devastated when she'd first called him.

They'd all agreed to meet where the first of the damage had started: Magnolia.

And then...they'd hunt Tartaros.

"Since when did you have this?" Lucy demanded. " _Where_ did you get it in my _size_?"

"Anna Heartfilia," Loke said with amusement, "Is an ancestor of yours, Lucy. She was born around the time that Acnologia was beginning to experiment with dragon slaying magic. She was quite the warrior. A favorite of the Heartfilia line, just as loved by the King as you are. She only had one thing over you, and that was the fact that she possessed all thirteen of our keys."

"I feel honored to rival someone like that, but can we focus on the task at hand?" Lucy pleaded, flushed in the cheeks. She shifted, the weird metallic armor clinking. She was almost ready to tear it off.

But even Gildarts had donned a form of armor he tended to keep on him.

She'd known from the beginning that the clothing of mages was odd. Natsu's own fingerless gloves and loose white pants that were tied around his ankles were proof of that.

But full out armor that resembled something Erza would wear?

She wasn't sure about this.

"Right," Loke agreed. He patted the book he kept on him, and Natsu's onyx eyes strayed hungrily to it before focusing back on Lucy. He was trying this time, she recognized, to avoid focusing too much on the book.

She was proud of him for that.

"We know that we have what they want," Loke said, touching the book a second time. "And I suppose it's common knowledge that Zeref may be involved with this, since the demons are his creation. It's also common knowledge that Lucy has something he wants."

Lucy gave him a long look. "Do you know what that is, Loke?"

"Yep."

"Can you tell us?"

"Nope."

Chuckling, Virgo ran her fingers over a golden shoulder piece. "It is a part of the punishment he was delivered. You are unaware of it, so he may not speak of it. Leo, I'm done."

"You can head back. I'm staying with them," Loke told her. She inclined her head, bowed to Lucy and Natsu, smiled at Gildarts, and then vanished with a flash of light. Lucy shook her head to shake out her ponytail, and then stepped closer to Natsu. Happy landed on her head with a purr.

"What does the most well-known black mage want with Lucy?" Gildarts demanded, frowning. "You kids are sure as hell busy when I'm not around."

Lucy flashed him a quick smile as Natsu said, "We don't know. She did something during the Games, with the dragons…"

The celestial mage was grateful he didn't proceed to elaborate further, instead taking a deep breath. "That means I have both of what he wants. Zeref, anyways. Because, if we're assuming right, he'll have something to do with the demons suddenly wanting the book."

Natsu thoughtfully crossed his arms, and Lucy shifted her weight. Loke murmured his agreement. "Our first matter of business should be finding our nakama," Natsu said suddenly, a sound rumbling deep in his throat.

"Your first matter of business should be heading to the helicopter," Jellal said wryly, hooking the radio to his belt. "As it's ready to take you to Magnolia. You'll be stopping a short distance out of town, near your house, Natsu, Lucy. You're meeting them in the guildhall."

"Understood," Lucy said with a curt nod. She paused, however, when she realized how he'd worded that. "Jellal, you're not coming?"

"I would love to come," he said with a wry smile, "But someone has to stay and watch over Bosco. I'll be fine here. I'll take care of your country. I'm going to evacuate them to the border with Stella. It'll be a long trek, but it'll be safer than the border with Seven or the one with Fiore."

"Thank you," Lucy said honestly. She felt guilty, she realized, not staying with her country.

But she had to go and help the guild, help defeat Tartaros. She had what they wanted and if she didn't go, they'd only come after Bosco again.

"Are we ready?" Gildarts questioned. They nodded, and he nudged them towards the helicopter. "Come on, kiddos, let's get going then."

Loke followed them after a moment, his hand never leaving the book in his suit jacket.

* * *

The helicopter touched down in the space Natsu and the others had cleared specifically for training, and Lucy smiled wryly at the fact that it was being used for _that_ of all things. She remembered sparring Natsu once, and she found that she missed it.

Gildarts climbed out first, prowling a short distance away to check for demons and other enemies while Natsu helped Lucy out. She tripped with her armor and he laughed, stifling his chortles when she swiped at Happy for laughing at her. The blue cat's eyes glittered with mischief despite their predicament.

"Thank you," he told their pilot, who saluted playfully and then took off again.

"We're safe for now," Gildarts called and they rushed after him, setting off at a quick walk for Magnolia. Lucy gripped Natsu's hand, and he squeezed her warm flesh with a gentle touch. It had been a while since they'd been in Magnolia. Even longer since they'd seen the town at peace, though now wasn't the time they'd be seeing the peace.

Peace would come much later.

The outskirts of town came up before they expected it, and Lucy grimaced at the emptiness of Magnolia and remembered the bustling tow. Most of the town was in tact, not too much destruction. Mostly because it had only been black mages that had driven Fairy Tail and the inhabitants out.

No demons had made an appearance at that point.

"Keep an eye out," Loke told them, walking behind Natsu and Lucy. "We don't know if anything's decided to move in while we were away."

"I think we're safe for now, Loke," Gildarts reassured, pausing to look back. "I can't sense anything."

"That doesn't mean it's not there," Lucy warned.

It seemed like ages of walking - Lucy wanted to cry when she saw that the Rozlyn Cafe was in pieces, the glass windows shattered and the structure torn until it had been dragged to the ground. Natsu looked a little bit disappointed, too, knowing how important it was to Lucy.

When they reached the guildhall, they all stopped to give it a long look. It had been disturbed recently, runes scribbled hastily onto the door to help keep enemies out. It was a rune Levy had taught her once, meant to do just that.

Lucy pushed the doors open, the others not far behind. The inside was just as she remembered, full of tipped and broken furniture, dried blood, and more. Natsu bared his teeth in annoyance at the sight of his precious place ruined. She pressed her lips together. It was empty. No sight of anyone else.

But then Makarov's office door cracked open and there was a groan of relief from within. "Oh, thank the heavens above," Meredy breathed as she stepped outside. Lucy's eyes widened at the nasty cuts that had been raked over her skin. One cut over the bridge of her nose, gouged deep. Her clothes were in tatters, her hair hanging limply around her shoulders. "I've never been more glad to see you."

"Oh, Meredy," Lucy breathed, reaching for the mage. Meredy stepped into the hug with a tight grip and then Orga edged out of the office, too, Frosch shivering on his shoulder. He looked just as bruised and battered as Meredy, gashes and bruises criss-crossing over his bare chest.

"Nice get up, Lucy," he grunted, and then crossed his arms.

"Thanks," Lucy said with a slight smile and then looked to Gildarts. He'd stepped away, a phone to his ear. But then he shook his head. "There's no service here, is there?"

"No," he confirmed. "I told the others to come here when I left, though, so they can't be too far off. They were driving. I just hope they didn't get stranded in the middle of nowhere."

"That wouldn't be good for them or for us," Orga muttered and then grimaced when Frosch whimpered. "Don't worry, Frosch, we'll figure out where they went and how to get them back."

"Aw," Meredy crooned, taking him from Orga's shoulder, "You poor thing…"

Lucy's heart melted when the cat buried his face in Meredy's shoulder, clinging tightly to her. She reached out and ran protected fingers over his head. The poor cat was so attached to Rogue and his team...to suddenly see him here, without any of them, was depressing.

"Ooh, nice armor, Lucy!"

"Mira!" Lucy laughed, whirling around as the said mage slid inside the guildhall with Lyon hard on her heels. The pair looked tired, like the rest of them, though didn't support as many injuries. Lucy supposed they hadn't done as much fighting as the rest of them, since Tartaros had been focusing its attention elsewhere for the time being. Mirajane came over to hug her, and Lucy was careful of her armor as she tightened her arms around her.

"Meredy," Lyon said with a faint smile, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her. He looked delighted, even with her covered in blood. "Looking lovely as always."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Meredy said, rolling her eyes and then looked around. "Did Jellal stay in Bosco?"

"Yep." Natsu scratched Happy's ear. "Said he wanted to stay with the country so Lucy could come and work with us. Anyways, we need to figure out what to do."

"There's a total of...ten of us," Gildarts counted, frowning. "Ten of us against not only the lesser black mages of Tartaros, but against the Nine Demon Gates, their leader, and quite possibly Zeref at this point." Lucy grimaced, standing beside Loke, and the Lion suddenly let his gaze flicker to Natsu. She noticed instantly.

"We have what they want," Loke rumbled, tapping his suit jacket. "So there's not much we have to do right now except wait."

"What _do_ they want?" Lyon demanded, furrowing his brow. "Why would they go through so much work to get something that you can fit in your jacket?"

Lucy said nothing, instead busied herself with tugging awkwardly on a piece of armor that was jabbing her in the arm. Natsu was quiet, too, studying them all with wary onyx eyes. Finally, it was Loke who spoke, choosing his words carefully. "It's a book that contains powerful magic. Igneel took it upon the Spirit King's request. It's powerful enough that should Tartaros or Zeref acquire it, we'll be in trouble. Serious trouble. There will be no winning a war if they get their hands on it."

The others, even Gildarts, looked at him with wide eyes. After a long moment, Orga grunted, "Fuck the book. Our guild is in trouble. Can we get our asses moving?"

"I agree," Mirajane said, blue eyes flashing maliciously, her body nearly quivering with her eagerness to get moving. "I want to get my siblings and Laxus out of wherever they are."

Lucy's lips twitched. "I'm sure Laxus would appreciate you thinking he can't handle himself. Don't worry Mira." She reached out and squeezed the nervous woman's hand, feeling her shake with fear for her family through the touch. Mirajane squeezed back, sucking in a nervous breath.

"We'll find them," Meredy agreed, holding up a hand with a smug look. A bracelet of pink circled her wrist. "In fact, I already have."

* * *

 _A quieter chapter, but important nonetheless! :D_

 _Thanks to reviewers (anand891996, TabathaEvans, Guest #1, naluobssessed, The Age of Awesomeness, LePengwen, KitKat, PinkFireandGoldenStars, peacerockgirl123, Guest #2, Heavenly Star, and Juvia is my spirit animal!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	235. Chapter 235

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy opened her eyes in the pitch darkness of the night, hearing the soft snores and breathing of the group around her. They'd camped together in Makarov's office, feeling as if it would be safer. Even Gildarts was wary of Tartaros. That made Lucy more nervous than anything else.

Natsu was curled up beside her, sleeping restlessly but sleeping nonetheless. His back was pressed into hers, the warmth seeping into her spine in a comforting manner. Despite all of the psychotic events of everything, despite the pain and suffering, she was comforted by the fact that Natsu was with her.

Happy was curled up against her chest with Frosch, who had cried softly for Rogue earlier in the evening. Meredy and Mirajane were sharing a blanket, sleeping deeply. Gildarts had spread out on the hard floor near the door just in case something tried to get in, Orga nearby. Lyon was as close as he could get to Meredy and Loke had returned to the Spirit Realm for the time being.

They were a strange group, Lucy supposed, gently stroking Happy's ears. She shuddered at the thought of what would happen come morning. They had no specific location for Tartaros, only that Meredy knew which direction to go. And with the book of END in their grasp, Lucy had no doubts in her mind that they would come looking.

By noon tomorrow, she expected to be near Tartaros, maybe even confronting them.

She didn't even know how to save their friends.

The pendant at her throat heated gently, comforting, and Lucy breathed, "What would you do in our position, Igneel? How would you deal with Tartaros?"

There was no response, of course.

Lucy wasn't sure why she expected one.

* * *

They were up before dawn and on the move by the time the sun had begun to rise.

"Ugh, I just want this to be over," Lyon muttered with a grimace. "I want to go home and not have to think I've lost someone at every twist and turn."

"By the time this is over," Mirajane said quietly, "We'll all have lost at least one person we know, Lyon."

No one disagreed nor protested as they left Magnolia's outskirts. Natsu was silent at her shoulder, keeping close. Happy was chattering with Frosch, flying close to their group, keeping a close eye on the easily lost cat at Lucy's request. As they walked, Lucy turned to him, shoving her mess of hair over her shoulder and asked quietly, "You sleep okay?"

He shook his head and she smiled faintly in sympathy before facing forward again.

They'd been walking for hours when Meredy suddenly paused, and Lucy felt the keys at her hip suddenly sear at her. She flinched. They hadn't burned like this since Plue had tried to call for her at the Fantasia Parade.

"We're close," a voice breathed in her ear and she squealed, glaring viciously at Loke, who'd popped up right beside her. His fingers touched his jacket, the golden rings glimmering.

"Incredibly close," Meredy agreed, and almost immediately, everyone began to prepare themselves.

Magic spiked as each mage gathered it into their fingertips. Only Gildarts refrained from doing so, not wanting to cause problems for those around him.

Natsu fisted his hands, flames bursting along each inch of his flesh. Meredy squared her shoulder, her fingers flexing, and the temperature around Lyon dropped, clashing violently with Natsu's heat. Mirajane took on a demonic form, the one she'd gained while preparing to fight Oracion Seis.

Distantly, Lucy wondered if they'd have been able to win with Mavis beside them. But the First hadn't been seen in months, disappearing into thin air.

Suddenly, Meredy froze. Her head snapped back, her mouth falling open, and they all looked up.

Lucy had forgotten one important detail about the cube Tartaros resided in: it was airborne most of the time.

Above their heads, a massive demonic cube hovered. Lucy swallowed thickly. They needed to get up there, onto the cube. She could feel an odd tug that had Happy and Frosch zipping down to cling to whoever they could before the gravity of it could drag them towards it. Mirajane grimaced at Frosch's claws, and Orga merely reached to grab Happy so he wouldn't latch onto his sprained shoulder.

"We need to get up there," Natsu rumbled. His onyx eyes flashed. He cranked his head back suddenly, and they all flinched when he roared, the sound bellowing through the air, sending whatever birds had tried to hide in the trees flying off.

"Natsu!" Mirajane scolded, but none of them were bothered. Tartaros knew they were there.

There was no response to Natsu's scream.

"Damn," Natsu huffed. "I'd hoped the others might respond, y'know?"

"Well, they didn't," Lucy replied with a heavy sigh. "In any case...we need to get up there."

"I can get that handled." Lyon smirked at them all, black eyes twinkling with amusement. He ordered them all to step back. They did as he said and watched as Lyon settled into a familiar stance. Lucy recognized it as one Gray used, adjusting the plate of armor that circled her neck. She hated it, but Loke had ordered her to keep it on.

Within minutes, Lyon had created a dragon of ice. Its body shifted, surrounded by glittering cold mist, and Lucy flinched as she reached out to touch it. It was cold, of course. Natsu noticed and glanced at Lyon. "Will it melt if I warm it?"

"Maybe. We have no fire mages, so I've never tried it against one."

Natsu rested his hands against it and forced heat to spread. Finally, he pulled back. "Should be okay until we get up there. Just don't make it cooler. It's already starting to melt." He showed the layer of water on his hands.

"I'd fly myself up with Happy and Frosch," Mirajane used, "but I don't think we should separate even that much right now."

"Not a good idea," Gildarts agreed as Lyon mounted the dragon at its shoulders. Orga helped Meredy up, and she settled behind him, between two spikes on its back. She hesitantly reached out to grip the spike. After a moment, she looked over and grinned. "It won't hurt us."

"Up you go, Lucy," Orga ordered, and Meredy reached down with a hand. Lucy gripped it and Natsu lifted her by the waist when she failed to reach properly. She grunted under her breath as she worked with them to get herself on the dragon.

It wasn't bad, just as Meredy had said. Still somewhat cold, but not enough to frost her fingers over. Loke climbed up behind her despite Natsu's protest. To keep space between them, Gildarts was next, followed by Natsu, Mirajane with Frosch, and Orga with Happy.

"Everyone ready?" Lyon called over his shoulder. "We don't know if they'll start attacking the second we get close."

"We're ready," Mirajane called back, answering for everyone.

Lucy tightened her grip on the spike in front of her, clenching her jaw when the ice dragon shifted, rearing back onto its hind legs. It wasn't a dragon like she knew them to be. This one had no wings, only a long slender body with whiskers nearly as long as she was tall and a face more like a lion than a reptile. But still, it could fly, and it proved it a moment later when it launched into the air. Everyone except for Loke and Lyon gave a yelp.

Lucy tightened her grip, used to the feeling of being airborne after flying with Happy so often. A few of the others didn't look comfortable, though, when she looked over her shoulder. To her surprise, Natsu looked fine. She frowned curiously.

Maybe-

Suddenly Lyon gave a shout of alarm and the world tipped. Lucy shrieked, fingers slipping.

The dragon turned to dust beneath them and then, somehow, they were falling _up_.

* * *

"Down!"

A hand shoved her head down, protecting it. Erza flinched at the sudden shove, her muscles screaming in protest. Rogue hadn't intended to be so forceful, only intending to help, but it was still quite the shock. Lector yelped in his arms, alarmed.

The requip mage looked up beneath her lashes, her body clad in strong armor. Rubble from the ceiling showered them, and Erza threw her arms over her head so that Rogue could protect his own. The stone brick above them splintered and they bolted as it began to give in.

They ran as hard as they could down the tunnel when an explosion filled the hall. Erza requipped a large shield onto her arm, a simple handgun - a pistol, of some sorts - into her other hand. She swallowed thickly as she spun around, Rogue at her side.

Neither were truly surprised when a smirking demon clawed his way out of the rubble, sparks flying around his fingertips as he grinned maliciously at them with sharp teeth. "Damn," he snarled, curling a lip. "I was hoping for Heartfilia. Or her boyfriend, but you'll have to do."

"Shit," Rogue snarled, and Erza's lips quirked once at the sound of such a word on Rogue's lips. The shadow mage was usually careful about his language, not fond of using curses, but he seemed to have forgotten his habits in the moment. She requipped a larger shield, so heavy even she had a small problem lifting it.

But she threw it up in front of them when Jackal fired something at them. It blasted them backwards, but neither were hurt when they rose to their feet. Another came, and then another.

Erza clenched her jaw and Rogue helped her keep her shield high as she fired off a round of bullets around the shield in an attempt to ward Jackal off.

He only sent them back another ten feet.

* * *

Gray wasn't entirely sure on what he was expecting to happen as he, Cobra, Wendy, and Charle rushed through the corridors of stone, their mouths clamped shut, but someone flying _through_ the ceiling above their heads and hitting the ground right in front of them was _not_ what he expected.

They all leaped back. Even Cobra shrieked in surprise as they backed up, and Gray protectively threw an arm in front of Wendy. He let mist creep up along his fingers and arms, readying himself for battle.

"Holy _fucking hell_ ," a voice snarled, and Gray stared in shock as Gajeel, clad in iron scales, clawed himself free of a hole. He scrabbled as he began to sink further, glaring at the four staring at him. "Get me the _fuck_ up if you don't mind."

Gray lurched forward, ignoring the way that Gajeel's skin tore at his fingers as he grabbed his wrist and heaved. With Gray's help, the iron mage was soon safe on stable ground beside them, heaving for air.

"If you could refrain from, you know, _scaring the hell out of us_ ," Cobra snarled at him, "I think we'd all appreciate it."

Gajeel rumbled a growl at him and then heaved himself to his feet. A moment later, a faint "Hello?" caught their attention. He blinked, and then leaned back over the hole in the floor he'd made. "Oh. Would you look at that. What's up, Lisanna?"

Gray peered over alongside him and his brow rose at the sight of three silver-haired women beneath them, on the level under their feet. Yukino, Sorano, and Lisanna were all there, Yukino supported by her sister. Near them was Jura, his eyes darting this way and that, ready for danger.

Gray grinned.

Not a bad person to have around them.

Especially as someone else dropped in from overhead, followed by a second shape that went straight down to the other level. Gajeel lunged after the demon that nearly crushed the women, snarling, "Get back here, Tempester, you fucker-"

Gray heard nothing, his ears filling with white noise as the person before them straightened, a grin as familiar as Juvia's smile on his face. Silver's eyes glittered with excitement as he mused, "It's been some time, hasn't it, Gray?"

"Gray?" Wendy breathed.

Gray surged forward, ice shooting from his hands with the intent to kill.

* * *

 _Silver! And some excitement starting, as you can see... Just a little clue in for the next while. Don't forget who else was traveling to safety. A certain child who I promised would be important?_

 _ALSO! I forgot to mention last chapter...happy 2nd anniversary, BTL! ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (TabathaEvans, The Age of Awesomeness, Samm, Juvia is my spirit animal, LePengwen, AnonymousStalkerFriend, FtfanDessarai, KitKat, Guest #1, PinkFireandGoldenStars, MagicalFoxInTheWilderness, and xSkiesOfBlue11!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	236. Chapter 236

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Levy grimaced beneath Juvia's weight, taking another step forward. Juvia wasn't heavy by any means, of course, but when you were helping carry someone for what seemed like an endless period of time...well. Everyone became heavy.

The water woman was nearly unconscious at this point. Between she and Kinana, they were hauling her as far as they could in hopes that they'd find _someone_. Maybe someone who could help. That would be great, Levy couldn't help but think-

Heavy footsteps caught her by surprise and Levy froze. When Kinana heard them a split second later, she swore under her breath pressing closely into Juvia. Levy counted each step, fear creeping up her veins until finally, someone turned the rounded corner ahead of them.

Levy nearly sunk to the ground and burst into tears. "Oh, thank the heavens above," she whimpered as Laxus came into view, the Thunder Legion and even _Makarov_ alongside him. Levy would have lunged to Makarov for a hug had Juvia not groaned.

"Master," Kinana groaned, "it's good to see you."

Makarov smiled warmly at them, looking pleased himself. "I agree. It's good to see you three as well. Is Juvia alright?"

"She absorbed poisonous water from the demon known as Torafuzar." Kinana threw their friend a worried look. "We were hoping to find Wendy, or Chelia if she's here."

"We haven't seen them," Freed offered gently.

"What about Gajeel?" Levy demanded.

"Nope," Bickslow replied. "Lisanna?" Levy shook her head and he cursed under his breath, looking frustrated. After a moment, he sighed, "We should keep moving, who knows when something dark and powerful will show up."

Laxus grunted, exchanging a look with the amused Evergreen. "And here I was thinking that you enjoyed the fighting, Bickslow." Yet he eyed Juvia thoughtfully. "I'd carry her for you, but if I need to use my lightning, she'll be the first one to feel it."

"I'll do it," Bickslow offered, sounding crabby now. "I can't do anything until I find something to put my spirits into. Bastard crushed them."

"I'm sorry," Levy said honestly as she let Bickslow take Juvia. Juvia moaned in pain, but didn't stir. Kinana exchanged a worried look with Levy, her gaze wavering with fear. Levy found herself agreeing. Juvia wouldn't last much longer.

Not without help.

Makarov furrowed his brow as they set off again. "Have either of you seen anyone else? I'm concerned that Asuka especially will be separated from her parents. Or here at all."

Levy shook her head. "Nothing. We've been walking for what feels like hours and we've seen nothing of anyone. I'm hoping they wouldn't have gotten their hands on Natsu, Lucy, and Happy at the very least."

Unlikely, she supposed.

Things never went their way.

* * *

Lucy hit the ground so hard that her head snapped back. She gasped, the breath driven from her lungs. "Ugh," she groaned after a moment, wheezing. Slowly, she rolled onto her stomach and immediately began searching for-

Her heart rose into her throat when she didn't immediately see someone. She could feel Loke return to his Realm, and immediately reached for his key in preparation to summon him. He was there, crouched beside her in an instant. His hand rested comfortingly on her cheek as she caught her breath.

"I'm okay," she reassured. Not.

She pushed herself to her hands and knees, thoughtfully looking around. She couldn't see any of their friends. Not even Frosch was there. She found herself worried about her friends.

She grimaced, tugging a piece of armor off so that the dented material didn't dig in so sharply. Blood trickled down her arm, but she ignored it. "We can't stand still," she muttered, looking around.

"No," Loke agreed, standing beside her fearlessly. He kept one hand on his jacket, the book never leaving his person. He turned his head when someone shouted in the distance, but even enhanced Spirit senses couldn't have figured out who it was or what they were saying. The ground shook beneath their feet. Loke supposed it could have been Gildarts, perhaps someone else of equal caliber. And not necessarily someone on their side.

Lucy took her whip and snapped it once, smiling faintly at the crack of it. One hand on its hilt, the other on her keys, she cleared her throat and started forward, aware that the world she'd grown up on was below her. Above her? She wasn't sure.

Her gaze locked on a massive building that seemed to sprout through the center of the cube and Lucy nodded to herself.

"Let's go," she ordered.

Wordlessly, Loke fell into step beside her, knowing exactly where she meant to go.

* * *

Happy yowled and Natsu latched onto the sound's direction, launching himself in the direction of his friends the second he had shoved himself onto his feet. He almost had deja vu, remembering how he'd raced to catch Lucy as she fell from the stars. Fear for her filled his chest as he caught Happy, nearly tripping in the process.

"Okay, little buddy?" he gasped.

"Yeah," Happy said, trembling in his arms.

Natsu looked around them, not seeing anyone else. He felt a tremor beneath them, but didn't think anything of it. Instead, he tilted his head back and gave a dragon's cry, trying to find someone he knew. There was a very, very far off response. Sting, maybe? He wrinkled his nose in annoyance. It was a direction at least…

Natsu took one step forward and then yelped when something slammed into him, slicing through his shoulder to the bone. He whirled around, ignoring the blood that trickled down his back, protecting Happy with his teeth bared in a snarl.

But he hit the ground on his knees with a near scream of agony when the pain tripled, even quadrupled.

"Not so fierce now, are we, little fire mage?" Kyoka purred as she sidled out of wherever she'd been hiding. She curled a lip at the sight of Natsu trembling on the ground, Happy demanding to know if he was okay above him.

Forcing himself past the pain, Natsu stood and seethed, "You're in my way-"

Kyoka clicked her tongue, looking disappointed. "Scarlet was found by Jackal before me. I would trade with Jackal in a heartbeat, but there's no time for that. Not with our lord coming." A malicious grin spread over her face. Natsu fought the urge to collapse and writhe in pain as something seemed to burn in his shoulder and throughout every nerve in his body.

"Lord?" Natsu gritted out. "What lord?"

"Mm, I suppose you know him as something else," Kyoka acknowledged before suddenly lashing out. Natsu swore when her talons became whips and ducked to avoid them, appreciating that he'd sparred once or twice with Lucy. He caught one to the chest and squeaked, hearing Happy shout his name in his ear when blood spattered and a feeling like no other ran through his body.

"Stop that!" he gritted out, furious. That black emotion he'd felt for so long seemed to be shredding at his chest, threatening to take over. It wasn't even so much that it _hurt_. It was the fact that he was being cornered by pain he should have been able to surpass.

"Natsu!" Happy hissed when he was driven to his knees. He didn't dare dig his claws in, not with the way Natsu was screaming at every little painful touch. He lashed his tail nervously. He felt Natsu shudder beneath his paws and gave him a gentle shake, yowling in his ear, "Natsu, she's coming-"

Natsu ripped away, surrounding himself in flames. Happy forced himself away when it seared at him, understanding _why_ Natsu was surrounding himself with such heat. The dragon slayer looked furious as he became a raging inferno, ducking a blow that came at him. He lurched at Kyoka, and she swept out of the way with speed that caught him by surprise. He stuffed it away, rushing her again and bellowing out a blast of flames that spread out, catching her unprepared.

Kyoka screeched in pain, but dove through the flames to dig her talons into his shoulders.

Natsu had never been one to notice pain in times of danger, when he needed to fight.

This time was no different.

He set himself at a heat that rivaled a volcano, firing off his fire at Kyoka at full force. She ignored it, returning the agony tenfold as Natsu trapped her in place with a simple grabbing of her shoulders. She was taller, much taller, and his grip slipped when he found his knees giving out again, his body driven towards the ground.

"Your lucky," she purred as his vision suddenly disappeared. Panic raced through him. He couldn't see, couldn't smell-

"So lucky that Mard Greer thinks you'll be a satisfying gift to our lord when we hand over the book of END."

Natsu heard nothing, felt nothing.

As if he was floating in darkness.

* * *

The blast caught them by surprise, throwing them back. Sting snarled in fury and preparation, but was caught by surprise when someone slammed into him like a bull, thrown by the same explosion. He sputtered, and then roared, "Get the hell _off_!"

He could smell the scent of demons everywhere around him. Whatever was on him was-

"Sting," Erza wheezed, rolling off and hauling her heavy shield with her. "It's a pleasure to see you, as always." Rogue lurched from her shadow without speaking even a word of greeting to Sting as the relieved and a sobbing Lector clung to the white mage. Rogue blasted a blow of shadows from his lips in order to protect Chelia when she curled up with her hands over her head.

"The hell is going on?" the white dragon slayer grumbled, blasting off a laser when a cackling demon flew through the wall after them, everything he touched blowing up. Jackal snarled when it caught him in the shoulder. Sting was puzzled by the sight of him; hadn't he killed Jackal?

"We're struggling to deal with Tartaros is what's going on," Rogue said crossly. "Have you seen Yukino? Or Fro?"

"Neither," Sting admitted, baring his teeth and helping Erza throw up her shield when Jackal threw something their way. Black wind blasted from behind, slamming harshly into Jackal and throwing him off balance.

Rogue didn't hesitate, turning into shadows to blend in with the wind.

Jackal didn't see him coming and howled in agony when Rogue caught him point blank in the back with a blast of shadows. With a curse, Jackal surprised them all by fleeing back in the direction he'd come. Gone within seconds, he vanished into the darkness. They didn't bother trying to chase after him. Erza rid herself of her heavy shield and simply slumped to the ground, gulping air down. Sting turned his attention entirely on Lector and hugged him tightly as Chelia asked everyone if they needed tending to.

Exchanging looks between the four of them, the mages wondered what to do next.

* * *

Silver was ready for the attack and when Gray slammed into him, ice sprouting along his arms and hands to pierce the other mage's body, he simply smirked, entirely unaffected. "Gray!" Wendy shouted, catching the attention of the people beneath them. But they were kept busy when water suddenly swept through the tunnel beneath she, Gray, and the newcomer that Gray hated so much, sweeping them all out of sight.

"You're _dead_ ," Gray spat, lashing out with a sword of ice. It molded itself into a smaller sword, splitting into two at his order.

Silver smirked and laughed maniacally as he dropped into a crouch, fingers spread out and brushing over the ground. Wendy squealed, Charle lifting her above the floor when ice shot out, covering it. The entire floor was slicked over. Cobra snarled in alarm and made sure to leap before it washed over him. He slid ungracefully when he hit the ground, feet slipping beneath him.

In a regular moment, Gray would have laughed his ass off at the way Cobra fell.

Instead, his gaze narrowed. "Your magic isn't like this."

"Dead, remember?" Silver sneered.

"Shit, this is bad," Cobra rasped, looking up at Wendy. "C'mon, girly, we're gettin' outta here."

"We can't leave Gray," she protested, but Gray cut her off.

"I've got this. Go find Juvia," he ordered.

They faltered, but then nodded and took off, slipping and sliding on ice.

Silver's gaze slid over Gray's head, a chuckle leaving his lips. "Got yourself a girl, eh?"

Gray's response was as cold as the ice he wielded. "Shut up. How are you here?"

"I'm not," Silver retorted. "Not really. Keyes is quite crafty. I'm sure Miss Heartfilia will learn that soon enough. They've finally arrived. Every mage from the country of Fiore is on this cube. We've even got a couple of guests from the Alvarez Empire."

Gray narrowed his eyes, wondering silently why the Alvarez Empire would have anything to do with Tartaros. He'd heard of the country before; it was a peaceful one internally, but won every war it struck up. There had been rumors of a possible attack on Fiore for years that had never gone through.

Recognizing a distraction for what it was, however, Gray sliced with his weaponry and Silver cranked his head forward, clashing it against Gray's. He grunted, head spinning as Silver gave a brutal smile and shoved, blasting Gray back. He caught his balance with ease on the ice and tried to use it to his advantage with no success.

"In all of the years you've been an orphan, in the years you lived with Ur instead of your mother and I," Silver purred, drawing a furious look from his son, "is this all you've learned, Gray?"

He straightened his spine, black marks creeping up his arms and face, his grin growing into a demonic look. "Let me teach you something, son," he mused, "about the Fullbuster family."

Even Gray felt the nip of cold as a blizzard filled the corridor around them, blinding him.

* * *

 _More Silver! I actually like him. Too bad he didn't hang around long in the series. So much going on, right? And ooh, I can't wait. You will all hate me so badly soon._

 _FtfanDessarai! I, personally, would do option one. Leaves a better kind of BANG! ending in my opinion. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (AnonymousStalkerFriend, TabathaEvans, xSkiesOfBlue11, LePengwen, KitKat, The Age of Awesomeness, MagicalFoxInTheWilderness, Guest #1, naluobsessed, PinkFireandGoldenStars, FtfanDessarai, and Juvia is my spirit animal!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	237. Chapter 237

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"They're coming."

Mard Greer's gaze flicked up to rest on Seilah, who was watching a map that had found its way into her fingers. A gift, from their lord when Brandish had stepped in a second time, warning them that they had mere hours. They were alone, the other demons off playing with other mages.

Mard Greer gestured for the map. Seilah handed it over reluctantly, attached to it all ready. He chuckled, but looked down at it. He tracked each of the other demons. Silver was clashing with his son. Kyoka was making her way down through the levels of the cube, dragging Natsu Dragneel and his cat to the dungeons. Mard Greer glared at Jackal, who was fleeing a cluster of names while beneath him, Tempester was dealing with a couple that seemed to be swelling with those that had been left by Jackal. Franmalth and Ezel were working together to take on what seemed like an entire guild. Black mages swarmed through various corridors, hunting, as Torafuzar closed in on Fairy Tail's guildmaster.

But it was Lucy Heartfilia's name, approaching the room they stood in that made him smirk. He stood, abandoning his throne. "Come, Seilah. Keyes," he said, addressing the demon nearby. "You know what to-"

He didn't even finish speaking before a figure rippled into existence beside Keyes. She was still for a moment. Her eyes opened and then narrowed. Keyes surprised both Mard Greer and Seilah by making a low sound when Layla Heartfilia looked in his direction and smiled.

"Leave me," she said icily, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Mard Greer's lips twitched. She had free will. She was Layla Heartfilia given flesh, dragged from death. But Keyes had a place in her mind, urging her to do as they wanted. It was what had been done with Silver, and Mard Greer prided his fellow demon on it.

With a mocking bow, Mard Greer purred, "As you command, Queen Heartfilia."

Layla did not respond until the demons had left the throne room. With a small smirk, she took the throne for herself and lifted her upper half so that she looked like a proud queen, just as she knew herself to be.

And when Lucy stepped into the room, Layla did not smile as she greeted, "My dear daughter Lucy."

* * *

Gray stared at the man who had once been his father. Silver cackled, the streaks of black swirling around his flesh and splintering like cracked ice. Gray's mouth was dry as Silver drawled, "You weren't _taught_ ice magic, boy." He lunged, ice exploding from every part of his body. "There is a reason there was magic in an isolated village in the coldest country." He laughed loudly when Gray swore. "You were born with an ability we never taught you to use."

"That's a _lie_ ," Gray snarled, whirling out of the way. He molded what ice he could to try and send it back at Silver, but Silver disregarded it with a wave of his hands, not bothered. He grinned. "Ur taught me-"

"Strictly coincidence that you were found by an ice mage. Although I'm sure she knew." Silver was suddenly in front of him, smirking as he barreled into Gray. Pain exploded through Gray's side when some sharp icy weapon pierced through him. He shouted in pain. Suddenly, his lips were at Gray's ear. "There are eyes everywhere, Gray. Remember that in this hellhole."

Gray heaved, blood dripping from between his lips as he collapsed to his knees. Silver kept a tight grip on his shoulders, smirking even as he said, "Demon slaying magic, devil slaying magic, whatever you call it. The question is whether or not you'll know when to use it."

"What the hell," Gray spat, blood flying and spattering Silver's face when he used a dagger of ice to strike him, "are you talking about?!"

Silver looked demonic as he purred, "You'll learn one day. For now...why don't we _shatter that barrier._ "

* * *

Cursing under her breath, Mirajane pressed her back to Cana's and spat, "While I'm grateful to see that you're well, this is ridiculous."

"I agree," Cana agreed. She wasn't sure where Mirajane had come from, but she was glad she'd found her.

They were surrounded by black mages, all of which were targeting whoever they came across. There were quite a few of the guild mages around, all fighting for their lives - and doing fairly well if the screams and shouts of triumph were anything to go by. Then again, those could be the screaming victories of the enemy…

Nearby, Elfman swung a monstrous arm and swept a mass of black mages out of the way. Mirajane felt a warmth in her chest at the sight of her brother, relieved that he was doing okay. She hoped Lisanna was okay. She looked up, trying to not feel strange when she saw the world beneath them. She grimaced. "Duck," Cana ordered and Mirajane dropped as the card mage sent a circle of cards out in every direction.

The mages seemed almost endless.

But Mirajane was confident enough that her magic was close enough to endless that she shifted forms, feeling it drain at her magic as she lunged.

* * *

"Alright back there?" Gildarts demanded, each step cracking the cube beneath them. Every now and then it screamed in agony, as if it were alive. Lyon was struggling to follow him, Meredy's arm slung over his. She hissed in pain with each step, her ankle dangling awkwardly as she hopped along, leaning heavily on the ice-make mage.

"Not really," Meredy muttered.

"So far," Lyon told Gildarts, grimacing sympathetically.

They were making their way across the damn cube, the space around them empty. It was like a desert. Lyon hated it, wondering just how the hell this thing had managed to erase his dragon. He'd worked damn hard on it, and knew without a doubt that it had to have been something strong to melt his dragon like that.

Not just anything wrecked Lyon Vastia's work.

But he focused on other things. Like keeping Meredy safe as Gildarts knelt to study the ground. "There's something strong coming," he rumbled. "Not something I've felt before outside of-"

He cut off, staring at the ground.

"Gildarts?" Lyon demanded.

Gildarts glanced up. "I felt it once. During the battle with the dragons. For only a few minutes. But it's dark magic. Ancient magic. I'm worried about who it belongs to."

Meredy shuddered and thought back to her days of crime. "Could it be someone high ranking?"

Gildarts stood. "Maybe. Hold on. I'm getting you kids out of here." Without questioning if they were all right with it, he stamped a foot and the world beneath their feet shattered. A split second later, Meredy shrieked as they fell through the cube.

* * *

"My dear daughter Lucy."

Lucy stumbled, barely catching herself. Loke dragged her upright, his own breath catching in his throat at the sight of the blonde queen that sat upon the throne of Tartaros.

Layla looked just as he remembered, with her long blonde hair curled and put up in a bun. Her eyes were hooded, glittering with some emotion he couldn't place, her body clothed in a dress of ivory. Gold jewelry covered her wrists and throat, and when she spoke, her voice nearly had him dropping to his knees in tears.

"We don't have much time." Layla straightened, thrusting her shoulders back. Her dark eyes darted to Loke, filling with a brief warmth. "Keyes brought me back. To fetch the book of END, but I will not touch that damned book. Leo. Take it to Igneel."

"I can't," he rasped. "He's not...available right now."

"Then Lucy, you must take the book and destroy it." Her eyes shifted to her daughter, who stared at her with tears in her eyes. Layla's gaze hardened. When Lucy shook her head, refusing, she blinked. "You've learned the truth. Of END."

"I will not destroy that book," Lucy said sharply.

"You are young." Layla spoke softly, shaking her head. "For love, you risk the world. I cannot encourage that, but it is not something many would sacrifice for their lover. Igneel's son...your fates have been entwined since long before your birth. When the second prince of the Alvarez Empire was born, it was said that his fire burned a gold that rivaled that of the Spirits."

Lucy's lips parted in surprise at that thought. But rather than focusing on it, she payed closer attention as Layla turned to Loke. She cleared her throat. "If my daughter will not destroy the book, then Tartaros must be stopped." Her jaw worked furiously. "Leo, you know what must be done. Mard Greer can not be destroyed by a normal mage or Spirit."

Lucy's head snapped around to look at him as he swallowed thickly and bowed to the queen. "I understand. Thank you."

"I don't understand," Lucy protested.

"You will." Layla stood and descended from the throne. Loke kept his distance, protecting the book of END even from his old mistress as Layla pressed her hand to Lucy's cheek. "I am proud of what you've accomplished, my dear." She smiled sweetly. "But it is time for you to learn what true loss is."

"What?" Lucy breathed. Before she could question Layla further, however, something snapped out of the shadows and slammed _through_ her chest. Lucy shrieked in protest as her mother's face melted away until she was nothing but dust.

"I did not intend," a voice mused quietly from the shadows, "to encounter Queen Layla Heartfilia again."

Tears rolling down Lucy's cheeks, she whirled around. Loke was back at her side in an instant, his knuckles white as he clutched his suit jacket to him. He bared his fangs at the man who stepped out of the shadows.

"Zeref," Lucy whispered, her blood running cold. Two others stepped out beside him. An older man, who calmly looked upon them with cool indifference, a staff in his hand, and a woman with short green hair and a nasty look in her dark eyes. She glared hatefully at Lucy and beside her, Loke swore.

"Spriggans," he seethed.

Lucy didn't know what he meant, but she knew it wasn't good. She stepped closer to him, her body stiff. Zeref wore a suit, expensive but simple. His cool eyes stared her down. A glint of maniacal excitement lit in his gaze after a moment, followed by a small smile. She shuddered. "The book of END, if you will. It is what I sent the demons for, after all."

Lucy snorted. "Did you think I'd just hand it over? I know what it is. What it means. And you won't touch a single page of that book." She felt Loke's magic press into hers, encouraging her to use a Star Dress. But she refused for the time being.

Instead, she turned and _ran_.

* * *

Natsu's eyes snapped open to darkness. No, not darkness, dimness. Dimness that blocked for quite a bit of sight, but not enough of his enhanced senses to block his sight. "Happy?" he croaked when he saw a shiver ball of blue fur nearby, curled up on the cold stone floor.

Happy was up in an instant. "Natsu!" he sobbed in relief. He launched himself at the fire mage, and Natsu caught him tiredly, feeling weak and sore. He could have slept for a week. He probably would when this was all over.

With Lucy, if she was up for a long nap.

Natsu ignored his aching body and heaved himself to his feet, groaning. Happy clung to his shoulder as he explained what had happened. Kyoka had dragged him here, nearly losing his scarf along the way - Natsu wanted to whimper at the loss he felt over it until Happy produced it from where he'd hidden it in a corner- and locked them into a prison without an explanation. "I didn't hear or see anyone else on our way here," Happy added.

"Not even Luce?" Natsu questioned.

"Not even Lucy," Happy confirmed nervously, looking worried. "Do you think she's okay?"

Natsu climbed to his feet and tested the bars with a hard shake. "She'll be fine," he said, though he didn't sound confident about the matter as he began to heat his hands to a high temperature, trying to melt the bars. "She's Luce. If she can beat a Spirit Queen, she can kick Tartaros' ass."

* * *

 _So much stuff happening! Layla spoke! And Zeref's arrived with Spriggans! Tartaros is almost over and you're all going to hate me. I say this every time, but I don't lie._

 _On another note...we'll hit 5500 reviews with this chapter and the only thing I can say is THANK YOU! I'll post a preview of a newly written chapter along with an extra update on Saturday. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, TabathaEvans, LePengwen, Samm, xSkiesOfBlue11, Guest #1, PinkFireandGoldenStars, FtfanDessarai, AnonymousStalkerFriend, and KitKat!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	238. Chapter 238

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Tch," Zeref muttered, agitated as he tried to calm his temper. He took a deep breath to calm his magic as it swelled. "August."

"Emperor," he rumbled, his calm face looking to Zeref's.

"See to it that Mard Greer is summoned." Zeref strode towards the throne that practically reeked of demonic curses and settled himself upon it. These were _his_ demons. If Mard Greer so much as _thought_ that he held a shred of control in this demonic cube… "Brandish. I want Miss Heartfilia at my feet in an hour. Drag her here. Blind her. Dismember her. But _alive_. If the gift she possesses dies out, then everything will be ruined."

Brandish sneered at Lucy's name but bowed her head in respect. "Of course." She strode off, her fingers twitching. People screamed in agony as they were suddenly trapped and crushed within shrunken tunnels. Tunnels that with each step, she sensed. She paused to look back. "Shall I bring Prince Natsu as well?"

Zeref crossed his legs at the knee, propping his chin on a fist and stared with sharp red eyes at Brandish. She met his gaze fearlessly; she was one of his Spriggans, not like Larcade - who annoyed him - or the rebellious Ajeel. She quietly wondered why he hadn't brought Invel, who was usually a favorite of Zeref's.

"No," Zeref said finally. "Let him find his way here on his own. I will see him when I regain the book of END. Go." He waved them off dismissively.

Brandish did as she was told, walking quickly away. Her thoughts clashed violently in her head, distracting her. There were quite a few things that she couldn't figure out. One was Zeref's obsession with Lucy Heartfilia. Even the thought of the bitch made her want to scream. Another was the determination to acquire the book of END, which she knew he had no intentions of using.

But what she was most worried about was the fate of her country.

* * *

Natsu let out a snarl of rage when he couldn't melt the bars. But that rage turned to forced casualness when a shocked call of his name filled his ears. "Oh, hey, Lily, didn't see you there. Oh, and look, Happy, it's-"

"Natsu!" Asuka laughed, hand in hand with Romeo. Lily was beside them in his larger form, sword drawn. She ran to the bars and Natsu shoved his hands through to stop her from touching them. They were much too hot for her to even think about touching!

"What's she _doing here_?" Natsu demanded, glaring at Lily as Romeo eyed the bars in thought.

"Everyone got sucked up, Natsu," Romeo supplied. "We don't know where everyone else is."

"They want the book," Natsu rumbled, shaking his head. "The book Lucy took from Igneel's hoard. Loke has it. They'll be focusing on them right now, I think."

"Not really." Lily grimaced, tapping for weak points in the bars. No one looked surprised when Natsu shrugged his torn and shredded shirt over his head and tossed it aside. The heat was sweltering in the room. "They're after everyone. _Everyone_."

Natsu's magic surged and tried to find something that might clue him in on what was going on. Nothing. It was as if the cell he was in was blocking off everything around him. He swore under his breath as he gave the bars a hard shake.

On his head, Happy said, "Is there any door?"

"Not that I'm seeing," Romeo said. "Asuka, stay near Lily, okay?"

Lily scooped her up when she went over to him. Natsu began tapping on the walls as Romeo closely inspected the bars. Finally, Romeo gave a shout of triumph and called, "Natsu!"

"What'd ya find?" Natsu darted over to where Romeo was fiddling with something. He peered at it closely. It was a pair of hinges, or something similar. Natsu yanked hard with Romeo and Happy helping him and with a loud crash, they were ripped free. The door caught on a lock, but with Natsu and Romeo both applying molten hot fire to the hinges they gave way enough that Natsu could slip through with Happy on his shoulder.

"Yes!" Natsu laughed in triumph. He grinned at Romeo and ruffled his hair. "Long time no see, Romeo. Doin' okay?"

"Yep." Romeo flashed him a quick grin. "What do we do now? Are we going to find Lucy and the others?"

"No." Natsu took a deep breath. "I want you two to help me find the boss of this place. Get rid of him, and I think we'll be okay - what the hell?!"

"What _is_ this?" Romeo yelped, trying to yank his feet free of the suddenly sticky floor. Lily swore and shifted Asuka to his shoulders. The pounding and slushing of feet yanking free of the floor filled Natsu's ears and he looked up in time to see Wendy, Charle, and Cobra barrel out of the nearby corridor, their breath heaving in their chest.

"Wendy!" Natsu cheered, catching the small dragon slayer by the shoulders when she nearly slammed into him.

"Charle!" Happy squealed.

"Natsu!" Wendy cried, throwing her arms around him. He hugged her tightly in greeting as Asuka squealed Cobra's name for no reason. He looked a little touched and claimed her heart was pure as Lily handed her hesitantly to the venom mage.

Holding her with ease, Cobra growled, "Gray's fighting his dad, apparently, and we were gonna look for others or figure out how to get out of here."

Happy earned himself a scowl when he informed them, "Natsu fought Kyoka but lost."

"Thank you, Happy, that's what I wanted everyone to know." Natsu rolled his eyes. "She amplified pain and then _blinded_ me. Who _blinds_ people?"

No one decided to remind him that it was common to blind people who were being dragged to who knows where. Instead, they focused on other matters. "There was a huge swell of magic not too long ago," Lily rumbled. "Do you know what it was? Any of you?"

"I didn't feel anything," Natsu groaned, glaring over his shoulder at the cell. He'd been unconscious.

"It was really dark," Wendy said softly. "Really, really dark. Darker than the demons' curse magic, Natsu."

Cobra shook his head. "Black magic. From Zeref." Their heads snapped around to look at the furious dragon slayer. "I remember what that magic feels like from when Zeref murdered Hades, and I know it was him."

" _Zeref_ is here?" Natsu breathed, his eyes blackening with anger. He swore and earned himself a nasty look from Lily, who gestured towards Asuka. "We have to find Lucy," he rumbled. "He's after Lucy. And Loke, I guess."

"What does he want with Lucy?" Romeo questioned, frowning.

"We don't know," Natsu admitted. "But I'd really like to…"

* * *

Levy screamed when the water first slammed into them, scrabbling to keep a grip on _someone_. She hit the ground on her back, hard enough that she saw stars. She choked when water filled her mouth and one thought filled her mind:

Juvia had said it was poisonous.

She spat as much of it out of her mouth as she could and scrambled to her feet, screaming, "Don't swallow it!"

Torafuzar grinned maliciously from where he'd appeared, his eyes practically glowing. "Learned the secret, did you? Who told you?"

"Bickslow," Laxus ordered, "Juvia will absorb it, get her out of here."

"On it!" Bickslow bolted down the corridor, and Kinana was sent after them with Evergreen when Makarov ordered it. Levy shot to her feet, staggering when her head spun, but settled into a fighting stance. She built on Laxus' electricity, which he made sure didn't touch any of his guildmates.

One touch, she knew, and they'd be electrocuted with the water slicking them.

She would have preferred to fight the entirety of Grimoire Heart again then this. This was a lethal combination. Laxus would have won in seconds had he not had to worry about the rest of them.

As if reading her mind, Laxus snarled, "Gramps, get outta here. Levy, Freed, Ever, see if you can find the others."

"Laxus," Makarov warned, but the lightning mage was having none of it. He warned them off with a large crack, and Makarov finally gave his grandson a glare before urging, "Come along, let's see if we can find Asuka…" He moved to take a step - only to find that his feet were stuck. "What?"

Levy gasped, panic filling her when she found the ground surging up to swallow her.

Torafuzar laughed. "The cube's had enough of you guys destroying it. And with our lord's arrival, it appears that we have no use of you."

Freed exchanged a worried look with Levy, who stiffened when a whisper filled her mind. She wasn't alone in hearing it if the looks on her friends' faces were anything to go by.

 _"If you think you'll win, then you best think otherwise,"_ a voice Levy had never heard before purred. _"Unless the book of END is returned to our hands, then you will find yourselves dead."_

"What? What book?" Levy breathed.

"The thing they were looking for," Laxus grunted. "The thing they took Lucy for, probably."

 _"What will it be, Miss Heartfilia?"_ Then Lucy had it!

Lucy must have responded, because Torafuzar laughed and whoever they were hearing chuckled darkly. _"Your loss."_

That dark laughter was the last thing Levy heard before there was nothing, water filling the tunnel around her.

* * *

Gray gave a snarl, not understanding a word that his should-be dead father told him. "What barrier? I don't-"

"Understand?" Silver slammed a steel-toed boot into Gray's ribs and Gray yelped as a sharp crack filled the air. "I'm surprised you haven't recognized the power at this point." Silver put his heel on Gray's throat, aware that the ground beneath his feet began to latch onto the ice-make mage. "Remember this, _son_ ," he said quickly.

Gray stared up at him with a glare on his face, feeling the ground surround him.

"Break past that icey little barrier in your magic and you'll summon it." He cocked his head, smirking down at him. And then Gray was gone, disappearing beneath the cube's touch. "Preferably before your friend discovers the truth about who and what he is."

* * *

"Lucy!"

The alarm in Loke's voice was enough to catch her attention. She turned in time to find the book of END thrust into her arms. Mard Greer's laughter filled her ears, an answer to her snarled denial of his demand. Loke's eyes were fierce as he hissed, "Do _not_ let them get it!"

"Why can't you take it?!" she demanded, but he ignored her. Instead, he smiled faintly.

"Lucy," he said softly, "there is a way to summon the Spirit King. When the time comes to summon him, I will be there. My only request is that you do exactly as I say." She blinked. "Promise me. Vow as you would when making a contract."

"I... I promise." He kissed her forehead. "Loke-"

But he was gone.

The book was heavy in her arms. She nervously looked around, shivering in fear when she realized she was alone. She took off at a run when she thought she heard something, tears filling her eyes.

She was silent as she bolted down a corridor. She flew down a flight of stairs, hugging Natsu's very soul to her chest as she did. The only comfort she held was the heat of her pendant, Igneel's magic swirling around her. Igneel's presence was heavy on her shoulders as she paused in shock, finding herself in a hall of cells.

"Natsu!" she breathed in relief when she saw a group with her pink-haired companion at the very center. She grinned, tears filling her eyes. "Natsu!" she called.

He spun around, eyes widening. "Luce?!"

"Shit!" Cobra swore. "Asuka-"

Lucy was half-way down the hall when she saw the ground suddenly surging, turning into some kind of pinkish-red goop. Alarmed yelps and shouts filled the air as they found themselves stuck. Lucy's feet didn't stick as she pushed herself.

She reached Cobra first. She didn't dare set the book aside, but snatched up Asuka when Cobra shoved her at the celestial mage. He was covered in the strange substance up to his hips by that point, his eyes blazing as he tried to spit venom at it. It didn't melt, seeming to even absorb it. Wendy shrieked, trying to squirm free as Charle disappeared beneath it.

Asuka clung to Lucy, whimpering. Lucy's arm was shaking beneath her weight, but she didn't dare set her down.

"Help!" Happy squeaked, struggling to get his tail free. The substance dragged him down sharply, and Lucy lurched past Cobra to try and free him, but didn't make it in time.

"Happy!" she screeched as he vanished. Lily was gone, and Wendy's voice fell silent. Terror filled her, and the blast of heat behind her had her whirling around. "Natsu," she gasped, lunging for his hand. Half-stuck himself, Natsu thrashed against whatever was trying to drag him down. He collapsed to his knees, swearing when they were sucked into the material. It grew faster and faster, streaking up his throat and tightening.

"Damn it," he snarled as it dragged him onto the ground, trapping him.

Lucy's hand missed his fingers as they were slammed to the ground.

She was alone with Asuka and the book of END, staring at the ground as it flattened, returned to its original state. Shouts and howls of excitement from their enemies filled the air, but Lucy sobbed, shifted Asuka, and ran.

* * *

 _Ahhh! I told you Auska was a big deal in this arc. Now look at the poor child. Everyone's been caught up by the cube and we're onto the final portion of the Tartaros arc. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (TabathaEvans, kklolo2oct, Guest #1, The Age of Awesomeness, Typhlosion8, Guest #2, LePengwen, Samm, anand891996, Dragondancer81, Lodemai04, pixiecatost, KitKat, and Guest #3!) as well as those who favoritd and followed!_

 _Thanks so much for 5500 reviews! As promised, a sneak peek. ;)_

* * *

 _ **A Preview of Chapter 260!**_

 _It was the moment he realized that he hadn't minded what he'd done that Gray found himself frantic._

 _There was blood on his hands and_ it didn't bother him _._

 _It had come from the innocent man he'd been demanding information from._

And it didn't bother him.

 _He'd been smiling, really smiling, as he'd cracked his fist over the man's jaw._

 _The second it hit him, Gray flung himself away in disgust. The half-dead man stared at him in terror and confusion. "Get...get to a hospital," he ordered, and then practically fled. He bolted down a village path, his heart thudding painfully. His eyes burned, but he blinked rapidly. "What the hell?" he spat to himself when he stopped to catch his breath. He heaved for air._

 _"What the hell is wrong with me?" he whispered, looking at his blood-caked hands._

 _The cult, Avatar, had sent him to gather information - they'd urged him to take matters in a violent direction if need be - and he'd done so. He'd willingly hurt someone. What kind of Fairy Tail mage was he?_

 _But he wasn't, he realized, touching the place his emblem once rested. He wasn't Fairy Tail._

 _He was a mage on loan to the damn Magic Council._

 _A mage who'd gone too far._


	239. Chapter 239

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy supposed she should have known better than to think she'd get very far.

Asuka screamed along with her as a blast of harmless magic sent her flying onto her back. Lucy's head spun. She saw stars as she tried to come to her senses. She did so long enough to discover someone ripping Asuka from her arms.

"Asuka!" Lucy shouted, lunging.

A heeled foot hit her sharply in the chest. The green-haired woman from before, Brandish, stood over her. A sneer decorated her otherwise pretty face as she snarled, "You have two choices, Lucy Heartfilia." Lucy's eyes burned as she climbed to her feet. Brandish held Asuka tightly as the girl squirmed. Lucy grimaced at the language Asuka spouted; Mirajane and Bisca would have been horrified.

"One," Brandish hummed, "you can come with me and give up the book of END to my emperor and your god."

"Not an option," Lucy snarled.

"Or two," Brandish continued, "I kill this girl and crush your friends and their guilds beneath my foot." She snapped her fingers and a newcomer appeared at her side. No, Lucy realized a moment later.

He'd been there all along, his smile bright. He'd just been small enough that Lucy hadn't seen him. He seemed joyous to be there, but Lucy could see the furious look in his eye. "Here, Marin," Brandish said, shoving Asuka at him. With a wave of his hand, the girl screamed and disappeared.

"Asuka!' Lucy shrieked.

"Oh, shut it," Brandish snapped. "She's fine. For now."

Lucy paused to think and then demanded, "Give Asuka back first."

"Marin," Brandish drawled, "spit someone out."

"Of course," he purred, snapping his fingers. Someone hit the ground, heaving for air at her feet, and Lucy's face paled at the sight of a shocked Cobra. His good eye was wide, staring up at her in confusion that she shared. "Oops. Wrong one."

"Are you coming?" Brandish snipped, studying her nails. "Or will we be killing everyone you love and hold dear?"

Lucy reached for her keys, but something in the back of her mind told her, _Not yet, not yet. A little bit longer. Wait a_ little _bit longer._

Lucy, clenching her jaw, said sharply, "Fine. I'll come with you." She stooped and grabbed Cobra's arm. He let her haul him to her feet, staggering as he hissed like a snake at them.

She could read the fear in his eyes, and it struck her that if Cobra was here, that meant this Marin person held _everyone_ in his grasp.

Her grip on the book of END tightened.

She'd, perhaps, be breaking a promise this night.

* * *

"Spriggans. Goddamn _Spriggans_ ," Cobra was hissing in her ear, drawing a wry smile from Lucy's face. "And _Zeref_ -"

"Could you, you know, shut up for a second? We're almost there," Lucy scolded, rolling her eyes. "Yes, Zeref's here. Yes, Spriggans are with him. _Yes_ , whatever they offer, I'm probably going to get all of us killed. So shut your mouth. Shut it right now."

Cobra looked offended. "I wasn't going to ask any of that."

"Sure you weren't. You can read my mind and heart, but I can read your face. So _sh_."

Brandish snorted, and then - much to Lucy's shock - she sneezed. Once, twice, and then even a third time as she covered her nose. Marin beamed, looking delighted as she sneezed a fourth time. "How cute, Lady Brandish!"

"Shut up!" she shrieked in a high-pitched snarl. "You!" She pointed at Cobra. "Marin, remove him."

Lucy grabbed Cobra's arm and slid between him and Marin despite Cobra's snort of amusement. "Really, Blondie?"

Marin paused, however, and Brandish scowled irritably.

 _"Lady Brandish,"_ a silken voice in their heads purred, suddenly cutting them off.

Lucy shuddered. _Mard Greer_.

"Right," Brandish snapped, grabbing Lucy's shoulder and shoving her forward. "Get moving. My emperor wants you at his feet within the hour." Lucy silently wondered why. She dug her heels in, but it was Cobra who shocked her most.

"Do it," he ordered. "Go, Blondie." His good eye sparkled with some kind of excitement Lucy didn't understand. As if he'd suddenly converted to their side-

"Cobra-"

But no, he simply dragged her forward, hissing, "Come _on_. They have Cu - Kinana and fuck the world if I can't drag her out of here alive, do you understand?"

Lucy understood the extent of Cobra's loyalty in that moment and he threw her a near apologetic look when she yanked her arm away. "It's not as if Zeref intends to use it," he muttered, and that nearly stopped Lucy in her tracks.

 _Don't give it to him._

"What?" she breathed.

"He wants it, but he's not going to use it," Cobra retorted, ignoring the glowering Spriggan. "I can hear his thoughts loud and clear. He wants to keep it and that's it. What better way to protect the book than that? Natsu will be safe." He gave her a pointed look.

 _Don't give it to him!_

 _"Lucy, there is a way to summon the Spirit King. When the time comes to summon him, I will be there."_

Cobra heard Loke's words in her mind loud and clear and gave her a grin.

"Bingo, Blondie."

 _Take it away! Destroy it!_

Lucy wrapped her fingers around Loke's key and didn't hesitate when they returned to the throne room.

Zeref had claimed the throne now. He sat there, red eyes glittering, and Lucy thought he looked like the emperor he was as she crossed the throne room. The man from earlier, August, was there before them, watching cautiously.

Her arms were tight around the book of END.

She stared down Zeref in silence as he crooked a finger towards Brandish and August. They abandoned their posts to join him. The Nine Demon Gates and Mard Greer surrounded them. Jackal clicked his jaws impatiently, sparks flying. Seilah had her hateful eyes on Lucy.

"Where's Minerva?" Lucy breathed. She hadn't seen the woman since the accident.

No one answered, though Lucy saw Mard Greer curl a lip at the woman's name.

Lucy took a chance and summoned Loke. Zeref's gaze flickered and Lucy knew instinctively that he was aware of what she planned to do. Loke rumbled a growl.

"The book, please," Zeref said quietly, his power thrumming into existence around them.

"No," Lucy said firmly, raising her chin.

"The book," Zeref repeated. "Please."

" _No_."

"Brandish," Zeref sighed, waving for her to step forward. She flicked her finger and Marin beamed. Lucy stiffened when Natsu hit the ground in front of Zeref, chest rising and falling rapidly. His onyx eyes rolled to lock on Zeref with hatred - pure hatred. Lucy doubted he even knew she was there.

" _Zeref_ ," he spat as the man calmly rose from his newly acquired throne.

"Kyoka, if you would," Zeref sighed, and the demon rose from her knees, grinning at Lucy. Lucy's face paled when Natsu swore. August offered Zeref the staff in his hands and Zeref thanked him as he took it. He weighed it thoughtfully in his hand, and then without a second of hesitation, brought it down as hard as he could on Natsu's shoulders.

Lucy remembered how silent he'd been when he'd been impaled upon the gas station exploding at the revealing of magic. She remembered him standing up to Jellal, covered in injuries. She remembered his fearless attack on Rogue, even as blood stuck to him.

And she never thought she'd hear the agonized _scream_ that left him.

"The book, please," Zeref said calmly.

"Natsu-" Lucy pleaded, tightening her grip so that her knuckles were white.

He struck again and Natsu shrieked. "The book."

"Lucy," Cobra snapped, gripping Lucy's arm. "Surely it can't be _that_ important!"

Again, the staff cracked down. When Lucy said nothing, he snorted. "Brandish. Bring forth the girl."

Marin did as Brandish told him. Lucy hit the ground on her knees, sobbing as Asuka landed atop Natsu with a squeal. Natsu groaned, gritting the sound out between his teeth. "Please," Lucy pleaded.

This time, Zeref swung instantly and Natsu swung an arm up to protect the girl, yelping when the staff connected. There was only silence from those around them, the only sounds from Lucy, Zeref, and Natsu. Asuka, silent, shuddered in fear.

"The book, Miss Heartfilia, is all it will take," Zeref purred, "to stop this. The book, and I will leave you and your guildmates in peace. I'll even leave you the secret to ridding yourself of Tartaros."

"My lord," Mard Greer began, but Zeref silenced him with a glare.

It took three more blows - Natsu going so far as to roll himself over top Asuka to protect the terrified child - before Lucy cracked beneath the sounds of a staff thudding on flesh and the crack of Natsu's ribs. "Fine!" she shrieked. Zeref paused mid-blow. "Fine," she sobbed.

"Lucy," Loke warned, watching her face intently.

Zeref rested the butt of the staff on the floor. Natsu heaved for air, relaxing his head on Asuka's as Zeref waved Kyoka away. The demon scowled but did as told. Lucy's lips trembled as she set the book of END before her knees and looked at it.

Natsu. This was Natsu's soul, his life, _everything_.

She lifted her gaze and then recoiled when she found Zeref a breath away, crouched before her. Natsu made a sound akin to a vicious snarl of anger, flames bursting to life around he and Asuka. She didn't flinch despite Natsu's nearly screamed order that Zeref back off. She didn't move as Zeref drew a finger beneath her chin, gripping it like he had so many months ago.

And still, even as he spoke, her fingers didn't leave it.

"Give me," he breathed, "the book, Miss Heartfilia. For the book to be passed on, it must be handed over by a Heartfilia descendant."

"I want everyone released," she demanded. "Release _everyone_."

"Brandish," Zeref said sharply.

"Marin," she breathed, ordering her follower.

Marin scowled as he snapped his fingers, grumbling about using so much magic for such pointless things. It earned him a dark look from Brandish. "There. Everyone, back where they belong. Beneath us, on the ground rather than this stupid cube."

"Proof," Lucy demanded.

"Seilah," Mard Greer ordered, "give me the map." Zeref didn't move as Seilah sidled over, handing the map to Zeref. He studied it and then offered her the map to look at herself. Lucy took a shaken breath and called for Natsu to bring Asuka over.

She felt horrible, knowing he was in pain as he stumbled over. Cobra plucked up the girl and drew Natsu's arm over his shoulder, grunting beneath his weight. Zeref worked his jaw furiously and tightened his grip. "The book of END, please." He smirked. "Or, perhaps, I'll just take you with us now. The heart of the fairies is a highly powerful thing to hold…"

Lucy looked to Loke out of the corner of her eye, seeking his reassurance. He watched, waiting. She took a deep breath, and then shoved Zeref's hand away. "I'm sorry, Loke," she croaked.

"I know, Princess," he said sorrowfully, and watched as Lucy picked the book of END up and placed it in Zeref's hands.

* * *

 _I apologize for me being horrendous in terms of updates. I forgot Monday and almost forgot again. College is busy. |D_

 _BUT LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENED! SO MUCH EXCITEMENT! AND TARTAROS ENDS WITHIN THE NEXT TWO CHAPTERS!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, Guest #1, TabathaEvans, LePengwen, FtfanDessarai, Lodemai04, KitKat, NaLu and InuKag, AnonymousStalkerFriend, Juvia is my spirit animal, Yu, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	240. Chapter 240

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The second the book left her hands, Zeref was on his feet and Lucy felt Loke drag her to her feet. "Lucy," he said, "I need you to listen to me."

"I'm sorry," she breathed, "I'm sorry!"

"Lucy-"

"Natsu," she gasped, whirling, but he was watching Zeref with a hateful look as the black mage turned and strode back to the throne, humming as he tucked the book safely into his suit jacket, "Brandish, August, we'll be returning to the palace. Invel will want to hear your reports upon our arrival."

Brandish inclined her head and August murmured an agreement, studying Natsu for a long moment. His gaze was empty, but puzzled at the same time.

"Oh, and Miss Heartfilia," Zeref mused, pausing to look back at her. "I'll be speaking with you eventually. Stay on your toes. Enjoy your fun, but refrain from killing she and Natsu, Mard Greer. I'm not ready to part with them."

His gaze locked with Natsu's glaring onyx gaze and Natsu's gaze filled with horror when he smiled and said, "Farewell, little brother."

And then he was gone along with his companions, and the small group of mages were left alone with the demons of Tartaros.

Mard Greer's eyes lit up with deadly glee.

" _Lucy_ ," Loke hissed, "This is important! Focus!"

"Right," she breathed, clinging to her Spirit.

"Natsu!" Loke barked, whirling on him. "Out! Drop _out_. Break your way through the floor and get out _now_."

Natsu looked shocked. "What about-"

"Cobra," he continued, cutting off the fire mage, "I want those who can to be ready to catch Lucy when she falls."

"I...I understand? How the _hell_ do you expect us to not kill ourselves though?" Cobra said, though Natsu finally latched onto that and snarled _,_ " _What_?"

"The others will be watching. Gemini summoned itself under emergency circumstances and alerted them. Go!"

"I'll be fine, Natsu," Lucy said, ignoring the blood on his lips as she reached up to touch his cheek. She didn't understand, didn't know what Loke was trying to do as the demons prepared themselves to attack. He trapped her hand there, searching her gaze. She smiled.

"I promise you, Natsu Dragneel," she said fiercely, kissing his forehead after drawing him down, "I'll find you."

Cobra didn't wait for him to reply; he destroyed the floor beneath them with a massive glob of venom and they were free falling through the skies beneath the cube, shouting commands as they caught sight of a distant shape racing for them.

"Do you think for an instant," Mard Greer murmured, "that we can't bring them back, Miss Heartfilia?"

Lucy whirled to face him. Her heart pounding in her face, she snapped, "No, but I also have no doubt in my mind that you won't be alive to ruin our lives anymore."

 _It's time_ , a voice whispered in her mind.

Loke leaned in, hands on her shoulders, and murmured, "You vowed on your word as a celestial mage to do as I said, Lucy Heartfilia. And it is with that in mind that I order you, the only order a Spirit can give their mage, to break my key and summon the Spirit King."

Her heart stopped.

"No," she whispered, "you can't ask me to do that, Loke, please-"

"You vowed," he chided gently, eyes watching as Jackal's jaws parted, sparks preparing to light up. "Do not break that vow, Lucy. You promised Natsu that you would find him. And I'm promising you something similar."

A sob left her mouth as she reached for his key, removing it from her keyring.

Loke closed his eyes, kissing her head. "I promise that I will refuse a contract with another mage until you find me."

The tears streamed endlessly down her face as she pressed his key to her lips.

As she took it between her two hands and screamed her pain to the heavens she looked to, snapping the golden metal between her fingers.

She could feel the magic draining right out of her as Loke smiled warmly and murmured, "Goodbye, Lucy," before disappearing in a flash of light.

* * *

Natsu was being hauled onto the scaled back of a pissed Ophiuchus when the cube above exploded. Asuka screamed in Cobra's arms. Yukino kept her fingers tangled into Natsu's shredded clothes, her head cranked back.

Natsu was struck with deja vu.

He remembered watching that orb explode, thinking Lucy was dead. He remembered Sting spitting light at it and watching it explode.

He remembered kissing Lucy for the first time after just narrowly catching her when she was thrown from the sky like a shooting star.

His onyx eyes hardened when he spotted that familiar flash of gold, the color glowing in the sun's weak rays, plummeting. "Lyon!" he shouted, pointing, and Lyon, who had been watching them closely on an eagle of ice, shot through the air like a rocket. But before he could catch Lucy, something else snagged her, stopping her from hitting the ground.

"Happy!" Natsu cheered as the blue-furred cat purred and shouted a greeting before heading for the ground.

Lyon's eagle and Ophiuchus tilted to follow and Natsu allowed himself to look at the sky. It was dotted with stars, the barest streaks of dawn appearing on the eastern horizon. In the shadows of the fading night sky, Natsu thought he saw the Spirit King stare him down and incline his head before fading from view.

The second they landed, there was chaos. They were swarmed. Lyon laughed when Chelia bounded over to him, followed closely by Sorano, Meredy, and Cobra. Kinana was under Cobra's arm, her eyes sparkling. Gildarts bellowed Cana's name when he spotted and the brunette moaned complaints, but her eyes shone suspiciously when he dragged her in for a hug.

" _Asuka_!" Bisca's voice screamed in relief, and Asuka threw herself into her parents' arms, sobbing. Alzack wrapped his arms around them both, groaning his relief as he pressed his face into their hair. Bisca cried hysterically, clutching at her daughter.

"Lucy," Natsu wheezed when Erza helped him to his feet, looking shocked when he retched, nearly vomiting at their feet. Pain raced through every nerve in his body. "I have to find her-"

"Wendy's checking her over," Erza reassured, helping him through the crowds of people around them. She supported a few bruises herself, particularly a massive one that crossed over her cheekbone. "She's unconscious and bruised and battered, but not lethally."

Natsu groaned in relief and then smiled when a trill of his name filled the air. His face pale with pain as he walked, he sank to the ground beside Lucy's unconscious form. Beside her, Gray was leaning into Juvia's shoulder, his eyes dead enough that Natsu paused to ask if he was okay.

"My dad was there," Gray breathed, "Silver Fullbuster was up there, and he told me that...he told me…"

Juvia ran a hand through Gray's hair, dark purple shadows beneath her eyes, but said nothing.

Wendy suddenly whimpered, pressing a hand over Lucy's head. "She needs to get to an ER, or a hospital at the least...whatever happened, it drained her of magic. She's barely alive."

Natsu licked his bloodied lips and looked to the sky. "She summoned the Spirit King."

" _Fuck_ ," a voice grumbled. They looked up as Gajeel, Levy beside him with Lily in her arms, paused before them. The solid-script mage matched Juvia in appearance as she stooped to look at Lucy. "She's crazy."

"Perhaps," Levy murmured, "but she may have saved us all."

Natsu didn't bother to talk as he curled up beside Lucy, dragging Happy to him. He simply closed his eyes and pressed his lips to her shoulder, choosing to sleep instead of contemplate the devastation that had ruined their lives.

* * *

Makarov and the other guildmasters sent word to Hisui that the crisis was over. He sent whoever could handle it out to help the people of Fiore return to their hometowns, and it wasn't many who could.

A different kind of crisis arose in the meantime, however. Natsu awoke the second night to find Lucy choking, her breath stopped. Natsu was shaking Wendy awake instantly, pleading for her to help Lucy. The sky mage did what she could and even transferred some of Yukino's magic to the blonde when Yukino offered. But it wasn't enough.

After a word with Makarov, Natsu found himself watching the helicopter lifting into the air without him. Lucy was in it, he knew. She'd nearly killed herself. Any more magic and she would be dead. It's what he'd been told by several people.

Natsu touched his side. Wendy had fixed the worst of his injuries, but most of them remained. She was in that state because of him. Because he hadn't been able to stop Zeref from beating the hell out of him, as if he was powerless. She'd given up the book she'd worked so hard to defend for him, and it was because he'd been _powerless_.

Igneel would have been ashamed.

"She's going to the hospital in Hargeon," Happy reported as he dropped to sit on Natsu's head. The cat was in good condition, considering what they'd been through. "Master said that our team could go after her. He wants Juvia looked at, too, and Juvia won't go without Gray."

Natsu nodded. "Right," he rasped, raking a hand through his limp pink hair. He tugged his scarf away from his mouth. Finally, he breathed, "Happy, there's something...there's something I want to do. Will you help me?"

"Of course," Happy scoffed, insulted that Natsu thought he wouldn't. "What is it?"

Natsu smiled ruefully. "Let's go after Lucy. I'll tell you after we get an update on how she is."

"Okay," Happy said without asking further questions.

Natsu turned away from where the helicopter had been and went to find Erza, who'd said she would hunt down a car for them to use.

He wasn't stupid; he knew she'd really taken the time to call Jellal.

* * *

"Gajeel, I feel fine," Levy huffed, rubbing her temples as she shifted her legs, crossing them at the knee. They sat on a wrecked wall after being sent to help out in Crocus, taking a break from the hard work of clearing out debris while waiting on a Councilman to find them.

It hadn't been more than three days since Tartaros' had blown up, dealt with in a swift blow by the Spirit King, but the mages had been hard at work, helping Sabertooth. They'd gotten lucky when they'd been deposited a day away from the big city. She'd been sick for a few hours now, but Levy was sure it was just lack of food mixed with worry for Lucy, who had yet to wake up.

"Did you swallow _any_ of that water?" he demanded, rumbling unhappily.

"No, I told you. I put up a barrier when it hit." She smacked his shoulder and then ran a hand through her hair. "What did the Council want with us?"

"Dunno," he admitted. "Just got a letter saying to meet here with Mest-"

"Miss McGarden, Mr. Redfox."

Said mage's words cut them off and both turned their heads to find Mest standing there. The scars on his face stuck out sharply on his tired face, but he smiled anyways. "Thank you for meeting with me," he murmured. "I know you're busy; we are as well. It's been a long few months."

"It's fine," Levy reassured. "What can we do for you?"

Mest smirked. Bowing playfully, he extended a hand towards them. Gajeel plucked two letters from his fingers, handing one with Levy's name on it to her. As they opened them and began to skim through, he said, "The Magic Council of Fiore lost a few members to Tartaros during their attack, and it would be a great pleasure and honor if you'd be interested in replacing them. We have an invitation for Pantherlily as well, of course. We've also invited Jura of Lamia Scale."

Levy sputtered, shooting to her feet. " _Keeper_? You want me to - oh my. Oh. _Oh_."

The iron mage beside her sputtered. "You're makin' Lil' and I _Commanders_? We haven't even led a team let alone a group of mages-"

"Perhaps not, but you deserve the position. Jura would be in charge of all three of you, so you'd be able to ask him for help." Mest smiled. "It would, of course, mean leaving Fairy Tail and moving to Council Headquarters."

Levy faltered. "I've been with the guild since I was little…"

"I don't go where you don't," Gajeel told her and she smiled softly.

Levy contemplated for a while. She thought it over, thought about everything, and then smiled hugely. "It would be an honor to be Keeper of the Council Archives. If Gajeel and Lily want to come with me. And I certainly hope it won't be a problem that we'll be getting married come summer."

"Of course not." Mest looked delighted. "I'll inform Headquarters. Continue with the work here, and when you're done, come by the building. You'll be set up with a living space and uniforms as well as some work."

He bowed in thanks and then disappeared, teleporting himself away to who knew where.

With a squeal, Levy threw herself at her lover and Gajeel snorted as he caught her, smiling just as largely with his sharp teeth. She beamed at him and said, "I think, despite everything that's happened, this is the start of something great."

Gajeel pressed his forehead to hers and told her, "I think so, too."

* * *

 _I'm so sorry I failed to update again. |D ANYWAYS!_

 _Tartaros is over! I know the fact that Aquarius was the one Lucy lost in the canon universe was important, but from the beginning I wanted to use Loke. Especially in BTL, I thought it would be far more effective. I'm still not entirely happy with Tartaros, but I think it turned out okay._

 _So the next arc is...as you probably guessed, the time skip! Not so much of a time skip, however, as I'll be writing the time throughout it. This arc will be a rather large one that skips around a lot time-wise. Like, three months at a time at some points. But we have some HUGE things coming in this arc. Lucy's going to grow a lot, find out a surprising amount of things that will explain things there might have been questions on, and yeah. I hope you enjoy it._

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, NaluLuva23, TabathaEvns, Samm, FtfanDessarai, bookaffair12, KitKat, The Age of Awesomeness, Lodemai04, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	241. Chapter 241

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"It's good to see you again," Erza mused, standing on a balcony at the top of the guildhall. Her dark eyes shifted to the man beside her, sparkling. "Why'd you come all the way here, though?"

"The advisors," Jellal mused, "thought it would help relations between Bosco and Fiore if I came. Besides. My guild is here. I had to pick them up." He rocked forward so that he was leaning on the balcony, his body clothed in rich silks of black and gold. He looked every bit the royal member of Lucy's family he pretended to be. "Is everything okay here?"

"I think so," Erza said. She suddenly frowned, sliding a letter to him. "I received a letter alongside Gray and Juvia. The Council...I'm concerned that they're trying to tear our guild apart. Not only have they asked Gajeel, Levy, and Lily to join their ranks, they're sending the Strauss siblings to Seven, to speak with them on behalf of Hisui and Fiore for resources. Mirajane's heartbroken."

"What? Why?" Jellal rocked back on his heels.

"I don't know." He opened the letter, skimming through it. "They want the three of us to deal with a guild that's begun to make problems." She made a sound of disgust. "As if the guilds haven't done enough and deserve a break."

"The world's in chaos right now, Erza, we can only try to fix it." He handed the letter back to her. "But is it necessary for you to leave your guild?"

"They say it's a top secret mission and that to separate from our guild is the only way to go around it, but…" Erza's eyes hardened. "There's nothing we can do. Master agrees it's for the best. We leave tomorrow."

Jellal reached out to lightly run a finger down her spine, rubbing soothing circles into her back. For once, she had no armor on, and she relaxed beneath the ministrations. "Should you need anything while you're working, send word, and I'll get word to someone without the Council knowing."

"Thank you, Jellal." Erza straightened. "I better finish packing what I can find. Fairy Hills is gone."

"Anything," Jellal reminded her as he nodded. "Anything that you need, I'll get it to you."

"For that," Erza laughed, smiling, "thank you."

* * *

"What about Natsu and Lucy?" Juvia fretted that evening. "We shouldn't leave them out…"

"I'm with Juvia," Gray grunted, looking exhausted despite the week that had passed. "We shouldn't be leaving them out, it's wrong."

"Lucy's still unconscious," Erza said gently, "and Natsu...well, I'm not sure where he and Happy are right now, but they won't leave her alone. And Jellal said he was going to wait for her to wake up before going home. He needs some help calming the people of Bosco and wants her help. I'm sure they'll be fine."

"We don't know how long we'll be gone," Juvia whispered.

"There's a guild-wide meeting later this week," Erza told her. "Master will tell them where we've gone. Don't worry. When we return, we will make it up to them."

"I suppose so." Juvia blinked when Gray took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She cuddled against him with a beaming smile despite the frown that fluttered over his face. "Don't worry, Gray," Juvia murmured, "we will figure out what your father meant."

"I hope so."

* * *

"Don't cause problems while I'm away."

"I won't."

"I know your attitude tends to get out of hand, so don't let it."

"I won't."

" _Promise_ me."

"I _won't_ , Mira," Laxus finally snapped, irritated with her. She was fussing, and he only reason he was letting her was because his friends had gone back inside and her siblings were in the car. She had brushed her long silver hair out of her face. She wore a coat - his coat, his fur-lined coat that he wore even during the summer - and looked comfortable within it. "Damn, woman."

She smiled crookedly and ducked her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know when I'll be back, and I'm worried."

"Don't be. I've gone away for long periods of time. You'll be fine." He ruffled her hair and she glared at him for it. "I'll see you when you come back, Mira."

"I know." She stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his jaw, drawing a pleased sound from her boyfriend's throat. "I'll see you when I come home."

He pinched her hip and nudged her towards the car before she could smack him. "Don't take _too_ long. Who the hell knows what's going to change in the next few months."

She rolled her eyes and patted his arm before sidling over to the car, his coat swirling around her ankles as she climbed in.

Thoughtfully, Laxus looked to the sky and grimaced as snow began to fall.

* * *

"Any updates?" Cobra asked, stretching his arms above his head. This past week had been the most time he'd been allowed to spend with Kinana, and he found himself pleased that she was just as happy about it as he was. The young woman was curled up napping right now, however, and Sorano was looking at her with amusement.

Meredy, typing away, nodded. "Looks like some changes are coming to the magic community. For example, it looks like Fairy Tail's guild meeting has posted a - oh."

"Oh?" He noisily peered over her shoulder. "Oh."

"Oh?" Sorano echoed.

"Yeah. Oh. First thing on the list: who's leaving Fairy Tail," Meredy breathed. She touched the screen. "The list...there's so _many_ …"

"Second: change of leadership," Cobra continued. "Third: rebuilding Magnolia and its surrounding areas." He shook his head. "What the _hell_ is Makarov thinking?"

"All of the guilds have similar schedules." Meredy clicked on Sabertooth. "Sabertooth's assigning search teams. They're going to hunt down Minerva Orland and deal with her in a manner appropriate for her actions against Fiore."

"She deserves it," Sorano said darkly.

"Lamia Scale has decided to rebuild from the ground up in regards to their guildhall," Meredy continued, skimming through information, "Blue Pegasus is changing towns. There's a list...there's a whole _list_ of black mage guilds that have popped up around the country and world for guilds to hunt down and deal with, permission granted by the Council. The Council's changed, too...the Wizard Saints have taken over."

"The world's turned upside down," Sorano sighed.

"You've got that right," Kinana whispered, opening her eyes. They all jumped, not expecting her to wake up. Cobra sidled over with a smirk, but she didn't smile back. Instead, the young woman, looking between them, said boldly, "Take me with you. I want to join Crime Sorciere."

Cobra opened his mouth to respond, but Meredy beat him to it, winking.

"Where do you want your emblem, my dear?"

* * *

"Igneel, the time's come. We can no longer remain in this hellhole you convinced us to enter. Acnologia runs rampant, Zeref is starting to move, and we are _stuck_."

"I am aware, Grandeeney," Igneel said with exaggerated patience. He couldn't see the other dragons, but he felt them. Skiadrum especially was hard to find, sliding into shadows every few seconds. It was hard on all of them, the Depths.

"Then what the _fuck_ are we waiting on, you fire breathing mother-"

"Metalicana," Grandeeney sighed, " _please_."

"Sorry, lovely lady, I will try to control my language for you."

"Igneel." Weisslogia supplied a comment now. "Igneel, did Miss Heartfilia not hear the clue she was given? Where it all began. Fairy Tail, Mavis...does she not understand?"

"It's hard explaining when time periods clash," Igneel huffed. "Mavis has befuddled the poor girl. I'm sure she'll puzzle it out soon. With my son's current actions, she will have no choice but to find us."

"Your son," Skiadrum breathed, "is an idiot."

Igneel clicked his jaws once, twice, and then sighed. "I know." He shifted his heavy weight. "The loss of a Spirit will spur her forward, I believe. Her line of thinking will, perhaps, convince her that we can help her find Leo's key. Not that we can, but it will convince her to find us. And I can plant pieces of information in her mind. Ideas, that will help her."

"Don't get too involved, or you can't withdraw," Grandeeney warned. "I can send Porlyusica."

"Yes, I know, and perhaps that is smart. Soon, my friends. Soon," Igneel said, lifting his chin, "freedom."

* * *

Natsu stared sharply at Lucy's face, his eyes never leaving her cheeks, nose, lips, anything that might give him a sign of her waking up. For a week she'd been unconscious. It was a week into the month of November, and she'd not even stirred.

 _"It'll be a while,"_ a doctor had told him. _"Magic deficiency. Whatever Miss Heartfilia did...it nearly killed her. I encourage you to tell her not to do it again."_

She'd been transferred to an infirmary room in the Fairy Tail guildhall after three days in the ruined Hargeon hospital. There was nothing more the hospital could do and the guild was slowly working its way back to Magnolia, where everyone was slowly beginning to gather. Civilians had started coming back the night before, determined to sort through the wreckage and rebuild their lives.

Natsu reached out, running his fingers through his girlfriend's golden locks. Everything was set. He and Happy were ready and would be starting their small adventure the second Lucy awoke. He didn't want to leave without her being awake to say goodbye. Not that he planned to tell her he was leaving; she'd try and stop them, try and tag along.

But Natsu had to get stronger and he had answers to demand from various people that would put Lucy in danger.

Zeref, Mavis, others.

Perhaps he'd even find Igneel.

When Makarov and Laxus had been told of his plans, he'd found himself with a list of black guilds to get rid of by any means necessary, so he could at least write off all of his expenses for work...right?

Natsu licked his lips and then mumbled, "C'mon, Luce, you're so slow like usual. You're missing' everything-"

"Who's slow?"

The croaky breath leaving her lips had him lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Luce!"

She tiredly opened her dark eyes and looked his way, grimacing at the soreness in her body. She swallowed thickly and he grinned. "Want some water?"

"Yes, please," she mumbled, and he retreated to find some water from the nightstand beside the bed. He handed it to her and she sipped at it slowly, knowing better than to drink too quickly. She handed it back whens he was done and then demanded in her raspy voice, "Are you hurt?"

"Just some bruises," he lied, touching his cracked ribs. He returned to his place beside her and she put her fingers in his hair when he put his chin on the mattress. "Luce, what happened? What the hell did you do? They said you nearly killed yourself."

Lucy's lips trembled and rather than responding, she closed her eyes and murmured, "I'm tired."

"Okay," he said, throat tight. She'd woken up. Now it was time. "I'll see you later, Luce."

Lies! He was such a liar.

Dozing all ready, she breathed, "Yeah. Love you. I'll find you when I wake up." Within a moment, she was sleeping again.

He lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them before leaving the room.

* * *

 _Cookies to the person who finds the Hamilton reference. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (The Age of Awesomeness, TabathaEvans, LePengwen, RandomAnimeNerd, SumCheeze, OOANDISAOO, Guest #1, peacerockgirl123, FtfanDessarai, Crazymagic16, FairyTailFan434, bookaffair12, GoldenGateLoss, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Dragondancer81, and KitKat!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	242. Chapter 242

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Lucy?" a voice whispered. Lucy groaned in protest when she was shaken awake, her eyes flying open after a few moments of determined protest. Above her, Cana smirked. "Lucy, we have a guild meeting. Time to get up."

"Why?" Lucy grumbled, glaring at Cana. Cana smiled as her dark eyes studied Lucy's face. "What's so important about this guild meeting?"

"Things are changing," Cana told her simply. "The schedule on the Mages of Fiore website said there'd be a change of leadership...some people are leaving...the likes. You need to be there if you can."

Lucy's heart skipped a beat. "Yeah. Sure, I'll need help."

Lucy had been up every few hours for moments at a time, but it had been the previous day that she'd actually managed a full conversation. She kept a tight grip on her keys at all times, her heart breaking every time she found the broken off end of Loke's key. She missed him desperately.

She forced her mind away from him. Loke was gone, she told herself, tears gathering in her eyes. She had to focus on the world ahead. She had just slung her arm over Cana's shoulder when she saw a neatly folded piece of paper on her nightstand. A frown appeared on her face as she grabbed it, determined to read it after the meeting.

"If you can't make it, let me know and I'll have Gildarts bring you back up," Cana told her. "We'll have Wendy give you a check up before she heads for Lamia Scale."

"She's...leaving?" Lucy whispered.

"Not permanently," Cana reassured. "Just to help out." Lucy sighed in relief and then focused on getting down the stairs.

"Lucy's awake!" someone shouted, and cheers filled the air. Lucy smiled, her dark eyes lighting up excitedly - only to fill with confusion when she saw that the crowd of Fairy Tail mages was significantly smaller. She searched for a familiar head of pink hair, but didn't see him, so she settled beside Levy, who was fidgeting anxiously. "Thanks, Cana," she murmured. Cana winked and sidled away.

"Hey, Lucy," Levy said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Not good." Lucy rubbed her temples. Her heart hurt. She wanted Loke, but he wasn't there. He couldn't come back. "Have you seen Natsu?"

Levy shook her head. "Nope. I haven't seen any of your team but Wendy, actually. Master's been sending out a few people, though, so...maybe they got sent to help someone out?"

"Maybe," Lucy muttered, frowning. Natsu wouldn't have left without her. She trusted him with that.

"Alright, alright, you brats!" Makarov's voice rose over the buzz of voices and Lucy quietly took the paper in her pocket out, smoothing it thoughtfully and using it to keep her attention on Makarov. "Time to start! This isn't so much a meeting as a series of announcements."

Lucy furrowed her brow. She felt behind. She hadn't seen this schedule Cana had mentioned, and she'd been out for so long…

Makarov stood on the bar, Laxus leaning against it beside him. With a small smile, Makarov cleared his throat and admitted, "Were it not for Laxus, Fairy Tail would no longer exist today."

Lucy knew immediately that this meeting was going to be a bad one.

"What the hell do you mean?" Gajeel barked, rising to his feet. Others shouted their protests.

Makarov held a hand up for silence. "Fairy Tail alone has caused so much trouble for the Magic Council that they nearly disbanded us. Laxus took it upon himself to convince them otherwise and Fairy Tail was allowed to remain under one condition. As of tomorrow morning, I will no longer be guildmaster. Laxus will be the fourth guildmaster of Fairy Tail."

Silence.

Lucy felt like the world had been knocked out from underneath her, a strangled sound leaving her lips.

For over a year she'd been here with nothing like this happening. Hell, by the look on Levy's face, she knew that Levy felt the same way about a much longer period of time.

Laxus snorted, drawling, "The hell you bastards think I'm going to do? I'm not gonna put you all to the curb."

For some reason, that was enough. Everyone relaxed, though they all looked unhappy.

"Moving on, some have chosen to leave our ranks." Makarov scanned the crowd. "Kinana has chosen to leave and join Crime Sorciere. She left earlier this morning with Jellal and his guild. Wendy has chosen to temporarily leave the guild with Charle to help anywhere she is needed without restriction." Lucy's chest tightened. "The Strauss siblings have been sent to the country of Seven by Princess Hisui herself to negotiate for resources. We aren't sure when they'll return as of now. The Thunder Legion were granted S-Class status by the Council and have been sent to deal with black mages and their guilds."

There were a few others that drew no attention from Lucy, but the next few stunned her.

"Gajeel, Levy, and Lily will be leaving the guild. Gajeel and Lily have been offered commanding positions within the Council itself and Levy has been granted the rank of Keeper in their archives."

Lucy snapped around to look at her friend. Levy gave her an apologetic smile. "I would have told you sooner, Lucy, but I wanted to wait until Master announced it."

Lucy's lips curved into a smile, but she didn't remember doing it. "Congrats," she giggled, squeezing Levy's hand. "You deserve it, Levy."

Levy looked relieved, squeezing her hand in return.

"Erza has left the guild, under unknown circumstances," Makarov continued. "As have Juvia and Gray. They will not be returning."

Lucy made a strangled noise in the back of her throat, her eyes widening. "What?"

And it was Lucy Makarov looked at as he gently said, "Finally, the last members to have left Fairy Tail, are Natsu and Happy. Outside of a list of dark guilds, their circumstances are unknown."

The world stopped.

It was as if everything had fuzzed out. Lucy was distantly aware of Levy murmuring her name, of someone asking if she was all right, but Lucy took no notice. Instead, she turned her face towards the letter in her fingers, a feeling of dread filling her.

 _Lucy_ , it read on top in familiar chicken scratch.

With mechanical movements, she opened the paper.

 _Luce,_

 _Happy and I are heading out now that you've woken up. Training. I know it won't make sense to ya, but it's something that I need to do. Gramps shoved this thing of black guilds in my hand, so I might be doin' some fighting, too, I guess._

 _I don't know what happened up there. I guess you don't have to tell me either. But you shouldn't have had to nearly kill yourself to save our asses like that. I don't know what happened, but I know you're hurting. So I'll do my best to make sure that doesn't happen again. I'm going to figure everything out.  
_

 _Don't know when I'll be back._

 _~Natsu_

Lucy struggled to drag down a breath when a hoarse sob left her lips.

Gone. Everyone had _left_ , and without her, too.

"Lucy," Levy said gently, trying to get her attention. The blonde could feel the entire guild's gaze on her back as she struggled to choke out the words.

"There's...there's another," she gasped, barely getting the words out past her crying. Levy wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hugging her. "Another p-person left." Makarov furrowed his brow. "Loke's...Loke's _gone_. I had to break...I…" She couldn't finish. She couldn't bring herself to admit what she'd done.

She was somewhat aware of Levy hugging her tightly as Makarov murmured acknowledgement to that.

She was alone.

Entirely alone.

* * *

"Lucy."

She lifted her head to look at who'd spoken and sighed softly when she found Makarov standing beside the table she sat at. She looked horrendous, she supposed. Her hair was a mess, she hadn't showered in weeks, and she was exhausted from crying. Natsu's letter was crinkled tightly in her fingers. "Hi," she croaked. "What can I do for you?"

Makarov's gaze flickered with sorrow for her, and then he smiled gently and said, "Would you like work? It will help you push forwards."

"No, I can't work yet, I don't think." She raked a hand through her hair. "I'm...I'm still pretty low on magic."

He nodded slowly in thought. Finally, he said, "I know that you are...feeling what you feel right now, Lucy, but everyone is choosing which path they will take. I myself will be leaving to seek answers from the Alvarez Empire." Lucy looked at him in shock. "I am aware of Zeref's presence there and wish to ask him some questions, even if it will kill me in the end."

"I gave him what he was looking for," she admitted. "I'm sorry. I know you don't understand its importance, but…"

"From what I've gathered on the others' behalf, you did it because Zeref threatened Asuka on top of torturing Natsu." Pain flickered over her face at his name. "I will not dismiss your actions as bad for that, Lucy." He smiled gently at her. "It's time for you to choose your own path. And I believe, perhaps, you start out with searching for answers, much like I am. Natsu mentioned that Zeref had a particular interest in you?"

Lucy straightened. "Yes. He thinks that I know where something is, or that I...have it, I think."

"It's likely that you do, then," Makarov murmured. "Seek Mavis. And then, I suggest, you look for the dragons. From what I know of dragons, they may know what Zeref wants."

Why was she not surprised? "Mavis only comes out every now and then. I haven't seen her in months!"

"Then," he said with a mischievous smile, "I suggest you start finding the dragons."

Lucy smiled a little and then said hoarsely, "Thank you, Master. For all that you've done for me. I wish you luck."

He patted her hand. "Laxus will do right by the guild, Lucy. I trust him with it. Don't hesitate to go to him if you need help. I know that for you, the world seems empty right now. But don't forget that by finding Igneel, you may also find Natsu."

"I'm not sure I want to find him right now," she admitted. "Who leaves without saying goodbye?"

"When I last spoke with him, he seemed very determined to make sure that what happened with Zeref doesn't happen again." Makarov sighed. "There is something about that boy...I think he himself may hold some of the answers I seek."

Lucy thought of Natsu, of his identity that only she, Cobra, and Zeref and perhaps Igneel knew, and murmured, "Perhaps." Feeling lighter, though still burdened, Lucy stood with a faint smile and said, "I think I'm going to go see if my house survived Tartaros. I'll see you when you get back."

He sighed softly. "Goodbye, Lucy."

Lucy forced a smile to her face as she bid the third guildmaster of Fairy Tail farewell.

She sidled past most of those who were chattering thirdly and eating, and had nearly made it to the doors when Cana called her name. She paused to look back and found she and Gildarts looking at her with concern. "Where are you going, Lucy?"

Lucy smiled and told them, "Home."

* * *

 _Dramatic changes in Fairy Tail! Poor Lucy._

 _TabathaEvns, yes! I'll be watching to see if you catch other references now. XD I reference Hamilton in my writing when I'm listening to it. There's a huge moment further down the road._

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, The Age of Awesomeness, TabathaEvans, AnonymousStalkerFriend, peacerockgirl123, HummingBird742, Crazymagic16, RandomAnimeNerd, Guest #1, Guest #2, Chew Chew, OOANDISAOO, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	243. Chapter 243

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Two weeks later, Lucy scurried down a half-built street, her shoulders hunched in an attempt to ward off the freeze that had overtaken the town. Her dark eyes darted this way and that, her hands shoved into her pockets, brushing against a bent piece of paper. Kids shrieked with laughter even as their parents called them back inside for proper coats and hats.

With a hum, she tilted her head back to look at the sky. She squinted at the clouds. Snow had fallen during the night - the first real snow that had stuck - and, as per tradition, the guild had summoned its members. Despite being a little stricter on rules, Laxus had been doing pretty well, she supposed. He hadn't forgotten a single thing in regards to what the guild did.

Then again, she supposed he'd been a member for far longer…

Her heart swelled with pain as she turned onto the guildhall's street, still half-ruined, but slowly improving. Despite the cold, the people of Magnolia had been rebuilding, working furiously to have their homes rebuilt. She smiled when she saw a few children running this way and that without fear of cars since the street had been blocked off.

She reached the guildhall fairly quickly and ducked in, stamping her feet and shaking snow from her shoulders and hair. "Hey, Lucy!" Cana called, and a few others echoed, but she only smiled a fraction as she responded.

It wasn't the same without that familiar shouting followed by bickering. It wasn't the same without seeing strawberry cake being carefully eaten, without the sound of scolding as iron was devoured. It wasn't the same without the smell of soup or some other delicious meal cooking.

Nothing was the same anymore.

Lucy licked her lips with a grimace, and then planted her hands on her hips. No one was up, walking around in preparation, splitting into teams. No one was preparing for the snowball fight.

She raised her brows and looked to Laxus for an explanation. She'd chatted with the lightning mage a hell of a lot more than usual over the last few days, not knowing what else to do but what he told her to. He didn't respond, instead focusing on-

A trill filled the air followed by a small body slamming into hers.

"Hi, Lucy!" Wendy chirped, hugging her tightly around the waist.

Lucy beamed. "Wendy!" she cried. "I thought-"

"I'm just visiting," Wendy admitted, touching her shoulder with a grimace. It held no emblem now, Lucy supposed. But to Lucy, that didn't matter. Lucy squeezed her tightly, nearly shuddering in relief. Her Spirits had been helpful, slowly working with her to try and figure out a new dynamic now that Lucy had lost their leader, but she'd missed her team.

She'd received nothing on where Erza, Gray, and Juvia had gone. Nor had she heard from Natsu and Happy. But she hadn't expected anything from the last two. She doubted she would until they popped back up into her life at some point.

"Where's Charle?" Lucy asked. Wendy pointed over her shoulder to where the white-furred cat was sitting, sipping at a drink calmly. Lucy waved, though Charle only gave her a grouchy look. Shaking her head, Lucy turned back to Wendy. "Then you heard-"

"About everyone leaving?" Wendy gave her a sorrowful look and nodded. "Yes, I heard. I...I was going to ask. Do you want to come with me? I just go where they send me and since you don't have to pay rent…"

"No, it's fine," Lucy sighed. "I've been thinking about working on my magic and taking a few solo jobs. I can't grow unless I work at it, and I want to be strong enough to beat them all for disappearing on me."

She'd taken the first few days to mope, but had quickly gathered her emotions and locked them up. There was no point in mourning over what no longer existed. She had to move on and improve, so it didn't happen again. She touched the broken key at her throat and smiled faintly.

"Anyways…" Lucy turned on Laxus, hands on her hips. "Why aren't we out throwing snowballs at one another? Isn't that what Fairy Tail does when it snows like this for the first time?"

Laxus snorted, rolling his eyes, but Asuka squealed, "Snowball fight?"

Bisca stroked her daughter's hair. Since learning about what had happened, she'd been overly protective, though Lucy couldn't blame her. "Look, I know it's tradition, but...I don't think anyone's feeling up to it. Besides. Half of our guild is gone. There's no point."

Lucy frowned. "So you're just going to sit here and pout for the next couple of years?" Silence fell,and she grimaced, not used to being one of the more active members of guild activities. Usually, that would have been Mira or Natsu. "Look. Everything kind of sucks right now. None of us are going to enjoy Christmas next month, nor are we going to be celebrating anytime soon. But we fended off a guild of demons and black mages, _and_ we got a way without too many deaths. I think we deserve a chance to take our minds off of everything that happened."

She would _not_ let her guild go down in a puddle of tears.

With a smirk, Cana sidled over and bumped Lucy's hip with her own. "At least we'll have a fair chance without Fullbuster's canons." Her dark eyes shone with approval as she smiled at Lucy. She pointed. "Lucy, you can be one team leader. I'll take the other."

"The fight can take place in the training space behind my house," Lucy added. She pointed. "Wendy, you're with me."

"No one else has agreed yet," a hesitant Droy said. He and Jet had been fairly upset since Levy had left, but had slowly been improving.

"Too bad. If you don't get a move on, we'll drag you out." Cana pointed at Laxus. "Come on, Sparky, you're mine."

"Mira will kick your ass if she hears you say that again," Lucy whispered.

"I know," Cana said with a grin.

Laxus sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. "Alright, everyone, you know what to do."

"You," Lucy decided, gesturing for Jet to join her team.

"You," Cana echoed, choosing Alzack.

They went back and forth, picking and choosing, both aware of the painful absence various missing mages left as they found themselves with significantly smaller groups than the year before. Yet neither thought too hard about it.

"Do you want a Spirit, Cana?" Lucy asked, holding up her ring of keys. "I'm going to summon one myself."

"Ooh," Cana mused, thinking it over. She cocked her head. "Can you summon Virgo for me? The girl knows how to play dirty."

"When did you talk with Virgo?" Lucy muttered in bewilderment. But she summoned her Spirit, who beamed at them and bowed in a respectful manner. Lucy told her about what to do and what was happening, and then thought it over before summoning Scorpio. She would have summoned Gemini to repeat what she'd done the previous year, but the idea would be painful for many of them.

"You know what to do, Scorpio," she said with a smile.

"Of course, Miss Lucy." Scorpio looked pleased that she'd summoned him.

Lucy jumped when Virgo gently gripped her shoulder, leaning in and murmuring, "Princess, Leo says hello."

Lucy's chest tightened and she swallowed a lump that appeared in her throat. "Thank you, Virgo. It means a lot that you'd tell me that." Virgo blinked at her with a surprisingly warm look and then went to join Cana's team.

"Everyone ready?" Cana called, grinning. Reluctant confirmations filled the air and Cana exchanged a smirk with Lucy and Wendy, who had taken Lucy's hand gently while Charle hung from her shoulder.

"Then let's go," Lucy murmured.

* * *

The snowball fight went as planned, and Lucy, even if only for a few hours, was delighted to find herself distracted from the losses they all felt. From the laughter and screams that filled the air, the others felt the same. Lucy shouted in triumph when she landed a solid snowball in Cana's face.

A moment later, she was screaming and fleeing from a massive snowball that was being flung at her by a plant-based catapult Droy had made.

By the time the guild had all wandered home or found themselves trampling back to the guildhall, they were all soaked to the bone and cold, but smiling breathlessly. For the first time in months, Lucy found herself content.

Wendy and Charle agreed to stay with Lucy in her home at the blonde's quiet request, and when evening rolled around, they were curled up before the fireplace, sipping at hot chocolate and chatting about what had happened in the two weeks plus that they'd been away.

Wendy told Lucy about her adventures around the country, being dragged this way and that to help with severe injuries and to help look over a few civilians every now and then. She also warned Lucy about something that had her pressing her lips together unhappily: the anti-magic groups were popping up again.

"Great," Lucy muttered, setting her mug aside. "Just what we need when we're trying to rebuild."

Wendy grimaced. "They don't have magic in them...you can't blame them for being scared. If any of us turned to dark magic, we could kill them instantly."

"But we're people, too, and they forget that." Lucy pushed her hair out of her face. After a hesitant moment, she asked, "Wendy...did you hear anything about Natsu and Happy while you were out?"

Wendy gave her a sympathetic look. "Sorry. I didn't."

Lucy smiled faintly, but shrugged. "I didn't you expect you to. I wonder where they went." She stared into the flames, ignoring the blank walls around the fireplace. She'd removed the pictures Natsu had used to decorate the walls, not able to handle seeing his face without getting angry and upset. When she'd calmed down, she'd put them back up.

"I'm going to hunt for the dragons."

The words popped out of her mouth unbidden, but Wendy gasped. "You are?"

Lucy looked over. "After Mavis appears, yes. Igneel has answers that I need...that Natsu needs, when he comes home. And if Igneel shows up, who's to say that Natsu won't? Then I can kick him."

Wendy giggled a little and then said firmly, "Can you tell me if you find Grandeeney?"

"Of course. To be honest," she added, her voice lowering, "I know where they are. They're in the Depths, in the Celestial Realm. Where that crazy Spirit hid the Spirit King. The problem is, I have to find the entrance to the Depths that connects to our Realm."

Wendy sputtered in alarm. "You know-" She cut off when Charle put a paw on her mouth.

"She said that, Wendy," the cat chided before looking to Lucy. "Do you have clues?"

"Something about 'where it all began', or something like that. It's why I need to speak with Mavis." Lucy pressed her lips together, messing with a lock of blonde hair. "I think I'm going to call Gajeel, once the cell towers are back up. And then Sting and Rogue. I'm guessing you don't know anything, Wendy?"

"No," she admitted, shaking her head.

Lucy nodded to herself. "I thought so. For now, I'm going to hope that Mavis makes an appearance."

"We have to leave tomorrow," Wendy sighed. "But you'll call me if you find something?"

Lucy laughed and tugged her friend in for a hug. "Of course. Unlike _some_ people," she said with a glare at the paper she'd carefully put on the coffee table, "I keep people up to date on everything."

Wendy exchanged a worried look with Charle.

Despite Lucy's attitude, despite the smile she wore, she was very clearly not okay.

* * *

 _So a small little thing: Lucy's going to go back and forth for quite some time. As in, "I'm moving on" to "I'm clearly not moving on". Anyways..._

 _I'm hoping Christmas appears on Christmas! Christmas chapters should be showing up soon. As I said, and as you can see, time skips are crazy. Weeks and months at a time just because nothing exciting will be happening in those periods._

 _I've noticed more reviewers lately! I'm very excited to see people showing up more (as well as hearing from those who've been around for a while, of course)._

 _So thanks to reviewers (enchantedbeauty1, Crazymagic16, LavenderMoonRose, TabathaEvans, LePengwen, The Age of Awesomeness, PinkFireandGoldenStars, FtfanDessarai, Dragondance81, MagicalFoxInTheWilderness, HummingBird742, SecretAddition, SumCheeze, nerdalertwarning, Juvia is my spirit animal, Guest #1, AnonymousStalkerFriend, and peacerockgirl123!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	244. Chapter 244

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

It was on the first of December, as a blizzard raged through the half-rebuilt town of Magnolia for the second day, that Lucy finally managed to find some piece of information.

She'd been stuck at the guildhall, not wanting to find her way home in the mess of snow and wind, and had decided to stay and do some research until it cleared up. Laxus had given her the okay to take whatever book she wanted from the library, and Lucy found herself depressed that Levy or Freed wasn't there to point out which books would be the best to seek out in regards to finding information.

But, as the few others stuck at the guildhall chattered, drank hot chocolate, and more, Lucy found some of what she was looking for.

"'July 7th, Year X777,'" Lucy breathed, reading quickly from the diary of a well-known mage who'd died only a few months before when magic had been revealed. "'Magic swept through the world. I don't understand what it is, nor does anyone I've talked with, but it appears to have originated from somewhere to the south, across the sea. Fairy Tail has been in tatters, from the rumors I've heard. I wonder what it was.'"

A squeal of excitement left her lips, so high-pitched and loud that a moment later, there was a rather irritable lightning mage peering into the library, demanding, "The hell are you doing in here?"

"Research." Lucy hopped to her feet, marking the book gently. "I've been looking for the dragons and what happened to them. I may have found a clue. Laxus, do you know of anything that happened in regards to Fairy Tail on the seventh of July in the year of X777?"

Laxus squinted at her. "Isn't that the year the dragons vanished?"

"Yes, but think Fairy Tail. You were around by that point." Lucy propped the book on her hip as she came to stand before him. "Think. This is important."

He shook his head. "I was young. I don't remember anything. Just that Natsu showed up a few days later. That and crazy meetings between Gramps and a few other mages. And that he left for a few days."

"I should have questioned him before he left," Lucy huffed. "Do you know where Master went?"

"South," Laxus said with a shrug.

Lucy furrowed her brow. "What on earth is south of here? Across the sea?"

"Nothing in terms of land," Laxus admitted. He crossed his arms, blue eyes piercing. "Except for Tenrou."

Lucy's grin grew. She'd forgotten entirely about Tenrou Island, where-

"Oh," she breathed.

"Oh?" he demanded.

"Acnologia appeared when we were on Tenrou Island." Lucy spoke as if that was a piece of information that should have explained everything. "On July 7th, X777, every single dragon was sealed away."

Laxus caught on. "You think that the dragons were sealed on Tenrou?"

"Maybe. I need to get to Tenrou and talk with Mavis before I can confirm." Lucy frowned. "But I don't think I can get there at this time of year…"

"No." Laxus confirmed it with a shake of his head. "You can't get to Tenrou until spring at the earliest. And even then, it's rare that you can get there without specified protection spells until early summer. We managed because of Gramps and Lamia Scale."

"Great," Lucy groaned. "At least I have…" She counted out the months, frowning. "Six or so months to find Mavis and figure out how to release the rest of the dragons. When the blizzard dies down and the cell towers are up, I'm going to call the other dragon slayers and Levy, figure out if they know anything. Will you please let me know if you find anything out?"

Laxus rolled his eyes. "I've got a lot to do, Lucy. You have no idea how much paperwork Gramps left. But sure."

Lucy beamed at him. "Thanks, Laxus." She watched as he made a small gesture to wave her off and then left the guildhall's library. Lucy put the book with her things and then turned to face the library again, her dark eyes scanning.

Another goal was hard in her mind.

Now that she'd found something on the dragons…

It was time to find something on END, because if she could figure out what she could about the King of Demons, than maybe she'd have something to help Natsu when Zeref finally acted out with that damn book.

She combed her eyes over the library and sighed.

She wished she had company to help her.

* * *

It was another two days before the blizzard died down and when it did, mail came in.

Most who were left headed out for work, needing what little money they could gather after the destructive after-effects of Tartaros. They tucked themselves into coats and then vanished. But Lucy, rather than acquiring work, found herself with another problem.

Lucy nibbled at some food as she studied the letter before her, her dark eyes troubled.

"'Lucy,'" she read quietly aloud, "'I sent this by mail rather than calling due to the lack of working phones. Would you be able to attend a formal ceremony in Bosco to honor the lives lost? It would be good for the country to see your face and hear your reassurance. The advisors agree. The ceremony takes place on the tenth of December, at the town center of the capitol. If need be, send an answer back by priority mail and we'll send a helicopter to fly you here. Sincerely, Jellal Fernandes.'"

She sat back, pinching the bridge of her nose. She could practice her Star Dress, she supposed, using the Leo form as her formal dress wear. She'd done it once or twice in the past week to practice. And it wasn't as if Mavis had shown up recently.

There was certainly no rush in regards to reaching Tenrou at the moment, either…

She pressed her lips together. She was determined to be at the Mages of Fiore Christmas Party, hosted by Sabertooth this year, but she saw no reason why she couldn't attend this function, too.

So, she scrambled for some paper and pens and went to work on writing a response. When she was done, she flagged down Jet and asked if he could take it to the post office for her and put it through priority mail, making sure to instruct him on how to point out the royal seal with her initials beside it, something she'd drawn.

"Sure," he agreed. He frowned. "Is everything okay in Bosco?"

"Yes. I'm just taking a trip, that's all." Lucy grinned. "They need some reassurance after everything that happened. Not anything unusual."

"If you're sure...I'll take it over right now." Jet tucked the letter safely away and she beamed in thanks. As he sidled away, Lucy grabbed her coat and bag. She climbed to her feet and checked the guildhall for Laxus, but shrugged when she couldn't find him. It would take a few days for the letter to get to Bosco, for the helicopter to arrive. She had a few days. She'd tell Laxus before she left.

Lucy was leaving the guildhall, shouldering her coat, when the doors flew open and someone ducked inside. There was a wave from the person who'd entered and Lucy found herself beaming in excitement.

"Yukino!" she called. "What are you doing here?"

"Lucy!" Yukino said excitedly, hurrying over. No one seemed concerned as the Sabertooth mage walked through their guildhall as if she was a member of the guild. Sabertooth was, after all, like extended family. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Lucy said with a warm look. She searched Yukino's eyes. "Seriously. There's no way Crocus is done rebuilding...what's up?"

"Well," Yukino admitted, tugging her shirt further over her hips with flushed cheeks. "I wanted some advice. And I needed to ask you some questions about Minerva, if that's alright."

"Sure. Anything you need." Lucy eyed the guildhall and then looked to her friend. "Want to go home with me? You can stay the night, if you want. You can have my bed tonight."

"That would be nice." Yukino looked relieved. "Thanks, Lucy. Shall we?"

Lucy wound her arms gently through Yukino's and nodded curtly. "We shall," she laughed. Yukino didn't return the laugh, only furrowed her brow in concern for Lucy as they walked. There was something off about the sound, as if it was somewhat forced. But she said nothing.

Only kept up as they walked.

* * *

"Alright, Yukino," Lucy told her. She dropped onto the couch she'd sat on with Wendy not too long ago, her dark eyes studying her friend closely. "What can I do for you?"

"I'll ask about Minerva first," Yukino decided, carefully settling beside her with a sigh. "Do you have any idea in regards to where she might have gone?" Lucy shook her head. "Did you see her at all? When you were in Tartaros?" Another shake of the head.

"I'm sorry, Yukino," Lucy said sorrowfully. "I don't really...know much in regards to Minerva. She was there to drag me into their clutches off the side of the road, but after that, I didn't see her too much."

"That's alright," Yukino reassured quickly. "I didn't really expect you to. No one really seems to truly understand, you know?" She took a deep breath and then cleared her throat. "Anyways, I wanted some advice, too, if you don't mind."

"Of course." Lucy leaned back, furrowing her brow.

Yukino chewed on her lip and then blurted after a long moment of silence, "I don't know what to do about my Spirits."

"What? What about them?" The blonde sat up a little, worried. "Are they alright?"

"Yeah. They're okay, just...it's almost as if they don't know what to do with themselves. I heard about Leo...Loke. They told me, you know? What you had to do, in detail, and what it meant. What you...gave up. And it...I feel as if they're all confused and disorientated. As if they don't know what to do with themselves."

Lucy thought this thought over for a few moments, contemplating what to say in response. After a while, she murmured, "I don't know, Yukino. My Spirits...they took a few days, weeks even, to reorganize themselves. It's not like anything's changed in the Spirit Realm. From what Virgo's told me, they've figured things out. Loke's okay, and is still leader of the Zodiac. It's as if I didn't find his key, that's all. Perhaps they're just...worried. That you'll do the same thing to them?"

Yukino looked horrified. "I would _never_ break their key to summon the Spirit King."

Lucy gave her an even look, admittedly a little offended. "Sometimes, you don't get that option, Yukino." She took a deep breath to chase away the agitation and then leaned back a little, cocking her head. "Give them some time and offer your help. I don't think there's much else you are able to do."

"I see. Thank you, Lucy." Yukino pressed her lips together, throwing her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like what you did was horrible. You did something no one else could have done."

Lucy touched her necklace, thinking of Loke. "I didn't realize how much I relied on him until he disappeared, you know? And then Natsu was gone, and...I haven't really thought about how much I need Loke until now. It's worse because he _is_ still alive. I just can't reach him."

"I was told you can still find his key, can't you?"

"It's somewhere around the world. I guess it might have reformed after I broke it, I just...don't know where to start looking." Lucy glumly put a chin on her fist and looked away. "I'll leave it up to fate. Fate brought me here, brought my other keys to me. And you once mentioned that the fact that I was born with magic meant I'd get more keys. I'm hoping that same luck will bring his key back my way."

Yukino nodded and then yawned. "If you're still alright with it, Lucy, I think I'd like to stay the night."

"Feel free to." Lucy flashed her a smile, waving at her small empty home. She'd replaced everything, and everything still looked brand new since she spent most of her time at the guildhall, where she was distracted from her isolation.

"Make yourself right at home."

* * *

 _And to Bosco we go! I'm happy with the influx of Laxus, I think. We'll get some more interactions with him, and some more Sabertooth and Crime Sorciere, too._

 _Guest #1, have no worries, IT is still going. I just fell behind in chapters and don't exactly know where I'm going with it, so I'm taking my mind._

 _On another note, there are concerns about Lucy forgiving Natsu far too quickly (as it happened in the manga). I have plans, have no fears. I have some incredibly fun plans._

 _Thanks to reviewers (TabathaEvans, Dragondancer81, EchizenRyoma, bookgirl18, StarDress, Samm, Guest #1, Crazymagic16, Guest #2, LePengwen, nkukurichan, Guest #3, Chew Chew, Lodemai04, AnonymousStalkerFriend, sofiesticated, pixiecatost, The Age of Awesomeness, and peacerockgirl123!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	245. Chapter 245

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

A couple days after she'd sent the letter response to Jellal, a helicopter arrived, setting down in the field beside her house as directed. Lucy, after waiting patiently in her home for the days surrounding it with her bag packed, wasn't surprised when a beaming Meredy slid from the machine.

"Hey, Lucy," Meredy greeted warmly. "Long time no see."

"Long time no see," Lucy agreed, hugging her tightly when the hug was offered. "How's my country?"

"It's...healing," Meredy sighed. "Jellal's been working constantly and we've been running around, doing what we can, but...it's going to be a hard recovery. Half of the population was wiped out - they took out your _home_."

"But they didn't take out their princess or current leader," Lucy told her, gripping her bag and hauling it towards the helicopter, "and that's what's important. Their symbol for hope is still there."

Meredy helped her pull the suitcase into the helicopter. "Does your guild know?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "Laxus was told a while ago. He's been grumpy because of all the paper left behind by Master...well, I guess he's Makarov now." She frowned and then continued. "But he said it would be fine." Lucy paused, thinking her question through as she buckled herself into the seat, putting the headphones over her ears. "Have you seen Natsu?"

Meredy froze mid-movement and the look on her face was enough. "You _did_ ," Lucy gasped yanking the headphones back off. "When?"

Meredy cleared her throat and then admitted, "Not the end of November, but a week or so beforehand. He showed up at our headquarters in Bosco with Happy. We asked him about you, where you were, but he wouldn't give us a straight answer."

"He kind of just...left," Lucy explained. "He left me a letter and disappeared. Did he say anything?"

"Not really. He wanted us to keep an eye on Bosco for you and to do our work well. It was very strange," she admitted. Meredy took a deep breath. "He asked if we knew anything about Zeref, too. But we'd already told you what we knew months ago, so…"

"Really." Lucy narrowed her eyes, considering that as she pulled the headphones back on. Natsu was asking about _Zeref_? That didn't bode well… She hoped he didn't try and confront the black mage. "Thank you," she shouted after the helicopter had started, the engine roaring. "For telling me!"

Meredy squeezed her hand and smiled warmly with a purposeful look.

 _Anytime._

* * *

Lucy grimaced tiredly a few hours later as she slid from the helicopter, looking around. Bosco was looking much better than the last time they'd seen it. Then again, she had landed atop one of the wealthier hotels in a town away from where the Heartfilia Estate had resided. It was being rebuilt, Meredy had told her. But it would take a long time for it to be returned to its former glory.

"Alright?" she asked.

Lucy nodded, combing her hair from her eyes with her fingers. "Yes. Thank you, Meredy." She saw a door open, recognizing the blue-haired head followed by several others, and beamed in a friendly manner at the sight of Cobra and Kinana, who was looking very much at home as she walked arm in arm with Sorano.

"It's good to see you again, Lucy," Jellal said warmly, smiling.

"Likewise." Lucy smirked at Cobra, throwing an insult at him for no reason other than she could. He spit a glob of venom, clearly recognizing the lack of mean intent behind her insult, and the venom struck the roof beside her foot.

An advisor huffed in disapproval and Kinana smacked his arm. "Don't throw venom around, Cobra!"

Cobra rolled his eyes and muttered a slurred hello, giving Lucy a glare as if she was to blame for his getting in trouble with Kinana. Lucy grinned and then turned to Jellal. "How are things here?"

"They're going as well as they can go," he admitted. He waved for an advisor to grab Lucy's bag and she fell into step beside him as they headed back for the door he'd come from. Meredy fell into step beside Cobra, Sorano and Kinana not far behind. "The country's still in shock, but it's recovering far more quickly than expected."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that." Her eyes flashed with relief. "I was worried about Bosco. Thank you for sending that letter, Jellal."

His lips twitched and then he admitted, "Erza sent a text and said it might be best to invite you."

Lucy stiffened. "You heard...from her?"

"Yes. The day before I sent the letter."

"Do you know where she and Gray and Juvia went?" It came out sharper than Lucy intended and Jellal raised a brow at her in surprise. Lucy flushed. "Sorry, it's just...I've tried to find them. They just disappeared and I don't...I don't understand why you guys are hearing from them and Natsu when I can't even get one phone call through."

Jellal threw her a sympathetic look and Kinana said softly from behind them, "It was a one time thing, Lucy. For they and Natsu. We don't know where either group went, and we didn't ask. Erza was merely warning us that the anti-magic terrorists that showed back up are a little bit...harsher this time, and Natsu wanted information that we didn't really have. They won't be coming back."

"I just...don't understand why they won't at least call me." Lucy wrapped her arms around herself with a soft sigh. "They left me here without a warning. It's the least they could do."

Jellal paused to look at her for a long moment. "You feel abandoned."

"Of course she does," Sorano said sharply, "because that's what happened."

"No, no, I'm sure they would have brought me with them if they could." Lucy took a deep a breath. "I just wish they'd talked to me about it before they left. It wouldn't have been bad. I would have understood. I might have tried to convince Natsu to take me with him, but…"

"Erza did say that they would have taken you with them if they could," Jellal said quietly. "But they needed to leave as soon as possible to deal with the problem that arose and you were still recovering from your ordeal."

Cobra squinted at Lucy and then stared openly at her. Lucy grimaced, recognizing what he wanted; he wanted to speak with her about various things. Including END, more than likely, because that was something massive that would affect the world at some point. She sent him a silent grimace, promising that he would be able to chat with her before she left, and he inclined his head a little to acknowledge it.

They would speak later.

"I know that," she told Jellal. "But it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt."

He touched her shoulder with a kind, sympathetic look and said, "I know."

Lucy appreciated it, but turned and said, "So what are you guys wearing? Because as princess, I have to go formal, and you'll _love_ what I'm doing…"

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Gray snarled, bristling as he stared at the snowcapped mountains. His black eyes flickered furiously, his bare arms crossing over his chest and covering his revealed emblem.

"Easy," Juvia murmured, rubbing his arm even as she shivered, her coat tucked tightly around her body. Her blue eyes scanned momentarily over the black marks that had crept up his right arm and shoulder. They spread just a little further even as she looked.

"We can handle this," Erza said firmly, dressed in a brand new set of armor. "It's a large guild, this Avatar, but we defeated Tartaros."

" _Lucy_ defeated Tartaros," Gray corrected. "We had _nothing_ to do with its downfall, and you know it. I wish the Council would recognize her for it."

"We're S-Class mages," Juvia said softly. "We can do it. We just have to figure out...how. Perhaps we can use this," she reached out and touched his marks, and he tried to not hurt her feelings by ripping away, "to our advantage? They look like the marks on the demons...perhaps we can fool them?"

"I can make them think that I've been possessed or something by whatever it is," Gray offered, touching them himself.

"That might work. Figure out their weaknesses. Send us a sign when you've figured it out," Erza confirmed. She turned to Juvia, who looked confident. "In the meantime, Juvia and I will wait. We'll prepare ourselves, and try to see if we can quietly acquire some information on our nakama, see if they're doing alright."

"That will have to do, I suppose." Gray frowned and then said, "Before I can do anything, though, I need some evil looking clothing… Juvia, do you have anything dramatic?"

She shook her head, but Erza's lips twitched as she used her magic to summon an article of clothing. "I do," she murmured, offering it to him.

Gray studied it, nodded his approval, and then tugged the jacket on, leaving it open to show his chest. The black marks on his body crept up his throat and down his side until it covered a fair portion of him, a massive black streak slashing past his right eye and turning the normally black color of his iris red.

Juvia shivered. "Juvia doesn't like this."

"Neither do I, but it'll be fine," he promised. He stepped in and affectionately ruffled her hair, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "I'll try and get this done within a few months. Do whatever you guys need to do from the outside and if we need to talk, I'll try and call with my phone, but…"

"No," Erza denied. "Give your phone to Juvia, that'll be too risky. I'll find you some sort of lacrima you can use. If we can do it right, you should be able to wear it, send us a signal when you need us, and then we can meet in this spot."

"I'll try and get out once a week until that lacrima's here," Gray promised. "I'll meet you here next week at midnight."

"Done," Juvia said quietly, looking worried, but certain.

This would work, she told herself.

It had to.

* * *

"I'm sorry!" Levy wailed as she nearly crashed into Gajeel, the surprised iron mage nearly letting her trip and fall on her face before catching her. He rolled his eyes at the mess she'd made of her hair and knowing she hated it, gently began to use his rough calloused fingers to pat the blue locks into place. "I didn't mean to be late, there were so many papers that needed to be archived-"

"It's fine, woman," he snorted. "I almost couldn't make it either because of the fuckin' idiots I was assigned to, but we managed."

She smiled and Gajeel smirked in response before pressing a quick kiss to her lips. She returned it fiercely and when she pulled back, she flushed and told him, "I've been texting a few people. For the wedding. I think we're going to do it over the summer. Early summer. June."

"Whatever you think's best," Gajeel said with a shrug. "I'm fine with anything."

"Really? Then I want to ban the silverware-"

"Damn woman, I'm not fine with _anything_ , alright?" Gajeel cut in hastily and she smirked before sighing softly. "What?"

"I'm tired," she admitted. "I feel honored that we were offered these positions, and I know they need us, but I miss Magnolia. I miss the guild." Levy leaned into him a little, sighing softly.

Gajeel gently tugged on a lock of her blue hair and told her, "We've got work to do, Shrimp. We can't just drop and visit. Or quit."

"I know, but…" She paused, looking up at him suddenly. "You like it. The work with the Council. Don't you?"

He bared his teeth in a grin. "Damn right I do. I like bossin' those bastards around."

She snorted. "Why am I not surprised?" Levy glanced over her shoulder, her hazel eyes flashing. "I better get back to work. I'll see you later tonight?"

Gajeel cracked a grin and leaned down to mutter something in her ear. She turned a scarlet red, smacked his shoulder, and then hurried away to head back to work. Gajeel, smug, sidled his way back to the men he'd given a break, judging the time. By the time he reached them, he announced, "Alright, you fuckers, we've got another hour before you can go and sleep like babies…"

* * *

The stars shone brilliantly, far brighter than anywhere he'd ever seen, and Natsu silently admitted that he wished they had Lucy with them. She would have loved them, pointed out constellations that she'd tried to teach him and failed.

Happy was all ready asleep, curled into the crook of Natsu's knee like a normal cat as he purred quietly. Natsu couldn't join him in the realm of sleep. The fire mage found himself watching the night sky with a pang of homesickness and longing for Lucy. He'd known just how bad it would be leaving her - they'd left a couple dozen burned areas since they'd left from nightmares.

His chest tightened. That shadow had come creeping back in and while he'd gotten better at driving it off himself, it still made him long for Lucy's light. He was sure it was something he'd think about even when Lucy was there to help him. He felt horrible for leaving her like he had, doubted they'd still be dating when he got home, but…

He'd all ready made progress.

He'd learned a few things about the Emperor of Alvarez. Natsu knew that he was Zeref, and that the Spriggans he'd brought with him served him there. Natsu knew that a boat ride to the Alvarez Empire was pretty damn expensive - and that Lucy was going to throttle him for the bill he'd sent her way.

He hoped she actually paid it out of his hoard, because the person who wanted the money hadn't looked like too nice a person.

A series of stars sparkled, and Natsu closed his eyes, feeling a little bit more at peace as they did.

He would be okay, he told himself.

He would see Lucy again.

It was something he told himself constantly, yet it didn't make him feel as happy as he'd been when she was there.

* * *

 _Ey, we had some mention of others! That'll happen every now and then. Just little hints into the lives of the others._

 _FtfanDessarai, my life's pretty good right now. It's my last week of classes and then not this weekend, but next weekend, I go home and see my family. :)_

 _Thanks to those who reviewed (TabathaEvans, RandomAnimeNerd, LePengwen, Chew Chew, sofiesticated, The Age of Awesomeness, FtfanDessarai, and Juvia is my spirit animal!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	246. Chapter 246

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy wasn't surprised when Cobra let himself into her designated room late in the evening. At nearly ten, he strolled in as if he owned the place and said sharply, "We need to have a chat."

"I know," Lucy sighed, putting down her book. "I was expecting it."

He opened his mouth to launch into a rant, but then stopped and stared at her for a long moment. "You haven't been sleeping right, have you?" He tapped beneath his eye, to indicate that she had bruises. She shook her head and he furrowed his brow. "Since when did your nightmares get that bad?"

She gave him a nasty look. "Since when did you start reading my every waking thought?"

He returned it. "Since you decided to keep it from everyone else that Natsu's _END_ , the fucker that Zeref wants back in all of our lives. The one that book belongs to. And the one that can kill us all without a second look."

Lucy rested her chin on her open palm and gave him a long hard look before saying very quietly, "Natsu doesn't know. I don't...he's suffered so much, struggles so hard against this darkness he claims is in him. I don't want to give him a...well, an excuse, I guess, to give in."

Cobra snorted. "As if he'd give in. He's Fairy Tail."

"And before he's Fairy Tail, he's Natsu Dragneel." Lucy said it irritably. A reminder. "He's not a monster, and he's certainly not a murderer. But...I'm worried that if he learns the truth, it'll break that part of him that is fighting to keep that truth. I've read up on END in my mother's diary. He was so hateful. He killed so, so many people...I think it would truly break Natsu if he knew that he was the Demon King."

Cobra thought this over for a long moment, staring her down as he leaned against the doorway. Finally, he admitted, "I guess. But you can't hide something like this. It's not right. It's a part of what and who he is. He deserves to know. And so does everyone else. If he turns on us-"

"He wouldn't," Lucy snapped. "He'd never turn against us, not willingly-"

"Zeref has the book of END, Blondie, he may not have a choice in the matter." Lucy sucked in a breath and he continued. "If he turns on us, we're fucked. Not even Gildarts stands a chance against him. I've read what he did to that Spirit in the hearts of Juvia, Gray, all of them. And if he's already having this much trouble keeping himself under control…"

"Look at you," she muttered, irritable now. "Being so goddamn prepared to insult my brain power. I know that. I know he's having problems, which makes it all the more worrying that he left. I know we should tell him, explain it all. Just…" She pressed a hand over her eyes, groaning. "I don't want to take away his happiness. He's so...serious and when things like this happen, he gets reckless. He'd kill himself before letting us get hurt because of this. I don't want to take away the freedom he has now."

"I don't think you'll have a choice soon," he rumbled.

Lucy shook her head and murmured, "No. I won't."

* * *

"Ready, Lucy?"

Lucy whirled to face Meredy, the black skirts of Leo's Star Dress swirling around. The high slit would earn nasty looks from advisors, but she didn't care. It was a good way to practice her magic, expand it so that when the time came to kick ass again, she'd be ready.

Meredy smiled at the sight of her, Sorano whistling her approval beside her. Kinana kept quiet, smiling behind them. They all looked glamorous in their formal attire, Lucy decided. Her heels clicked as she hurried to join them and the four women headed down the hall of the temporary headquarters to meet the two men of the group.

Cobra grumbled about wearing a suit, but Jellal looked perfectly at home in his own as he smiled faintly at them. His dark eyes flickered with alarm when he caught sight of Leo's symbol on her breast, the broken key resting just up and to the right of it. He stopped. "That is what you did to defeat Tartaros?"

Lucy lifted her chin and touched the hilt of what had once been a key to summoning Loke. "Yes. I broke Loke's key and summoned the Spirit King himself to deal with the problem. Loke...he told me to. Made me promise I would do what he said. As a celestial mage, I can't break my promises." She swallowed thickly. "It...it hurts."

"Forgive me for asking you about it," he said gently and offered his arm. She took it and fell into step beside Jellal. Her dark eyes were troubled, and so were his. "I didn't mean to upset you. I know it must be hard."

"It is, but...if I don't talk about it...if I don't think about it, it'll keep hurting and being hard. So, I'm going to talk about it."

"Natsu doesn't know, does he?" Jellal said softly.

Her gaze darkened. "No. He didn't...stay long enough to find out. I know he asked. I remember him asking, but I was tired and it was too fresh to recount. I didn't think he was going to leave." Her eyes welled with tears she didn't remember asking for. "I don't think I'm going to ever forgive him for that."

"For not asking?"

"For leaving." Lucy looked up to Jellal. "It doesn't bother me so much, that everyone else did. They're all working. I understand that Levy couldn't exactly say no to the Council - nor would I expect her to. It's an honor to work as a Keeper under their name. Erza, Gray, and Juvia...they're on secret mission stuff almost. They had to be discreet. Natsu could have waited. Could have explained in person. Could have explained. But he didn't. He left me a note and disappeared before I was even fully awake. I love him, but I don't think that's something I'll ever be able to forgive and forget. Because what if I do forgive him? He could do it again. He was the one person I counted on to be there whenever I needed him and now he won't even answer a text to say he's alive."

"We wouldn't expect you to." Jellal smiled gently at her. "You're welcome to remain here and help if you'd like. It might be better, even."

But Lucy shook her head. "I'm going to train and figure out where the dragons are. Thank you though."

Jellal inclined his head and then launched into an explanation. "The party...the funeral...whatever you'd like to call it, is just outside of our headquarters. People from all corners have come. You prepared a speech?"

"Didn't need to. I'll figure it out." She flashed him a smirk, and he chuckled.

They stepped outside into the dusk and immediately people began to scream and cheer. Lucy didn't miss the sound of booing from others. Mostly, it was just overall mixed chatter.

She let Jellal lead her towards the platform with microphones, surrounded by press. She lifted her chin, back straight and shoulders back. She'd hated her father for the most part, but at least his ordered teachings had been useful. She approached the microphones and Jellal fell back to allow her to stand alone.

Lucy paused to consider that.

How long had it been since she'd not had someone to lean on?

How long had it been since she'd stopped to breathe, to not look around and wonder if someone was hurt or needed her?

How long had it been since she'd thought about what she needed versus Natsu?

She adored him. She loved him deeply, didn't think she'd ever love someone as much as she did him if ever love anyone after him period.

But he had wrecked her, destroyed the good parts by leaving.

Lucy sucked in a deep breath and then began.

"People of Bosco," she murmured into the microphones, and a hush fell over the crowd.

* * *

 _"People of Bosco,"_ a voice said, echoing through the near empty street, and from where he and Happy were silently walking, Natsu stopped dead in his tracks, head snapping around. He'd know that voice anywhere.

Lucy.

She looked powerful, other-worldly in Leo's Star Dress. Her gaze swept calmly over the crowd as Natsu calmly approached the window of the TV store to watch. Happy, who'd been chatting to Natsu, fell silent.

 _"When I first heard of the devastation that rained down upon you, I felt numb."_ Honesty. He remembered her expression. _"I felt heartbroken. My country - our country, actually, had been attacked while I was away focusing on another. I still feel the guilt. I will never forgive myself for this, even if I_ was _working to stop it from continuing. It was a direct attack on myself, a punishment for not conceding to what they wanted, and for that, I am deeply sorry. I do not expect forgiveness for this act, but I do hope that you will allow me to say that I am proud of the country I was born in. I'm proud that you've given Jellal the trust you gave me in the past to help you rebuild._

 _"I will apologize for not being here to help and for, perhaps, being the reason this attack occurred. However,"_ Lucy continued, and Natsu's lips quirked. _"I will not apologize for trying to stand up to Tartaros. I will_ not _apologize to you for risking my own life to do so. I have made many choices, most of which affect you all. But this is one choice that I will never regret. I did what the rest of my guild did. We helped people. While many died, many,_ many _more survived. And for that, I will never apologize."_

Lucy paused to breathe and look around. The hush over the crowds was eerie.

 _"You are not alone,"_ she told those around her. _"You are_ not _alone. Everyone here has lost someone. Even me. I find myself alone in the aftermath. Many of my guild left. To move on with their lives in peace, to work elsewhere in the hopes that they are able to do more where they are needed, to see to it that things like this will never happen again."_ Natsu grimaced, guilt spiraling through him. She was talking about him there. No doubt about it. Happy murmured his name, but Natsu shushed him. _"Coming from personal experience, do not let yourselves sit alone and mourn. It's why we're all here, isn't it?"_ Her lips curved into a gentle smile. _"Turn to your neighbor. Look at them, see them for who they truly are, whether they hold magic or not. They have lost someone or something in the past few weeks. They've lost their home. Their family or friends. They have experienced loss, too. You are not alone._

 _"Bosco has experienced a great loss,"_ Lucy told them, _"but we have gained something greater. We have gained a strength from this loss. We will not allow this loss to break us down. We will rise up strong from the ashes. We will rise up, and we will show those who look to our country what we are capable of._

 _"I've considered reclaiming my throne."_

Natsu's heart stopped in his chest.

What would happen if she did that?

She'd have to leave the guild.

She'd have to leave _him_.

 _"Like I said, everyone I know and love went to work where they were needed,"_ she continued, as if she hadn't just delivered the most heart-stopping comment in the world, _"and I felt alone. I felt abandoned, as I'm sure many of you have felt about me. But I'm not needed here. Not yet. Jellal has done a fantastic job of stepping in to fill my place until I'm ready. Along with all of those who work beside him,"_ she paused to gesture towards Crime Sorciere. Natsu was shocked to see Kinana with them.

For the first time since leaving, a thought raced through him.

Just how many had _left_?

And now that he thought about it, why weren't Gray or Erza there, looking on with Crime Sorciere?

Lucy waited until the applause for Jellal and Crime Sorciere had died down. When it had, she smiled and continued. _"They do a far better job than I could right now. I have said it for a long, long time now that I am not ready to take over Bosco. I am not prepared to handle the responsibility. I am aware that some think it wrong of me."_ Lucy leaned over the podium, her gaze sharp as she scanned the people. _"But would you want someone who's not ready to take over?"_

Silence as that sank in. Natsu pressed his lips together. He shifted and on his head, Happy said, "Natsu…"

"I'm fine, little buddy," he reassured hastily.

He was fine, he told himself. He had to be. He couldn't take Lucy to the Alvarez Empire, to Zeref's front door, not when the black mage intended to be so focused on her. It was just asking for something bad to happen. This traveling for answers, for searching-

All for her.

 _"I will take over when I feel it is right, just as you should do as you think is right in this time of despair,"_ Lucy ordered her people. _"I know this isn't what you want to hear. I know you want me on the throne. I hear you when you say this. But I cannot confidently take over just yet. Just like you, I am human. I am a person."_

Her gaze flickered hesitantly. She touched something at her throat and Natsu squinted, unable to make out what it was. _"I told you that I, too, have experienced loss. I mourn alongside you. So for now, allow us to mourn together by celebrating the lives of those who have been lost. Let us mourn for the people who have never been found, to those who are forgotten."_ She paused and then finished her small speech with a final sentence: _"And if you can hear this, to all of those who might be watching our country right now, to all of those who might think we are weak and consider us so, Bosco prays to the stars and the stars, while dim during the day, shine brightest in the darkest of times."_

Natsu watched as Lucy bowed her head and smiled gently. The crowd was silent for a moment, absorbing her words, and then clapping exploded through the crowds. Jellal helped her from the podium and took her place, launching into a speech of his own with his soothing voice.

Pride touched Natsu as he smirked at the TV.

At the same time, he looked at Lucy and wondered why he thought he deserved any part of her.

* * *

 _Lucy speech! And some more Natsu 'cause yeah._

 _Just finished my last day of classes. Tomorrow, I start my take home finals, and it is with that in mind (along with Christmas), that I announce I'll be releasing a Christmas one-shot soon. Keep an eye out for_ The Twelve Days of Fairy Tail.

 _Thanks to reviewers (sofiesticated, TabathaEvans, Vilchen, AnonymousStalkerFriend, FtfanDessarai, OOANDISAOO, The Age of Awesomeness, Juvia is my spirit animal, LePengwen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Dragondancer81, and Chew Chew!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	247. Chapter 247

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy rubbed her temples with a grimace and reached over to shut her blasting music off a moment later. Books were strewn around her, and she smirked to herself at the sight of Sorano and Meredy, who had both stepped in to help her, curled up together at a table, their faces soft in sleep.

She couldn't blame them, she was tired, too.

"Miss Lucy!"

Lucy looked over her shoulder when a troubled Aries came over, a book held gingerly in her slim hands. She rested it on the table before the blonde celestial mage. "I found this," Aries murmured. From where he'd been looking for books, Capricorn retreated back to join them, troubled. She smiled faintly and opened it to a page in which a song had been inscribed. "Miss Layla is mentioned."

Lucy lurched over the book, her eyes roving the page. Her face paled

"My mother's song," she breathed. "I'd forgotten about it entirely…" She swallowed thickly and then began to read some of the lyrics aloud, skipping over some with her breath hitched. "'For the dragons need my help so the war can be won.' That must be talking about sealing the dragons away, so that the war against Acnologia and whoever else was causing problems could end. When it says, 'The Demon King will rise again and your loved one will be gone.' She's talking about Natsu...I don't think she really knew that he was the Demon King. Not at first, anyways. Later in her diary, she mentions a secret she claims is too horrible to put into writing. Maybe it was the truth of END. 'For only when the keys have met will my spell be undone'-"

"That," Capricorn said, voice low even as it clicked in Lucy's mind, "will be how you free the dragons."

"If that's required...how did Acnologia get out?" She looked to her Spirits for explanations. Capricorn looked to Aries, who gestured for him to answer.

"It's...a difficult spell, the one your mother performed." He rocked back a little, watching Lucy closely. "It was imperfect. Even Igneel himself could not have made it perfect. When we were on Tenrou Island, one of the black mages - Zancrow, I believe - removed a small bit of the seal that had been placed to contain them. It was just enough that Acnologia escaped, but there is an upside to this. Even as he walks this earth…"

"He hasn't been able to access all of his power." Aries finished Capricorn's statement and smiled kindly. "While it is an upside-"

"It's also a downside," Lucy breathed.

"I'm sorry," Aries offered nervously.

"Because while he's contained...the dragons can't be free. But the second I free them, he's freed in his entirety." Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose. "We'll figure it out. There's another problem. I can't free them."

"Sure you can," Capricorn said, but Lucy shook her head, heart aching as she wrapped her fingers around Loke's broken key. It hung just beneath the choker she wore, always close to her heart.

"I don't have access to all of the keys," she rasped. "Loke's is broken."

"But it still holds fragments of his power," Aries said gently. "You will be able to use it, but it may destroy what is left of the key."

That was almost enough to turn the blonde entirely away from freeing the dragons. "I can't lose this...it's all I have of Loke."

"Not true." Aries leaned over and gently pressed a hand over Lucy's heart. "We are all here. He watches over you in the truest sense."

An idea popped into her brain and Lucy looked over at them. "If I used the favor the King owes me, would he...would he give me the re-materialized key? The one tied to Loke?"

Rather than lying, Capricorn admitted. "Yes. You would be given Leo's key if you asked for it." Lucy nearly shot to her feet, the words half on her lips. Capricorn stopped her with a sharp look and said warningly, " _However_ , I recommend you save this favor for the storm that is coming." He narrowed his eyes. "You can live without Leo, as painful as it is. You can find him on your own rather than taking the easiest path. But there may come a day when the Spirit King can help you with something else. Where you will need his help to save someone else, someone who isn't immortal and can be found without magic."

A chill ran down Lucy's spine as she decided to change the subject. "Can you wake up Meredy and Sorano? Let's tell them what was found…"

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to stay longer, Lucy?" Jellal asked as Lucy wrapped a scarf around her neck. Her long hair stuck up in every direction and she thoughtfully fingered a lock before coming to a decision. "You'd be more than welcome to stay for as long as you'd like."

"Thanks," Lucy said with a warm smile, her eyes warm with amusement. "But I really need to be getting home, y'know? I promised Laxus I would help with the Christmas party since Mirajane likely won't be home and Kinana's here. Asuka's going to help me cut some snowflakes out of construction paper."

His lips quirked. "Then make sure you enjoy yourself. I understand that you are mourning Loke and that you are incredibly upset with Natsu for leaving you as he did. You have every right to be upset. But don't forget to enjoy the life you have. While some have gone missing from your life, not all of them have. Don't forget to enjoy those who are there for you in their absence."

"Look at you," she murmured, braiding her hair quickly, "spouting off speeches every five seconds."

Her words drew a chuckle from Jellal. He merely offered her a hand to help her into the helicopter. She took it, and he squeezed her own gently and said, "I believe I will be attempting a visit. For Christmas. Would it be alright if all of Crime Sorciere came?"

Lucy gave him a fierce look and said firmly, "You'd all be more than welcome at Fairy Tail for Christmas. But we won't be celebrating in Magnolia this year. Sabertooth is hosting the Mages of Fiore Christmas Party this year, so we're going to do something big guild-wise in Crocus. I don't know what yet...but you're welcome to meet us there."

"We'll be there for the party, if that's alright."

"Of course. You're not recognized by the Council, but you're recognized by everyone who will be there." Lucy gave him a grin and then stepped into the helicopter. "I'll see you around, Jellal."

"When I come for Christmas, remind me to train with you some. I hear Sabertooth has a special gym they've enforced for training." Jellal's eyes lit with excitement at the prospect.

Lucy merely winked and sat back, pulling the headset over her ears.

* * *

Fingers tapped impatiently on the table before him, Zeref's red eyes flickered this way and that in impatience. A book was set gingerly on the table before him, the golden letters emblazoned in the leather seeming to shine when he sighed and touched its cover. "Soon," Zeref murmured. His eyes flickered to the map and took in the name that was listed to be in the middle of the ocean - heading for the Alvarez Empire.

He'd all ready told his guards, his soldiers, to let him in as soon as he was spotted. To escort him freely into their emperor's home without question. Because when he arrived, Zeref planned on holding nothing back in terms of information.

It was time to welcome Etherious home, to his older brother's lands. It was time to return him to his birthright as Natsu rather than Etherious, who'd become the demon that haunted Zeref's every waking thought. Natsu the dragon slayer, known for his alliances within Fairy Tail and well-known as Princess Lucy Heartfilia of Bosco's consort.

His lips quirked. There had been a time, before Zeref had taken to black magic and Natsu had been just a few years younger than he rather than over a decade, that they'd contemplated the idea of an alliance with the country of Bosco. Zeref himself had even contemplated extending an offer to Layla, the princess at the time.

He was grateful that he'd never gone through with it. Grateful that time had stilled around him upon the discovery of black magic and he'd grown while others remained frozen in time. Everyone but Mavis, who'd lived and died beside him.

There was a reason he'd been on Tenrou the day that time had fixed itself and had remained there until Fairy Tail's arrival, entrusting the Alvarez Empire to Invel.

Zeref ran his fingers over the letters on the book, mind drifting to Lucy Heartfilia. His lip curled at the thought of her. He hated her. Hated her with more passion than he'd ever loved Natsu with. The celestial mage was a thorn in his side that countered everything he worked towards. She was everything he was supposed to be. She could calm Natsu with a single touch, lighten his day with a smile, and held the power he'd been searching for for centuries.

Fairy Heart.

She held the heart of fairies within her chest. She contained, quite literally, endless potential and magic that never stopped coming. To attain that kind of potential magic...it would give him everything he needed to finally revert time in a way that would allow him to stop any of his suffering from ever happening.

The only way to attain it, however, was to extract the heart of fairies as she gave her dying breath..

Which presented him with a problem.

Natsu was incredibly protective of her. Even as Zeref had struck him time and time again, even as he was under Kyoka's magically enhanced sensations as he did so, Natsu had only had eyes for the blonde.

Zeref thought this over. He'd never get close to Miss Heartfilia with enough time to properly remove Fairy Heart with Natsu around. Of course, if he were to leave immediately, it was possible...but she was so surrounded with magic and mages of her guild, it would create more problems than solutions.

He gnashed his teeth together in fury and frustration, black magic creeping through his veins and thundering throughout his home. An unsettling silence fell over the nearby parts of the city; they knew what that sensation meant. He grumbled under his breath as he considered what to do.

As he traced the letters on the book.

There were so, so many problems.

Acnologia, Lucy Heartfilia, Igneel and the other dragons, Mavis, _Natsu_ …immortality.

He took a deep breath to calm the thrumming power and then turned his attention elsewhere, on a fire that crackled in a fireplace to combat the winter that had left snow outside. He watched the flames cackle with a thoughtful look. There was also the matter of King Toma and the princess, Hisui. In an attempt to silently take over Fiore, he'd extended the offer he'd never given Bosco. He'd asked for Hisui's hand, offering an alliance with his war-oriented country and entirely planning to annihilate the Fiore family when it suited his desires, but Toma had turned the offer down without a second thought.

He had claimed that he had no interest in being at war with every surrounding country - and that Hisui had turned her attentions upon a trusted friend rather than a strange emperor, whom he'd only heard horror stories about.

"Emperor," Invel's voice filled his ears. "A visitor has arrived from Fiore."

Zeref snapped his gaze to Invel, who stood in the entrance to the room. He was at attention, hands tucked neatly behind his back and icy eyes full of wary caution. "What?" He glanced at his map; Natsu was still halfway across the ocean-

"Makarov Dreyar, previous guildmaster of Fairy Tail, is here to speak with you," Invel answered calmly.

Zeref's attention was caught. " _Is_ he?" He climbed to his feet, tucking the book safely into his suit jacket. He didn't let it leave his presence; he didn't trust Igneel enough to do so.

He calmed his irritated thoughts and smiled calmly. It was a smile that had even Invel flinching a little as he murmured, "Lead the way to Mr. Dreyar, Invel. We wouldn't want to keep the honored guildmaster of Fairy Tail waiting."

* * *

 _Sorry about the missed update! Was busy on Monday and working on_ The Twelve Days of Fairy Tail _! Ah, I'm so excited for this weekend! I get to go home!_

 _ON THAT NOTE I don't know if I'll update on Monday or not. Definitely next week on Thursday though._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Chew Chew, AnonymousStalkerFriend, TabathaEvans, LavenderMoonRose, LePengwen, Vilchen, The Age of Awesomeness, Lodemai04, OOANDISAOO, Guest #1, FtfanDessarai, Guest #2, takeagamble27, Hummingbird742, iTwiisT, NaLu and InuKag, peacerockgirl123, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	248. Chapter 248

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

With a hum, Lucy looked out over the rooftops of the buildings surrounding the recently rebuilt hotel Fairy Tail was calling a temporary home for the next few days. Snow fell,promising a beautiful white Christmas, and she was almost perfectly content with how her Christmas was going to turn out.

Almost.

Because while certain people - mostly her team and Juvia - would be naturally absent, Wendy was curled up with Charle on Lucy's bed, sleeping deeply after spending half of the evening with the blonde. Adding to her delight was the blue-haired solid-script mage sleeping down the hall with her husband-to-be and their feline companion.

Levy had arrived alongside Gajeel and Lily as a surprise the day before, and Lucy had giggled when Droy and Jet had nearly fallen over themselves in their rush to greet her. Lucy hadn't been far behind, however, gripping her friend's hand so tightly that her nails had drawn blood. Levy hadn't been bothered; it was as if she understood Lucy's pain and merely smiled faintly.

Lucy bit her lip and - reluctantly - allowed her focus to shift towards Natsu. She bit back the anger and misery that accompanied his presence in her thoughts nowadays and allowed herself to merely frown at the thought that she wouldn't be able to give him anything gift-wise. She wouldn't be able to trick him into a kiss under the mistletoe like Mirajane had so desperately attempted the previous year.

He wouldn't be there to even allow her to realize fully just how different they were from the year before. It had been over a year since she'd met him, a year since she'd just begun to realize what the dragon slayer meant and would become and he wasn't even here to allow her the pleasure of doing so in the entirety.

Lucy took a shaken breath and then let it out.

She wouldn't let her anger stain her thoughts. Not now. Not until after Christmas.

She didn't let herself think about Loke, or the others who would miss Christmas because of Tartaros.

Instead she let herself smile at the fact that some of her missing loved ones had shown up.

Instead…

She tried to be happy.

Even as the nightmares haunted her that night.

* * *

The next morning, everyone was abuzz with excitement by the time Lucy came downstairs and she paused in the dining area of the hotel to furrow her brow. She knew it was the day of the party, but that wasn't until later, so why-

An excited shriek scared the daylights out of both Lucy and Wendy, who'd come down without Charle - the white cat had apparently had nightmares the previous night, too, and was trying to get some more sleep. Lucy suspected a vision rather than nightmares, but had said nothing.

"Lucy!" a familiar voice laughed in her ear. "And Wendy!"

"Mira!" Lucy replied loudly, throwing her arms around the silver-haired mage in response, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

Mirajane tightened her arms around Lucy in a squeeze and murmured to her, "I heard. About Natsu and the others. I'm sorry that I wasn't here to help you through it."

Lucy took a deep breath and then murmured, "It's not your fault. They chose to leave. You didn't; you were sent away by the Council." She pulled away to smile and let Wendy hug Mirajane before asking, "Are Elfman and Lisanna here, too?"

Mirajane's lips quirked into a smirk as she pressed a finger to her lips. "Yep. And so is the Thunder Legion. But don't say anything, okay? I wanted to surprise Laxus for Christmas. He doesn't know we're here yet, and I had a little thought."

"Your little thoughts are never good for people," Wendy whispered, terrified.

Mirajane flushed a little and then cleared her throat. "It will be. For me. If Laxus cooperates. But don't worry, it won't be a public affair. I just need to ask him something in private when he _finally comes out of hiding_." A look of irritation crossed over her face. "I've been waiting for him to come down for nearly two hours already. Did he do something exerting last night?"

Lucy thought back on it. "Not really. A little bit of excessive drinking, but I think that had more to do with the paperwork he kept giving nasty looks." Mirajane laughed at that and then pointed to a spot above the hotel's twin glass doors that led into a lobby. "By the way, I enchanted that. So don't walk beneath it with anyone unless you're willing to give them some sort of kiss."

" _Again?_ " Lucy moaned, remembering the fiasco with Sting last year. She just hoped she wouldn't have to worry about that since Sabertooth was in charge.

Mirajane threw her head back and laughed. "Of course. I do it every year. This year, you're not a target. That's why I'm telling you." She winked. "Now, my _brother_ …and Lisanna…"

Lucy threw her hands in the air. "We're not a part of this. Oh! Look, here comes Laxus."

Mirajane whirled around in a flurry of silver hair and easily caught sight of a grouchy lightning mage making his way down into the dining area. Her blue eyes sparkling, she practically threw herself past an amused Bisca and Alzack. Without prompting, she threw herself at Laxus, who grunted at the sudden attack. Startled, lightning cackled to life and even Lucy and Wendy found their hair standing on end.

After a moment, he realized aloud, "Mira?"

She beamed up at him and Lucy felt a pang in her heart. She recognized it as jealousy as she watched Laxus blink down at her in shock - only to snarl in surprise when Mirajane leaped out of the way in time for the Thunder Legion to practically tackle him the rest of the way down the stairs, nearly launching themselves from the top. Mirajane laughed, her face full of delight.

"Lucy?" Wendy asked quietly, looking up when Lucy turned her face away.

"I'm fine," Lucy said, her hoarse voice saying otherwise. She swallowed thickly and stepped towards the lobby. "Come on. I think I want to go and finish some shopping before the party tonight."

"Okay."

It was one of the reasons Lucy loved Wendy so dearly. She didn't ask questions; she merely followed Lucy, slipping her hand into hers to offer her silent comfort.

* * *

The day went by quickly. Lucy wasn't surprised.

Nor was she surprised when a pleased Mira sidled over later to show her the engagement ring on her finger later that evening. She congratulated her warmly and cooed over the ring as she normally would have done, but Mira looked a little hurt by Lucy's lack of interest in the matter. When she hesitantly mentioned it, Lucy was quick to reassure her that she _was_ excited, but…

She was also hurting.

Mirajane had understood and given her a quick hug, reassuring her in response that she wasn't upset.

When the time for the party came, Lucy found herself dressed formally, as everyone else was doing. Her eyes roved her slim form in the mirror, taking in the new additions that hadn't been there last year. She'd clothed herself with Virgo's help, wearing a silver dress that had been a gift from the Spirit King for Christmas. It glimmered like fallen stars, the symbols of the Zodiac Spirits lining the hem that rested just above her glittering silver heels. She'd chosen to honor Loke, wearing his pin in her hair and a cuff around her upper arm with his symbol in it. She'd chosen Gemini's symbol for her other cuff and pin. She'd even allowed Virgo to twist a golden diadem into her hair, perched there as a symbol of her status in Bosco. As per usual, her choker was wrapped around her throat, just above Loke's broken key.

She thought she might have been good looking had it not been for the tired glint in her dark eyes. She was tired. She was so, so tired. She missed her friends and Natsu, couldn't sleep without being stalked by nameless nightmares and monsters, and she knew without a doubt that there was, more than likely, another anti-ethernanos tumor forming on her side. It didn't hurt, but she knew what it was and what it meant.

With shaking hands, Lucy left her room alone.

* * *

Sabertooth's guildhall had been rebuilt to its former glory, and Lucy, despite her cranky mood,smiled at the sight of its cheery building and atmosphere. Her keys had been attached to a belt of golden hoops she'd put around her waist. They jingled as she entered, waved in by an amused Rufus, who was watching the door.

Crocus had been a popular place for the anti-magic terrorists recently, after all.

When inside, Lucy paused to look around, wrapping her arms around herself. The sleeveless dress shimmered as she walked and while gorgeous, wasn't warm. She felt chilled despite the bodies that shimmied past her.

"Lucy!" a voice gasped and Lucy paused when she caught sight of a smiling Yukino. Lucy relaxed a little at the sight of her. "You look gorgeous!"

Lucy flushed, giving her friend a smile as she sidled over. She wound her arm through the other celestial mage's. "Thank you. You do, too," she said, nodding in approval at Yukino's midnight blue dress. Yukino looked pleased with the compliment.

"You look a little upset," Yukino said after a moment, venturing cautiously forward with her choice of topic. There was a concerned look on her face. "Is...is everything okay, Lucy?"

Lucy's lips quivered a little. Finally, she admitted, "Not really. But I can't change anything, so I'm just...trying to look forward. It's hard. Not having him here."

Yukino looked at her for a long moment, unsure if she meant Natsu or Loke, and instead chose to pat her arm. After a moment, she said, "How much would you like to bet that in order to get Sting to dance with me, I'll have to drag him from the buffet table?"

Lucy snorted. "I'd rather not go broke from betting on dragon slayers and food." Yukino giggled and then launched into a story about the previous night, when Rogue and Sting had ended up seeing who could eat the most and driven most of their fellow mages near broke through betting. Lucy listened half-heartedly, smiling and laughing at all the right parts until they were interrupted by the very dragon slayers they discussed.

"Hello, Lucy!" Frosch said shyly from Rogue's arms, looking happier than ever to be there. Lucy's gaze softened at the sight of the cat, her eyes warming. He was adorable. Even if it hurt to think of Happy, she was pleased he was there. Lector, too.

"Hello, Fro," she said cheerfully in response. Yukino looked startled by her sudden liveliness, and Lucy felt guilty. She was trying. She really was; she'd told everyone she was okay, that she was moving forward like the rest of them. Christmas merely made it harder.

Sting's keen blue eyes watched her, noting everything. Rogue did, too, as if marking what _not_ to say to her. And for some reason, despite her crankiness and attitude about the day, that just pissed her off. She gave each a look, warning them silently that she just wanted to be normal for now and both shrugged to one another.

They would play along.

"Yukino!"

Yukino snapped around, a delighted squeal leaving her lips. "Sorano!"

Lucy watched intently as Yukino tore away from her to latch onto her sister's arm, her dark eyes alight. The blonde's mouth curved into a warm smile; it looked as if Crime Sorciere had arrived. Lucy had never seen Yukino interact with Sorano. Not like this, anyways, and she found it comforting to see them interacting, speaking to one another in low excited voices.

Lucy heard, somewhere in the crowds that had arrived, Mirajane shriek Kinana's name followed by loud complaints about the noise from a cranky Cobra. Lucy watched Lyon bustle past the second he realized Meredy was there, a flirtatious look all ready in his eyes. She laughed quietly.

"We apologize," Rogue said suddenly, catching her opinion. "If we offended you."

"You didn't. Thank you for thinking to notice that I'm not myself." Lucy offered them an apologetic look of her own. "I didn't mean to be snappy or anything, I just...am tired. Of everything."

They exchanged a look again. Finally, Sting said, "I know it's not the same, but it kind of reminds me of when Weisslogia left. What you're going through, I mean." Lucy looked at him in surprise. "I know it wasn't just Natsu, but...we know what it feels like to be left behind, Lucy."

She gave him a long look, then turned it on Rogue, who gave a curt nod. They truly did. As did Gajeel and Wendy. It explained the surprising kindness Gajeel had expressed towards her and the reason Wendy had clung to her like a burr until Chelia had arrived.

They knew what it was like to be abandoned, and in their own ways, they were trying to help her feel better.

"Thank you," she murmured. "You have no idea how much it means to me, that you told me that. I never thought of it that way."

"We have to go and say hi to some other people," Sting informed her, "but if you want or need us, just shout. Okay?"

"I will." Lucy gave them a sincere smile and then watched as they sidled over to where Cobra and Kinana were standing with the Strauss siblings, the Thunder Legion, and Laxus. Lucy's eyes scanned the crowds, taking in how everyone had someone. She wasn't alarmed when a hand suddenly touched her shoulder to catch her attention. "Hello, Jellal."

"It gets easier," he murmured. She looked to the gentle mage for an explanation. "Finding yourself standing alone in a crowd, I mean. It doesn't hurt any less, but it...becomes less lonely."

Because he knew what it was like, just as the dragon slayers knew what it was like to find themselves with no one.

Lucy nodded slowly but murmured, "I'm starting to think that I'm not as alone as I thought."

Jellal dropped his hand and instead chose to fold his arms. "You're not. It doesn't seem that way in the beginning, but it's true."

"Thank you, Jellal."

"No problem." He flashed her a kind smile. "I thought I'd say hello, but now, I believe I should stop Cobra. He looks ready to melt Orga."

Lucy waved him off. "Go. Off with you, before we start a war with Sabertooth." Jellal chuckled and left Lucy to figure out where to go and who to be with.

Shoulders relaxed, Lucy caught Levy's eye and the solid-script mage waved her over without hesitation.

She beamed and stepped forward, feeling better than she had in a long time.

* * *

 _Lucy's gonna go back and forth a few times guys. Just a warning! ;)_

 _Sorry about the late update! As you know, I got home for winter break and it's been kind of hectic. i wish I'd kept up, we would have hit Christmas for BTL at the same time as the real world! Anyhow..._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Samm, LePengwen, Lodemai04, OOANDISAOO, Dragondancer81, TabathaEvans, AnonymousStalkerFriend, The Age of Awesomeness, FtfanDessarai, peacerockgirl123, Guest #1, and stranger1999!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	249. Chapter 249

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The commotion in the hotel lobby was a little ridiculous as Fairy Tail bustled this way and that, celebrating Christmas. Lucy watched from her corner seat, settled comfortably beside Jellal. She'd been spending quite a bit of time with him as of late, she realized. She didn't mind; he was a good person who, as soon as the commotion died down, had promised to take her just outside of the city for some sparring and tips on what to do with her newfound overflow of magic.

She touched her side at the thought; she needed to have the tumor removed. Preferably before anyone noticed. She didn't want to get them too concerned. She let out a large sigh and then looked over when Jellal chuckled.

He inclined his head. "Look at Laxus."

Lucy looked and had to stifle her laughter as she lifted her phone to take a picture of it. He looked shell-shocked. Mirajane had put a crown of poinsettia on his head, although Lucy wasn't sure where she'd gotten it. Her lips quirked, Lucy sent the picture to Levy, who was chattering with her teammates. Lucy watched her check her phone when it buzzed, look up at the blond man, and then burst into giggles, waving a thanks to Lucy.

"Did you enjoy yourself last night?" Jellal asked suddenly and Lucy, fiddling with Loke's broken key, glanced at him. "At the party. I didn't see you after a while."

"Yes. I did. Sting decided to drag me out for a dance I didn't want under Yukino's demand and I thought he was going to crush my feet." She smirked a little at the memory. She _had_ enjoyed Sabertooth's efforts. "I've been considering seeing about working with Sabertooth for a while."

"You're thinking of leaving the guild?"

"No, no. Just...transfer work or whatever you call it. Sting and Rogue said something that opened my eyes a little. Besides, even if Sting can't help with his status as a guild leader, Rogue could be useful in my search for the dragons. Wendy's still running around and she's young. But he was muttering last night about not having enough to do."

"It would be a smart idea to have a dragon slayer with you." Jellal nodded his approval. "If you need anything from our side, let us know. I'll have Meredy give you whatever you need. Your speech did wonders on Bosco and we've not had nearly as many problems as Fiore. Hisui sent word that the anti-magic terrorism is getting ridiculous."

"There was an explosion last night," Lucy mused. It had been further in the city, not near them. But there had been one, which wasn't a good thing. She glanced over to where Cana and Gildarts, who'd stopped in for Christmas Day before heading out again, were in the middle of breakfast, laughing. Gildarts caught her eye and suddenly lost his grin, furrowing his brow.

Lucy arched her own and then sighed when he gestured her over. "Excuse me for a moment. Gildarts wants me…"

"Take your time." Jellal gave her a pleasant smile and then sat back. Lucy thanked him and left him to see what Gildarts wanted.

When she got close, she realized he'd sent Cana off. His expression was serious, no longer happy. "Gildarts? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry about what Natsu did, kiddo. It's not easy when someone turns around and leaves like that," he murmured.

"I'm getting there." The truth. She wouldn't lie to the older mage, who was giving her such a severe look that she sat down in the seat Cana had occupied, worried. "I'm upset with him, but...I can't change anything, so I'll move on. And when he comes home, I'll kick his ass."

Gildarts fought back a smile and then gently took something from his jacket. He set it down on the table between them. "He visited me before he left, you know," he told her. "He told me to give you this on Christmas Day. I almost didn't do it. I love him like my own son, but he's an idiot and shouldn't have disappeared on you like that."

"You knew he was going to leave?" Lucy breathed, a spark of anger gathering in her heart.

"Not at the time. He sounded funny and I recognize some of the clues in the words he said," Gildarts admitted, raking a hand through his hair. He pushed it, the object on the table, towards her. "Like you said, you're upset with him, and it's not going to be easy for you to forgive him, but he does love you. That boy has never cared for anyone more than he cares for you. Not even Happy, I think."

Lucy bit her lip as she picked up the decently sized, carefully packaged gift. She studied it and then gently opened it with shaking fingers.

"Gold," she sighed, though a smile made its way onto her face as she held the leather satchel up in the light. The dark leather was of high-quality, she noticed, and had gold stitched in careful patterns. Real gold, too, if the weight was anything to go by. She ran her fingers over the hard material. Real gold for sure. "He's going to be the reason I'm robbed."

Gildarts chuckled. "As someone who leaves at random without knowing when I'm coming back, take some advice, alright?" Lucy glanced up. "He has his reasons. Maybe they're not good reasons to us, but they are to him. When he comes back - and he _will_ come back, Lucy. Listen. By all means kick his ass. But listen and let him explain before you make a decision. Some things aren't what they appear to be and I don't want you to chase him out of your thoughts before you know why."

Lucy nodded slowly. "I will. Thank you." He nodded curtly, looking a lot happier now that the situation was over, but Lucy hesitantly began a new conversation. "Master left before I could ask him something, so I thought you might know something...when I was dealing with Tartaros, Zeref was there. And...he mentioned something. About a heart of fairies?"

The glass Gildarts had been drinking from shattered in his hand. Lucy jumped, her lips parting at the sight of blood dripping from between his fingers as the older mage merely stared at her in shock. "Gildarts?" she said hesitantly. "Are you-"

"If Zeref," a voice said from behind her with a tinge of despair, "knows the whereabouts of the Fairy Heart, then there will soon be trouble."

Lucy's head snapped around. Mavis stood beside her. Her green eyes were sharp with concern for the situation. She took a deep breath, her slim shoulders moving with the action. "Mavis," she began, "I've been wanting to talk with you."

"I am aware," Mavis said gently, her lips quirking the slightest into a faint smile. She glanced over her shoulder at where Cana was watching, looking ready to approach. "Come. This is not a conversation that can be had here. Gildarts Clive, would you like to join us?"

"Yeah. Sorry, didn't expect you to bring up the Fairy Heart," Gildarts muttered, looking guilty as he shook the blood from his hand and stood. "Come on."

Lucy found herself watching them as she stood, grabbing her Christmas gift from Natsu. Her fingers were tight in the leather and something told her that she wouldn't like what she was about to hear.

* * *

From where he sat, looking out over the land before him with a grimace on his face, Gray listened to those behind him argue over what to do next. He kept a sharp ear out for anything that would be useful to send to Erza, but at the same time allowed himself to mourn the fact that today was Christmas - and he was spending it with a bunch of cult members instead of his family.

They'd intended to visit the guild for Christmas when they'd first left.

Not spend it with Gray undercover.

"Gray," a soft feminine voice called, "what do you think?"

Gray shoved his irritation and mourning deep down and drew up an icy look that he'd mastered in the time he'd spent with the cult who called themselves Avatar. He drew himself up to his full height, allowing those marks to help him look demonic as he said coolly, "I think you're all a bunch of idiots."

Arlock, the leader of the cult, stared long and hard at the ice-make mage - the demon slayer, as he'd come to call his magic. Gray couldn't see his face beneath Arlock's metallic mask, but he felt it. "Explain," Arlock said finally.

Gray aloofly sidled his way over to the map the cult leaders had spread out over a wooden table and carefully leaned over it. They were trying to figure out where to put their men to create a powerful attack on the Lamia Scale guild. Gray tried to shove his guilt back as he smirked and tapped a spot.

He had to give them at least a few victories - if only to keep their trust.

He'd apologize later, when Avatar was dealt with.

Hopefully, when he had the information they needed, Erza could get word to the Council and Lamia Scale about what was going on so that they could prepare for the major attack the cult planned for the future.

"Here," he rumbled. "There are cliffs. They think them good enough. They don't feel the need to defend them."

"I see," a woman beside Arlock murmured, tapping her chin. Briar. Her gaze flicked up to him. "And you're _sure_ this is a good idea?"

"Positive." Gray shoved himself away from the table, curling a lip and scowling at her. He hated them all, particularly the girl Mary, who hung off of his every word when he claimed to desire revenge against the people who'd torn down Tartaros. Not the truth at all, but he did blame other things and people.

The book of END - and its owner - had been the reason they'd all lost so much.

And he'd make sure he returned the loss ten fold.

Gray wandered back over to his place by the window as they went back to arguing about whose forces to use and who would do what. He looked out over the land and grimaced.

 _Merry Christmas._

* * *

Erza puffed her breath into her hands, ignoring the icy chill and glancing at Juvia. "Are you sure you're alright?" she asked gently. "Perhaps you should return to your rest. Gray won't be coming for a few hours yet."

"He's not coming at all if he has not come by now," Juvia replied tiredly. There were shadows beneath her eyes, and she wore far more layers than she usually did in the winter. She gave a sharp cough, her breath rattling in her chest. "Juvia is alright."

Erza pressed her lips together and removed a glove, pushing her palm over Juvia's forehead. "You're warm. Go rest, Juvia, or I will call the Council and have them remove you from this mission."

Juvia's eyes flashed with agitation, but she nodded curtly and retreated to do as she'd been told. Erza watched her go and then turned her attention back on the stone tower in the distance. It reminded her of towers she'd seen in movies, one full of evil and darkness. She lifted her chin, as if she could see Gray.

Juvia was right; he wouldn't come tonight.

So, Erza whispered into the air, "Merry Christmas, Gray," and walked back towards their camp after Juvia.

* * *

Natsu paused mid-chew when he heard laughter outside of the room he'd been given on the passenger ship heading for the Alvarez Empire, his onyx eyes curious yet miserable. Happy was curled up at his hip, watching him carefully. He was grateful his friend was there; he was lonely, as this was the first Christmas he'd spent away from the guild. Even before Lucy, he'd always come around for the guild's favorite holiday.

Now…

He hadn't spent a Christmas alone in his life. He'd always had Igneel and then he'd had his guild. And he wasn't entirely alone, not with Happy, but…

He missed everyone.

"We could call Lucy," Happy suggested, watching Natsu's face closely.

Natsu glanced at his phone, debating. Doubting that the phone would connect this far out into the ocean. Remembering all the times Lucy had called and he hadn't answered, worried about what she'd say. "...yeah," he muttered. "We could. I don't know if she'd answer though." He didn't want to find out just how upset she was with him.

"I'll do it." Before Natsu could stop him, Happy had grabbed his phone and was all ready speed dialing the familiar number.

"Happy!" he gasped, but the cat was putting the phone on speaker, watching intently as it rang.

But, much to Natsu's immense disappointment, there was no answer. A moment later, Lucy's voice - a lovely sound after not hearing it in so long - filled the air. "Hello!" her voice chirped. "I can't get to my phone right now, so please leave a message." There was a moment, and then she continued with a hesitant tone, "And if you're my boyfriend, trying to place a call, don't. I...need some time to think things over."

Something in his chest shattered like a mirror and Natsu shook his head burying his face in his hands. Happy patted his leg comfortingly, saying softly, "She'll understand. When we explain," he said, but he sounded uncertain as Natsu quickly shut the phone call down without leaving a message.

Natsu certainly hoped so.

Because he wasn't entirely sure what he'd do without Lucy.

Particularly when that black feeling had torn its way permanently into his thoughts.

* * *

 _Gotta get some drama in there for Christmas time in BTL. Still annoyed I didn't post this on Christmas. XD Sorry for missing another update! I've been having some problems with inspiration in writing lately. Have no worries, BTL's not discontinuing or anything. It's simply the only thing I want to work on right now. So I might actually finish it before resuming work on other fics. XD_

 _I just quickly want to add a reassurance: some have expressed hope that things go differently than the canon verse and I'd like to say that the fact that everyone left and Natsu's return will be handled MUCH differently than the manga/anime. I love FT, but that drove me up the wall crazy when things were just left the way they are. I actually have quite the plan for Natsu's return. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (sofiesticated, Dragondancer81, TabathaEvans, AnonymousStalkerFriend, stranger1999, LePengwen, noah03, Vilchen, Crazymagic16, FtfanDessarai, PinkFireandGoldenStars, OOANDISAOO, The Age of Awesomeness, Guest #1, peacerockgirl123, Guest #2, kierayumi, and HummingBird742!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _As an apology for my late update, have a sneak peek!_

* * *

 ** _A sneak peek of Chapter 266!_**

 _"On your left!"_

 _Rogue's sudden shout jerked her out of her thoughts and she barely had enough time to grab for the whip at her hip when massive taloned feet grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her into the ground. Lucy shrieked and there were shouts of alarm as the massive bird parted its beak and began to beat its wings. Realizing it was going to take off - and likely was big enough to carry her with it - Lucy swore and without batting an eye, summoned Capricorn._

 _The Spirit appeared in his usual flash of light and with ease, lashed out, kicking the bird off. It squawked in outrage, turning to snap its large beak at Frosch. Frosch squealed as he dove for the familiar shadow that erupted from the ground. Rogue held nothing back as he blasted the bird with shadows, furious with it for daring to so much as try and touch the small cat._

 _The bird dropped dead, feathers ruffled and body twitching._

 _Sting blinked. "Damn, Rogue. Overkill?"_

 _"No," Rogue said darkly, comforting the trembling Frosch. "It tried to take Fro."_


	250. Chapter 250

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

They sat alone in the corner of the empty dining room that Mavis had sealed off with some sort of magic to hide and disguise them. She'd reassured Lucy that no one would know what they talked about, something that concerned her just a little. Ignoring the buzzing phone in her pocket, Lucy looked between Mavis and Gildarts. Her gaze flickered back and forth nervously - waiting. She wanted to know what was going on, she knew. Needed to know.

So, she sat back and said quietly, "Start with the Heart of Fairies. Tell me what it is, why it's so important, and what Zeref might want with it. Also, Gildarts, what do you know about Zeref?"

Gildarts' lips quirked a little before he said, "Zeref is a myth among the mages of Fiore. To many, he is a black mage, practically a god of death, who has not truly existed. But to those of us who know better, we know him as Emperor of the Alvarez Empire. There was a time when he had a brother, but that brother disappeared. There were rumors of what happened to him, but nothing was for sure. I don't truly know."

"I do," Mavis murmured, "but I will not say."

Lucy knew, too.

"In any case, Zeref disappeared fifteen, maybe sixteen years ago and then randomly reappeared recently. I know he approached you when we were confronted with Tartaros. All together, he's a powerful mage who created the demons we fought against for an agenda no one knows about. His most powerful demon, END, is also a demon of legends. We're lucky that one hasn't come into the light just yet."

Lucy bit her lip hard, nearly drawing blood.

She knew about END, too. She'd held his book within her arms, his very soul, and had loved him - still loved him - fiercely.

"Moving on," Mavis said softly, "to the Heart of Fairies, also known by Fairy Heart. It's one of three incredibly powerful spells that originate from fairies. It is, quite literally, a fairy's heart." Lucy arched a brow. "We aren't entirely sure on how it's passed from person to person, nor do we know how it chooses its next host, but the holder is granted immeasurable potential magic. While many of us have limits in how much we can use, the holder can reach into that potential magic and never suffer from things like magic deficiency."

Lucy blinked. "I don't understand. So what does that have to do with me? Why does Zeref seem so interested in me?"

"Don't you see?" Mavis said gently, reaching over the table to touch her fingers to Lucy's chest. "You are the holder of the Fairy Heart, Lucy Heartfilia. I have studied fairies extensively. I'm not entirely sure if they ever even existed. But when I met you as a child, I sensed the extent of your power and explained it to Layla Heartfilia. She had your magic sealed when it began to present medical problems in your body. Even now, I know you're struggling."

"That explains a lot," Gildarts mused. "Makarov told me about it. The idea of the Heart of Fairies, and I considered it with him when Lucy blew up after coming back from that other world. When you wrecked half the guildhall," he added to Lucy.

Lucy's lips trembled. "So...Zeref wants me because I have never-ending magic? But I just dealt with magic deficiency. I'm _still_ recovering!"

"Because you have instinctively placed a limit on your magic. Were you to rid yourself of your limit, you could likely summon all thirteen Zodiac Spirits, perform your Urano Metria spell, and use as many Star Dresses in a few minutes' period all at the same time," Mavis informed her, eyes glittering with amusement.

Lucy's mouth opened, closed, and then opened again as she said shakily, "What could Zeref do with that information?"

"Imagine what you could do with that much magic for the good of the people around you," Gildarts told her, "and then imagine the opposite, and that's what Zeref would do with it. He'd likely wreck the world and find a way to drag END back from the depths of hell."

 _Or back from wherever he's run off to,_ Lucy thought.

She ran a hand through her hair, taking a shaken breath. "Okay. Okay, so I have this...Fairy Heart. What about the book of END? What can you tell me about it?"

"First of all, you know what it looks like since Zeref managed to take it from you." Lucy glowered at Gildarts, practically bristling at the insult. "I'm not trying to be rude, Lucy. I'm stating a fact. An important one. You know what the book looks like, even feels like. So does Natsu. No one else does but Zeref and, I suspect, your Spirits. I didn't even know there was a book."

Mavis watched Lucy closely and then folded her hands. "Igneel created it," she said gently. "He saw a soul who might be saved within the demon. He took the darkness from his soul and placed it within a book before storing it within his hoard in hopes that no one would ever be able to reach it. He stole some of Layla's magic in order to seal it there. He made it so that only one of the Heartfilia line could free it."

Lucy studied Mavis' face - the knowing look. Mavis knew who END was, too.

"In any case, I remember the destruction from END himself," Gildarts said with a grimace. Lucy's gaze shot towards him. "Wasn't pleasant. He tore up half a country before Igneel confronted him, maybe even more. I remember hearing the news that he disappeared mid-battle, too. It was odd, suspicious. Particularly when he came back. I've heard that he was in even more of a rage when he reappeared, as if he'd been affected by something-"

Lucy choked on nothing.

"Alright there, Lucy?" Gildarts asked, arching a brow.

"Yep!" She swallowed thickly. "Yes, I'm fine. I just...when time reverted itself during the time we fought the dragons...that's where it went."

Mavis' eyes stretched wide. "END was here?"

"So was Zeref. He let END through the Eclipse Gate, but when time changed, he was sent back." She swallowed thickly. "He knew," she realized. She didn't clarify what she meant aloud. The future Natsu had _known_ that END and Natsu were the same. He'd known what Zeref was talking about. Everything.

Lucy wondered just what else he'd known, how he'd found out.

"I see," Mavis murmured, clasping her hands before her mouth.

They fell silent for a few moments. "Why hasn't Zeref brought END back?" Lucy asked finally. "Why keep a hold on the book of END and not use it?"

"They're waiting for something," Gildarts said slowly. "I think they are, anyhow. I don't know for certain just _what_ they're waiting for, but they are."

"I think I know," Mavis murmured. "Acnologia has been freed. They're waiting for his full power to be returned to him before they attack."

"Which brings us to another conversation, one I've been waiting to have with you for over a month." Lucy leaned forward, planting her hands firmly on the table. Her brown eyes flashed as she asked, "What can you tell me about the location of the dragons, the location of the entrance to where they are, when and how I can get there, how I can free them, and how I can free them without freeing Acnologia's remaining powers?"

"So specific," Gildarts mused. "Did you come up with this for Natsu?"

"I came up with this for myself," Lucy said firmly. "If anyone can help against Zeref, it's the Fire Dragon King."

"You're right. Not against Zeref, but against Acnologia. The Demon King would be our best chance against Zeref's magic." Mavis studied Lucy, her eyes gentle when Lucy shook her head. "You are aware of the truth of END then."

"Of course." Lucy glanced at Gildarts, who was furrowing his brow in confusion now, not understanding. "He admitted the truth of his name himself. It was a matter of putting two and two together."

"Ah," Mavis sighed. "I am sorry. For the truth. It's not a fate I would wish upon anyone. The magic Zeref pushed into him is something no one deserves. Not even Zeref himself."

"Zeref is the reason behind all of this," Lucy said coldly, "I don't give a damn about him." She slammed a hand on the table once and then withdrew them. "Please, Mavis. I need to know everything you can tell me about the dragons and where they are. My Spirits are unable to tell me anything I don't already know and with Zeref holding the book now...I need to find the dragons sooner rather than later."

Her fingers fiddled with the choker at her throat and then with Loke's key. "I won't lose anyone else in this war. Not because of something I could have done, but didn't."

"Gildarts Clive," Mavis said suddenly, waving towards him.

Lucy blinked and then looked at Gildarts as he began to shrug off his shirt. The massive scars on his chest stood out starkly against his skin, deep enough that Lucy could tell whatever had made them had carved out bone. He grimaced as he looked down at himself.

"What did _that_?" Lucy breathed.

Mavis took a deep breath and then said gently, "Acnologia."

Lucy's head snapped around. "You went up against him?"

"A while ago." Gildarts sighed softly, raking a hand through his hair. "Before your mother and her Spirits helped Igneel place him in the...whatever you want to call it."

"The Depths," Mavis supplied. "A prison within the Spirit Realm."

"This," Gildarts told her, "is what Acnologia did after I'd used every ounce of my magic against him. I had an entire team of people with me. All dead. I would have been dead had another dragon not come to investigate and chased him off."

"Igneel?" Lucy guessed.

"Igneel," he confirmed. "Igneel's always been tightly intertwined with Acnologia, ever since he woke up."

"Woke up?" Now she looked confused.

Mavis smiled and settled herself a little deeper into her seat. "Allow me," she said gently, "to tell you the story of Acnologia and Anna Heartfilia."

Lucy furrowed her brow. "But my mother put it in her diary-"

"She put the version that was passed down through the Heartfilia line by word of mouth," Mavis said, eyes flickering. "Let me tell you the truth."

* * *

 _This was the chapter that made me realize how little I remembered of previous chapters. I spent three days scanning BTL after that._

 _Anyhow...chapter 250! So many. We're definitely hitting 300.  
_

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, sofiesticated, Vilchen, Lodemai04, Chew Chew, Dragondancer81, TabathaEvans, stranger1999, Guest #1, AnonymousStalkerFriend, FtfanDessarai, and nerdalertwarning!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	251. Chapter 251

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The van rattled beneath her and Lucy stared out the window, lost in thought. She was in one of the seats furthest in the back per her request. Asuka was cheerfully playing with a new stuffed cat that her parents had gotten her for Christmas, beside her. Bisca and Alzack had taken up the middle seating with Wendy and Charle while Mirajane sat up front with Laxus, chattering away while the lightning mage merely grunted every now and then to show he was listening.

Lucy cocked her head, furrowing her brow and thinking of everything Mavis and Gildarts, who'd left to take a job under the request of the Council, had told her about the dragons, Acnologia, END, and herself.

The story of Acnologia and Anna Heartfilia stuck out in particular.

According to Mavis, the two had loved each other fiercely - until centuries ago, when the dragon slayer Acnologia had found that killing more dragons meant more power. He'd begun slaughtering them left and right at his own pleasure until he'd become a dragon himself. Anna, a friend of the dragons at the time, had begged him to stop. When he had refused, she'd threatened that if he couldn't control himself, couldn't stop, then she'd have to resort to actions neither of them liked.

Acnologia had laughed in her face and dared her to.

Without hesitation, she'd sealed him away in a manner similar to what Layla had done to he and the other dragons later. He'd been awoken somehow after centuries of imprisonment and had made his displeasure known. After countless months and years of destruction, he'd been sealed away again, and Lucy recalled the words he'd said to her on Tenrou, the threats he'd given her.

She couldn't blame him; he'd loved Anna, and she'd turned around and betrayed him when he'd likely needed her. Not that Anna had been wrong; in fact, Lucy agreed that her ancestor's methods had been the smartest ones.

And then there was the other dragons. Mavis had created an illusion of Tenrou Island, albeit smaller than the original, and shown her precisely where to go. While her Spirits and the dragons hadn't been helpful, Mavis had no problems with pointing her in the right direction.

 _"Avoid Tenrou until the late spring and summer,"_ Lucy had been told. _"And I'd recommend keeping this information from the dragons until you decide to leave. Otherwise they will demand more of you - more that you are not yet ready to give."_

Mavis had listed important information about dragons, instructing her to seek out Porlyusica when possible, although Lucy had the strangest feeling that Porlyusica would come and seek her out before she could her. She'd been told precisely how to free them using her keys, and Lucy had clutched Loke's key tightly in despair.

 _"You will not be allowed to pick and choose which dragons to release, Lucy Heartfilia,"_ Mavis had warned, green eyes wide. _"If you release Igneel, then you release Acnologia's full strength. He understood this risk when he was sealed away with the others. Will the dragons' return be worth such devastation he will bring?"_

It was a thought Lucy was still thinking over.

Was bringing Igneel out of hiding worth the full release of Acnologia's power?

Lucy fingered her phone, thinking. She opened her phone to look at the call she'd missed the day before, during her conversation with Mavis and Gildarts. _Natsu_ read the name, and she pressed her lips together. She wasn't sure if she was happy that she'd missed the call or not. She didn't even know if she wanted to talk to Natsu or not. He'd left her without waiting to make sure she understood, without asking if she was okay mentally, without considering her at all.

Lucy took a deep breath and then rested her head back, biting her lip. She could probably call him back. He wouldn't pick up after all of the times she'd tried previously, more than likely. So, she put her phone away and went back to messing with Loke's key, deep in thought.

"Lucy," Asuka said suddenly, grimacing. "I dropped my kitty."

"I've got it." Lucy bent to scoop up the stuffed cat-

Laxus hit the breaks.

Lucy was immediately up in arms, her keys in hand, her body tensed and breathing heavy. Panic filled her body and her keys warmed against her fingers. Asuka looked just as scared, her small body shivering, and when Mirajane looked back, alarm filled her wide blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said, studying them with a look of understanding passing over her features. She smiled faintly. "The person in front of us hit the breaks. We had to, too. We didn't mean to frighten you."

Immediately, all eyes were on Lucy and Asuka, and Bisca exchanged a look with Alzack before reaching over the seat to gently grab Asuka's hand. "You're okay," she promised the little girl gently. "We're up here, alright?"

"I know," Asuka mumbled, smiling nervously. She went back to playing with her cat, still quivering, and Alzack frowned before turning to face forward. Wendy twisted in her seat to stare at Lucy and then asked, "Is it because of-"

"Yes," Lucy cut her off, her breathing heavy as she forced herself to relax. "Sorry. It's stupid."

"It's not," Alzack said quietly. "Asuka has nightmares because of everything that happened. She wakes up screaming for Natsu to wake up, that you're gone, that Cana's hanging from her seat, and it takes her hours to calm down. It was a miracle that we could get her into the car at all."

Asuka protested, but Wendy said quietly, "We all have troubles right now."

Even Laxus agreed.

* * *

"Oof, it's nice to be home," Lucy muttered, stretching her arms above her head. She had her bag in hand, her eyes roving the house she'd worked hard on. She'd put it back together quite nicely, she liked to think. She'd even replaced the hammock, though she hated it. And wasn't sure if the owner was coming back anytime soon.

Lucy dumped her things and went to check the mailbox just outside. She blinked at various thick envelopes and brought them in, flipping through them.

She paused on an envelope that was addressed from some service she'd never used. She furrowed her brow and ripped it open. Her jaw dropped at the bill and she stared speechlessly at the amount of money that needed to pay. Then she noticed what it was for.

She lurched for her phone, fear driving her forward. She forgot her anger with Natsu as she furiously dialed his number, forgot how upset she was with him for leaving her.

All that mattered was stopping him from reaching the Alvarez Empire.

But when she lifted the phone to her ear, her heart sank.

An automated voice filled her ears, informing her that the line she'd tried to call was no longer in service. Her eyes filled with tears as she hurled the phone at the couch and buried her face in her hands, taking a ragged breath.

"Bastard," she breathed. "First you call me and don't leave a message, and then you-" She shook her head.

It felt as if she was shattering all over again, breaking into a thousand pieces that no one was there to pick up. She gave herself a few moments to gather herself, to calm down. Then, she scrubbed her hands down her face. When she dropped them, there was a deadly calm look on her face. She licked her lips and then reached for her phone again.

Then paused.

Who could she call? No one but Mavis knew the truth. Mavis, Igneel, and-

She dialed the number one at a time and then lifted it to her ear. When the other end picked up she croaked, "Cobra. I need your help."

* * *

Natsu watched as the ashes trickled between his fingers. The final call he'd made had been to his phone company, asking them to get rid of his line so that no bill would be charged in the time he was away. His onyx eyes watched intently as the ashes trickled into the sea.

"Natsu," Happy protested, "maybe this is a bad idea."

Natsu flashed him a grin and leaned on the ship's railing, letting Happy cling to his shoulder as the ocean breeze washed over his face. He narrowed his eyes against it, enjoying the brisk air without bothering to retrieve a coat. "Nah," he denied. "We need to be focused. And having the phone was distracting. All I could do is sit there and think about calling Lucy. Now, we don't have the distraction. We have to focus. The Alvarez Empire doesn't like Fiore much, remember?"

"I guess," Happy said unhappily, curling his tail around Natsu's wrist when Natsu touched his friend's head in comfort. "I just...don't like having no chance of contact with the others."

"It's not like Lucy was going to pick up any phone calls anyways. Besides, like you said, we'll explain and she'll have to understand. And if she doesn't...we'll figure it out." His heart ached. He missed Lucy, struggled with the darkness clawing its way through his soul, and even with his out of control magic.

But...without that tie, that chance of one word from Lucy convincing him to run home, he felt a little freer. A little more sure of what he was doing.

"We'll make one phone call to Lucy," he said, grinning at Happy. He adjusted his scarf, having no doubt that he wouldn't be home any time soon. "If we're not back by next July, then we'll call her. On the seventh."

It was a day he hated more than any other.

The day Igneel had disappeared.

...on second thought, maybe he'd call on Christmas.

"How do we know she'll even pick up the phone?" Happy looked fretful as he curled his tail tighter around Natsu's wrist and Natsu leaned his head against Happy's. Natsu knew the cat was terrified that Lucy would want nothing to do with them and he felt his terror in his own heart.

But for Lucy's sake, he had to narrow down Zeref's obsession with her - figure out the purpose behind that book that Natsu had felt so attached to. He had to figure out how to free Igneel and bring back the dragons because that book had been in Igneel's hoard, which meant Igneel knew what it was and what it could do.

When he'd figured everything out, he'd go home.

Until then…

His eyes returned to the open sea.

He'd watch the news and hope Lucy was safe.

For now, that would be enough.

* * *

 _Natsu's being an idiot now. But we've got some calm bits and whatnot. The time skip isn't going to have much excitement, although a big important part comes up every now and then._

 _Thanks to reviewers (TabathaEvans, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Naruto4Sakura, stranger1999, nerdalertwarning, FtfanDessarai, OOANDISAOO, Dragondancer81, LePengwen, Guest #1, Chew Chew, Celestialspiritfiredragonmage, xSkiesOfBlue11, naluobsessed, Syns Song, The Age of Awesomeness, and Firefly9917!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	252. Chapter 252

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Let me get this straight," Cobra grunted from where he sat on the floor, leaning heavily on the coffee table that rested between them. "The moron went straight to Zeref?"

Lucy held out the bill she'd received and he took it quickly, shifting so Kinana, who sat at his side, could see it, too. Both quickly skimmed through it. "It's for a boat to the Alvarez Empire," Lucy told them, biting the inside of her cheek and fiddling with Loke's broken key. She desperately wished she could summon the Spirit and seek his advice, but…

She'd broken his key in favor of saving her guild and the country below from Tartaros.

She couldn't openly say she'd do it again if she had to.

"There isn't really anything we can do," Kinana said softly, handing it back. She'd been informed of everything Cobra knew - without Lucy's permission, naturally. The blonde was still pissed off with him for it. She didn't mind, as she knew Kinana would keep quiet, but...he could have _asked_. "He's already gone and you said his phone number doesn't work anymore."

Lucy raked a hand through her blonde hair and said with a distressed voice, "I should have stopped talking with Mavis and Gildarts and picked up the damn phone."

They knew about the heart of the fairies and everything else she'd discussed with Mavis, of course. _Nosy one-eyed freak_ , she threw accusingly at him via thoughts, and the venom mage curled a lip and hissed at her like some kind of snake.

Kinana, ignoring both of them, said firmly, "You can't change the past, Lucy. Look to the future. What can you do to help the situation now? Don't think about what you couldn't do; think about what you can do."

"You're incredibly wise for someone who's young," Lucy muttered and Kinana laughed softly in response. Cobra looked exceptionally pleased with the sound.

"In any case," Lucy continued. "I know how to get to the dragons, and I know how to free them. So there's that...Cobra, I know you're some kind of untraditional dragon slayer like Laxus, but when I go to free them, would you like to come, too?"

"Nah," he drawled, sitting back and reaching for one of the crackers with cheese and meat atop of them that Lucy had put out for them. He crunched down cheerfully on the snack. "I don't give a damn about the dragons, honestly. I wasn't raised by one, and it's likely that my magic comes from the death of one they might have known, so I'm gonna not go near 'em. But," he continued, reaching for a second cracker, "you wanted to know where Porlyusica went, right?"

"Yes," Lucy said immediately. "Mavis suggested I speak with her. I asked Wendy before Wendy left again, but…" Wendy hadn't given her anything to work with.

"Well, Meredy and I did some digging," Kinana said, pulling her phone out and typing in something. She slid it to Lucy, leaning over the coffee table to explain. "See this point?" she said, pointing to an app she'd pulled up - a map app. "She's hiding out here. We think she may have purposely left clues out for you to track her by. If it's true that she knows anything, it explains a lot."

"You know," Cobra grunted, grabbing a third cracker along with a few more, "I think she knows. About Natsu and what he is. And I think she's known since you met her about the heart of fairies."

"It's not just us she dislikes," Lucy protested. "She hates-" Lucy paused. "Huh. She hates all of the dragon slayers. Except for Wendy…"

Kinana suggested, "Perhaps she's known something about all of them for a while now then."

"It explains so much," Lucy whispered. "Thank you for telling me about where to find her though. I'll head out tomorrow-"

"Yo, Blondie," Cobra cut in with a snort, "you realize it's the end of December, right? She's in the middle of the mountains near Crocus, you'll _freeze_ -"

"She went to Igneel's hoard," Lucy said bluntly. "I don't know where she was while we were there finding the book, but she's near the hoard. There's no way she's not. Which mean she has more to do with the dragons than we originally thought. And it's not...cold near his hoard, actually. It never snows at least. I'll be fine."

"Well you can't go alone, and to be honest, she might not even be there. This is based on rumors," Kinana protested. "There might still be a few demons or black mages running around, maybe some of the anti-magic terrorists."

Lucy waved at them. "Then you two can come with me."

"We have work to do in Bosco, woman," Cobra said bluntly. "We leave at four in the morning tomorrow." He fixed the collar of his fur-lined jacket. "Look. We understand you want to help that idiot that left in any way you can, and you're trying to do that by getting all of the information you can, but did you ever stop and think about what he might be doing?"

Lucy tensed. "I know what he's doing. He stated it pretty clearly through a bill. Which I'm using money from his hoard to pay for." She licked her lips, wetting the cracked skin. "And you know what? I don't care that he's going to talk to Zeref for some kind of information. No, I care that he went without me. I had questions, too, more than him even because he doesn't even _know_ the truth. I was going to tell him and...and he left. He's going to probably get told by the emperor of Alvarez that he's-"

"I think," Kinana said gently, interrupting her. "That you're not so concerned about the fact that he's going to learn the truth. He'd be upset about it, but he's such a positive person that he'll learn to work around it. He'd learn to use his status as a demon to his advantage to protect his guild and to protect you, Lucy. I think you're worried that he'll be upset with _you_ when he finds out you knew and didn't tell him."

Lucy ran a hand through her long hair, scowling when her fingers got tangled in the long strands. Disentangling her fingers, she said, "Yes. That is what I'm worried about. I'm also worried about what he'll think of himself after realizing that he's Zeref's younger brother. It's one thing to learn that you're an ultra powerful Demon King, Kinana. It's a completely different thing to realize that you're the brother of a man who can be considered a god of death."

Watching her closely, Cobra grunted, "Ya know, finding the dragons might be a bad idea."

"Why." A statement rather than a question - a demand even, because _damn it_ , Lucy was tired of asking that question.

"With all of this...frantic panicking about the fact that you won't get to tell him first," Cobra stated slowly, "you've forgotten what happened to END when he first disappeared. You've forgotten who supposedly defeated END and shoved the Demon King's demonic half into a book and hid it in his hoard."

Lucy covered her face with her hands. "Igneel. Natsu's going to be betrayed by two of us who knew beforehand and said nothing."

"Lucy…" Kinana said gently, standing and moving around the coffee table. She stopped beside her, touching her shoulder with a sigh. "Don't look at it as betrayal, or he'll see it as betrayal. Natsu's smart in battle and is fairly quick when it comes to noticing things, but he sees things as other people see things. If you think of it as betrayal, he'll be more likely to see it that way. Igneel's part, I have no doubt he will, but you...tell him what you've told us, that you were scared of the kind of moods he'd fall into, that he'd become reckless. He'll understand. Besides." She lifted her brows. "He ran off with only a letter to explain and is sending you his expenses."

Lucy hid a smile and admitted, "That's true…" She sat back in her chair, reaching for one of the crackers - only to discover them gone. Cobra smirked as she glared at him, shoving the last of them into his mouth. "Those were my snacks!"

"You shared 'em," he replied, shrugging. "You were too busy yappin' to eat, so I ate."

"Cobra!" Kinana whined in despair, but he only cackled and hopped to his feet, sidling towards the kitchen. Lucy bolted after him, intent on stopping him before he reached the fridge.

Not, she supposed, that he would eat anything from her fridge.

The crackers had been the last of her food. She _really_ should have gone grocery shopping.

* * *

Tapping her finger impatiently with the phone pressed to her ear, Lucy glanced around the guildhall. The only other person there was Mirajane, and that didn't really count because she was hidden away in Laxus' office doing paperwork that he'd likely complained about.

She'd taken to coming to the guildhall at opening time, unwilling to be alone in the house she lived in for too long. She hated not being distracted from her thoughts. She'd tried a full day once and it had resulted in a very detailed map on her bedroom wall with carefully placed pins and notes, tying in everyone's current possible location so that if she was truly desperate, she could try and hunt them down.

Lucy tried to not feel too guilty when the other line picked up.

"Lucy," Rogue said tiredly, yawning loudly. "It's six in the morning."

She smiled a little and said apologetically, "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I need some help with something and couldn't wait. I have a plane to catch in two hours."

"Hold on. Fro," he said, voice muffled as he moved the phone away from his mouth, "watch out-"

A yowl filled her ears and Rogue sighed heavily as he scolded, "I told you not to sleep at the edge of the bed."

She heard Frosch sniffle, "Fro didn't mean to."

Damn, he was cute. But Lucy was immediately alert as Rogue said, "Alright, what do you need help with? Do you want me to get Sting on the phone? He was dragged to the guildhall earlier on Yukino's demand. She wanted to talk to him about something."

"No, you'll work. And he's kind of...high-strung for what I need help with." She wasn't entirely sure that bringing a dragon slayer with her was her best option - and even then, she should have tracked down Wendy - but she didn't want to wait or stress over whether or not Wendy could do it. And since Natsu was unavailable and Gajeel was busy with Council work...Rogue was her best option. She supposed Laxus and Cobra were bad choices, too. "Do you know of a mage Fairy Tail's close with by the name of Porlyusica?"

Rogue snorted. "Yes. I've heard several complaints about her rather strong hatred for everyone."

Lucy laughed briefly and then leaned forward, shifting the phone in her hands. "I need to find her and I think I know where she is thanks to Meredy's help, but I don't think going alone would be smart. I need a dragon slayer with me, and since everyone else is busy…"

"You want me to go with you," Rogue said, amused. "I don't have any work lined up. I'll go. Where is she?"

"That's going to be the touchy point," Lucy admitted. "She's near if not in Igneel's hoard."

Rogue was quiet for a short moment and then told her, "You have a death wish."

"I know," she sighed. "Please, Rogue? I know going into other dragons' hoards is a bad thing - Natsu was very clear about that. And I know it's particularly bad going into Igneel's hoard, but I can't ask anyone else, you're the one who's least likely to upset her, and it's about the dragons' whereabouts."

"What about them?" he said almost snappishly.

They'd know eventually. "Don't go telling everyone, but I know where they are and how to get them back," Lucy said slowly. A low sound filled her ears. She continued hastily. "Rogue, I think Porlyusica could help explain the details I'm missing. Please help me."

"Fine," he sighed, "but I want answers."

"Thank you."

"And Fro's coming."

Lucy's lips quirked as she said, "I wouldn't expect anything else."

* * *

 _Holy hell, I'm sorry about the crazy lack of updates. I haven't felt well (constant headaches) and was busy. But! I'm back at college for the spring semester, so things should return to normal. :)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (nerdalertwarning, LePengwen, Vilchen, Guest #1, Dragondancer81, Lodemai04, Crazymagic16, Syns Song, Naruto4Sakura, TabathaEvans, Chew Chew, FtfanDessarai, PinkFireandGoldenStars, The Age of Awesomeness, and Guest #2!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	253. Chapter 253

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy shrugged her coat on, listening to the excited voices of the people behind her. Everyone was celebrating. She couldn't blame them; it was New Year's Eve. Any other year, she'd be celebrating, too, whether it be in some horrid party at her father's command, on her own in her apartment in Crocus, or with Natsu at her side. She remembered the previous years' New Years Eve and how, while stressful as she planned to leave for Bosco, she'd enjoyed her time with her nakama.

Not this year.

This year, Lucy left the guildhall, once again intending to leave. But this time, she held no wish to return to Bosco. Not now anyways. Nor did she leave without telling anyone. She'd warned Mirajane and Laxus, who'd begun to co-run the guild in Makarov's absence. Not even Laxus knew where he'd gone, but a card had come in the mail wishing them all happy holidays.

Mirajane had fretted, but Laxus had waved her off and told her to leave.

As if knowing that she _needed_ this.

Lucy tugged her hat on further over her ears, her gifted bag slung over her shoulder and her gloved hand fiddling with the choker at her throat. It hadn't given any inclination of holding magic in the past month, but she wasn't entirely upset about that.

Because it meant there was a semblance of peace.

Even if she was alone, she was glad that it was peaceful. No more suffering, no more pain. Not for the time being.

But she had no doubts that pain would soon invest itself in their lives again.

It took Lucy a while to walk home, but she didn't mind the walk. Even when it snowed, she merely smiled and tilted her head back to stick out her tongue and catch snowflakes on it. When she reached her house, she paused to grab the day's mail before she unlocked the door and ducked in.

She swiped through it, grimacing in fear of seeing another bill to show her Natsu was in the Alvarez Empire.

Instead, she found herself pausing. Her eyes widened a fraction. In her hand was a black envelope, one that was made for cards. A gold seal had been pressed over the opening to seal it.

A seal that held the Alvarez Empire's emblem.

Lucy stiffened, not liking the feeling that was appearing in her gut. Her keys warmed at her hip. "Oh, no," she murmured, slowly dropping her things onto the couch. She leaned against it, prying the envelope open, reluctant to break the seal.

Within the envelope was a simple card of glimmering black and gold - formal and, although she hated to admit it, beautifully made. She flipped it over, eyeing it, and then opened it with reluctance.

In neat handwriting was a simple phrase.

 _Merry Christmas and Happy New Years, Miss Heartfilia._

There was no name or anything else, but Lucy didn't need it to decipher who the card was from. _Zeref_.

Shaking, she lit the fireplace and didn't hesitate before throwing it in. She curiously watched the card go up in flames, burning. An idea sprang into her head. She retreated to where she'd kept Natsu's bill. She'd carefully placed it in a drawer with half of the things he'd left behind - half of the things that hadn't been stolen in the aftermath, of course.

She stared at all of them. Pictures, so many pictures, of everyone and anyone. Mostly of them and Happy, most of them including their team. In most of them, she was tucked beneath his muscled arm, his head leaned against hers with Happy on his open shoulder, their faces full of wide smiles and happiness.

Lucy flipped through various pictures as she walked back to the fire place.

The bill went in first. She'd all ready paid it and fully intended to reimburse herself from Natsu's hoard. She watched as the flames turned it to ash.

She fed one of the pictures in.

And then another.

And then another.

She continued to feed each picture into the flame until there were none left.

Lucy retreated to see if there was anything else and found a few pieces of clothing that had been left behind. Her eyes were quiet as she burned those, too, thanking the heavens they weren't built for mages.

Perhaps some would have called her insane, Lucy thought as she burned almost every trace of Natsu away. She kept only her gifts of gold, not daring to ruin such expensive things. She would keep those. Maybe give them to Igneel when she found him to add to his hoard, if only to piss Natsu off.

But to her, the action was one of freedom.

She would not look back, she told herself. No longer would she grieve for Loke. No longer would she think about Natsu and Erza, Gray and Juvia, Happy, and everyone else who had left her behind. She'd told herself this before, but now... she was ready, truly ready. She would look to the future and she would do what she could for the people who relied on mages to help them.

And she would most certainly free the dragons.

If it freed Acnologia...she would deal with the problem. Igneel would help, she was sure. As would the other dragons.

Lucy took a deep breath and reached for her keys, her eyes burning with determination as she summoned Cancer. The Spirit was startled at being summoned, and Lucy felt guilty for not having summoned him in quite some time. "Miss Lucy," he began, but she merely smiled kindly and he fell quiet for a moment, reading what she wanted through the bond she shared with her Spirits.

He lifted the scissors he held. "What would you like, Miss Lucy?"

She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair and told him.

* * *

Lucy stepped off the plane the next day, her nose wrinkled. The air in Crocus still smelled strange, but it had been recovering well despite the cold and snow. There were no towering buildings, but some were in the progress of being built, and people bustled this way and that out of the half-rebuilt airport. She paused to give Crocus a once-over.

The city looked pretty damn good considering what it had been through in recent times.

She was willing to bet that her apartment was long gone though.

Lucy grabbed her suitcase - a small one, with only a few outfits that were made to enhance her magic - and then made her way towards the pick up area, where Rogue had said he'd be waiting. Since she'd arrived early in the day, they'd agreed to head out immediately. There was no way in _hell_ that she was going to waste his time.

She found him with ease, waiting outside with Frosch in his arms and a coat wrapped tightly around them both so that only Frosch's head peeked out. Lucy giggled at the sight and waved.

Rogue's eyebrows rose at the sight of her, emphasizing the scar over his nose. "Interesting."

Frosch, of course, beamed and said almost gently, "You look pretty."

Lucy beamed at the talking cat. "Thank you, Frosch." She fingered her hair, which had been stylishly sheared off. Most of the tips ended just beneath her chin, but she'd had Cancer leave some longer strands that went past it on either side of her face.

Rogue waved for her to get into the driver's seat of the rental vehicle they were taking to the base of the mountains. Lucy was more than aware that she'd have to hike a little, but she didn't mind. She was used to walking at this point. Rogue looked ill the second he'd slid into the passenger seat, but not quite as badly as she expected.

Frosch looked content to ride in Rogue's lap, flicking his tail this way and that as Lucy waved at the shadow mage and asked, "Are you going to get violently sick or…?"

"I'll be fine," Rogue muttered, resting his head back. "I don't get quite as ill as the others." She thought she could guess why as shadows seemed to sap at his body, wreathing themselves around him almost protectively. "Why the change in hair?"

Lucy started the engine and Rogue grimaced as she pulled out of the parking spot. "Because I got tired of moping and feeling sorry for myself." She paused. "I mean, I was working towards something before, and I had said that I was going forward, but...I decided that thinking about the past wasn't going to help. So I chose to leave it there. You and Sting as well as Cobra and Jellal helped. Somehow. I'm still not sure about how Cobra did…"

Rogue chuckled, shaking his head a little. "Well, it's good to hear that you're no longer miserable. The others would not want to see you in such a way."

"Maybe not, but they don't deserve much of anything in regards to what they want to see in me," Lucy muttered and then settled down to drive. "Can you read a map right now?"

"Yes. Hand it here. Just don't expect me to stare at it the entire way there."

Lucy grinned. "I even marked on a paper map for you." She handed it to him and Rogue settled down after unfolding it, looking intently at the paper.

"Take a left…"

* * *

He looked out over the destruction that had been wrecked upon the town before him and he felt horrible that he'd not stopped it. He understood the need to blend in with those around him as they practically bathed in the suffering, but _this_ -

"You didn't kill anyone."

He looked up and found a girl who looked like she couldn't be much older than Wendy stood there, her eyes watching him closely. Her name was Mary, he remembered. A user of some kind of magic that he wanted to never be the victim of.

He gave an uncommitted shrug, avoiding a puddle of blood that he stepped over. The cold winter air brushed over his bare chest, but he didn't seem to notice. The cross necklace he usually wore had been gifted to Juvia for safe-keeping. "I wasn't in the mood for pathetic attempts at pleading for mercy," he muttered coldly.

Gray Fullbuster had never been one for cold-blooded murder, after all.

Gray shoved his hands into his pockets, chin high as he looked down at her. The girl had somewhat of an obsession with him. He didn't know why, nor did he care. He had Juvia, and he wasn't inclined to look elsewhere. But he didn't care much for Mary. He didn't care much for any of them.

"Arlock doesn't like that you didn't hurt anyone," Mary mused, sidling closer. She smirked up at him, eyes blazing with excitement as she said mockingly, "He saved one. Especially for you."

Gray felt sick.

He'd understood the risks of going undercover in a black guild who, quite possibly, matched Tartaros in ideals and methods. Erza had warned him and he'd known it. But still, he smiled broadly at Mary and leaned in so that he was a breath away, wanting to freeze her where she stood.

An icy mist rose from his flesh as he purred, "Oh?"

* * *

 _Poor Gray. And Lucy was somewhat dramatic, but I may have been listening to "Burn" from Hamilton at the time. I thought it'd be a fun moment to write and I enjoyed it._

 _On the bright side. We have some excitement coming up with Rogue and Lucy!_

 _Crazymagic16, I'm not entirely sure when IT will be updated. I love IT, but my muse for it has kind of died so I just write a little here and there when I'm up to it. I will update it at some point in the future though, don't worry. :)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Naruto4Sakura, LePengwen, stranger1999, sofiesticated, TabathaEvans, and Crazymagic16!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	254. Chapter 254

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"I forgot how much I hate camping," Lucy muttered. She wrapped her coat tighter around her body, grumbling under her breath, and from where he was wrapping a custom made jacket snugly around Frosch, Rogue snorted.

"You chose a bad time of year for camping in the mountains, Lucy," he told her, zipping it up. He made sure his own coat, thick and warm, was ready, and then let Frosch cuddle up in it before zipping it shut. Lucy had to fight back a giggle at the sight of Frosch's eyes peering out from beneath all of the fuzz.

"I know, I know. But I have to have everything figured out before spring and summer. It'll get busy then, you know?" Lucy was grateful that she didn't have long hair at the moment. She shuddered, imagining just how tangled and messy it would get being shoved beneath a hat and hood all day.

"Ready?" Rogue looked patiently at her as she shouldered her backpack and then slung the bag that had been a gift from Natsu over her shoulder. He'd long since been ready to keep going. Lucy nodded and they set off.

She'd gone over the map with Rogue. She realized she'd never approached Igneel's hoard in a normal fashion, however, and she'd been stunned to realize it would take a few days of hiking to reach it. They'd agreed to stop in the small town she'd once visited, but neither were sure if it was still standing after the events with Tartaros.

Lucy walked side-by-side with the shadow mage, grunting in gratitude when he grabbed her elbow. She'd slid on a patch of hidden ice, tucked safely beneath a mound of snow she'd trampled through. "Thank you."

"You haven't done much in terms of traveling without cars, have you?" he said in amusement.

"No," she admitted. "I haven't taken many jobs. The ones I did take...well, they were escort missions and accessible by car. The closest to no cars was the test Master had the others give me."

"Living in Crocus, we come into the mountains quite often. Many of our jobs include rescuing lost hikers, dragging people back before the blizzards hit, and even tours around some of the nicer spots during the spring and summer." He waved to the mountains around them. "Sabertooth is used to camping out in bad weather. I could have told you what to bring and wear."

Her lips twitched a little. "There's no need to brag, Rogue. I get that you disapprove that we came up here mid-winter."

Frosch giggled from where he was hidden and Lucy snorted. She quite liked the little cat. She missed Happy's snark, but it was nice to have a cat around. She considered getting a normal cat as she hoisted herself up and over a boulder, but decided against it. With as much she planned to do, it was a horrendous idea. She'd never be home to care for it and keep it company.

"It's stupid, but the reasoning is good enough that it needs to be done." Rogue kicked some snow aside, adding, "If it means getting my father back, I'll do anything."

Lucy had told him everything in regards to the dragons, warning him that if he said anything about the matter to someone else, she'd cut off certain parts of his body. She'd left everything about END and Zeref out - naturally - but had decided it best to not keep secrets in regards to the dragons. She needed _someone_ to trust her without question on the matter since there was no one within her own guild who was as desperate as she was.

She wasn't entirely how long they walked, but the sun was fairly high in the sky when they stopped for a break. Lucy grimaced at the sun that beat down on them. "This is so stupid," she grumbled as she lowered her water bottle. "It's freezing, but I'm sweating and want to strip down to my socks."

Rogue smiled a little as he helped Frosch free himself from Rogue's coat. "I don't recommend that. You'll get sick. And despite the fact that you're sweating, you'll still freeze to death."

"Yeah, yeah." She pushed her sunglasses up. "And why are we wearing these again? I don't think I'm blinded, even with all of the snow."

Rogue launched into an explanation as he helped Frosch get some water and then began tucking him safely back into his coat. Lucy half-listened, amused with just how much effort Rogue was putting into everything. She supposed it was because it involved his father.

They were soon back on their feet and walking.

Lucy cursed herself for not hiring some kind of transport to take them up the steep climbs.

* * *

After what seemed like forever, they hit the outskirts of the town she'd once visited. Lucy's eyes were wide as she took in the destruction and Rogue gave a wise nod, pressing his lips together.

"I don't know why we're surprised," he muttered. "Tartaros did its best to take everything from us."

Lucy gave herself a moment to remember the town as it had once been - a place in which she'd visited during her stay with Loke in Igneel's hoard - and then looked sharply to her companion. He inclined his head. "Let's go find Porlyusica," she said, pointing to the highest of the peaks. Even from where they stood, Lucy could see the slopes barren of snow.

Rogue rumbled his agreement and stepped forward.

They made it to the edge of Igneel's territory by nightfall. Rogue argued that they needed to stop and make a camp or risk getting lost. Lucy convinced him to enter the area at least a little further, if only for the protection.

She'd once been told that Igneel's lands only let people he allowed in into them. She wondered if the magic in her choker was what allowed Rogue to come with her as she made her way onto warmer ground. She shrugged off her coat when they finally stopped for the night, and Frosch looked perfectly happy to lose his, too. Rogue, reluctantly, shrugged off his own.

"You've been up here. I don't know why you're so concerned," Lucy told him.

"The last time we came here," Rogue said quietly, "We were following your guildmates. We couldn't push past a certain point and couldn't do anything until you were out of the general area of Igneel's hoard. It was a rush and a battle to stop a dark guild. This is just...invasive."

"Igneel's magic allowed you onto his lands," Lucy said firmly. "Tartaros couldn't set foot here, and neither could my nakama until they came around. You are here, which means you've pretty much been invited here. Trust me, Rogue, it's not invasive. So long as you don't steal anything and don't plan to come back, you'll be fine."

Rogue snorted and dropped to sit on the ground, tilting his head back to study the stars. "It's warm enough that we won't need a fire, which is probably for the best. We don't want to advertise to any demons that might still be here."

Lucy carefully spread out her things as she had been doing and then looked at him. "Are there...are there still demons? Running around Crocus?"

"Not so much the city as the surrounding area," he admitted. "It's why I was so adamant on you having your whip at the ready rather than with your Spirits. You may be capable of your...whatever you call it," he paused to think it over, gesturing to her.

"Star Dress," she supplied.

"You may be able to use it," he continued, "but you shouldn't use all of your magic up on it. Not when we may need it. And you need to keep using your whip. I haven't seen you use it recently, nor did you use it at all with Tartaros. Do _not_ allow yourself to rely entirely on your Spirits and magic, Lucy, it will fail you in the future."

She studied him and then gave a curt nod because, to be honest, he was right.

Lucy thought about it as she curled up on the sleeping bag she'd brought and smiled a little to herself when Frosch decided to curl up with her for the night. Rogue looked a little offended.

She'd forgotten. Had she remembered that she could use weaponry, not just magic...she would have been capable of so much more against Silver and Jackal in the moments surrounding Igneel's hoard. She could have done _something_ against Zeref, even if it was as simple as striking him once. She could have done more than she had.

But she hadn't.

So, Lucy decided that she would not make that mistake again.

* * *

"Ready?"

"Yes," Lucy said confidently as she shouldered her bag and tucked her coat beneath her arm. Frosch made the weight on her back a little bit heavier, but she didn't mind. She liked his company after the lack of Happy.

Rogue grumbled about Frosch's sudden attachment to her, but didn't seem to be that upset as they went to work on hiking their way to Igneel's hoard. Lucy led the way, pointing out landmarks she had memorized in the time she'd spent in the area with Loke. She often touched his broken key when she spoke, taking comfort in it while she could.

She'd decided to go through with the return of the dragons, which meant she'd lose the only thing left of her Spirit, but...it was something that had to be done. Loke was all ready gone. It wasn't as if she was breaking his key a second time.

She owed him a massive apology for that.

Rogue had to take Frosch and Lucy was breathing heavily by the time they arrived at the entrance. She stood in the opening of the cavern with a grin on her face, relieved to have finally made it and Rogue eyed the entrance suspiciously.

"I can't go in," he said suddenly, pushing his fingers gently against an invisible wall that was there. "You'll have to bring her out if she's in there."

"I will," she promised. Lucy dumped her belongings at his feet and the ducked into the hoard, her heart racing. She ignored the masses of golden objects and coins, instead searching for anything that hadn't been there before. She noted the stacks she'd run through with Natsu, seeking the book of END, even saw the spot she'd made him promise to protect it before leaving him to seek Silver and Keyes alone.

But she forced herself to focus on other matters instead.

She was sucking in a deep breath to call for Porlyusica when a voice caught her attention instead.

"So you finally figured it out, did you?"

She spun around, heart skipping a beat.

"Porlyusica," she said in relief. The old healer looked tired as she stood between two mounds of golden coins, her dark eyes wary and her pink hair loose around her face. Lucy's eyes widened.

"What-"

"I'm not," she said quietly, "quite as I appeared." Her gaze sharpened, looking more like herself despite the lack of solidness to her form. She looked like a ghost as she strode closer, getting in Lucy's face fearlessly. Lucy didn't back away, used to Porlyusica's attitude. "What do you want now? I don't have time for stupid questions about things I know nothing about."

"I know," Lucy said replied. Her dark eyes searched Porlyusica's. "What do you know about the dragons?"

Porlyusica laughed bitterly, startling Lucy. "Everything," she said finally. "I know everything about the dragons. How the dragon slayers didn't notice is beyond me." She smirked a little. "I am a projection created by the sky dragon Grandeeney, sent to watch over Wendy due to her young age."

"A projection?" Lucy was stunned. She'd read about them online, of course. Powerful magical beings could create an illusion of sorts to do as they bid, but it drained continuously at their magic and made them weak until the projection was dissipated. But...it explained why Porlyusica had cared for Wendy alone. "You're nothing like Grandeeney though. Wendy said as much."

"A double of a sky dragon can't be running around when they're supposed to have vanished, now can they?" Porlyusica snorted. "Pay attention, girl. You're wasting my time now. And don't bother asking me to join you and that brat outside."

Lucy nodded and then asked, "Alright, then tell me. Is there anything that might limit my ability to free the dragons?"

"It can only be done on one day a year," was her immediate response. Porlyusica shifted, crossing her arms as she scowled. "The seventh of July, at precisely high noon. If you don't work the magic then, you have to wait a year. And you don't have that kind of time, so make sure you get it right."

Lucy pressed her lips. "Right. What about how I work the spell?"

"Mavis should have told you that. There is a written spell, hidden within a secret compartment of Makarov's desk." Porlyusica curled a lip. "Tap beneath the top of it three times in the center and it will open. Mavis put it there herself."

"Right." Lucy took a deep breath as she thought over everything, trying to piece together any more questions she had. She got through a few more, and then finally asked, "What will happen to you when Grandeeney is released?" A projection could take on its own life if given it for long enough. After nearly a decade of existence…

"I will cease to exist." Porlyusica looked away and for a moment, Lucy thought she was almost sad. But then she snapped a nasty expression into place and said irritably, "If you're done bothering me, leave."

"Alright, alright." Lucy turned and started for the entrance, a little bothered that after all of the hiking she'd done, this was it. This was all she had gotten out of the woman. A call of her name stopped her, however, and she looked over her shoulder.

Porlyusica gave her a long look and then said, "END is the Demon King...he is a creature of destruction, hatred, and everything in between." She paused, and then continued, "But he was once human. Unlike the other demons, he started out as a boy, a human boy, and possesses the emotions of such. He will hold the memories of one. END was previously a monster, because it was what Zeref taught him to be as he grew up. Who knows what END will be like now?"

Lucy watched after her as she strode into the hoard, growing fainter with each step, and then turned to leave, her mind racing.

Perhaps, she realized, Acnologia was not so undefeatable as he had seemed.

* * *

 _I am a horrible updater, and for that I apologize. Busy college life._

 _Thanks to reviewers (nerdalertwarning, Dragondancer81, Naruto4Sakura, PinkFireandGoldenStars, OOANDISAOO, sofiesticated, stranger1999, LePengwen, Lodemai04, nkukurichan, Samm, FtfanDessarai, Guest #1, Jeptwin, TabathaEvans, and peacerockgirl123!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	255. Chapter 255

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Rogue was exactly where she'd left him. Lucy wasn't surprised, she'd trusted that he would be. She grimaced as she left the cavern and said apologetically, "I know you said to come get you, but Porlyusica wasn't about to come out."

Rogue inclined his head. "I see. Did you find what you came here for at the very least?"

"There's a written copy of the spell in our guildmaster's desk and the spell _has_ to be performed on July 7th at precisely noon. If I don't accomplish it at that moment, then…" She made a face. "Well, we'll have to wait until next year, and with what we've dealt with recently, that's not an option."

The shadow mage nodded slowly and then sighed, "Then it's time to hike back."

"Sadly," Lucy muttered, grimacing at the thought of traveling all the way back into the cold. "Too bad we can't stay up here until spring comes. Ready?" She had work to do and a paper to find. "I can tell you about it on the way down the mountain."

"Sounds good to me," he murmured and then stepped forward. Lucy jogged after him, pausing only to look over her shoulder once at the hoard. She could have sworn she saw a cranky woman peeking out of the entrance, but turned her face away when she realized there wasn't one.

Time to go home.

For now.

* * *

They stopped at the destroyed town, deciding that it was better to take shelter in the buildings there when they saw the incoming storm clouds. "Damn," Lucy muttered, gathering firewood from the wreckage of a building next to the one they were staying in. "So much for getting home in time."

"Don't worry, Miss Lucy," Gemi chirped, bouncing this way and that and picking up sticks to hand her alongside his double.

"Don't worry, Miss Lucy," Mini echoed.

"The storm will be over soon," they finished simultaneously, making her smile a little.

She appreciated her Spirits a lot more than she had previously, she realized as she touched the whip they'd brought her. She hadn't asked them to, but they had. Her whip with the handle carved in gold, capable of absorbing magic from those around it. When the Spirit had handed it to her, she'd caught sight of Rogue giving her an approving nod.

"All done!" the Spirit informed her when she couldn't carry anymore.

She laughed. "All done," she agreed, turning to leave.

Lucy barely heard them call out in surprise before she was slammed against the half-shredded wall of the destroyed building, a knife at her throat and a hand over her mouth. An unfamiliar face glared down at her, the owner's low voice snarling, "Don't move, or I slit your throat."

Lucy grimaced as the wood she'd been carrying hit the ground. She'd spent so much time with Gemini carrying that-

"And call off your Spirit," he warned. "Or I'll do it anyways."

"Gemini," Lucy said quietly. The Spirit had taken on Rogue's form, having studied the shadow mage earlier before joining her. It returned to its original appearance with a squeak of disapproval.

She kept calm, trying to decipher who this man was as her choker flared with heat. The magic in it was reacting to whoever this was, though she wasn't surprised. Her dark eyes narrowed slightly as she looked up to him.

No one special that she would have had reason to see before, she noted. No, this man was a complete stranger to her. But, she could see by the hatred in his eyes, that he knew who she was.

"What do you want?" Lucy asked coldly. "I have no money on me." Not necessarily a lie. She'd left all of her money back in the car at the base of the mountains. She scowled at him, glaring up into his eyes. She'd not trained quite so well recently, but she was damn sure she could beat him away at the very least. So long as that weapon could be shoved away from her throat!

"I want," he snarled in her face, "all of the information you can give me in regards to your guild."

Her blood chilled. She distantly remembered mentions of anti-magic terrorists coming back out of hiding. She lifted her chin proudly and told him nastily, "No. I'm not saying _anything_ about my guild."

Gemini took on another form behind the man's back, watching intently through slitted eyes. Lucy tried to avoid giving her Spirit a weird look, wondering when it had the time to take on a _demon's_ appearance. It made her shudder in terror as a replica of Jackal crept forward, sparks snapping from black-tipped fingers.

After everything, she would have preferred it take on Natsu's appearance.

But that wasn't about to happen.

The blade caressed her skin and Lucy didn't flinch when blood trickled down her neck, staining the collar of her coat. "You have five seconds to tell me-"

Gemini snarled, and the man whipped around. Blood drained from his face at the sight of the demonic-looking Spirit, and Lucy took advantage of his distraction to free her whip. The weapon snaked around and caught his wrist, snatching the blade from his fingers and throwing him face-first to the ground. Gemini lost Jackal's appearance with a slight pop and Lucy threw it a grateful look.

"Thank you," she said faintly. "Let's...not use that appearance again, Gemini."

"Sorry, Miss Lucy!" Mini cried.

"Forgive us, Miss Lucy!" Gemi agreed.

"We didn't intend to frighten you!"

"It's okay," she reassured, tightening the whip's grip on the man's wrist. "Go get Rogue, would you?" The whip slid a fraction and she grimaced. Not nearly as tight as she wanted it. She was definitely out of practice.

As Gemini bounced out to fetch the dragon slayer, Lucy kicked the knife away and snapped, "Why do you want to know about my guild?" She narrowed her eyes when he didn't respond. "I can flay your hand from your wrist in two seconds if you don't answer me." Not that she would. But he didn't need to know that.

He had a lot less tolerance for fear than she did and sputtered, "Because we want revenge."

"For?" she demanded. "We didn't do anything to you."

"Lies," he spat. "You wrecked our city and didn't look back."

"Like hell we did," Lucy retorted furiously. "We fought so that you would be safe from demons and have spent the last few weeks rebuilding every second of every day! We didn't take the time to wreck your city for the sheer delight of it. If we had anything to do with your city being destroyed, it was because we were fighting for our lives."

She would _not_ let anyone degrade what they had sacrificed for the wellbeing of everyone. Certainly, they'd had selfish reasons for dealing with the problem, but they had given up _everything_ for it.

He squirmed, trying to yank his wrist free, and Lucy shifted her weight, drawing her arm up to tighten her whip further.

She opened her mouth to speak-

" _NO!_ " she suddenly heard Rogue roar outside. She froze, silence falling. A moment later, she felt the earth tremble beneath her feet. The man looked just as confused as her as a loud rumbling roar filled the air.

Realization hit her.

They were fighting in the middle of winter on a mountain side.

The wall of snow, rocks, and ice tore through the side of the wrecked building and Lucy only saw white.

* * *

"Something's not right."

Yukino lifted her eyes from the paperwork she'd been doing in Sting's place, aware of the absence of their missing companions. Lector purred away contently in her lap and she scratched his ear as Sting pressed his face to the glass of the window like a child. She was suspicious that if he'd been a cat himself, his fur would have been bristling.

"Do you care to elaborate?" she suggested, arching a brow in amusement. She set the paperwork aside, leaning back.

"Yeah." Sting squirmed, a shudder running down his spine. "Something's _wrong_. I can feel it."

"You're so creative in explaining. Please. Explain in _detail_ ," she requested.

Sting gave her a look. "I can't just _explain_. I just have a bad feeling with no specifications."

"Ooh," purred Lector drily from where he was watching, "big words."

Sting gaped at the attitude coming from his friend and then rolled his eyes. He turned to face them, blue eyes troubled. "Seriously. Something's wrong. Do you have your phone? Mine broke. I want to call Rogue." He reached a hand out expectantly.

"One," Yukino sighed, "we haven't been able to fix the lacrima that lets our technology work better in this place-"

"So I'll go outside for two seconds!"

"-and two, Rogue's in the mountains on a hike, remember? He won't have any cell reception out there. We'll just have to wait and hope that nothing's happened to him," Yukino finished. She took a deep breath, having not taken one in a few moments. "He's fine, Sting. Trust me."

He pouted. "I trust you. I just don't understand why he decided the beginning of January was a good time for a hike." He looked out the window again, not moving when there was a suddenly sharp knock on the door.

"Come in!" Yukino called.

Rufus ducked in, looking troubled. "We have a problem."

"Do we?" Sting said brightly, throwing Yukino an "I told you so" look.

Rufus rolled his eyes at his guildmaster's childish behavior and then said firmly, "Minerva was spotted by a Boscan satellite. Jellal just sent word. She's in the mountains, near the center of them. Jellal said he spotted her when an alert went off that something had suddenly changed, around the same time we got an avalanche alert."

Yukino shot to her feet, dumping Lector on the floor. He yowled in protest. Her eyes met Sting's frantically. "Oh, my-"

" _Rogue_ ," Sting hissed, surging for the door. He grabbed the orange vest he'd shed earlier in the morning, yanking it on. "Yukino, tell Sorano to tell Jellal that we're heading out to investigate. Rufus, find out specific coordinates and the fastest route." Both nodded and scrambled to do as they were told. Lector sprang onto Sting's shoulder.

"What about me?" he fretted, tail lashing anxiously. "I want to help."

He must have been worried about Frosch, Sting decided, touching his friend's head. "I need you to run and find the few people who are at home and out and about helping. There should be a list by the door of who they are and what they're doing. I'm calling an emergency guild meeting. We have friends to save and a psychotic person to catch!"

* * *

 _So much happening! Avalanche in addition to some crazy people and fighting! And yes, to confirm the suspicion of Sabertooth in the last portion: Minerva was involved. She's kind of popping in and out for a while yet, haven't really decided what to do with her._

 _Now! We have a couple of questions, and I have a comment regarding two reviews..._

 _Naruto4Sakura, regarding Grandeeney...without spoiling anything, I'll say this: nope. Grandeeney's just fine. The fact that Porlyusica was fading is simply because Grandeeney knows that there is no purpose in her keeping her projection out and about, meaning that she's slowly retracting the magic expelled to keep her there. Porlyusica will not show up again. :)_

 _To the guest asking about Lucy's tumor: yes. It is still there, and I don't specifically describe when it is removed, but it is eventually removed. :)_

 _PinkFireandGoldenStars, regarding the time of this chapter...I believe I've mentioned it before, but I actually date every chapter I write. The exact date of this chapter is January 3rd, X786. Which means we've got approximately six months before July 7th. :D As I've mentioned, however, I don't just write for the sake of writing in most of this time skip. I will skip a lot of that time for more important bits._

 _Finally, a comment regarding two reviews (Nekokittygirl and LePengwen) about how everything is unfolding...thank you so much for appreciating the slowness of everything. I will say now that I've written up to chapter 278, and Natsu's still not back. (Hope that's not too much of a spoiler.) But I need a lot to happen before he does return, and when he does, I promise you it will be with a bang! Not to say that he won't make little guest appearances as we've seen thus far. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Nekokittygirl, Jeptwin, Naruto4Sakura, TabathaEvans, LePengwen, 19vanelkc, Samm, Guest #1, Dragondancer81, Guest #2, stranger1999, TigerArrowgirl, FtfanDessarai, The Age of Awesomeness, PinkFireandGoldenStars, and Treblemkr!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	256. Chapter 256

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

When the world stopped spinning, Lucy wasn't entirely sure of what she was supposed to do. She was stuck, that much was obvious. She felt as if she'd been hit by a train. Her body all ready ached, and she was confident it hadn't been more than a matter of thirty seconds. She cleared her throat painfully and then tried to see if she could move to try and clear snow away from her face. There was no movement in the packed snow, and she felt a trickle of fear.

She would suffocate.

So, she began to furiously shove and scrape, protecting her face from the icy cold. When it didn't budge, she took a shaken breath and reached desperately for her keys. She couldn't reach them.

"Ugh," she groaned. "Scorpio-"

The key warmed in response, and she felt the familiar tug on her magic. She saw nothing from around her, but _felt_ the shift in the snow just a little. It took mere seconds for a hand to grip her arm and drag her free.

She coughed and sputtered, relieved. "Thanks," she groaned as her Spirit deposited her safely on the snow-packed ground. She knelt there on the snow, looking around herself. The town was half-buried, the tips of what remained of roofs just barely peeking up over the top layers of white.

"Lucy!" a voice cried. She looked up. Frosch plummeted and she just narrowly caught the talking cat. He dug his claws into her arm, terrified. His tail lashed this way and that as he whimpered, "Rogue was buried."

"Show us where, Frosch," she told him, and he sprang back into the sky.

"We should leave him," Scorpio said unhelpfully.

Lucy gave him a look and started trampling through the snow after Frosch. "Why is it always you that claims that you don't want to help? To be fair, Rogue had nothing to do with anything that my mother, Igneel, and Loke did when they sealed the dragons away."

"His father was a part of the reason she's dead," was the only response she received, a grouchy look on her Spirit's face. She rolled her eyes at his dramatic words and then watched as Frosch descended, rapidly explaining what had happened from their end.

"We were gathering firewood," Frosch said anxiously, "and then Miss Minerva showed up and blasted part of the mountain!"

Lucy's blood chilled as she began to dig at the spot he pointed to. Scorpio dug his hands into the snow, sensing specifically where the dragon slayer had been. "Minerva was here?" she said as Scorpio suddenly plunged a hand into the soft fluffy substance and yanked the shadow mage free by the arm.

Rogue grunted as he emerged, heaving for air and looking annoyed. He clawed himself free and then just knelt there for a moment as Scorpio vanished, catching his breath. Frosch dropped onto his shoulder and whimpered, and he touched the cat's head. "Yes. Minerva was here. I don't know where she is now, but she was."

Lucy studied him closely. "Did she say anything? That might help us figure out where she'll be next? Or what she's up to?"

Rogue pinched the bridge of his nose and rumbled, "Not specifically, no. But she was very clearly pleased that she was there mocking me. And she claimed that she knew about some book that was beyond important, though she wouldn't say why."

Lucy clenched her jaw - hard. If Minerva had converted to the demons' side, then she had no doubts about just what book she'd talked about. Rogue hadn't been around for much of the discussion about the book of END, though she caught the glint in his crimson eyes that told her he was trying to remember what he'd heard elsewhere. She clenched her hands into fists, her nails tearing into the flesh of her palms.

"Why would she come," Lucy said suddenly, "all the way out into the mountains to brag that she knows things about the book that you don't?"

Rogue shrugged, climbing to his feet. He brushed snow from his pants, disgusted with the fact that he'd been taken by surprise with so much ease. Moving on and not finding the subject of the book to be of much importance since he couldn't remember much else about it, he told her, "There were a few people that came up the mountains with her, I believe. Perhaps she fooled them into it."

"Yeah, I noticed." Lucy touched the spot on her neck where blood had dried. "One of them caught me by surprise and put a knife to my throat. Gemini decided to scare the hell out of both of us by turning into Jackal."

Rogue snorted. "Lovely." He looked around at everything, taking note of their soaked clothing. "We're both soaking wet. That'll get us killed up here in no time at all. And our firewood's all been buried by snow. We'll need to head further down the mountain. Sabertooth would have been alerted of the avalanche and should be coming up as we speak."

"What about the people who were buried?" Lucy protested.

To her surprise, Rogue gave the snow a long look and snarled, "Leave them," before starting down the slope towards their previous intended camp, cursing the fact that they'd have to dig everything out.

Lucy faltered, staring after him for a long moment. She looked back at where the people who'd come after them were likely buried. She thought of what she'd felt in the moment she'd centered herself and then shook her head, summoning Scorpio back to her along with Virgo. Scorpio looked a little cranky as she asked softly, "Could you look for whoever you can find and free them? Just because they hate us for having magic doesn't mean they should _die_."

"Yes, ma'am," Scorpio said almost bitingly, earning a look of disapproval from Virgo.

Virgo bowed playfully in respect. "Would you like them punished, Princess?"

Her heart twinged a little, remembering the way Loke would call her as such. "Maybe just a little. Tie them up and bring them along," she told her, smiling faintly. "We'll need to turn them into the police."

She beamed, looking excited to be given permission to "punish" someone at long last.

It took them half the day to find their belongings, and that was with Lucy attempting Scorpio's Star Dress along with Scorpio's help. The Spirit had lost his attitude after a while and had patiently guided her through the use of his magic to create a Star Dress. The clothing was weird, and Rogue lifted a brow at the skin-tight suit that dipped down past mid-back and left her skin open to the icy air.

Despite the cold - which she'd complained about enough to last a lifetime - Scorpio had showed her how to push her fingers in the snow and _sense_ things, claiming that it would be harder in actual earth. It had taken her some time, but she'd eventually managed to find their things.

Rogue had given a small nod of approval when he'd shouldered his bag and, glaring at the people who'd attacked them, had ordered them down the mountain.

There had been four men in total. All had been silent, including the one who'd come after Lucy, and hadn't given them a single word in response to the questions Rogue and Lucy threw their way - even when Virgo offered some painful encouragement. Eventually, they'd given up and focused on getting down the mountain.

When night fell, Lucy instructed her Spirits to keep watch over their "prisoners" and then curled up beside Rogue and Frosch, a safe distance away from both so that if she awoke from nightmares, she wouldn't bother either of them.

* * *

The next morning found them continuing the trek back to where they'd left the rental car. Lucy shivered violently as she glanced over at Rogue. He'd felt the cold himself, covering himself in shadows as if it helped. She wondered if it did.  
They were about what Rogue guessed to be an hour out from the car when voices filled their ears. Lucy paused to listen, and Frosch lashed his tail nervously. The last time they'd been confronted by someone else…

Well, they'd been buried alive.

"Frosch," Rogue said quietly, and the cat sprang into the air. Wings snapped out into the air and within moments, he was gone from sight. Lucy gave the shadow mage a worried look. "He can find his way back," Rogue said crossly. "He's not entirely hopeless when it comes to direction."

"That's not what I've heard," Lucy muttered, folding her arms to try and keep warm. She spared a look over her shoulder to check on the anti-magic terrorists they'd dragged with them. The four looked as chilled as Lucy felt.

A moment later, Frosch came back, and he looked excited. For good reason, Lucy supposed, smiling when she saw the second figure flying alongside him. "Rogue!" Frosch cried as he dropped from the air and landed right in his friend's arms. "Rogue, Sabertooth's here!"

Lucy blinked. " _All_ of them?"

"An alert would have gone off when the avalanche struck," Rogue explained as Lector descended calmly. He hovered above the ground before them, looking at Lucy with surprise. Rogue quickly intervened before he could question her. "Lector, is Sting on his way up?"

Lector nodded. "I was flying ahead to see if I could find anything useful."

"Go ahead and tell him we're on our way down with some terrorists."

"Okay." Lector paused. "Was Minerva really here? Sting will want to know."

"Yeah." Rogue searched his gaze. "She was."

"We'll meet you halfway down," Lector promised and then soared away. Lucy watched him go nervously nd then looked over at the shadow mage with worried dark eyes.

"She didn't really give away anything," Lucy murmured. "We're still as screwed as we were before when it comes to her." Rogue nodded his head in agreement, looking troubled. Neither had forgotten what the woman had done previously to Lucy. Nor would they ever forget what Tartaros, with Minerva's help, had done.

At the same time, as they kept moving, Lucy wondered just where life had gone wrong for Minerva Orland. What had happened to make her hate the world that much?

Lucy wasn't sure they'd ever have an answer to that question.

* * *

Erza ran her hands thoughtfully through her hair, quickly fixing it in an attempt to look decent. Having spent over a month camping in what was supposed to be a temporary shelter, neither she nor the ill Juvia looked their best.

The scarlet-haired woman glanced over her shoulder at Juvia, worried. Juvia was currently curled up, sleeping while she could. Her breath was ragged and wet-sounding. She wasn't doing well, and Erza wasn't sure if Gray even knew that she was sick. They hadn't spoken with him in some time, though they'd tracked the dark guild's movements to and from a known attack in a nearby town.

Juvia coughed softly, the sound weak and Erza watched her for a moment before making a decision. Gray would have to do without them for as long as it took for Juvia to get better. Without taking the water mage to a hospital, and soon, there would be no Juvia by the time he got back, only a headstone for him to visit. And while the ice-make mage wasn't usually very open with how much he cared for Juvia, Erza was certain he'd prefer her alive and breathing.

"Alright," Erza murmured. She climbed to her feet and strode over, gently placing a hand over Juvia's forehead. She furrowed her brow at the fever that she could feel radiating from her and then shook her head. She went to work, packing everything into a bag.

Maybe, she mused as she did so, they could get Lucy to visit.

* * *

 _A little more chilled out chapter, eh? With some Erza, too!_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Jeptwin, RaelinThaon, LePengwen, Naruto4Sakura,Samm, 19vanelkc, PinkFireandGoldenStars, TabathaEvans, Guest #1, and nerdalertwarning!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	257. Chapter 257

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Thanks," Lucy groaned, sinking into the comfortable cushioned chair with her hands carefully cradling a steaming cup of tea. Yukino dropped into the chair beside hers while Sting dropped onto the floor, pouting at his partner. Rogue had taken his chair.

The hot cup felt heavenly after spending so much time in the cold of the mountains and getting soaked by snow that melted on her. She cuddled herself down. Her dark eyes finally shifted over to Yukino when the other celestial mage said sharply, "What were you two doing in the mountains?"

Lucy looked at Frosch, who was shivering beside Lector, and felt guilty. "I had to make a run to Igneel's hoard and figured it would be better to take one of your mages with me than one of ours. We don't really have any more dragon slayers right now, you know, and Rogue knew the mountains."

"What the hell are you doing running in and out of the Fire Dragon King's hoard?" Sting demanded, looking to his friend for an explanation rather than Lucy.

"Don't look at me," he muttered, "I just went along. I wasn't able to get into the hoard itself."

So they looked to Lucy who cleared her throat awkwardly and said, "Can't say right now."

"Sure you can. Just say it." Sting narrowed his eyes. "You guys created more paperwork for me. I deserve to know."

"You deserve to mind your own business," Lucy quipped irritably, earning herself a startled look from Yukino and a glare from Sting, who clenched his jaw angrily. "Sorry. I'm sorry. That was rude. Um…" What to tell them? She didn't want to just spout out what she and very few others knew. She wasn't going to give Sting hope that he'd see his father again and then rip that rug out from beneath his feet if something went wrong.

Rogue alone knew right now - excluding those in Crime Sorciere.

And it would damn well stay that way. At least until the seventh of July rolled around.

"I can't tell you right now," she said quietly. She could, but she wouldn't. "Not yet. Give me a few more months, and then I'll explain _everything_." She wasn't about to go to Tenrou Island to free the dragons and _not_ bring their children with her! "Please, just...trust me?"

"...fine," Sting said finally. His blue eyes were suspicious. "But I'm hunting you down in the next few months if I don't hear from you."

"Give me six months," Lucy told him, "then come hunt me down." She sipped contently at her tea. She thought about the men who had been turned over to the Councilman that had been stationed in Crocus and then asked, "Tell me...have the anti-magic terrorists been this bad?"

"Here they have," Rogue murmured. Yukino nodded hastily in agreement.

"Most of their attacks are barely able to be called such," she told Lucy. "But, in other cases…" She showed Lucy a large scar on her arm. "They can be dangerous. Not always, but...they can be. They wreck the work we've done to rebuild and then turn on us and ask why we're doing nothing to help the civilians."

"That's horrible," Lucy murmured. "Jellal said we haven't seen all that many in Bosco…"

"Jellal's got a pretty good hold on Bosco." Sting's face darkened with anger. "Princess Hisui's got nothing, nor does King Toma. Neither of them have a grip on Fiore, and it's not going to end well."

"What do you mean?" Lucy questioned, confused. She'd heard nothing from Hisui as of late, and neither had Jellal if she recalled correctly.

"Aren't you wondering why there's been no speech?" Yukino said bitterly. "Like the one you gave in Bosco? Or why the military isn't running rampant in the streets like they did when we first revealed magic to the public? The royal family has literally locked themselves away with their military and left the rest of the country to fend for itself. From the information we've gathered, the only country _not_ looking at us like we're a piece of meat is yours."

Lucy looked horrified. "Are you...are you serious?"

Rogue gave a wry smile, crimson eyes flickering with irritation. "As the plague," he drawled. "Which, has supposedly been infecting people in the west." Lucy sputtered, nearly choking on her tea.

"Don't listen to him," Yukino sighed. "There's been disease spreading like crazy in the western half of Fiore. It's not like a plague or anything, it's just extremely contagious. It's...it's like the flu, just a bit more harsh on the body. A few older men and women and children have died, but not many."

"And do you think our king and princess have mentioned it?" Sting said, clearly displeased with the royal family of Fiore. He crossed his arms grouchily and turned his face away, grumbling. "In any case, the country's a mess and the only ones doing anything about it are the guilds. There's only so much we can do before we can't do anything anymore."

"I'd offer my country's help," Lucy said, pinching the bridge of her nose, "but...we can't right now. They're recovering, too."

"Everyone's recovering for the most part," Yukino said quietly.

"No disagreements here," Sting snorted. "I still have pains in my leg from the fight with the Spirits."

"Mm," Rogue hummed, "and wounds that are almost healed from the demons."

"You two are just a pair of injured idiots," is what Lucy added into the conversation, and the men glared at her while Yukino and the cats burst into laughter, a sound that was still hard to hear in Fiore.

* * *

"Home sweet home," Lucy muttered as she looked at the doors to the Fairy Tail guildhall. It was busy today, something that it hadn't been in quite some time. She pushed a door open without the grandeur that Natsu had always been fond of displaying and peered around in bewilderment when she heard cheering.

"What on earth is going on?" she muttered, shifting the bag on her shoulder.

She received her answer a moment later.

"Lucy!" Cana laughed, lunging drunkenly for her. Lucy jumped when the brunette slung an arm around her shoulder. "Welcome home! You arrived…" She hiccuped. "...just in time!"

"For _what_?" Lucy demanded, wary. She was nervous.

Cana threw an arm in the air, supporting a mug of beer in it. "For-" Another hiccup followed by a giggle. Damn, Cana was truly drunk. Not just tipsy, like she usually was, but _wasted_. "For Levy and Gajeel."

Lucy perked up almost instantly. "They're here?" she breathed, her eyes lighting up. She knew they'd come for Christmas, but they'd gone back to work almost immediately after. So why were they-

"Lucy!"

Lucy threw her arms out and caught her friend in a tight hug with a small laugh. Cana pouted as she was knocked aside, but tottled away on unsteady legs to hunt down more alcohol. Levy pulled back after a moment, giving her a look of mock horror. "Your beautiful hair is gone!"

She snorted, taking in the lack of work clothes on the solid-script mage, and touched her cropped hair. "Do you like it? It was exhausting."

"It looked exhausting," Levy admitted. She smiled broadly. "You look as gorgeous as ever, even without that mass of hair." Her hazel eyes shone with excited impatience, and Lucy could tell she had something she wanted to say, but she merely looked over her shoulder. She stood on tiptoes, trying to see over the heads of people around her. "Do you see-"

"Shrimp," Gajeel grumbled as he appeared, scaring the daylights out of Lucy when she found him standing behind her, "you really need to stop jumping around like that. It's not good for you."

Levy made a face and stuck her tongue out at him. "You're just mad because I moved the wedding date up and you now have to go to suit fittings sooner."

"You moved up the wedding date?" Lucy sputtered, shocked. "Why?!"

Levy gave a dramatic sweep of her eyes around the guildhall. "I haven't told anyone else yet, especially Mira, because I wanted you to be the first, but since you're here…" Her face lit up and her eyes twinkled with joy. "If we'd kept the wedding date where we'd set it, I wouldn't have been able to fit into my wedding dress. I would have looked like one of those weird white whales."

Lucy lifted her eyebrows in confusion. She thought over what Levy had said, stared at the blue-haired woman as she comprehended, and then promptly shrieked in excitement, tackling Levy in a hug. Levy giggled and hugged her back, their roles now reversed. Gajeel gave Lucy a narrow-eyed glare.

"What on earth are you all so excited about over there?" Mirajane called, looking curious as she leaned over the side of the bar.

Levy winked and, upon receiving everyone's attention, announced, "I'll be working from Magnolia for the next year or so due to an...exciting addition to the Fairy Tail family."

Elfman looked downright confused alongside half of the guild, but Mirajane promptly burst into tears and bolted around the bar to hug her. Lisanna cooed happily from where she was seated at the bar beside her brother, and Laxus cocked an eyebrow as if to question if they were serious. Cana immediately raised her beer into the air, wailing an excited jumble of words every other person present drunkenly cheered to.

Levy, face flushed with pleasure, gripped Lucy's hand tightly in hers as she told the blonde quietly, "Gajeel...he'll be running around with Lily doing what the Council wants. Lily had to stay to work instead of coming with us. They'll both be busy and I'll need somewhere to-"

"If you're asking to move in," Lucy interrupted, "then I'd be more than willing to let you join me as my roommate. The stars I summon know that I've been needing the company." Levy was trustworthy and cared for a dragon slayer just as much as Lucy did. And she was good with secrets. Perhaps, if it came down to it…

Levy would be willing to help her when the seventh of July arrived.

But until then, Levy had work to do for the Council, a wedding to plan, and a child to start thinking about.

As Gajeel practically glowed with pride over the delight the guild showed about the news that had been given, Lucy smiled and threw an arm around Levy's shoulder, pleased.

Gone was the risk of drowning in loneliness as she was handed a beer to celebrate with.

Cana practically shoved champagne down her throat a moment later, claiming that Lucy had to drink what Levy couldn't.

* * *

 _Exciting news for Levy and some irritation on behalf of the Sabertooth guild! A bit happier chapter after so much drama. Don't think everything's chilling out for too long though. ;)_

 _I'd also like to state that regarding the incoming Gajevy child, I will not be using the twins. I'll be using my OC child instead, as I've planned that since before the twins popped up._

 _FtfanDessarai, that was indeed an accidental pun that I have no regrets about making._

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, Samm, sofiesticated, TabathaEvans, TigerArrowgirl, Naruto4Sakura, Lodemai04, 19vanelkc, juvinity, stranger1999, Dragondancer81, FtfanDessarai, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	258. Chapter 258

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Two months later found Lucy walking down a mostly rebuilt town street, her dark eyes seeking the familiar sight of Lamia Scale mages. She saw no one with their emblem as she turned a corner, her brow furrowed. She needed to get a move on and get back. She had a dress fitting that evening. She didn't have time to-

"Lucy!"

Lucy turned on her heel, startled. But she smiled when she saw Chelia. The pink-haired girl smiled broadly at her, jogging over. Swiping her hands on her pants, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk with your guild," Lucy informed her. "I want to head out to Tenrou Island later in the summer and wanted to see what I could do about borrowing a boat from all of you. It'll be beneficial in the long run for our guild, so…"

"Oh!" Chelia beamed. "Of course. Let's go! I'll take you to our guildmaster…"

Lucy chuckled and followed the young girl forward.

* * *

"Ouch!"

Levy snickered when Lucy whined about the pin that had stabbed her. "Oh, don't be such a big baby. You've dealt with worse."

"Maybe, but I've dealt with enough dress fittings to last a lifetime," Lucy grumbled, glaring at her friend as the seamstress worked carefully about her. The seamstress chuckled and clicked her tongue at their behavior, entirely amused.

Lucy huffed. There was nothing to be amused about! But a smile curled over her lips as she looked down at the beautiful material. Levy had chosen to color coordinate everything and while Lucy wasn't too fond of purple, the rich royal color Levy had picked would do well for everyone taking part in the wedding.

Not including various people, of course.

Her mind drifted, remembering the smallest of messages that had come through nearly two months before. In January, a breathless voice that had twisted her heart in her chest had demanded in hasty tones to know how she was and if she was all right. Erza had informed her that, though they weren't supposed to be in contact, Juvia and Erza had left their positions for the time being due to Juvia being sick and needing professional care. She'd improved enough to speak quickly to Lucy on the phone.

Both had apologized furiously for leaving her alone as they had. When Lucy admitted that Natsu had left, too, neither had been pleased, but had promised that they'd do their best to come to the Grand Magic Games that year. Neither had been able to tell her where Gray was (classified information) and had refused to tell her where they were.

Lucy hadn't found the energy to tell them that she wouldn't be there.

Something in her had kept her from telling her friends about the dragons, just as it had kept her from telling Levy despite the fact that the solid-script mage had been living with her for all that time.

She'd spoken every now and then with Jellal, who told her that Bosco was recovering fine despite the heavy loss it had experienced, and with the few chats she'd had with Cobra, who'd become her confident about almost everything that had to do with the dragons and END, Lucy was confident in saying everything would go perfectly when she went to Tenrou Island.

Even the boat was looking perfect. Lyon had contacted her - apparently, their guildmaster had also retired, and with Jura leaving to work with the Council, he'd been asked to take over - and claimed that she was welcome to use one of their ships to get there. When she'd asked if she needed anyone who would be willing to take care of the ship and captain it, he'd reassured her that he'd take care of that.

"Lucy?" Levy called, returning the blonde's attention to her. She glanced over and found that Levy had been watching her, her brow arched. She'd asked Lucy a question that Lucy hadn't heard.

Flushing, Lucy said, "Sorry. I have a lot on my mind."

Levy snorted. "I'd say. I asked you what kind of cut would look better with your chest? I'm trying to personalize the same color in a different style for you, Mira, Cana, and Lisanna…"

Lucy looked down, thinking, and then told her, "Do you remember the dress I wore for the celebration after the Grand Magic Games and everything with the dragons calmed down?"

"Ooh, yes." Levy explained the look to the seamstress, who nodded and grabbed a sketchbook to jab down notes and a quick sketch. When she held it up for Lucy's inspection, Lucy made a few corrections and then nodded. When the seamstress had bustled away to grab a few things she needed, Levy turned sharp hazel eyes on her friend and said, "You're hiding something."

Lucy licked her lips, thinking it over. "...Laxus asked if I was going to take part in the Grand Magic Games this year." Not a lie. He _had_ asked, contemplating who he was going to put together to compete. He'd all ready selected Freed, deciding that his teammate would make a good participant, and Lucy had agreed. He would do well.

Levy narrowed her eyes and then accepted the answer, though clearly not believing her. "Are you?"

Lucy shook her head. "Maybe next year, if I can. I want to train up a bit so I don't have a repeat of last year with Minerva." Still no word on the newly-made demon, too. Not since she'd been buried beneath an avalanche.

"Lucy," Levy said bluntly, "you kicked the entire guild of Tartaros' to the curb of Hell. I think you'd do fine in the Grand Magic Games against people who are normal and nothing like Minerva."

But Lucy shook her head again and told her, "I have something planned." She paused. "Is Gajeel going to be doing anything for the Council from the middle of June to mid-July?"

Levy sputtered. " _Why_?"

She might as well tell her, right?

"No reason."

"Liar."

"Perhaps," Lucy said with a sheepish look. "Please? Do you know if he will be?"

"He won't have time off, not for that long length of time." Levy shook her head.

Lucy nodded to herself. She'd tell Gajeel her plan when the time came to leave; he'd make damn sure that he had time off when he learned what she was going to do. Rogue, who'd she'd asked, had all ready agreed, though apparently when he'd brought it up with Sting he'd been reluctant, knowing that being present for the Games was important for his position as guildmaster.

Lucy had instructed Rogue to let Sting come to his own conclusion without bringing up the dragons just yet and he'd agreed to do so.

Levy watched her friend closely for a few moments and then said softly, "I don't know what you're planning or what you're hiding, Lucy, but...whatever it is, please don't let it be dangerous. We've suffered enough to last a lifetime, and I don't want you to get into anymore trouble...okay?"

Lucy threw her a reassuring grin as the seamstress came back. "Don't worry, Levy. I'm not doing anything dangerous." In some ways, it wasn't.

Then again...she did intend to release Acnologia's full power into the world.

She hoped no one minded _too_ much.

* * *

He quietly tapped his fingers on his chin, mind racing as he went over what had happened in recent times. It took everything in his power to _not_ laugh in delight as he remembered what had happened only a month or two before, the look of utter horror and despair his little brother had supported-

Zeref sat back, practically ignoring the group of people around him. The Spriggans were used to it; they merely continued their conversations. Only Larcade watched him closely, not once tearing his gaze away from the man he called "Father". As if he could see the creeping darkness in his soul and was concerned for him.

Not that Zeref cared for anything about Larcade, or any of the Spriggans. Natsu and Natsu alone mattered. Perhaps, he supposed, the Heartfilia girl as well, but that wasn't personal so much as he craved the power she could give him.

He'd told Natsu about that, too. It was why the dragon slayer - the Demon King - had come to see him, he'd been told. Natsu had demanded to know what his obsession with Lucy was, so Zeref had told him. It mattered not if they knew; she couldn't access her abilities just yet, and she didn't even _know_. He'd been watching the map. She'd not come into contact with Natsu since November, maybe early December.

Zeref rested his chin in his open palm as Dimeria swept her hand over a large section of the three dimensional map they'd made of Ishgar and surrounding continents. He cocked his head when he noticed just how much detail the war-hungry woman and August had put into it; it showed precisely which parts of Bosco were still destroyed. With magic, it showed how they were slowly but surely being rebuilt.

"There," Zeref said suddenly. They all clamped their mouths shut. His red eyes drifted to Invel. "If we were to place forces in the south-eastern parts of Bosco along the water, where the most destruction was done, as well as from the northern half of Seven, would a distraction from the west in Fiore be enough to allow those forces time to punch through Fiore's defenses and capture that area?"

Invel thought it over, studying the map. "Perhaps," he murmured. It was the only time they were allowed to contradict their emperor, and he was cautious about it as he created figures of ice to represent their armies. Dimeria, experienced in war in ways they didn't understand, leaned over the map and grinned.

"Speak," Zeref ordered, gesturing to her.

Dimeria poked the map near the southern tip of Fiore. "Send in forces from the south in Minstrel. Once they're on the move, we'll have Fiore in pieces. We can send in massive backup forces from the western shore."

Invel nodded, calculating their chances with that kind of action, and then suggested, "We'll spread out of course. The Spriggans will be enough to throw them into disarray long enough for the country to be conquered without much of a fuss. Emperor," he continued, addressing Zeref, "you spoke with the dragon of chaos?"

Zeref's lips tugged down in a grimace. "Yes. He will listen for the call of war."

Their trump card. Acnologia wanted destruction and death; Zeref had offered it to him, fully intending to finally grant himself some damn peace through it. Once Acnologia struck…

Everything he'd worked for would be complete.

Suddenly, Larcade spoke. "What of the Gate?"

Zeref studied him and then inclined his head in slight approval. Larcade looked as if he'd won the lottery, looking proud of himself for gaining his approval. "The majority of our forces entering through the Eclipse Gate will give us a better chance at surprise. No one in Fiore - and that includes the royal family - knows of what the Gate can do. But...it would take rebuilding it to succeed. We'll proceed from the western coast."

It was Irene who asked slowly, "And how long before the armies are ready?"

"A year, perhaps almost two," Invel told them.

Zeref ran his fingers thoughtfully along the edge of the map, thinking of the conversations he'd had with Makarov Dreyar and his brother. _A year, perhaps two_. Nothing, to someone who found themselves unable to die. "That will suffice."

Wall cackled excitedly across the table, his fingers impatiently digging trenches in the wood of the table, and the other Spriggans all began to speak to one another in low voices. Only August, his gaze resting warily upon their emperor, said nothing.

Nothing as he contemplated what harm he could do to the Alvarez Empire.

* * *

 _Lucy and her damn secrets. And Zeref told Natsu! Natsu knows everything! Yes, Lucy did go all the way to Hargeon and back in one day before a dress-fitting. Why not._

 _Also...5900 reviews! Thank you so much, guys. :D_

 _Naruto4Sakura, regarding Lucy's hair...I actually have a drawing I did. It's up on my profile, if you want to look. :D As for Dragon Cry, I've decided to not put it in BTL. I love BTL, but it needs to end some day, and I still haven't seen it. I need to. Maybe this weekend._

 _19vanelkc, I'm not gonna say exact numbers, but...we have something coming soon. Within 5-10 chapters, something big will happen. I'm not saying dragons-big, but big. Super BTL-changing big. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (LePengwen, juvinity, Naruto4Sakura, Samm, Dragondancer81, TabathaEvans, 19vanelkc, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Vilchen, stranger1999, and Jeptwin!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	259. Chapter 259

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

From where she sat at a table, sipping at wine, Lucy's lips curved into a warm smile. Her dark eyes shone with amusement when she saw Levy slam her heel purposely into her new husband's toes for a rude comment he'd made about something or another. Cana, half-drowned in alcohol that Gildarts was trying to pry from her fingers, shouted at him, and Gajeel turned a lethal look on the brunette.

Gajeel and Levy's wedding had gone without a hitch and Lucy had gone alone. She'd have dragged Loke, she knew, had he been available. But he hadn't been. Nor had Natsu, and no one else had been able to go with her. So, she'd gone alone, but she didn't mind. It gave her a better chance at catching Gajeel alone.

She had under two months to get the dragon slayers in order. Luckily, Wendy, who was currently spinning in circles with Romeo, Asuka, and the entirety of the Exceeds that had attended, had agreed without question to go. She didn't even know that they were going to free the dragons. Lucy had opened her mouth and Wendy had spit the word out quickly.

She'd all ready spoken with Rogue, grateful that Levy had decided to invite several people from other guilds. She'd caught him before the wedding had taken place, and together, they'd agreed to inform Sting of what was happening due to a lack of agreement on his behalf. Rogue had promised to tell the white mage after the reception, when they'd headed back that evening for the place they were staying at.

Which left her to catch Gajeel.

Easy enough, she supposed, when Levy was whisked away by Jet. _Thank you, Jet!_ she shouted in silence, nearly dropping her wine and lunging for the iron mage before anyone else could get their hands on him.

" _Gajeel_ ," Lucy spat, grabbing his arm when he turned to go and hunt down Lily. He nearly jumped out of his skin, snarling in surprise. "Sorry."

"The _fuck_ , Bunny Girl?" he huffed. "You scared the shit out of me."

Lucy flashed him a quick apologetic smile. "Seriously, I'm sorry. I need to speak with you before Levy's back, if that's okay. In private."

Gajeel's brows lifted, piercings glinting in the light of the guildhall. "Look, Bunny Girl, I ain't interested in any affairs-"

She threw her hands up in the air. "Gajeel Redfox, do you think I would _ever_ be interested in romantic relationships with the man married to one of my most amazing friends?" She kicked him in the shin sharply. "Ugh. The idea makes me sick. Come on, believe me when I say you'll want to hear this."

"Fine, but we better get a move on, 'cause I got stuff to do. Traditions. Whatever the fuck they're called." Gajeel waved her towards the front door. She followed him and she stepped outside, breathing in the spring air with a slight smile. There would be no late blizzards this year.

"Alright," Gajeel said after making sure the door was latched. He eyed it suspiciously. "Dunno who the fuck might be listening if you want a private conversation."

"Everyone's busy. We'll be fine." Lucy folded her arms, looked him in the eye, and said, "You need to take time off from your job. A month or two should work, from the beginning of June through the middle of July."

"And why the fuck would I do that?"

"Language," she chided. He merely glared at her, awaiting her response to his question. With a sigh, Lucy ran a hand through her short blonde hair and told him, choosing her words with great care, "I'm going to free the dragons."

He stared at her for a long moment and then burst out laughing, the sound loud and boisterous. Lucy glared at him. He clearly didn't believe her, and after chortling for a few more moments, he grinned. "Nice one, Lucy, but that ain't gonna happen. The bastards are gone, been gone for years. Ain't no way you found 'em. I spent half my life searching for 'em. So did the others. You're askin' for a bunch of angry dragon slayers."

Lucy glared at him. "They're on Tenrou Island. They were sealed into the Depths of the Celestial Realm there, by my mother, Loke, and Igneel himself. Acnologia was sealed there with them, and even now, his full power is being inhibited by the fact that the others are still sealed away. I'm going to go and let them out. I want help. Wendy and Rogue have already agreed to go with me. I'm willing to bet Sting will agree when he realizes why I want him to come with us."

Gajeel lost his grin after searching her gaze. Now he frowned. "You're serious. You really think you found 'em?"

Lucy nodded. "I'm positive," she said softly. "I've retrieved a book with the spell to free them. Believe me, Gajeel, I wouldn't give you this kind of...hope if I didn't think it was the real thing."

He pressed his lips together unhappily. "Does Levy know?"

Lucy shook her head. "I wanted to tell her, but...I couldn't bring myself to. I don't want everyone knowing. Not if it turns out to be false. Please."

Gajeel heaved a heavy sigh. "I don't know, woman...Levy's already a few months along and I don't want to leave her like that. It's one thing to leave her with you and the guild when I'm goin' to work, but for all we know, Acnologia could have dragged his ass back there and is waiting for us. It's not a good idea, even if it does mean Metalicana comin' back."

Lucy had to admit that she was utterly shocked. But she understood where he was coming from. "If you don't want to come, it's alright," she reassured. She smiled brightly at him. "I understand. Let me know if you change your mind though, okay? We're leaving around the beginning of June, maybe the second week. We'll need time to hike through the island and get to Mavis' grave."

Gajeel nodded. Lucy turned to leave but he stopped her with a quick call of her name. She looked back. "Thanks. For lettin' me know. And if the dragons are there, tell Metalicana I'm waitin' here to kick his ass."

Lucy merely laughed. "I will," she promised, and then slid inside.

Gajeel watched her go and then turned his gaze to the sky, frowning. "The fuck is goin' on in the world nowadays?"

The heavens above gave him no answer.

* * *

The end of the reception came not too long after and Lucy enjoyed the long walk home. She didn't mind the silence around her, nor did she mind the darkness. The night was her domain, she'd come to realize. The stars were out, shining high above her head, and she smiled happily at the sight of them.

Even at night, when she'd once sought comfort in the presence of her boyfriend, she wasn't alone.

When Lucy entered her house, she shrugged her small jacket from her shoulders and tossed it at the couch. She hummed under her breath, reaching back to unzip the zipper of her dress and had just barely unzipped it when there was a snort followed by a snickered, "Damn, didn't know you liked me that much, Lucy."

She squealed, instinctively reaching for her keys. Sting merely grinned, spinning in circles on the computer chair he'd hauled _out of her bedroom_. His blue eyes were sharp despite his amusement, and she could see the agitation. "You broke into my house?!"

Sting waved off her concerns. "Rogue said you knew where Weisslogia was."

"I do," Lucy said calmly. "I'm going to free him and the other dragons in June and July, which is why I had originally asked you to come with. I figured you'd be more interested in coming if you knew why."

He narrowed his eyes. "How long have you known, Lucy?"

She waved him off and strode for the kitchen, intending to grab some water. He followed her, abandoning the still spinning chair. "Lucy," he began irritably, cranky, and she huffed.

"A few months. I wasn't sure, so I didn't say anything because you guys are really touchy about it, okay?" She grabbed a glass and glanced over her shoulder at him. "I take it you're coming?"

"Of course I am!" he snapped. "But you should have said something sooner."

"You and Gajeel," she grumbled. "Can't you just accept it like Rogue? Wendy didn't even ask what we're doing or why we're going somewhere, you know." She set the glass aside and put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at him. "Look, could you, I don't know, just get over it and just be happy that you're going to hopefully be seeing your father within the next few months?"

Sting huffed. "Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy that you've managed to figure out not only where the dragons are, but how to get them back, too. But you shouldn't have kept what you were doing under wraps like that. This involves more than just you. Besides." He huffed irritably. "Rogue and I told you. If you needed anything, give us a shout. We'd help. How much of this research did you do alone?"

Lucy thought it over for a while and finally admitted, "A lot. I had Mavis give me some information, and Rogue went with me to find Porlyusica, but…everyone else was busy."

"We weren't busy enough that we wouldn't have helped you figure this out." Sting searched her gaze when she looked at him. "We weren't so busy that we wouldn't have helped you find the dragons or anything, Lucy. I know you're practically past the fact that everyone kind of walked out on you, but-" She puffed up angrily. "-you need to _stop_ doing things on your own now. We understand what you've been through. It sucks. You feel like there's no one you can trust anymore, because why would you trust people who might turn around and leave, too? But those of us who are here...we aren't leaving. We're with you. You just need to tell us things like this so we can step up and be on even ground with you."

Lucy gave him a long look, then arched a brow. "When did you get so...philosophical?"

He cracked a grin. "I'm guildmaster of Sabertooth, remember?"

Lucy laughed and then crossed her arms. She hesitated, and then said, "I'm sorry that I didn't say anything sooner. I'll come clean to Wendy, too. I've told the other dragon slayers what I know."

"Good." Sting leaned against the counter, his blue eyes watched her closely. Finally, he said, "Have you thought about changing guilds?"

Lucy nearly dropped her glass. "Excuse me?"

"Changing guilds. Leaving Fairy Tail and going to another one." Sting arched a brow. "You could join Sabertooth. We'd love to have you and you wouldn't be...so alone all of the time."

She stared at him, stunned by the offer. Clearing her throat after a moment, she said, "I did, actually. I thought about it for a while, but...I don't think I'd be able to handle it. I love my guild, even with half of it gone. Most of them have started to...give up in a way. With everyone gone, they're miserable. It's been better recently, but it's because Cana, Mira, and I have been pushing. I was going to run some coworking jobs, however, if someone's interested. I had fun, working with you guys before everything went nuts. When you and Rogue helped Cobra and I."

He snorted, smirking a little. "It'd be a pleasure to keep working with you. But seriously, if you ever want a break from your guild…"

"Thank you for the offer. I'll keep it in mind." Lucy rolled her eyes and then folded her arms. "So...are you staying the night or something? Or are you leaving?"

"Uh…"

"Sting!" a voice suddenly squealed. "You should see the clearing outside, it's _so_ nice."

"It is," another agreed, "it's a good place for training."

"That's what it's - oh, hi, Lucy," Yukino said cheerfully as she and Rogue ducked into the kitchen with Lector and Frosch. Lucy gawked at them all. This was her _house_!

"We're staying the night. Hotels were full," Sting informed her, smirking.

Yukino threw him a suspicious look. "Sting said you'd agreed...did you not know?" Lucy shook her head, and Sting smiled sheepishly when both women turned glares on him. "Sting!" Yukino wailed. "You _promised_ that you'd asked Lucy for permission!"

"Forgive us, Lucy," Rogue said grimly. "We would have never intruded in your home had we known that my partner was a lying moron."

Lucy's lips quirked and she rolled her eyes. "You guys are so dramatic. Of course you can stay the night. Sting's coming, by the way," she added to Rogue. "And, now that I'm thinking about it, Yukino will need to come, too...Yukino." Lucy turned a fierce look on her. "In June, we're leaving for Fairy Tail's Tenrou Island to free the dragons from where my mother, Igneel, and Loke sealed them and I need to borrow your keys. Would you come with us?"

Yukino stared at her, and then exploded, " _What_?"

Rogue chuckled and nudged her towards the couch. "Lucy, why don't you start from the beginning…"

* * *

 _Look at Lucy finally revealing information. I love Sting._

 _Just to clarify two things...Natsu is currently NOT in the Alvarez Empire. He left. He wanders randomly now. Lol. And this chapter takes place on April 2, x786! I'll start keeping track of things and letting you all know so that you can keep track. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (nerdalertwarning, stranger1999, Jeptwin, Naruto4Sakura, LePengwen, TabathaEvans, descencus, sofiesticated, Lodemai04, Crazymagic16, TigerArrowgirl, PinkFireandGoldenStars, and FtfanDessarai!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	260. Chapter 260

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy hit the ground harshly, the breath driven from her chest painfully. "Oof!"

From where she was sitting with a book in hand and enjoying the nice spring weather alongside Mirajane, laughing, Levy called, "Don't beat her up too badly!"

Laxus snorted. "She wanted to learn. Ain't my fault if she goes to bed tonight with a thousand bruises." Sharp blue eyes narrowed at the blonde as she climbed to her feet, rubbing her backside. "What'd you do wrong, Blondie?"

"Look who's talking, Mr. I-Electrocute-Everything-I-Touch-During-the-Winter," Lucy huffed. He glared at her for reminding them all of how he'd accidentally shocked half the guild one morning when too much static had built in the air. After a moment, she sighed heavily and ran a hand through her short hair. "Fine. My stance wasn't wide enough and I wasn't prepared for the fact that you'd be coming straight on rather than from the side."

"Good. You didn't keep your eyes up, either," he pointed out, lifting his fists. "Keep your eyes on your opponent's face, Lucy. Their eyes show their intentions."

She nodded. "Right."

Lucy didn't know what had possessed her to ask the guildmaster of Fairy Tail to basically kick her ass until she could stop him, but she knew he was one of the strongest mages in Fairy Tail. And to get strong, she had to be trained by others who were strong. Besides, he'd told her once to come to him if she needed anything. Next on her list was dragging Jellal back and then taking a few weeks to hang around Sabertooth. She'd mentioned her current training plans to Rogue, who'd apparently been around Sting at the time.

The blond dragon slayer had promised that he'd kick her into shape dragon slayer style. Lucy wasn't sure what he'd meant, but it scared her.

Lucy settled into a stance, her dark eyes flickering with thought as she obeyed what Laxus had been drilling into her mind for days now. He smirked and then pounced. She did as he'd mentioned, noting how his gaze flickered one way and jerked aside to avoid the blow. He grinned, swiping suddenly and Lucy pushed herself to the ground, swinging a leg out. He just narrowly avoided it, lashing out and she shoved herself back, immediately on her feet a second time. Laxus barreled towards her and she became something akin to a worm as she squirmed out of the way and swung out with her leg to catch him in the back. He stumbled and she shoved harder, knocking him off balance. But before she could get him entirely off his feet, he'd ducked down, grabbed her by the foot, and yanked.

Lucy screamed, earning laughter from Levy and Mirajane, as she dangled upside down from Laxus' grip. He didn't look bothered as he looked down at her, brow arched. Sweat just barely slicked his skin. "Better. But you forgot about using your advantages again. Again. You can take a break when you can keep me off of you for more than a three minutes."

Lucy pouted.

She'd barely kept him off of her for more than thirty seconds.

* * *

Lucy groaned as she sank onto the couch, curled against Levy's soft self. Levy laughed and gave her a gentle pat on the head, her other hand trailing patterns on her belly. She was starting to show and complained sometimes about it, but never meant it when she so clearly cared for the baby that was growing. Lucy reached over and gave her future godchild an affectionate pat.

"Look at your arms," Levy snickered, prodding a bruise. Lucy moaned in pain and kicked her legs.

"Don't touch me," she whined. "It hurts."

"I see that." Levy's hazel eyes shone with amusement. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes with a yawn, tired. She needed a nap, Lucy realized, yawning herself. Lucy did, too. "I hope you can kick Natsu's ass by the end of all of this training you're putting yourself through. I mean, it's one thing to ask if someone can train you. You literally asked Laxus to hold no punches. It reminded me of Gajeel back in the days he was working with Phantom Lord."

"That was so long ago." Lucy ran a hand through her hair. "Like, well a year and a half. You know, this year will be two years in Fairy Tail and I can count on one hand how many normal jobs I've been on. But I asked Gajeel, too, and he said no."

"Of course he did," Levy snorted. "He used to honestly do that for fun, before he joined Fairy Tail. He hates reminders." She wrinkled her nose suddenly and said, "What kind of tea are you making? I can smell it from here. It's disgusting."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You're so...needy."

Levy looked her in the eye and then poked her ribs. "And you're-" She froze, and Lucy grimaced when she pried Lucy's arms away from her body and felt along her ribs until she encountered what she was looking for. "Lucy, is that-"

"Yeah." Lucy wrapped her arms around her middle. Her fingers found the tumors with a grimace plastering itself across her face. She'd had one removed after Christmas, but...they'd sprung back up. And this time, there were more. She wondered if it was because of her training. Of the way she reached for _more_. "I, um, they're anti-ethernanos tumors again. I'm getting them removed soon."

Levy looked horrified. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it's not that big a deal," Lucy tried to protest.

The solid-script mage cut her off. "That's not _nothing_ , Lucy Heartfilia, those are deadly if they form anywhere _near_ your heart, and these are...Lucy!" She gently touched one, noting its position. "These are even with it. What are you going to do? They get worse with time-"

Lucy pressed her lips together. She didn't think about that. She tried to forget it often, to be honest. "I'll deal with it when it happens," she muttered, resting her fingers lightly over the spot. She huffed. "For the most part, I'm just...I'm trying to live. That's all. It's not something that can be helped, so…"

"Is there a cause?"

"Yes." Lucy thought about how to tell her. Gildarts had told her to tell _no one_ , not even Natsu should he come knocking. "But it's something genetic." Not a lie. It had been given to her through Mavis' bloodline, she believed. "They can't fix it. I - Levy, no, don't cry," she whined when she burst into tears, sobbing into her hands. "I'm not going to die anytime soon, you know! I'm being careful and I have an appointment set up for every month, just to make sure. And when I find the dragons, I'm going to talk with Grandeeney. Wendy said that she's a magnificent healer, remember?"

"You could _die_ ," Levy sobbed, "and Natsu's not here to even know about it!" She sniffled, glaring at Lucy. "I'm not sad or upset, I'm angry!"

Lucy gave her a long look and then told her, "Honestly, sort out your feelings woman, I can't read you anymore." Levy only sobbed harder and shoved at her, earning a loud yelp. "Besides," Lucy sputtered, "I don't care if he's here or not anymore, remember? He has his reasons, I'm sure."

"His reasons are going to be pathetic," Levy wailed. "He should have just-"

"I don't want to talk about Natsu," Lucy said firmly. "Why don't you stop your crying, Levy? I have that disgusting fruit you like in the fridge. Do you want me to get it for you? We could watch some movies…"

"Yes," she sniffled. She reached for the remotes. "And they're called plums. And they're delicious."

"That's not what you said six months ago," Lucy muttered.

Levy smacked her arm again.

" _Ouch_ , Levy, that _hurts_!"

* * *

It was the moment he realized that he hadn't minded what he'd done that Gray found himself frantic.

There was blood on his hands and _it didn't bother him_.

It had come from the innocent man he'd been demanding information from.

 _And it didn't bother him._

He'd been smiling, really smiling, as he'd cracked his fist over the man's jaw.

The second it hit him, Gray flung himself away in disgust. The half-dead man stared at him in terror and confusion. "Get...get to a hospital," he ordered, and then practically fled. He bolted down a village path, his heart thudding painfully. His eyes burned, but he blinked rapidly. "What the hell?" he spat to himself when he stopped to catch his breath. He heaved for air.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" he whispered, looking at his blood-caked hands.

The cult, Avatar, had sent him to gather information - they'd urged him to take matters in a violent direction if need be - and he'd done so. He'd willingly _hurt someone_. What kind of Fairy Tail mage was he?

But he wasn't, he realized, touching the place his emblem once rested. He wasn't Fairy Tail.

He was a mage on loan to the damn Magic Council.

A mage who'd gone too far.

Suddenly, Gray slammed a fist against the nearest wall and dug his fingers in over his heart where the black marks had cut their path. He knew he looked monstrous. He looked _demonic_ , felt it. His father had unlocked some kind of...of _monster_ when he'd shattered that barrier in Gray's magic, and he hated him for it.

After a moment of fury, Gray's gaze came to rest on a telephone booth. He blinked in surprise; didn't they get rid of those? No, he realized. That was only in Magnolia. Homesickness washed through him. He couldn't contact Erza and Juvia. They were as busy as he was.

But…

Before he could stop himself, the phone was in his hand, pressed to his ear, and he was searching his pockets for change. Success startled him, but he didn't slow and found himself dialing a familiar number.

He swallowed thickly when the person on the other end picked up not only sleepy, but sounding suspicious. "Hello?"

"Hey, Lucy," he managed to get out, quivering. He felt like a baby. But he couldn't bring himself to be annoyed about it. Not like he normally would. Now, Gray merely said, "Can you...talk right now? I know it's late. Really late."

" _Gray_?!" Lucy sputtered, sounding alarmed and shocked. Her voice lost its sleepy bleariness and she demanded, "What are you doing? Erza said you guys were undercover-"

He swallowed thickly. "I'm undercover. Not them. And...Lucy, I think I need to back out."

She'd always been a voice of reason. She'd always been the one to reassure them if what they were doing was a good idea or not, could create plans out of nothing. And she didn't fail him now. Despite the fact that they'd been forced to leave her behind without an explanation, Lucy heard his desperation and said gently, "Tell me what happened."

So he did.

The Council would kick his ass for spilling classified information, but he didn't care. He told her everything and when he was done, Lucy was quiet for a few heartbeats before saying gently, "Gray, you can't back out. If you back out, the Council will be on you and demanding to know why."

He couldn't tell them. He'd be kept under lock and key to make sure he didn't go rogue after everything the Council was doing to deal with anti-magic terrorists. His grip tightened on the phone. "What do I do, Lucy? I feel like I'm losing control."

She was silent as she thought it over. After a moment, she said, "Tell me what these marks look like?"

"Black," he said immediately. "They...they remind me of the demons, Lucy. Am I a demon? My dad told me that the Fullbuster family was a demon slaying family. But how...how can we get rid of things like that if we're not demons ourselves?"

Lucy told him he sounded psychotic blubbering as he was and he snorted irritably. Softening her tone, she said, "I don't know, Gray. Maybe you _are_ half-demon or something like that. But it doesn't mean you have to behave like them. Sure, you fell too far into the part you're playing now. But...it doesn't mean you have to act this way in the future. It's a learning experience. You stopped before he was dead. That's what matters. Believe me, some people have gone much further and redeemed themselves. Look at the entirety of Crime Sorciere."

"I guess." His voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "Lucy, would you...would you like to come and help?"

"I can't, but thank you for the offer. I'm chasing dragons." She sounded excited. "I actually found them, Gray. Metalicana, Grandeeney, Igneel...I found them!"

He was quiet for a moment before he said, "Has Natsu gone flying off before you could stop him?"

"Oh, you don't know…" Lucy sighed softly. "He's gone. He left when everyone else did." Anger swept through Gray - anger towards Natsu, everyone. Himself. "He's...Gray, there's things you don't know about him. Things I'm not at liberty to say, but…"

"What kind of things?" Gray narrowed his eyes. "No, you know what, that doesn't matter. Why didn't you-"

"-say anything? To who?" she challenged. "All of you left." Gray's heart clenched; he'd hated leaving their friends behind to begin with. To hear that _everyone_ had left, even little Wendy although she'd fully intended to return as soon as possible, and had left Lucy like they had… After a moment of awkward silence, Lucy's voice softened and she told him, "I love all of you, Gray, but...maybe it's a good thing. I'm growing in ways I didn't think possible. My magic's getting stronger. I'm going to see Igneel and talk to him in person rather than find everything out through my mother's journal. I'm going to be a stronger person. So that when everyone comes home-"

She didn't finish, cutting off, but his heart filled with guilt.

 _So that when everyone comes home, maybe they won't be inclined to leave me behind again,_ was what she'd meant to say - not that he knew for sure, but he got the message.

"I wanted to wait for you," he promised. "We all did. We thought about it, but the Council was pushing-"

"It's fine." Clearly, it wasn't. "Go. You're going to get yourself found out if you don't get back to what you were supposed to do. And Gray?" she added hastily before he could hang up. "I'm still going to be here. I can't pick up the phone for the weeks I'll be on Tenrou, but just...don't be a stranger?"

"Yes, your royal Highness," he said sarcastically, drawling his voice out playfully despite everything.

He could hear her laughter as she told him, "That's _your Majesty_ , thank you very much. Bye, Gray. Be safe."

"I'll come and visit you when this is over," he vowed. "I _am_ sorry, Lucy."

She was quiet for a few moments before she said, "Me, too."

And then she'd hung up.

And Gray was left to figure out what to do next.

* * *

 _Gray! And a little update on Lucy's anti-ethernanos tumor situation. Not looking good for her, is it? Have no worries. Explanations will be had some day._

 _Lodemai04, THAT IS THE PERFECT EXPLANATION THANK YOU. I direct all of you lovely readers to her explanation: Zeref's map is basically the marauders map from Harry Potter._

 _noah03, Natsu will be back when he gets back. No sooner, no later._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Jeptwin, LePengwen, Naruto4Sakura, Lodemai04, Trashking2000, TigerArrowgirl, Dragondancer81, noah03, PinkFireandGoldenStars, nerdalertwarning, stranger1999, and The Age of Awesomeness!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	261. Chapter 261

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

A week after the call from Gray - which Lucy still worried about even days after it had happened - the celestial mage found herself standing in the middle of Sabertooth's reconstructed guildhall, questioning her sanity. They were damn near close to the level of wildness Fairy Tail exhibited.

And it certainly didn't help the Crime Sorciere - or, at least Cobra and Kinana - were there to help spur on the mess.

Well, Lucy supposed as Kinana wailed for Cobra to shut up, it was mostly just Cobra.

"Cobra!" she finally huffed when he smirked at Orga, pissing the god slayer off for no reason whatsoever. "Do you _mind_? I came here to do work and you're kind of making my job a little harder! Besides, don't you have information to be spouting off so you can go back to Bosco?"

Cobra looked almost as if he was pouting, but nodded. He'd arrived only moments before and had succeeded in riling up even Rogue, who was bickering with Sting nearby. He'd been allowed in without question, of course. Sting and the rest of Sabertooth were familiar with him. But it didn't mean they'd been prepared for _this_.

"I'm sorry," Kinana groaned as Yukino ushered all of them into Sting's office. Sting and Rogue reluctantly followed and a quick call of Rufus' name had the memory-make mage joining them. Lucy didn't mind; he was actually quite an interesting person to talk to. Lucy had made him promise to visit she and Levy for a talk on books at some point in the future, and had been flustered when he'd quoted something from one of her own books.

Heavens above, those days seemed like so far ago sometimes.

When everyone was settled, Sting waved at Cobra. "Alright, you poisonous snake. The hell is so important that you had to come and piss everyone off?"

"I'm glad you asked," Cobra cackled, opening his mouth to speak.

Lucy was grateful when Kinana cut him off and informed all of them, "We just came to give Lucy a quick report about the state of Bosco and ask her something for Jellal. He would have come himself, but one of the newly elected advisors is still risky, so he didn't think it was a good idea."

"So how is it then?" Sting demanded.

"Bosco's recovering well," Kinana reported, smiling brightly at Lucy. "Despite the loss it suffered, its people are surprisingly optimistic about what's to come. We've had a few anti-magic terroristic attacks, but with the lack of mages in the country, it's not quite so bad. The Heartfilia Estate is almost finished being rebuilt. Which...is something Jellal wanted information about. Did you know there's tunnels beneath it? The original I mean."

"Huh?" Lucy questioned. "There are?"

Cobra nodded. "Yep. Hell of a lot of 'em. We found 'em when Meredy went to check on the situation with Sorano and fell into one. They were lost for hours. S'a good thing I can hear everything. Heard Sorano swearing from half a mile away."

"Is she okay?" Yukino fretted, although a slight smile danced along her lips at the thought of her sister.

"They're fine, Yukino," Kinana promised. "But Jellal was more concerned about what might come out of them. We haven't seen anything yet, but with the history of the Heartfilia lineage…"

Lucy tapped her chin thoughtfully and told them, "Have you sent teams in to see if you can figure out where they go?"

"We were nervous about it," Kinana admitted. "The only one we've considered sending in is Cobra, and that's only because he can hear and come back on his own. The walls are built of etherious material, Lucy. We tried to blast through one and almost got ourselves killed when the blast rebounded."

"Jellal broke his leg doing it," Cobra admitted.

"And...you're telling _us_ this?" Sting questioned, curiously.

"Yukino," Kinana corrected, "we thought should know, since there's all thirteen of the Zodiac symbols carved into a section we found. It's like...some ancient system we don't know anything about. Perhaps there might have been information in the Estate's libraries...but it's long gone now. We figured the Spirits might know something."

"Do you have any pictures?" Rogue asked thoughtfully. "We can check our libraries. And Lucy can call Levy and have her search the Council's Archives or Fairy Tail's collection."

"I'm amazed our libraries came out as well as they did," Lucy mused before shaking her head. "There won't be anything, not if my mother's diary said nothing."

"I suppose," Kinana murmured, "the question was: will you come back and take a look, Lucy? And Yukino, of course."

"Of course," Lucy said firmly. "Anything to do with the Heartfilia Estate...I should know." Her eyes flicked to Yukino. "Are you coming, Yukino?"

She gave the blonde a look. "Of course I am."

"I'm coming as well," Rogue said immediately. "The last time you did anything involving the Celestial Spirits, we were hauled into the Spirit Realm and left there to deal with the Spirit Queen. I'm not letting you go alone."

"She wouldn't have been alone," Lucy protested. "I'd be there."

"...even more of a reason to go, and I'm leaving Fro here," Rogue said firmly. "I don't want him in danger. And I _know_ he'll be in danger if we go, because anything involving you nowadays seems to involve danger."

Lucy didn't know whether or not she should be offended, because he wasn't necessarily _wrong_. Danger did seem to come trailing after her at every twist and turn...flushing, Lucy raked a hand through her short hair and admitted, "You're not wrong…"

"I wanna go," Sting whined.

"You can't," Rufus chided with an amused look. "The Council's already on your ass about getting the paperwork together. You need to take care of it as well as take a few rounds in the city with the rest of us to hunt down the terrorist that wrecked the hotel."

"Another attack?" Lucy said tiredly.

"Another attack," Yukino confirmed with a sigh. "They never end. When do we leave for Bosco?"

Lucy looked to Cobra and Kinana, who smiled broadly at them. "Right now, if you're okay. We'll provide clothes and anything you might need."

"There's something you're not telling me," Lucy told them.

"Perhas. Are you coming or not?" Cobra retorted.

"I came here to work with Sabertooth," Lucy protested, "I can't just-"

"Let's go!" Yukino declared, exchanging a look with Rogue. Lucy gawked at her and Yukino shrugged. "You can work with us afterwards. Besides, who knows?" Her gaze shifted to the necklace Lucy wore. "Maybe it'll have a clue on where Leo's hiding?"

Lucy didn't think she'd ever gotten to her feet faster.

* * *

"Thank the heavens above you're here," Meredy whimpered when the helicopter had landed. Coba crawled out and Rogue wasn't far behind, although he was near silent about the matter as he dropped into Yukino's shadow. He'd become cranky on the way there, not liking that they weren't being told something.

"What happened?" Lucy demanded. They'd been traveling for hours, although the trip had been a lot shorter than it would have been had they gone by train or car. She smiled briefly when Kinana offered her a hand to help her out, and then tugged her shirt further over her hips.

"The tunnels," Meredy admitted, "they're...we think they might be alive."

Lucy couldn't help it; she gave a hysterical laugh. "Alive?"

Meredy gave her a look for laughing. "Okay, maybe not alive, but there's _something_ going on. There's been sounds, and we can feel some kind of magic swelling down there. I think I've felt it before, but...I'm not entirely sure. I figured we'd get you to see some of the stuff we found on the Zodiac, and then we'd all figure out where to go from there."

Lucy thought it over for a short moment and then nodded seriously. "Alright. Let's go see everyone. How's Jellal doing? We heard he broke his leg?" She fell into step beside Meredy. Yukino paced beside her eagerly; she was looking forward to seeing her sister, Lucy remembered her saying. They didn't see each other often.

Meredy snorted. "Cobra told you, didn't he? I don't think 'broken' is the right word for it." She tapped her chin. "He _shattered_ his leg, Lucy. From hip to foot. The healer that's been working with him doesn't think it'll heal properly - if it heals at all." Lucy's eyes widened and she looked at the pink-haired mage in shock. Meredy was grim as she searched Lucy's gaze. "It's not healing. He's been knocked out for a few days because of the pain. It's...Lucy, it's bad. And we don't know why."

"Why didn't you call?" Rogue said, lifting himself just barely from Yukino's shadow so Meredy could see him. Yukino grumbled about his weight, though she looked troubled, too. "Wendy is available with one call from the Council or Fairy Tail, and Chelia of Lamia Scale would have helped, too."

Meredy was quiet for a few moments and then finally, she said, "The guilds have enough to worry about...and I don't think Jellal wanted to risk throwing Erza into a panic if she were to somehow find out. We've kept it among ourselves and now you."

"It's not like Erza calls often anyways," Lucy pointed out. She blinked, surprised by how bitter she sounded. "She won't find out for a long time."

"Still…we may not have a choice at this rate," Kinana murmured.

Cobra nudged her gently and then said, "So are we seein' him first or are we headin' down? I want to pick a fight with whatever's movin' around beneath the place."

"We're not going to pick a fight," Yukino said with exasperation.

"No, we're not," Meredy agreed quite sharply as she threw him a look. She rolled her eyes to the heavens above and then slid inside the building they'd approached. Lucy gave it a once-over; it was definitely a good replica of her home. Yet she could see the devastation, the relics of what had once been the original just a few hundred feet behind it from a window, and her eyes darkened.

She'd grown up there. Had curled up with her mother in various alcoves, had found herself standing naked before her father in a proud moment as she defied him face to face for the first time in her life. His grave was long gone. Along with so many others.

But her mother's obelisk stood strong, and so did the ruins.

Lucy took a deep breath and smiled faintly. "Let's go see Jellal."

* * *

When they reached the room Jellal had been staying in, they were told that he'd just woken up and was about to be given a little bit more medication. Meredy requested that the nurse caring for him hold off until they could have a conversation. The nurse warned them not to take too long, but accepted.

"We'll stay out here," Yukino told Lucy. "This is your business. Just let us know when you're ready to investigate those tunnels."

"Okay." Lucy smiled faintly at her. Kinana quietly decided to remain with the Sabertooth mages, and Cobra chose to as well, not willing to part with his companion. Perhaps lover, Lucy decided when she saw Kinana brush her fingers gently over his face to sweep hair away from his missing eye.

Lucy entered the room with Meredy and paused when she saw a grimacing, sweat-drenched Jellal seated uncomfortably in a bed. Sorano was perched on a chair beside him, looking troubled. When she saw them, her eyes lit up a little. "Yukino's out there," Lucy said.

"Thank you," she said gratefully, climbing to her feet. "Meredy, do you-"

"Yep!" Meredy flashed her a smile. "I'm fine right here. Go on. I'll watch him."

"I don't need watching," Jellal rasped, and Lucy furrowed her brow at the agony in his eyes. He must have been in serious pain. She didn't doubt it; she could see the way even the slightest shift had him clenching his jaw to keep from screaming. His face was slick with sweat.

"You need watching so that we can help when you need it," Meredy chided. She gestured to Lucy. "We told her about the Spirit stuff we found. She's going to go down with Yukino, Rogue, and Cobra."

"Don't throw any magic around," Jellal told her bluntly, and Lucy laughed.

"I'm sorry that you got hurt," she murmured, shifting her weight as Meredy took Sorano's seat. She watched him for a moment and then told him, "I got a call from Gray a while ago. He didn't have any information on Erza, but I think she's doing okay."

Jellal's lips quirked. "I'm pleased. At least some of us are doing well." He rubbed his hands over his face. His voice cracked when he said, "The etherious material...my magic bounced off and hit me. I didn't react fast enough and it shattered my leg. I recalled that you were present when Natsu ate the same material when I...was not myself and thought you might know something about it."

"There wasn't much that happened, honestly." Lucy tapped her chin. "He ate it, the tower collapsed, and he slept for a long time afterwards. It enhanced his magic, but…" She shrugged. "I wonder if when your magic rebounded, it enhanced it and slammed into you with a little bit of extra power?"

"Perhaps. In any case, when you go down," Jellal sighed, "don't use magic if you can avoid it. Take a Spirit with you, but summon it beforehand."

"I will." Lucy smiled gently at him. "Get well soon, Jellal."

"I'll try," he said wryly. "Meredy," he added as Lucy excused herself to go and inform the others of what she'd been told about the tunnels, "would you get into contact with Lyon? I believe we need to have Chelia come and visit…"

* * *

 _The exciting plot bit is coming up in the next chapter as well as some Natsu! It's gonna be exciting!_

 _Another thing...I think it's pushing it, but if we hit 7k reviews by Saturday, I'll post an extra chapter with a preview of the most recently written chapter, Chapter 282. ;)_

 _Jeptwin, that is brilliant. Thank you for informing me. That will be coming out to play. ;)_

 _GhostFireGirl, regarding your questions...I haven't figured out if Zera will be a part of BTL, so can't say yes or no to that one yet. I've decided August isn't going to be a child of Zeref and Mavis, so there'll be a "hello" moment (maybe), but yeah. Regarding Makarov, you'll have to wait and see. ;) And never apologize for questions! I love them._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Raelin Thaon, LePengwen, 19vanelkc, Naruto4Sakura, Guest #1, sofiesticated,PinkFireandGoldenStars, Vilchen, nerdalertwarning, Lodemai04, Jeptwin, stranger1999, Guest #2, FTMc, TigerArrowgirl, GhostFireGirl, and FtfanDessarai!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	262. Chapter 262

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

They chose to wait until the next morning to attempt the tunnels, wanting to be fully rested, and when the morning arrived, Lucy was certain they were getting themselves into something that wouldn't end well. The tunnel entrance itself was huge, standing proudly amongst the wreckage of the Heartfilia Estate. Even from where she stood, she could see the etherious material coating the sides in a deep blue.

"You've got to be kidding me," Lucy breathed, looking down into the darkness and wishing that Natsu or Loke was there. Both would have been able to chase away the shadows that danced along the edges. She gripped Loke's key in her hand and then looked to Yukino, who grimaced.

"What do you think, Rogue?" was all the silver-haired woman asked.

"I can't enter those shadows," he muttered from where he was prodding at one with his foot. He lifted his crimson eyes, troubled. "I've never seen shadows like this."

"Interesting," Sorano mused from where she stood beside Meredy and Yukino, her fingers tapping her arm. She studied them with dark eyes, thoughtful. She and Meredy would be remaining behind along with Kinana, who'd decided to stay with Jellal. Cobra would be going with them on his own, but Meredy had vowed to stay back, ready to call them back. He'd promised to not go far enough that he couldn't hear.

"Ready?" the venom mage demanded impatiently. He wanted to _go_.

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, looking at the Sabertooth mages. Both nodded quickly. They were ready. She and Yukino hastily summoned Libra, Virgo, and Scorpio, who handed Lucy her whip.

So, the group of four entered the tunnel.

* * *

The shift in magic told him someone had entered. Heavy eyelids lifted. Irritable fingers dug into the rock beneath him, and he opened his mouth to taste the air as magic sank into his body, absorbed by his own. He could taste the differences; he tasted the poison, the darkness, and-

His body surged up as he tasted the familiar touch of stars on the tip of his tongue. His breath came heavily in his excitement, eyes burning with delight as he yawned, his hands clenching into fists and his nails tearing into his palms. He knew that taste like the back of his hand. He would never forget it, nor would he forget the image of the woman with blonde hair and dark eyes - whether she be of the current generation or one of centuries ago.

His nostrils flared and he stalked forward, dragging in the smells around him. His magic flared, absorbing more in preparation.

And he grinned as he began his hunt.

* * *

"I feel terrible," Lucy muttered as they wandered further into the darkness. Her phone was out, a flashlight on to help keep her from tripping. Even Rogue had pulled a flashlight out of the bag they'd been given, unable to get a regular sense of shadows surrounding them. He swept it over the walls as they walked, studying everything he could.

"Mistress?" Virgo said worriedly, looking at her.

"Something does feel funny," Scorpio agreed, shifting unhappily. Libra wordlessly nodded her agreement, and all four of them earned bewildered glances from those around them.

"I don't feel anything," Cobra muttered. Rogue grunted his agreement. Yukino merely furrowed her brow and shrugged before crossing her arms in silence and studying the area before them.

"Something's wrong," Scorpio said not too much longer after. He stopped, refusing to go forward. "My magic is being drained. Miss Lucy-"

"Ah!" Yukino gasped when Lucy swayed, nearly tumbling to the ground. Cobra grabbed her shoulder with a growl, narrowing his eyes as the blonde blinked blearily. Both Scorpio and Virgo vanished with gasps and Libra faltered, her eyes widening a little as she stared into the darkness ahead.

Lucy sucked in a ragged breath, even that simple movement drawing agony from her. The spot in which her tumor had rested practically screamed in pain and she groaned softly, pressing a hand over the spot. Her heart raced, and it was like her blood was burning its way through her veins-

"Something's coming," Libra suddenly breathed, and Cobra snapped his attention away from Lucy. He listened intently, and then swore. Taking that as a confirmation, Rogue gathered his magic, and then grunted as it vanished.

"Shit," Cobra hissed, feeling his own magic suddenly deteriorate rapidly. "What the _fuck_ -"

"We need to leave," Yukino said urgently, her eyes wide and locked on Lucy. Her golden hair was sticking to her forehead now, clumped with sweat, and she was struggling to breathe. A moment later, her eyes snapped up and she croaked, "Go."

"What?" Rogue demanded, puzzled.

"Oh, _shit_ ," Cobra breathed, staring at her for a moment as he listened to the sheer terror that raced through her heart. He startled them all by scooping her up, ignoring the way she hissed in irritation, and bolted. Yukino surged after him with reluctance, Rogue close behind as Libra vowed to find out what was coming and settled in. They'd barely taken a step before something shot out of the darkness. Rogue threw himself at Yukino, both tumbling to the ground with shouts as silver strands fluttered to the ground.

"What," Rogue wheezed, "is coming?"

"We're fucked," Cobra muttered, swearing under his breath in colorful ways. Lucy merely groaned, clutching her head. He stiffened as a voice, faint at first, but louder with every passing second filled the air.

"I can taste you," it practically crooned, seething with cruel delight.

Yukino shuddered at the excitement creeping into the voice as it continued.

"I can taste the stars on the tip of my tongue, and I will rip your flesh from bone, girl," it purred.

"What is that?" Rogue demanded, and this time, it was Lucy who answered, her voice nearly hysterical with fear as she took the flashlight from Cobra's fist and flashed it at the approaching figure. They all shot to their feet at the sight of sharpened teeth glinting in the light, eyes dark with excitement and hate.

"Acnologia."

* * *

"Natsu?"

He kicked his feet silently over the side of the cliff, watching the sun slowly sink over the western horizon. The lake beneath was beautiful, clear and reflecting the sky above it like a mirror. A few ducks and geese swam by, quacking and honking, but he merely watched them. "Happy?" he replied, flashing his friend a grin.

Happy knew just as he did what he was thinking of, and Natsu couldn't bring himself to tell Happy to forget what he'd heard. It'd been some time since he'd learned the truth, since Zeref had begun to toy with him. Just yesterday, he'd woken up with agonizing soreness in his back, as if something had begun to take form, and his hands stained with soot that wouldn't come off. It had vanished the second he'd awoken, but…

Natsu knew.

Zeref was playing with him, taunting him with the fact that he held the book Lucy had cradled so close to her.

"We should go home."

"No," Natsu said confidently. "You can, but I'm not." Not when he might turn around and use what he has against the others. I need...I need to figure out how to keep a hold of myself should something go wrong."

Happy lashed his tail and said angrily, "Lucy could help."

"I'm not going anywhere near her. Not now."

"I think she knows," Happy told him. Natsu glanced at him. "I think she knows that you're a demon. Just like I think she doesn't care that you're one."

"Maybe." Natsu brushed his pink hair from his eyes. It was starting to get too long. He'd singe it off soon enough. He touched his scarf, thinking quietly about what to do. He'd long since accepted what he'd been told. It explained a lot, to be honest. How he'd burned Deliora when no one else could land a scratch, the darkness that had crept through his blood.

What he needed to learn was how to control it. How to control that darkness that had begun to creep through him, wanting to tear apart every person he came across. It worried him a lot, he admitted. He had weird cravings. He'd been walking through a town the previous day and had found himself wondering what the blood that had come from a child's scrape would taste like.

It had scared him so bad that he'd decided to avoid towns for the time being.

Happy hadn't bothered to question it, he'd merely agreed.

Natsu sighed heavily and drew his knees to his chest, resting his chin on them. Happy curled up beside him. "I miss Lucy," Happy told him, mournful.

"Me, too." Natsu ran his fingers over Happy's fur and sighed softly. "But...we can't go back. Not yet. There's still so much we don't know. I don't know where Igneel is, I don't know how to stop whatever's going to happen when Zeref finally decides to unleash the entirety of what I am, and I don't...I don't know what he wants with Lucy either. He told us what she is, but we didn't find out why he wants Fairy Heart. I can't go back and not know what to tell her."

"I don't think she'd care," he replied. He flicked his tail, looking up at him. "I think she'd be happy if we were there. Remember when we saw her on the TV, Natsu? She looked...sad."

"Yeah, I know." Natsu grinned briefly at him. "I'll make it up to her. I've been thinkin'. Do you think she'd like a throne for when she visits Bosco?" Happy gave him an incredulous look. "I'm kidding," the fire mage promised. "I'm thinking something a little smaller."

"Like?" Happy asked, pleased to be discussing something happy for once.

Natsu was quiet for a moment, stretching his arms out in front of him so that his hands draped in open air. He studied his calloused fingers for a moment and then mused, "Do you think she'd like a ring?"

* * *

"You know," Sting muttered as he planted a hand on his hip, cocking his head. "You could have come earlier. You didn't have to sneak your way in after they left."

"Yeah, I kind of did," was the snappy response he received. Gajeel's red eyes flickered with irritation. "I didn't want Lucy around. 'Sides, you promised to keep Rogue here."

Sting grimaced unhappy. "I'm not going to stop someone from trying to help them, Gajeel." He glanced at where Wendy was fidgeting, her dark eyes wide with worry as she tightened her hands into fists. There was guilt on her face as she chewed her lip unhappily. "Look. What do you guys think?"

"Lucy didn't tell me we were going to Tenrou to help the dragons," Wendy muttered, furrowing her brow.

"She was going to," Gajeel rumbled, ruffling her hair. "Anyways, I think it's a trap. No way in _hell_ Bunny Girl found the dragons that quickly. I looked for years. Natsu looked even harder than I did. No way. There's _no. Way._ "

"So if she didn't find dragons," Sting muttered, troubled, "what do you think she found that she's not telling us?"

"She's been hiding a lot, so I'm not sure," he answered. "But Levy says she's pretty damn certain it's the dragons. She hasn't mentioned anything else. But I'm sure there's something else. There always is."

"It can't be Lucy laying the trap then," Wendy protested. "She's not an enemy or something. She's our friend. She's not a bad person." She wound a lock of long hair around her finger, her eyes narrowing. "She's not a bad person at all. She's probably just as confused as we are, Gajeel."

"Good point," Sting agreed, pressing his lips together. "Do...do we try and keep them from going to Tenrou? Rogue thinks she's serious. And I mean, maybe she's right."

Gajeel barked out a laugh. "Like _hell_. Metalicana...Weisslogia...Grandeeney...they're all gone," he sair bitterly. His crimson eyes flickered with hints of rage. "They're _gone_. They've been gone. It doesn't matter what Lucy's going to find."

Wendy opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off when Gajeel laughed.

"She's never gonna find a dragon."

* * *

 _Told ya something exciting would happen. Acnologia's here! I may or may not explain more about what he's doing in those tunnels next chapter, but definitely later in the fic if not. He has a reason for being there._

 _Only twenty reviews to go until you get your bonus chapter and preview. ;) You have until the end of Saturday, March 3rd!_

 _To the guest wondering about Anna's story/an appearance, she won't be showing up, as in BTL she is definitely dead, but I will expand on the story of she and Acnologia later._

 _Thanks to reviewers (TigerArrowgirl, Samm, ckc14, XxBlue-ButterflyxX, stranger1999, Guest #1, LePengwen, Guest #2, Raelin Thaon, Naruto4Sakura, 19venelkc,Guest #3, Firefly9917, Jeptwin, Guest #4, Vilchen, nerdalertwarning, beginswithkay, Meow Orbit, peacerockgirl123, SecretAddition, Treblemkr, and Guest #5!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	263. Chapter 263

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The dragon stared at them with glee, his magic swirling around him in an invisible mass. Lucy shuddered in Cobra's arms, the flashlight shivering with the action. After a moment, she said, "We need to go."

"I don't think so," Acnologia purred, staggering closer. "I promised to rip your flesh from your bones, girl, and I intend to do so…" His red eyes flickered with excitement. Coba spat a glob of venom and he barely seemed to notice when it struck him, sizzling. The pendant at Lucy's throat nearly burned her.

Rogue, standing with an arm protectively thrown between the dragon and Yukino, let his gaze dart between Lucy and Acnologia, trying to calculate what was going on. Cobra was silent, listening now.

Finally, Lucy croaked, "Go ahead. Kill me. But you'll never see the rest of your power again, and I doubt Zeref will be pleased with you for killing the Fairy Heart."

Again, Cobra said nothing, even as her words drew puzzled looks from Yukino and Rogue. Neither said a word, allowing Lucy to speak. If only to keep them alive for the time being. Acnologia snarled loudly, stumbling closer, and Cobra tensed, a sound akin to a growl rumbling low in his throat. "How do you know of my alliance with the god of death, girl?"

That chilled Lucy to the bone. He had an alliance with Zeref? That didn't bode well at all. Not only did he hold Natsu's book in his hands, he had convinced Acnologia to work with him! She lifted her chin. "Does it matter? I know. And he'd have you killed for killing me. And you'd never see the rest of your powers again. That's the seal's rules, isn't it? Only one of the Heartfilia line can release the dragons, and therefore, you."

Acnologia snapped his jaws irritably and growled low in his throat. "You don't need all of your limbs to release me," he muttered, and then began to inhale.

"Go!" Cobra bellowed, plunging in the direction they'd come. Yukino and Rogue raced after him. Rogue kept a hand on her back, pushing her forward faster, but only made her stumble.

Cobra seemed to practically unhinge his jaw as he screamed a roar, amplified by Rogue's. The sound nearly drew blood from Lucy's ears, but she didn't seem to care as she peered over her shoulder to where Acnologia was grinning, mouth open. And then he fired.

"Down!" she screamed, and Cobra threw himself to the ground, covering his head. She covered her own and Yukino and Rogue ducked as well, their hands safely tucked over their skulls. A moment later, magic unlike anything Lucy had ever seen filled the space above their heads, tearing through the etherious material that had coated the walls. Lucy shuddered; what kind of magic did he have that it had ripped so easily through a material that had blown Jellal's up in his face?

As soon as the magic died, they were back on their feet, running. Cobra carried Lucy without faltering once, and she was admittedly impressed. "Meredy's shouting," he gasped as they ran. "I can hear her."

They followed her voice, Yukino and Rogue lighting the way with their flashlights, and Lucy heard Acnologia snarling as he went after them. She kept staring over Cobra's shoulder, terror racing through her veins. "When we get to the end, collapse the entrance," she breathed.

"I'll try, but no promises," Cobra promised.

When they found the exit, they burst out of it, scaring Sorano and Meredy half to death as they did so. But no one took time to explain. Instead, Cobra practically threw Lucy at the ground before he whirled around and blasted venom at the entrance. Catching on, Rogue joined in, slamming a blast of shadows into the entrance until it collapsed inwards. Lucy shuddered when she heard the scream of rage, but when nothing came from it, she groaned, and rested her head back.

"Oh, my god," Lucy whispered, staring at the sky.

"What the hell happened?" Sorano shrieked as she rubbed Yukino's shoulder and looked amongst them.

Even as Rogue began to gasp an explanation, Lucy studied the sky, thoughts racing. Acnologia wasn't strong enough to try and get through the debris they'd created. He was too weakened. But if he'd been the one to absorb her magic, then…

"He relied on the etherious material," she whispered and Cobra snapped his head around to stare at her. "He's using it to try and increase his magic...or balance it out at least. That's why he's down there. I didn't expect him to be so close to the Heartfilia Estate."

"Should we evacuate?" Meredy said seriously, eyes wide.

Lucy shook her head. "I think you're safe for now. He won't leave the tunnels. He'll become weaker if he does."

"And you intend to release him," Yukino said suddenly, sounding surprisingly angry. Her dark eyes glimmered with irritation. "You said that his power is sealed away with the dragons."

"I've...considered that," Lucy wheezed, rubbing her temples as she sat up. "And believe me, if I had another choice-"

"But you _do_ -" she protested.

"I _don't_ ," Lucy retorted. Her eyes flickered with annoyance. She glared around at the others. Only Cobra didn't seem confused as she said, "I have to talk to Igneel and the only way to free Igneel is to free Acnologia. And believe me when I say that that isn't my biggest concern right now." She took a deep breath and then staggered to her feet. "I'm going to head back to speak with Jellal. I'll meet you guys later."

Without waiting, she stumbled away. Meredy rushed after her, calling her name sympathetically in an attempt to help her, but Yukino only glared.

"You," Sorano said suddenly, pointing at Cobra. "Talk. I know you know what she's thinking. What could possibly be more important than the dragon of chaos I've heard so much about? He rivals the legends of Zeref. So what's more important than him?"

Cobra studied the curious trio for a long moment and then muttered, "Natsu," and stalked after the two other women, leaving them to puzzle over just what he meant.

* * *

After learning what had happened, a wary Jellal stationed guards outside of the entrance and decided that one of the Crime Sorciere group would be with them at all times. Cobra offered to take first watch; no one questioned him as to why.

Lucy kept close to Jellal as she conversed over where to go from where they were and plans for evacuating. She warned him of her plan and when it would occur; Jellal vowed to evacuate the city two weeks beforehand and get them closer to the western border Bosco shared with Fiore. She thanked him, rubbing her face with her hands.

"Lucy," Jellal said, voice still slurred with pain. Chelia had agreed to stop by and would be arriving that evening via helicopter, which had been sent out by Kinana to fetch her. Lucy wondered when they'd gotten so many. "You mentioned an alliance between Acnologia and Zeref...have you considered informing the Council?"

"Yes," she admitted. "This isn't something that I can keep hidden. If they're allying with one another, and Zeref has the book…"

"He must be planning an attack on the continent," Jellal finished. He ran a hand through his hair. "I recommend informing the Fioran Magic Council, as well as the guildmasters. The guilds won't hesitate to believe you, but the Council might. Speak to the allies you have within it to help you convince the higher ups."

"Jura's a saint among them," Lucy mused, "I'll get his number from Lyon and see what I can do. Will you speak with the Boscan Council? When you feel better, of course."

"Naturally. Chelia's coming to help me out a bit. I'll get word to the other kingdoms as well, and I'll warn Hisui."

Lucy curled a lip. "Hisui," she muttered in disgust. "She did _nothing_ for her people when Tartaros attacked. She hasn't so much as given a speech about what happened, and I _know_ the majority of those who live within Fiore are unhappy with her and her father."

"I'll send Cobra in, see if he can figure out why. There may be a reason," Jellal warned. He sat back a little and his face went white when he jostled his leg. Lucy grimaced sympathetically.

"I'll leave you to rest," she murmured. "Get better, alright? You're what everyone here needs right now and to see you down and out will be detrimental."

He gave a tight smile. "You could stay and take over until I'm well again. It would help the view the country has of you."

"I know, but I have to warn the others, remember?" she said playfully. Lucy stood, brushing her pants off and smiling faintly. "I'll make sure to send word before I leave for Tenrou. When I get back, I'll give a call so that you know how things went on my end and so that I can hear how things went in Bosco. Now, _rest_ , Jellal." She added the last statement gently. "You don't look well."

"I don't feel well," he grunted, resting his head back and closing his eyes.

Lucy patted his hand and then left him to relax, pausing only to speak with the nurse waiting outside the room to let her know that it was time for Jellal to receive more medication.

* * *

"Alright, Blondie, time to talk."

Lucy wasn't surprised when Cobra came hunting for her after Sorano took his place watching the tunnels. She looked up from the phone she'd been typing on, texting Levy to check on her pregnant friend. "Hey, Cobra, it's nice to hear you're doing well. I'm doing much better now, by the way. Virgo got some instruction from Loke on how to help filter that extra dosage of magic into my system."

Cobra paused to think that over, then shook his head and rumbled, "We are _fucked_. You're going to let that guy loose on the world just so you can talk to Igneel? Can't you...I don't know, get the Spirits to take you back to the Depths?"

"No, I can't," Lucy replied. "And you know why I need to talk to Igneel, Cobra. You of all people know. Besides, if we can figure out how this...END business will affect Natsu as he is now, perhaps he'll be capable of helping us against Acnologia. From the sounds of it, END might be capable of destroying Acnologia, you know."

"That doesn't excuse the fact that we'll have who knows how long between you releasing Acnologia entirely and Natsu figuring out what the hell is going on," Cobra pointed out, baring his teeth. "Lucy, this is a bad idea, and you know it."

"Well, it's better than doing nothing and waiting for Zeref to come knocking," Lucy retorted grouchily.

"Maybe, but it still happens to be the worst plan I've ever heard of," he muttered. "Can't you release the dragons and then seal Acnologia away again?"

Lucy pressed her lips together. "I mean, I could if I could find the spell, but I'd also need Loke's key and I'm going to use up what's left of this," she paused to lift the broken key at her collarbone, "to free them. And I don't know if you've nosed your way in far enough to remember that sealing the dragons is what killed my mother."

"You're mother didn't have infinite magic," Cobra pointed out.

"Infinite magic that I'm still struggling to figure out," she replied.

They fell silent for a few moments, and then Cobra's lip quirked. "You know," he mused, "if we could figure out how to wield that magic, you could probably deal with Acnologia yourself, woman."

"First of all, I have a name, and second of all...I think even Igneel had troubles with him. There's a reason he was sealed, Cobra, and I don't think I could stand up to him even with all of the magic in the world." She leaned forward, thinking. "I think it was him that absorbed my magic."

"Acnologia?"

"Mhm." Lucy tapped her chin, searching the air blankly in thought. "You see, if I'm right...do you know how the dragon slayers can absorb their element?"

"You think Acnologia just eats plain magic," he realized.

"I'm worried that if that's the case, it might be part of the reason Zeref's brought in him into play," Lucy admitted. "Which means that if he can somehow harness whatever the heart of fairies I possess does…"

"He can make him stronger," Cobra finished. The venom mage raked a hand through his hair, eyes widened. "We're screwed if he gets his hands on you. One or the other is one thing. But both END and Acnologia…with you to increase their power..."

"I still think END will be...different." Lucy thought back to what she'd seen in the battle with the dragons and Cobra practically scarfed down what he heard, flinching as she remembered the scream the demon had given. "I don't think END would be like I remember him as. He was pulled from his own time and if I'm right, whatever I did weakened him, which allowed Igneel to do whatever he did. Natsu was turned into a demon by Zeref...but if he were to regain those powers after growing up under Igneel's control, alongside the guild, and then having his nakama there…"

"It won't be your guild that helps him. And it won't be Igneel." Lucy looked over at Cobra, whose face was unreadable as he said simply, "It'll be you."

* * *

 _You guys did it! Thank you SOOOOO much for 6k reivews! I've been having a really rough time lately with my grandfather being really sick and this little event gave me some light and happiness to look forward to. :) You will never know how much I appreciate you all!_

 _So a maybe anti-climactic end to Acnologia's appearance, but it had its purpose: boom. We know where he is. AND people are even more so turning against Lucy's ideas._

 _In any case, let me explain in some better words what Acnologia was actually doing down there in those tunnels and why he can't come bursting out right now before I hand over a preview:_

 _Out of 100%, the seal not being completely erased has put Acnologia at about 10-15%. His attacks still hold some power, but not like he normally would, and outside of that first sight we saw of him back on Tenrou, he cannot hold a transformation into a dragon-like appearance. If he did, it would kill him. So, after getting off of Tenrou (I don't have an explanation for how that happened), he went and hid himself away in these etherious material-filled tunnels. No one from any current generation was aware of them, something that will later be explained. He is constantly eating pieces of the etherious materials and and absorbing the magic from them to try and build up some magic, although it doesn't work. As a dragon, he is entirely made of magic. Without access to his full power, he is unable to absorb it. Basically, the etherious is keeping him alive right now. "Why don't they just kill him now?" you may ask. My answer is simple: fear. They're blinded by fear and a lack of knowledge about dragons (even Rogue) and voila. Situation. Also, he's needed for later._

 _Lodemai04, I have, but time would pass too quickly in that Realm, and she wouldn't be able to grow as much as I need her to. ;)_

 _Anyways, onto thanking you all so I can give you your preview...ask questions if you're confused! Please remember that sometimes I confuse myself._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Vilchen, Jeptwin, AsunaLushieChase, Forgetmenot, Autori Fantasia, silver light of dawn, PandaBearSamm, albatrossnowflake, naluobsessed, stranger1999, Guest #1, Lodemai04, Guest #2, nerdalertwarning, Fairytail, LePengwen, Naruto4Sakura, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Raelin Thaon, Guest #3, TigerArrowgirl, ckc14, and MagicalFoxInTheWilderness!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

* * *

 **Preview of Chapter 283!**

 _"Who's it from?" Lisanna asked, leaning over to look._

 _Lucy didn't answer, gingerly prying it without ripping the paper. Within the badly wrapped paper was a simple mailing box and when a pair of scissors had been handed over so she could open it, she found a nice gift bag shoved full of tissue paper resting beneath a card with a simple Lucy._

 _Lucy set the card aside; she'd read it later, when she could cry in peace. And cry she knew she would, because somehow, he always made her cry with his messages. With gentle hands, Lucy pulled the tissue paper aside and stopped to stare at what rested within._

 _So much for crying in peace, she thought as tears gathered and fell at the sight. She pulled the familiar scaled scarf from the bag and immediately, commotion broke out from every person around her, each chattering about something or another, or trying to ask her a question. But Lucy ignored them all and smiled as she buried her face in the scarf, breathing in the familiar smell of smoke and pure Natsu._


	264. Chapter 264

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Do you think that the weather knows that we're going to free the _Fire Dragon King_?" a voice in her ear muttered in irritation, and Lucy spun around with a squawk to find a cranky white dragon slayer standing behind her. His blue eyes flickered with annoyance, and she choked on nothing when he proceeded to show his middle finger to the sky above.

"Because that's going to help get rid of the heat," an exasperated Rogue muttered from where he was watching him, Frosch and Lector in his arms. Yukino was checking their clearance from the Council one last time, specifying when they had to be back by without admitting if they knew what everyone going on this trip was up to.

Wendy shifted back and forth in impatience, and Lucy smiled gently at the small girl, chiding, "Being impatient isn't going to speed up the trip, Wendy."

"I know," she breathed, "I just... _Grandeeney_." The small sky dragon slayer giggled almost hysterically, beyond excited to be getting to Tenrou Island at long last. Her dark eyes shone, even as she remembered her conversation with the suspicious Sting and Gajeel.

She was going to find her mother at long last.

"No word from Gajeel?" Lucy checked, glancing at Rogue, who'd dialed the dragon slayer's number. Rogue shook his head and lowered the phone from his ear.

"He's still not coming, Lucy," he reported patiently, though his voice was tinged with just a bit of annoyance. Lucy had repeated the question several times, keeping up the hope that he'd come even with Levy getting closer and closer to her due date. His eyes narrowed a little as he looked at her. "Lucy, I understand that the fact that we're freeing the dragons is excited, but...you're looking forward to it more than Sting and I are. More than Wendy, perhaps." His gaze flickered to her.

Lucy opened her mouth, but he continued, cutting her off with a statement that brought her up short.

"Lucy, this will not bring Natsu running back, nor will it change as much as you think it will. If anything, the dragons' return will only bring more death and destruction, as you'll be hiding whatever you're not telling everyone from them as well."

"I was gonna ask," Sting mused, "just what aren't you telling us?" His intelligent blue eyes were sharp as he watched her closely. He wasn't smiling. In fact, he was nearly glaring at her with a challenging look in his eyes. As if warning her that the wrong answer would send him back to the nearest car.

"Sting," Yukino snapped, exasperated. "Leave her alone, please." She was still a little aggravated with her fellow celestial mage, not at all happy that releasing the dragons would release Acnologia, yet...she couldn't help but want to. She wanted to meet Weisslogia and Skiadrum. She _wanted_ to meet the fathers of the dragon slayers she'd known for so long.

Lucy threw her a grateful look, pressing her lips together. The secrets...she knew that they were beginning to catch up with her. The truth about Acnologia being involved with the dragons' freedom...she wasn't concerned about that. She'd merely mentioned the dragons' return and it would be acceptable for Acnologia to return as well. No matter how much the others complained and warned her against it, they wouldn't have been there if they hadn't wanted to free the dragons anyways.

But Natsu...END…

She would take that secret to her grave. She would not burden them with that secret, not let them know that the fire mage they all cared for had killed countless people and enjoyed the taste of their flesh between his teeth. She would _not_ let them know that he was the younger brother of-

She stilled, zoning out as Lyon shouted from the boat that they could board.

 _"Farewell, little brother."_

Her breath hitched.

Zeref had told him. Had informed him of his status as the prince of the Alvarez Empire. Perhaps, she hoped, he didn't yet know about his status as the Demon King, but he knew that he was Zeref's younger brother. That was why he'd gone there. Her hands trembled as she ran them through her hair, the short locks brushing her cheeks.

He _knew_ and she hadn't been the one to tell him.

Cobra had warned her, had mentioned that she'd regret not saying anything before it was too late, and Lucy took a shuddering breath, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. _She had been too late!_

Because if Zeref had given out that information...and Natsu had gone to him in the Alvarez Empire…

Didn't that mean that he'd told Natsu the truth about the book of END, too?

"Lucy!"

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts, looking up. She grimaced. Lyon was waiting impatiently; he'd be accompanying them, as everyone else was busy and they needed someone with them from the guild as of the new rules from the Council. The new Lamia Scale guildmaster arched a brow. "Coming?"

"Yeah!" She smiled faintly and rushed onto the boat, yanking her luggage with her. "Sorry. I got lost in my thoughts for a moment there." When she'd boarded, the crew that would be getting them there - so, _so_ unlike the last time she'd traveled to Tenrou Island - began to prepare to leave port, and Lucy stopped to look back at Hargeon. Her gaze searched the familiar town.

Not too many months ago, Natsu had likely left from this port to adventure to the Alvarez Empire. And had she not possessed the Fairy Heart...perhaps Lucy might have followed suit to demand answers of her own. For now, however…

Hopefully, Igneel would have some answers of his own.

* * *

A heavy breath left his lips, and he grimaced when the air misted. Ice crystals even formed and sprinkled the ground at his feet. Gray was bewildered; he didn't recall that happening before. And it made him even more nervous that it had happened now, when he was finally meeting with the rest of his undercover team. For the first time in months, he would see them.

Well…

Not undercover.

But his team was there, and he didn't bother to try and stay upright when Juvia nearly shrieked as she slammed into him, knocking them both to the ground. Erza chuckled, smiling gently as he pressed his face to Juvia's hair and she buried her own against his bare neck. "Hello, Gray," the requip mage said quietly, a gun holstered at her hip and her lips curved into a smile.

"Hey, Erza," he managed to wheeze out, the breath half-knocked out of him. Juvia pulled back to beam at him - and then proceeded to begin cough heavily, quickly ducking her head and covering her mouth. Erza's smile vanished and she stepped forward to touch Juvia's shoulder.

"Juvia?" she said gently. "Do you need more medicine?"

"No," she rasped, waving her off. "It's not a bad fit."

"Medicine? What's going on?" Gray hauled Juvia up to her feet along with him, his hand gripping her arm tightly. "Were you sick?"

Juvia patted his naked black-streaked chest with a gentle smile. "Juvia's okay, Gray," she soothed, shaking her head. He noticed that her blue hair was longer, falling close to mid-back now. He tugged affectionately on a lock. Erza, too, had a little longer hair, even a bit more muscle than before. "Juvia caught some bad bronchitis that won't go away, and got some help, that's all."

She furrowed her brow, prodding at the black now. "Has this grown?"

"Yeah, a little." Gray glanced at Erza again, this time aware of the way she was staring at his eye, with its demonic look. Gone was the black iris. His normal eye color was replaced with a glowing violet. He waved her concern off. "I'm fine, you two."

"Good. Have you had any troubles?" the requip mage asked gently.

Gray thought back to the problem he'd had with the man he'd nearly murdered, his phone call with Lucy. He said nothing about it, instead asking, "Did you know that Natsu abandoned the guild, too?"

Silence from the other two.

"I'll take that as a yes," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "Why didn't you bring her with you?"

"You know as well as we do," Erza said carefully, "that the Council-"

"To hell with the Council." Gray's eyes flashed angrily. "She already knows. I told her when I called her some time ago. She...she sounded like she was doing okay, but… Erza, we never should have left her alone like that. Not when we could have pushed for the Council to let us wait-"

"It's too late to go back now, and you shouldn't have told her regardless of what our situation or hers is. Besides." Erza lifted her chin. "I received word from the Council that they've been warned by Lucy that Acnologia is coming."

A chill ran down his spine. "What?" He remembered the dragon that had screamed as it towered above them on Tenrou Island. "How? When?"

"Soon, she thinks. There's also rumors of a war with the Alvarez Empire. The world...it's turning itself upside down and leaving us stranded amongst chaos." She ran her fingers through her hair. "Gray, they-"

"The Council thinks it's time to get a move on and crush Avatar," Juvia said quietly, stepping out of Gray's grip. Instead, she merely took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "They want us to rip it apart alone, Gray."

"That's _impossible_ ," Gray blurted. "Physically impossible! I mean, we hold up pretty well normally against people like that, but they're...they're like some mini version of Tartaros. It's not just the main members we have to worry about. We have to worry about the thousands of followers they've managed to acquire! And even then we have to be even more careful with the followers. Not all of them want this life. Some of them were forced into it by their friends and family. It'll take time...years even to gather that kind of information." Frustration bubbled up. "We're Fairy Tail mages, but we're not gods."

"No," Erza agreed, lips quirking a little, "but we have Levy and Gajeel."

"I...don't understand," he admitted.

Juvia's blue eyes twinkled as she tugged on his arm. "The Council contacted both of them, remember? Levy's been digging through records and information, whether it be in paper or on the internet, and Gajeel's preparing the equivalent of an army with Lily and Jura to help us."

Gray shook his head. "I can't just disappear and hide away until it's time. They're preparing to move."

"I know." Erza gave him a sympathetic look. "You're going to have to hang in there for a few months. In the meantime, we'll try and figure out what Lucy's up to. She's no longer in Fiore. And she's not in Bosco, either, from what I've gathered. She's up and disappeared with half of the dragon slayers. Apparently Gajeel knows where they're going, but didn't want to say and refused to go himself."

"That's because Levy's having a baby," Juvia reminded her.

Gray stared at his girlfriend, beyond shocked. "Excuse me?"

Juvia flushed. "You've been out of the loop for a while," she mused. "Levy'll be having her baby. Sometime in the next month or two, she thinks. Personally, Juvia thinks she's somehow going to have the baby on the seventh of July."

Gray felt a twist of bitterness. He hated that they weren't around for this. Hated that they weren't with their guild. "Boy or girl?"

"Girl," Erza said gently, as if recognizing what he was feeling. "As I said, hang in there for a few more months." She reached out and gripped his shoulder. "Grow into this...magic that's been unleashed, learn how to control it. Use the resources Avatar is giving you, even if they are a cult. It may help us should war break out."

"You seem pretty damn certain we're going to war, Erza," Gray muttered, planting his hands on his hips after gently shaking free of Juvia. He shook his head, black hair falling into his eyes from its current spiked up style.

Erza gave him a grim look and murmured, "If we're going to be seeing Acnologia, Gray, then whether it be with the Alvarez Empire or him, there will most certainly be war."

* * *

 _Just to keep you updated on the time of chapters, the last one was in April. This one takes place on June 10th, X786! We're heading for the dragons, guys! And look, some updates on the Avatar situation!_

 _Just something I want to share because I'm writing some parts involving him...I want to inform you all that because I like Larcade and wish he could have had a more interesting involvement in the manga, he will be having some important scenes in the future. ;) Also, 'cause someone mentioned it in their review, the situation with Hisui will eventually be explained. ;)_

 _Meow Orbit requested an explanation on Lucy's emotions/thoughts about Natsu, and I am more than happy to give one. :) So, basically, it's like when you're seriously pissed off with someone you love. I use arguments I've had with my mom for a basis when writing Lucy's feelings. Natsu, to Lucy, is her best friend on top of her boyfriend. She feels incredibly betrayed by the fact that he's left her behind, especially without saying goodbye in person. She's also incredibly furious with him. She nearly hates him for this. But at the same time, he's Natsu. She loves him deeply and misses him, no matter how angry she is, and she wants him to come home. It hasn't been pointed out to Lucy just yet, but she will later understand that there is a reason he can't come home just yet. So, she's really, really upset with him, but understands and loves him. When he does eventually come back,it'll take some time for her to trust him again, but...yeah. I hope this helps?_

 _Thanks to reviewers (stranger1999, TigerArrowgirl, OOANDISAOO, LePengwen, Guest #1, Jeptwin, Meow Orbit, FtfanDessarai, 19vanelkc, Naruto4Sakura, and The Age of Awesomeness!) as well as those who favorited and followed._


	265. Chapter 265

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"Ha!" a voice crowed in delight from where the group was seated in a large circle on the deck of the small ship. Lector looked so proud of himself that Lucy had to stifle her laugh. Her dark eyes glimmered with amusement as he waved his winning Uno card in the air before slapping it down. She shoved her cards into the center of the circle and then leaned back, propping herself on her arms and trying to ignore the way that the sun beat down on her. She was grateful for her shortened hair now.

Sting threw his own down with a scowl. "How. _How._ I don't understand, Lector. How have you won five times in a row? It makes no sense! It's not logical!"

"You're not logical."

"And what sense does that make?" Yukino said with exasperation, eyeing the red-furred cat.

"It makes sense," he argued, and then launched into an explanation that certainly did not make sense and left all of them staring at him in confusion.

"...I vote we put away Uno," Rogue finally said, shaking his head. "I'm tired of being beaten by Lector."

Everyone else agreed. Lector pouted, but watched quietly as Lyon gathered up the cards and tied a rubber band around them before simply tossing the stack over his shoulder. "Sorry there's not much to do. We don't normally go on such long treks."

"It's fine," Lucy said hastily, "I'm just grateful you offered up the boat, to be honest." She pushed her hair from her eyes, cocking her head a little. "Besides, I'm sure we'll have a much more interesting trek back."

"I think," Sting told her, "I should have stayed with my guild for the Grand Magic Games."

Lucy merely sighed heavily. She rubbed her temples and pretended she hadn't heard him. The white dragon slayer had been cranky since they'd left port two days before - perhaps even before then. He was pissed off that she was still hiding things from them, but she was firm in keeping her secrets, no matter what it did to those around them.

Perhaps, she noted dully, that wasn't a good thing.

A gentle Wendy patted her hand without saying anything, sensing the darkness of her thoughts, and Lucy smiled a fraction before giving the deck a thoughtful look. "Lyon," she said suddenly, addressing the ice-make mage. "Is the deck big enough to do some sparring?"

That had everyone sitting up a little straighter. Lyon snorted and said, "Yeah, but no magic. If you sink this ship, we're screwed."

Lucy immediately hopped to her feet. "Fine with me. Anyone want to have a go at me?"

She wasn't surprised when Sting shot to his feet immediately, and she grimaced at the thought of what he intended to do pain-wise. But if it got him to shut up about his negative thoughts...bruising wouldn't be so bad.

Besides, it would do her some good to spar against someone else.

"Let's do tournament style," Lyon suggested. "You two, then Yukino and I, then Wendy and Rogue."

"I don't like this," Charle said, voicing her opinion unhappily. "Dragon slaying magic is unpredictable-"

"It'll be okay, Charle," Wendy reassured, "we'll be careful! Besides we're not using magic."

The white feline sniffed, but said nothing more and Lucy was aware of the crew members that gathered to watch as Lucy settled into a stance. The others created a circle of space for them to stand within, and her dark eyes narrowed as she watched Sting closely.

Rogue began the countdown, and when he called, "Go!" Lucy surprised him by striking first.

She took a step and kicked at his head, keeping her body loose as she'd been taught. Sting retaliated with a quick strike of his fist, but Lucy merely jerked to the side to avoid it, smirking a little when he snarled in annoyance, not having expected her to get away. She swiftly avoided the other fist, then gave a sharp shove with the flat of her hand to his chest. He grunted when the breath suddenly left him.

She took advantage of his distraction. Sting swore when she spun, dropping to kick his feet out from under him. Rather than staying down, however, he used the sudden change of weight to lash out with his own feet, catching her by surprise.

Lucy yelped as she was sent flying by the feet that became planted firmly against her shoulders. She slammed straight into one of the crew members, who squealed in surprise when they went tumbling head over heels. When Lucy stopped moving, she hoisted herself to her hands and knees, shaking her head with a huff.

He'd kicked her out of the ring in under a minute, though she wasn't surprised. There was a glint in his blue eyes. Pride. He'd done it on purpose.

"Alright, Lucy?" Rogue called, but she ignored his question in favor of asking the same of the person she'd crashed into.

The woman laughed, climbing to her feet and offering a hand to pull Lucy to hers. Lucy accepted the help, then turned her eyes on Sting with a huff. "Honestly, Sting, if you're going to kick my ass that badly, wait until we get to Tenrou."

"That was a little harsh," Yukino pointed out.

Sting merely shrugged. "When we're at war," he pointed out, "no one's going to take it easy. Get with the program."

"You're really being a di-"

Sting cut Lyon off with a glare and promptly said, "Why don't you and Yukino take a turn?"

Lyon made a face and stepped into the "ring".

* * *

The group sparred like that for a few hours, doing several tournament styles as well as various group efforts. Lucy found herself up against all five other mages at one point. She thought that Sting had gotten his frustrations out in the one-on-ones he'd been pitted against her, because during that moment, she'd actually lasted a few minutes before having her ass handed to her.

When evening fell, the group settled down, still teasing one another. Sting had most certainly lightened up, though he still made smaller jibes at Lucy. She ignored them for the most part, pleased when Lector and Frosch curled up in her lap. She had Plue, but… She missed Happy, and was grateful to have a cat to stroke her fingers over. She scratched behind Lector's ear as she yawned, tilting her head back to look at the stars.

Her gaze sought out familiar constellations, leaving Lector's ear to touch Loke's broken key. She watched the stars in silence for a long while, allowing her mind to drift. She thought of nothing but what she knew to be true: even if the world around her fell to pieces, the stars remained the same, and she would have at least them should the secrets she was keeping destroy every other relationship she had.

She tightened her fist until the sharp edges dug into her skin and cut it, allowing blood to drip from it. Wendy's head snapped around and she called Lucy's name, but Lucy didn't respond, too lost in thought.

What use would those secrets be in the future? It hurt her to keep them. And if Natsu all ready knew...she opened her mouth to tell the others, to state in a simple voice, _Natsu is END._

But she couldn't bring herself to. Because Igneel would soon be there, and she wanted to speak with him before she revealed the one thing that could turn friends on him. Because even if Fairy Tail cared deeply for those who were a part of their guild, the innocents would come first, and even Natsu would allow them to put him down if it meant people wouldn't die. It didn't matter how selfish he was in some regards; in this, he would put everyone else first, because it would save Lucy.

And if it meant putting him to death to help prevent the utter annihilation Zeref seemed inclined to submit them to…

He'd do it.

Lucy's heart twisted painfully and tears nearly rose to her eyes. She wouldn't let that happen. She couldn't survive another loss like-

" _Lucy_."

The sharp call of her name finally snapped her of her thoughts and Lucy blinked, quickly looking back at the people who'd agreed to come with her. They were all staring at her - or, at least, the dragon slayers, with their sensitive noses, were. She furrowed her brow and then felt the painful stabbing in her palm. " _Oh_ ," she muttered when she realized that the cats had scampered out of her lap to avoid the blood dripping on their heads. "Oops."

"Lucy?" Wendy said as she came over, reaching to heal the cut. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Lucy said, smiling gently and withdrawing her hand. "I'm fine. Was just...thinking. About everything."

No one questioned her about what she meant by everything.

For that, Lucy was grateful.

* * *

It seemed like ages before the boat reached the island, but when it finally appeared, Lucy wasn't surprised that Wendy was the first to spot it. "Look!" the girl cried, pointing and leaning over the railing even as Charle warned her away from it. Her dark eyes shone with excitement as the other dragon slayers joined her, looking at the familiar shadow in the distance. Even from as far as they were, Lucy could see a blur in the distance.

Tenrou Island.

It took them another day to reach the island, and when they had at last docked, the cats offered to fly everyone to shore. Lyon pointed out it'd be faster if he used his own magic, and they agreed it would be easier than having the cats return for the others.

Upon reaching the sands, Sting declared that Wendy's Troia was great, but didn't compare to dry land, and Lucy snorted as she wiggled her toes against her sandals. Her dark eyes were locked on the familiar tree that towered high above the island. Mavis had told her where to find the dragons. The riddle from so long ago now made sense, and Lucy wanted to smack herself for not realizing the truth by herself.

 _Where it all began_.

 _"Zeref and I were lovers once, you know,"_ Mavis had breathed, watching the illusion she'd created. Lucy remembered the look of hatred rather than love in her face. _"Time clashed, allowing us to meet. He had traveled to Tenrou Island to do research, and I found him beneath the tree."_ Her breath had hitched a little, surprising the blonde she'd been speaking to. _"It is also where I was introduced to Igneel, where my body was laid to rest...and where END first opened his eyes as a demon. It is even where Acnologia was first sealed."_

It was literally where everything had begun.

Lucy took a deep breath, running her hand through her hair. She counted the days. It had taken them two weeks to get there, thanks to a nasty storm that had arisen. Which left them with just under two weeks to prepare for the freeing of the dragons. Lucy's heart fluttered in her chest with excitement, bringing along a twinge of fear.

Acnologia would be entirely freed, too.

Lucy's dark eyes thoughtfully watched as the others played around for a few minutes, throwing bits of magic at one another, excited to use it again after not having used their magic for two weeks. She chuckled and gripped the keys in her pocket before nodding curtly to herself. It would take them a few days to hike their way to the tree, to Mavis' grave. Luckily, the ship had been stocked full and so long as they were careful, their supplies wouldn't run out. Additionally, Rogue had pointed out they could catch fish and other such food on the island itself.

Lucy had been grateful for the reminder, though she hadn't voiced it, instead allowing Sting to whimper at the fact that he wouldn't have to "starve".

"I don't think anyone outside of Fairy Tail has ever been here," Wendy announced. A pause. "Excluding Grimoire Heart, Cobra, Meredy, and Sorano. And Jellal and Kinana." Another pause. "Except Kinana, Cobra, and Jellal were a part of the guild at one point…"

"If we start getting into those outside of our guild who have been here, Wendy," Lucy interrupted, "I don't think we'll ever get through the list. Especially with how many people left after everything that happened with Tartaros." She ruffled her friend's hair and then sidled forward. "We don't have a map, but it's not hard to find our way. We're trying to get to the base of that big tree." She pointed. "According to the information I've gathered, Mavis' grave is there. We'll need to start setting up for the spell when we get there, and then…"

"We wait?" Lyon guessed, crossing his arms.

"Yep," she confirmed, rubbing her temples. She could all ready feel the drain this was going to have on she and Yukino, who was furrowing her silver brow in thought. After a long moment of silence, she said, "I think we should at least get further into the island. It's not just us here. We'll need to have someone guard while the rest of us sleep tonight, and we can take shifts."

"I'll take first," Rogue said quietly.

"Second," Sting cut in.

The others agreed to take various shifts, trying to allow for as much sleep as possible. They would need it after all.

When that was done, Lucy nodded in confidence and then rocked back on her heels. "Alright, then." She grinned, studying the trees in their path.

"Time to begin."

* * *

 _Tenrou! And Sting's being a little cranky as you can see. Little brat that he is._

 _Meow Orbit, regarding arcs...we've got like three more, I think? Maybe four. This is what I call the Dragon Arc, and then we'll have Avatar (not quite as big as you'd think), followed by another kind of small period with an intermixing of things that is kind of an arc within itself, but I haven't named (anyone who comes up with one, please feel free to suggest it). Then there's the Alvarez Arc, of course, with some minor finish ups afterwards...so four. I'd say five if you want to count the last bits as something, but definitely at least four arcs left._

 _As I've mentioned, Alvarez is going to be INCREDIBLY different from the manga. There'll be some similarities of course, but, for example, I didn't agree with the Gray v. Natsu ordeal so that's not going to happen, and yeah._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Jeptwin, sofiesticated, Lodemai04, 19vanelkc, Dragondancer81, LePengwen, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Saiyan God101, nerdalertwarning, Meow Orbit, JadmineFire7, Naruto4Sakura, and stranger1999!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	266. Chapter 266

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy pressed her lips together, swiping her sweat-dampened hair out of her face. Her gaze flickered with agitation as she paused to make sure the others were still there. Wendy was right behind her with Charle in her arms, the white cat looking fairly annoyed with the heat. Yukino wasn't far behind her, speaking calmly to Sting with their heads bent close together. Lyon was in front of Lucy, and Rogue was darting amongst shadows as Lector and Frosch flew overhead, keeping an eye on everything.

The ambush from the animal before had put them all on edge. Lucy remembered Yukino's scream when Lyon had lunged to stop the cat-like creature from biting into her flesh and dragging her into the trees.

When everyone had looked to Lucy, Charle, and Wendy for an explanation, Lucy had shrugged and admitted that the last time she'd been there, she'd had a somewhat psychotic fire mage with her alongside some of the strongest of Fairy Tail.

"If I'm right," Lucy muttered, huffing as she clambered over a piece of wood. "We'll reach the cavern within the next few days."

"Too long," Lyon sighed. "That's way too long a time, Lucy."

"I'm sorry," Lucy said honestly, "I didn't expect everything to be this hot and gross. I forget how different this situation is from the S-Class Exams…" She shook her head and then muttered, "I forget how different everything is from last year…"

Lyon threw her a friendly look. "All's well, Lucy." She'd told him a little on how Gray was doing, trying not to give away too much on the risk that the Council would miraculously find out. He'd appreciated the effort, but had accepted that there was only so much that Lucy could say rather than fighting her to try and grab more information.

"On your left!"

Rogue's sudden shout jerked her out of her thoughts and she barely had enough time to grab for the whip at her hip when massive taloned feet grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her into the ground. Lucy shrieked and there were shouts of alarm as the massive bird parted its beak and began to beat its wings. Realizing it was going to take off - and likely was big enough to carry her with it - Lucy swore and without batting an eye, summoned Capricorn.

The Spirit appeared in his usual flash of light and with ease, lashed out, kicking the bird off. It squawked in outrage, turning to snap its large beak at Frosch. Frosch squealed as he dove for the familiar shadow that erupted from the ground. Rogue held nothing back as he blasted the bird with shadows, furious with it for daring to so much as try and touch the small cat.

The bird dropped dead, feathers ruffled and body twitching.

Sting blinked. "Damn, Rogue. Overkill?"

"No," Rogue said darkly, comforting the trembling Frosch. "It tried to take Fro."

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Yukino asked, offering her friend a hand. Lucy took it, smiling faintly.

"Yeah," she replied, touching the gouges in her skin with a grimace. Her hand came away stained with blood. Wendy opened her mouth to offer to heal them, but Lucy quickly turned away before she could. She was trying to avoid letting Wendy tend to every scratch and cut. For one, she'd need her magic should Acnologia miraculously show up on Tenrou again - an idea Lucy had kept to herself out of fear that it would solidify everyone's doubts about this adventure. And, for another, Lucy wanted the scars for selfish reasons.

She wanted scars for when Natsu came back, if only so that he could see them and know that he hadn't been there to help her with them.

Perhaps it was a cruel way of thinking, but she thought he deserved a little guilt to be thrown in his face.

No matter what his intentions had been, no matter what he'd learned in the time he was away…

He'd had no reason to leave her like he had.

"Now that that's over with," Lucy muttered, "Shall we continue?"

"Lucy," Lyon said slowly, "you're going to get an infection. At least let us clean that out."

"Fine," she muttered, pouting a little. She was impatient. She wanted to get to the cavern. She was marking off days carefully in her head, cursing the magic surrounding the island for blocking technology. She was nervous. Sure, they still had some time before the seventh, but she didn't want to be caught by surprise. She wanted to make sure the location was secure, that when the dragons appeared…

She wanted to be _ready_.

They found a small stream, the mud around it sucking at their feet as they gathered around it. Wendy handed over a small washcloth she'd packed into the bag she'd brought, and Lucy let Yukino tend to the injury, pulling the collar of her tank top aside. Yukino swiped gently at the gouges grimacing when Lucy hissed. "They look worse than they are," Yukino reported.

"Good," Lucy said, checking how bad the stains on her tank top were as Yukino quickly put some gauze over the wounds and taped it there. "Are we good?"

"Yep!" Yukino hopped back to her feet.

"Miss Lucy," Capricorn said, catching her attention. She grimaced guiltily. She'd forgotten he was there. She looked to him expectedly, and his lips twitched a little before he told her, "Leo sends a message."

She perked up. "He does?"

Everyone looked curious as he reported, "Leo continues to possess a link between he and Igneel. They're uncertain if the bond will be broken when Igneel is freed, but in case it is, he wishes for you to know that although we cannot say where...his key has reappeared in your Realm."

Lucy blinked, startled. After a moment, she touched the broken key at her neck, gripping it tightly as she said, "Thank you, Capricorn."

Her heart jumped. She longed to start the search, to hunt down Loke's key and make sure he was all right, but…

First, dragons.

Capricorn, sensing her thoughts, nodded his approval and then vanished.

"I'll give it to you if I somehow come across it, Lucy," Yukino said gently.

"So will I," Wendy piped up. The others all voiced their agreement.

Lucy found her eyes watering, but she blinked hastily and said thickly, "Thanks, you guys." She took a deep breath.

Those secrets were pressing sharply on the tip of her tongue, waiting to be spilled.

* * *

It took them a few days to get to the base of the tree, and when they did, Rogue offered to slip into the shadows and see if there was anything to be worried about. His red eyes flickered as they agreed, letting him slip away. Frosch chose to remain with Yukino, tail flicking anxiously.

There hadn't been quite as many attacks on them from wild creatures Lucy certainly did not remember seeing the last time they were there, but Wendy reassured her they had been there all along. Apparently, the influx of magic from the tree had encouraged creatures of nightmares to develop. It was part of the reason Tenrou was used for the S-Class Exams.

Impatient, Lucy shifted her weight back and forth, rocking on her feet. Her keys dangled at her whip and she touched the golden hilt of her whip. It burned from being in the heat and sunlight, but she ignored it in favor of turning her attention on the massive tree.

"From what I gathered on Meredy's behalf," she said suddenly, "Zancrow of Grimoire Heart might be the one who freed Acnologia initially. She said they were in the cavern with Mavis' grave, and that he was messing with some kind of ashy lines that decorated the area."

Sting snorted. "Lovely." HIs blue eyes darted this way and that, watching. "Anything else we should know?"

"Don't touch Mavis' grave," Lucy told them, and then perked up when Rogue reappeared. He licked his lips before speaking.

"We're safe. There's some kind of barrier around the area that repels the wildlife. It begins just a few feet from the cave and allowed me to slip in it. We should be fine."

"Igneel's work?" Lucy guessed, thinking of the barrier around his hoard. Rogue nodded in confirmation. He'd recognized the magic. Lucy wasn't surprised. "Then let's get a move on, shall we? We have just over a week to set up. Sting, Rogue, I'm thinking you two might have to head back with Lector and Frosch to retrieve supplies from the ship. We're running low already." She glared at Sting suspiciously.

He smirked mockingly, confirming her suspicions that he'd been sneaking snacks.

"Why don't we do that and we'll meet you at the cavern?" Rogue suggested quickly to stop another argument from breaking out. He looked puzzled; Sting had certainly become argumentative since they'd set out to find their parents. But he didn't question it. Instead, he waved for Frosch to come over. The cat gladly did so, wings appearing at his back as he flicked his tail back and forth.

"Sounds good," Lucy agreed, and the others mumbled their agreement, too.

"C'mon, Lector, let's go flying," Sting said with surprising cheerfulness.

"Okay!" Lector agreed willingly, snapping his own wings out.

The other four waited until they'd disappeared from sight to start forward. Wendy led the way, using her nose to guide them as she chatted quietly with Charle about something or another. Lucy felt a pain in her heart when she saw the lack of Fairy Tail emblem on Wendy's arm.

But Wendy was there, she told herself, and she was coming back soon. She'd said as much earlier in the trip, telling Lucy she expected to rejoin the guild within the next few months. Charle had looked pleased about this as well, having taken off her own emblem to travel with Wendy.

It didn't take them long at all to find the cavern that Rogue had mentioned and Lucy sighed heavily as she cranked her head back. "He failed to mention," she muttered, "that we'll have to climb a bit."

The tree itself was massive, towering hundreds of feet above their heads. But the cavern among its root was lifted off the ground, too, a wall of rocks left for them to haul themselves up. Wendy opened her mouth to make a suggestion, but Lyon said with amusement, "I specialize in living creatures when it comes to my magic, but I'm not limited to it, you know. I can make stairs just as well as Gray can. Just be careful. They'll be slippery." He knelt, pressing his hands to the ground.

They watched as he crafted stairs, and although they weren't nearly as solid-looking and pretty as anything Gray would make regarding inanimate objects, they were sturdy enough. Lucy, trusting him, went to work on pulling herself up them, keeping a tight grip on the railing despite the cold that bit at her fingers.

Lyon waved a hand and rid the island of his magic when they were all at the top.

"Wow," Yukino breathed, grateful they hadn't had to climb. They'd been ascending towards the tree for days now, but to see the sight before them - the entire island spread out, and even the boat visible as a dark spot on ocean…

"Beautiful," Wendy crooned, and Lucy nodded before turning her attention on more important matters.

"So," Lyon said as he trailed behind her, Yukino and Wendy not far behind. "You said that Zancrow messed with some marks and freed Acnologia. Why can't you free the other dragons like that? Just...scrape marks away until they're all there?"

Lucy snorted. Not a bad idea, to be perfectly honest. "Zancrow freed his physical form and some of his magic. Despite his freedom, the full extent of his being is still sealed away. But I think I'm going to need Igneel's magic in its entirety, not just small bits. Besides. If we do it wrong...we'll free Acnologia and leave the other dragons imprisoned. And I don't just mean a little bit of Acnologia, but I mean the entirety of his power." Lucy smiled faintly. "It would have been a great idea if Acnologia wasn't involved."

Besides, if something went wrong with END…

She needed Igneel to help her. And that included his magic.

She could feel the power that radiated from the cavern as she looked in. She felt the familiar streaks of Igneel's magic, as well as other strange magic. Wendy's happy sigh told her some of it was Grandeeney. She could feel the strongest centered around the simple headstone at the center of it, a beautiful piece of stone untouched by time.

"Mavis' grave," Lucy murmured, studying it. "Really don't touch that. I feel like touching that would be a bad idea."

"Sounds fine with me." Yukino planted her hands on her hips. "Alright, so shall we set up our camp for tonight and relax a little? We can start setting up tomorrow morning. It's only the twenty-ninth of the month, so we have a little over a week before we need to start stressing."

"I'll run over the instructions on the written spell tonight," Lucy decided. "Just to make sure there isn't anything we should start preparing for immediately."

"Good idea," Wendy hummed. The sky mage was practically bouncing, trilling under her breath as she bounced this way and that, soaking in the magic of her mother.

Lucy smiled softly at the sight.

At least someone was happy that she was freeing the dragons.

* * *

 _They made it to the cavern! Yay!_

 _Jeptwin, regarding some of your questions...Tying up loose ends does indeed include Minerva. ;) Zoldeo wasn't important to me, so I kind of just...deleted him almost from the story. Grammi won't be important either, as for BTL, Brandish rather dislikes Lucy for a different reason that will be mentioned later. Nalu has kind of been a real thing for quite some time now, though?_

 _To the guest, regarding Lucy rubbing her temples all the time...nope! Nothing serious. XD Sting and the others just give her headaches._

 _Tigerarrowgirl, recovering Lucy's tumors...horrible thing, but I'm not entirely remembering of whether they're still on her side at this point (I don't think they are). But there are usually some present in various places at this point._

 _Thanks to reviewers (nerdalertwarning, sofiesticated, Jeptwin, Lodemai04, Naruto4Sakura, diligitiss, LePengwen, 19vanelkc, Guest #1, Saiyan God101, stranger1999, TigerArrowgirl, PandaBearSamm, SumCheeze, and juvinity!) as well as those who favorited and followed! I love you all!_


	267. Chapter 267

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy could scarcely breathe as she stared up at the sky, her fingers curled in the blanket that was thrown over her. She'd chosen to sleep a little bit outside the cave so she could see the stars. Distantly, she wondered why Yukino didn't feel the need to constantly look up. She wondered if it had to do with the fact that she was born with the magic.

 _Tomorrow_ , she thought as she studied the sky, seeking familiar stars. Her keys were warm in her hand, pressed to her chest just above Loke's key. It would kill her, she realized, to lose his key, but now that it had reappeared…

Maybe she would find it. She would certainly begin the search when she was done with this task.

Lucy sighed softly and furrowed her brow. The guild would be preparing for the final day of the Games. They wouldn't know the results until they got back. Lucy hoped that they did well, although she knew this year would be incredibly different than the previous year. For one, half of the competitors were gone, and for another, there would be no people from the future trying to destroy their world.

Of course, there would be dragons again, but hopefully this time it would be a little bit more controlled. They'd had humanoid forms, Lucy remembered. When her mother had first met Igneel, he'd been in one.

Lucy cocked her head a little. "I wonder what Natsu's up to," she whispered to her keys. Tomorrow would be one of the days he hated most in the world. He'd told her as much. He hated it more than anything, the seventh of July. It was the day he'd found himself alone in the world, and she knew that the other dragon slayers had hated it just as much. She thought it might be worse for him this time, as he was alone with only Happy and _knew_ she was waiting.

 _Forgive and forget_ , she thought wryly. Mirajane had suggested it when Lucy had talked to her about his disappearance. _"There are other things to worry about, Lucy,"_ she'd told her, _"and when he comes home, you shouldn't focus on the bad. Appreciate that he's home at all. It's an idea most of us have learned the hard way. If Loke were to show up, would you be angry with him for making you break his key?"_

The two situations were incredibly different, of course. Loke hadn't gone willingly, but out of necessity, and Natsu could have more than likely taken her with him had he only waited. The fact that Natsu had left in the way he had…

Perhaps she could forgive.

But Lucy would _never_ forget that he, who had promised to be at her side no matter what, had abandoned her.

* * *

When dawn came, Lucy had barely slept, but she was too hyped up to care. "Up!" she sang, kicking Sting until he rolled out of his sleeping bag with a whine of protest. "Up!" She nudged everyone awake similarly, only nudging Yukino, Wendy, and Charle. "We need to start setting up! Noon is go time, and we need to be ready."

Wendy squinted up at her. Lucy beamed at her. The teen looked anything but pleased with her. "Lucy, it's like five."

"Yep. Countdown seven hours until the dragons need to be freed," Lucy said, wiggling her eyebrows.

That was enough to get Wendy on her feet and packing up her sleeping things for the morning. Yukino reluctantly crept out of her own sleeping bag with Lector and Frosch. Rogue did as well, but Sting groaned in complaint as he tried to go back to sleep. Rogue promised to have him up so Lucy wasn't murdered before they could free their parents and Lucy left him to do as much.

She emerged from the surprisingly large cavern, watching the sun as it began to rise. She was careful not to look at it, but enjoyed the way the colors blended into the sky.

After the long months of waiting, July 7th of the year X786 had arrived. Nine years after the dragon's disappearance, they would finally come home.

Lucy wondered distantly if Natsu would realize what she'd done when he woke up this morning, no matter where he was.

She sauntered back into the cave to find the written spell and began examining it as Yukino began to whip up a quick breakfast for them. It wasn't much, and even Wendy looked down about the repeat of bland oatmeal, but everyone scarfed it down and then got straight to work on the spell.

"I brought a whole thing of sidewalk chalk, which should work," Lucy told them. "Lyon, is there any way you could replicate this with your ice and lay down a map for us to draw beside?"

Lyon looked at the complicated picture that had been drawn by Igneel's own hand, according to Mavis. It looked like the summoning spells for demons from movies, Lucy thought. Apparently those summoning circles had some truth to them.

"I should be able to," he said finally, holding up a hand. Ice gathered in his hand, and eventually, he had a small copy of what they needed. "Around the whole cavern, right? Centered around the headstone?"

"Yep."

Lyon did just that and within the hour, everyone had chalk in their hands and was scrambling to draw. The cats, surprisingly critical, hovered above them to make sure that even the slightest of details were noted. Lucy was grateful for them, because she was positive they would have missed some of the details had Charle in particular not been there.

They paused when they thought they were done, and Lyon rid the cavern of the ice. He narrowed his eyes as he carefully studied it.

"I think it's fine," Lyon said finally.

"I hope so. If we screw this up, we don't get another chance until July next year." Lucy turned her back on the chalk they'd drawn and checked the paper and her watch. "I have to start at exactly noon...I'll do the spell, since we don't know what's going to happen. We've got a few hours," she added thoughtfully. "Three or so...we really took a while to get that chalk up, but that's okay."

"Better to be careful," Rogue agreed, and the others all hummed their agreement as well.

"Should we set anything else up?" Yukino asked.

Lucy nodded curtly, waving her over. Yukino came to look over her shoulder. Put your keys in these spots…" She indicated each spot that Yukino would need to look for. Yukino merely took her phone out, took a picture with a mutter of gratitude that it worked, and then went to do just that, wary to leave her keys out in such a way, but knowing better than to protest.

Lucy plucked one key at a time off of her key ring, putting each in a specific spot. She saved Loke's key for last, her fingers tight around it. She kissed the broken hilt and then lovingly placed it at the center of the circle, her heart aching as she retreated.

Twelve golden keys rested at various points around the circle with one in a special spot in the middle. It would break Loke's key, shatter it into dust, because while it held traces of Loke's magic, it no longer possessed the full extent of his magic. She had reassured Yukino on their behalf that the other keys would be fine.

"Anything else?" Wendy chirped.

Lucy shook her head. "Now," she said, "we wait."

"I hate waiting," Sting muttered, kicking a rock. Despite his attitude about everything, he was excited. She could see it in the way he impatiently squirmed.

"So do we all," Lucy told him and settled down to watch her watch.

* * *

When noon came, Lucy's stomach was in knots.

She settled in the center of the circle before Loke's key, as the spell explained, and put the paper in her lap. The others were all hovering near the entrance of the cave, waiting. Lucy smiled faintly at them and then glanced at the watch. Two minutes. She remembered this kind of panic when they'd planned to reveal magic.

This time, they would release something far more powerful than regular magic upon the people of the world.

"One minute!" Wendy shouted, barely able to contain her excitement.

Lucy took a deep breath to calm herself. "Let me know when," she said. The spell was lengthy, and she had one minute to say it all. Her heart skipped a beat and then began to race. The pendant at her throat burned, and she knew that her skin was blistering beneath it. She could practically hear the rumble of dragons in the air.

"Go!"

Lucy began to recite the spell, exactly as she'd practiced for the past few days in her head with Yukino timing her. She articulated each word with care, pronouncing it properly and sharply without leaving any room for argument about whether or not it was the right one. It had been the original spell, but with Mavis' help, she'd edited it to free the dragons rather than imprison them.

She was halfway through the spell when a wind kicked up. Her hair flew around her face and she faltered before pushing forward, aware of the way that Loke's key was beginning to shake on the ground before her, glowing a brilliant gold. She poured her magic into her words, allowing it to drain her as it saw fit.

Because even if she couldn't reach the full potential her magic offered, it was there.

"Ten seconds!" Yukino called, her voice hitching a little in panic. Lucy sped up, hastily uttering the last few words.

Silence.

Lucy blinked, the wind gone and lifted her eyes. She was exhausted, her magic drained, and for the briefest of moments, Lucy feared she'd misread or said something wrong. The others whispered to one another in terror, fearful that it hadn't worked.

And then the space around her flashed so bright that even Loke's light couldn't compare.

* * *

Across the world, people suddenly found themselves faltering in their tracks.

Mirajane tripped, dropping a few glasses, and exchanged a long look of confusion with her husband-to-be. Lisanna and Elfman voiced their confusion at the sudden shift of power that flooded their senses, and Cana voiced that it wasn't Gildarts'. The Thunder Legion all voiced their thoughts, confused like the rest of them, and the rest of the Fairy Tail guild all agreed that it had been strange before moving on warily. Levy, seated at a chair with her hand touching her stomach as she watched the last of the battles in the Grand Magic Games on the hotel's lacrima-powered television, narrowed her eyes knowingly, but said nothing.

Gildarts stopped dead in his tracks, smirking a little to himself as he looked to the sky. He studied them, as if waiting for something to soar overhead, and then nodded to himself and turned on his heel, deciding it was time to go home.

Juvia and Erza, bent over a map with Gajeel and Lily, straightened, exchanging bewildered looks. Gajeel gaped, mouth opening and closing for a moment as he comprehended the magic, sorted through it, and outright gasped, "Holy fuck."

Jellal, leaning heavily on the cane he'd been gifted by Meredy, paused mid-sentence to exchange knowing looks with his comrades. Crime Sorciere all exchanged grim smiles and turned their attention to the east, watching and waiting to see if the chaos dragon would emerge from the depths of the tunnel he'd been hiding in. Jellal's fingers tightened as he took the weight off of his bad leg, swearing under his breath when the roar of a triumphant dragon raced barely reached their ears. Cobra flinched, hearing the rage it supported.

Gray, in the middle of making a snide comment to one of the commanding people in Avatar, choked on his words when the power crossed his senses, sending his newly discovered magic into overdrive. He hissed as the black that now stained his skin ached and threatened to expand, protesting as it was shoved back into place. The woman before him lifted a brow, but said nothing, looking over her shoulder in the direction the magic had come from. "The hell was _that_?"

Natsu stilled, in the middle of a people-filled street in a large city, Happy clinging to his shoulder. His onyx eyes narrowed, sharper than normal. Happy questioned him, but Natsu said nothing as he flared his nostrils warily, shadows that had long since stained his soul reeling back in terror of the magic that crossed through the world. "That's...Lucy's?" he thought aloud, heart kicking into a speedy thumping with fear. His hand plunged into his pocket, but found no phone; he'd incinerated it, he remembered. "Damn-" he muttered, and lunged for the nearest phone booth, amazed that he'd actually found a city that still had them.

And from where he stood, watching that ever-moving map, Zeref grinned, fingers tapping on the book of END. He watched the island in the middle of the sea, stopping to caress the names that had filled the space. A soft laugh left his mouth. "Welcome back, Igneel."

* * *

 _NEXT CHAPTER! I'd give you all another extra update, but I'm busy Saturday so...no chance! I'm also doing things tomorrow which is why you're getting an update today. Also, because I just realized it's Wednesday._

 _Thanks to reviewers (stranger1999, Jeptwin, Lodemai04, Naruto4Sakura, 19vanelkc, Guest #1, LePengwen, The Age of Awesomeness, juvinity, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	268. Chapter 268

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

There was a moment of brief silence in which no one moved and Lucy found herself staring up at the ceiling of the cavern. It was beautiful, she noticed, full of holes that allowed sunlight to dapple the inside of it.

And then there was a roar so loud that it shook the island. Everyone froze. No one moved a muscle and Lucy didn't bother to try and roll onto her stomach and push herself to her feet, because the last time she heard that kind of roar, they'd come face to face with a dragon who had wanted to rip the flesh from her bones.

A second later, there was a second. This one sounded more like talons raking over metal, and it was followed by a third trilling scream that brought tears to Wendy's eyes. Two more came and there was a moment in which the dragon slayers comprehended what they were hearing before Wendy flung herself from the cavern, a shriek of excitement on her lips.

"Wendy!" Charle protested, zipping after her.

Rogue, cradling Frosch in his arms, slid out of the cavern after her with Sting and Lector not far behind. Yukino and Lyon remained, the former going to gather the golden keys that still rested on the floor while the ice-make mage came to stand over Lucy and offered his hand to her. "Need some help?" he asked with a faint smile. He was nervous, Lucy realized as she accepted his hand, letting him pull her to her feet.

"Thanks," she barely slurred, staggering. She ended up leaning heavily against him. Her legs felt like jello and she was sure she'd pass out at any moment. Her vision was swimming before her eyes. She felt as weak and exhausted as she had when she'd woken up after everything with Tartaros went down. She had no doubts that she'd be visiting the doctors for another anti-ethernanos tumor soon.

"Should we...go out there?" Yukino said as she took Lucy's keyring from where it was attached to a belt loop. She began to reattach Lucy's keys to it before pressing them into the other celestial mage's hand. "I know that they're our friends' parents, but...they're _dragons_."

"I can't believe the spell actually worked," Lyon whispered.

"Neither can I," Lucy admitted and then forced herself to stumble away from him for the entrance. Yukino rushed to put a hand on her shoulder, helping her maintain her balance as they peered out of the cavern.

Lyon swore at the sheer size of the monstrous creatures that had come to litter the island. Lucy wasn't too surprised, having remembered the size of Acnologia, but she shuddered anyways. There were five more of them in the world now, and even if they were good...they towered hundreds of feet above the trees, unintentionally crushing them if they moved.

Lucy's gaze was first drawn to the nearest dragon, a soft feathered white one that had bent its head and was crooning to something at its feet. Not something, Lucy realized, Wendy. Further to the eastern side of the island, a pair of dragons waited, one black with blazing red eyes and shadows that seemed to slide around its body and the other a literally glowing white with large golden eyes that studied the area. Grandeeney, Skiadrum, and Weisslogia, Lucy noted, then searched for the other two. Metalicana's metallic hide was impossible to miss. It nearly blinded her, reflecting the hot sun in a manner that hurt her eyes.

It was Igneel she locked her attention onto, however.

Lucy stared exhaustedly at the massive red-scaled dragon that lifted his chin in pride and dropped his jaw. She barely had time to realize what he was going to do before the deafening roar split through the air. Yukino shrieked, covering her ears, and Lyon did the same. Lucy simply stared at the sharp teeth lining his giant maw. The horn-like spines on the back of his head seemed to neary grow he tucked his chin to his plated throat and snorted smoke.

"Oh, my-" Yukino clamped a hand over her mouth, stunned beyond belief. "Lucy, I'm so sorry."

Lucy threw her a look. "For what?"

"For not really believing you," she admitted.

"It's okay," Lucy laughed faintly. She touched the hand still resting on her shoulder and asked Lyon, "Can you help me get down from here? I need to speak with Igneel."

"Of course." Lyon gestured to the very one she'd mentioned. "I'm assuming the one smoking like a volcano is Igneel? It's like Natsu."

"Yeah." Lucy sucked in a deep breath, unable to tear her eyes off of him. For so, so long, she'd heard stories of Igneel through her mother's diary and Natsu himself. She _knew_ he'd been a dragon despite using a humanoid appearance regularly. But to actually see him up close and in person - no, to see a _dragon_...and one that wasn't going to devour her at that!

"That's the one."

* * *

It took them _hours_ , to get to him.

Lucy had no idea what Wendy was doing with Grandeeney - the white dragon had disappeared, likely shoving her magic into a humanoid form. And Weisslogia and Skiadrum had done the same along with Metalicana. Igneel, however, seemed content to wait as a full-bodied dragon.

Lucy wondered if he'd return to Fairy Tail with her. With Igneel around, as well as the guild itself...surely Natsu would come home?

When they _finally_ reached Igneel, Lucy was ready to speak with him. So many questions bubbled up in her mouth despite the fact that she thought she was going to pass out and Yukino and Lyon were nearly carrying her between them.

She wasn't ready to find an aggressive red-eyed man with piercings decorating his face getting into her own with his lips pulled back from razor sharp shark-like teeth. Lucy yanked away, startled. He was tall, with cropped silver-streaked dark gray hair that giving him a wild appearance. Lyon stiffened and Yukino narrowed her own eyes as he growled, "Where's my brat? S'not fair that the others got to see their kid. His," he added, jerking a thumb in Igneel's direction, "doesn't count 'cause his brat's an idiot. Mine's smarter than this."

Lucy was a little stunned, but managed to say faintly, "Oh! Gajeel, um, didn't believe me. He's working with the Magic Council." She swallowed thickly, her mouth feeling dry. She needed water, she decided and reached for a bottle only to freeze when Igneel's rumbling voice filled the air.

"Leave my son out of your irritation, Metalicana," the fire dragon warned, his voice booming despite the clear attempt at softening it. Metalicana shot him a nasty look and Igneel bared his teeth at him in response, not appreciating the attitude. After a moment, Metalicana turned back to the mages before him, folding his arms and practically pouting.

"Lucy," Lyon breathed in her ear, "the similarities are terrifying."

Lucy choked on a laugh as Metalicana turned a piercing glare on him. "I heard that, runt," he snarled, earning a snort from Igneel. Flames followed the smoke before he lowered his massive head to study the mages better. Lucy stiffened and she heard Yukino stifle a nervous squeak, but the blonde celestial mage met Igneel's gaze bravely.

"Hello again, Igneel," she said, voice trembling only with exhaustion.

There was no reason to fear the dragons - not these ones, anyways.

Besides, she'd met him with Loke at her side.

"Hello, daughter of Layla," was Igneel's response. He narrowed his gaze just a fraction. "Forgive my son for his actions. He is not the smartest of minds, but his intuition will likely lead him on the right path." Lucy didn't answer, and he continued. "You have questions."

"Yes," Lucy agreed, her gaze searching his.

She coughed and waved the smoke away when he snorted at her. "Rest first, and then we will talk."

Lucy wondered if her body had been waiting for the permission because she nearly crumpled a moment later.

* * *

When Lucy awoke again, she could feel the rocking of waves beneath her. She studied the familiar ceiling of a room on the boat, and then surged upright in an almost panic her heart skipping a beat. "That sure as hell," she snarled, "better not have been a dream, because-"

A squeak left her when the boat surged sideways. Distantly, Lucy heard laughter from the deck. She touched her keys, which still rested at her hip, left there by whoever had brought her down there. She was grateful for that. It made her feel better to know that even when she didn't dare use them - her magic was low even now, she could _feel it_ deep in her bones - they were there.

Struggling to keep her balance as the boat rocked, Lucy stumbled for the doorway, pausing to take notice of her appearance in a mirror that hung on the wall, nailed in so that it wouldn't come off. She grimaced at the shadows beneath her eyes, at the matted mess that made up her short hair. She quickly combed her fingers through it.

When she dubbed herself presentable, Lucy made her way out of the room and climbed a flight of stairs to emerge onto the deck. At the entrance, she paused to seek out the others. She found them, along with - much to her relief - a few of the dragons.

A shadow flew across the deck and Lucy tipped her head back in time to see a massive metallic dragon beat sharp wings that seemed to cut effortlessly through the air. Her lips parted in awe. For all the attitude he put off, Metalicana was certainly an impressive dragon. She watched as he suddenly tipped towards the sea, iron hide glinting, and then plunged into the waves. There was laughter when the surge of waves sent the boat rocking.

So he'd been the cause.

She slowly made her way forward as he lifted his head clear of the waves, snorting water that streamed from his head in a cascade of heavy drops. She shook her head and then made a beeline for the group at the hull.

She counted them off, marking who was there and who wasn't. Sting, Rogue, and Yukino along with the two cats from Sabertooth were leaning over the side, their heads bent close together. Lyon leaned over the edge nearby, watching the waves. An older man with white hair was leaning back against the railing with his eyes closed, dozing, and Wendy was sitting with Charle and a woman who looked remarkably like Porlyusica, just with white hair and a kind face. An odd shadow that seemed to swallow up half of the deck told her where Skiadrum was, which just left-

"You're awake."

Lucy nearly leaped out of her skin and snapped her head around to see an amused looking Igneel watching her from the shadows near the door. Her lips parted in surprise; he'd taken on a humanoid form at last, and long red locks hung around his face, which was marred with scars of all kinds. When he grinned, sharp teeth glinted in the dim light of the shadow he was resting in. Lucy wondered for just an instant where the dragons had all gotten their clothes before remembering that they were incredibly powerful and that he'd likely somehow pulled it out of thin air.

"Yes," she hummed, smiling faintly. "I suppose I am."

She wasn't entirely sure on how to approach him. She'd heard for so long about him and had even spoken with him. But this...this was different.

She surprised herself by simply saying, "You know why Natsu's not here. Don't you."

Igneel gave a curt nod, sitting back. The crate he was on creaked beneath his weight. "Of course." A small cloud of smoke left his lips as he rumbled a low growl in his chest. "He's an idiot, that boy. But he means well."

"It doesn't mean he didn't hurt anyone," Lucy warned.

"No, he hurt you quite deeply and in a way that will never be forgiven," Igneel replied, his green eyes thoughtfully narrowing. He cocked his head a little and Lucy shifted her weight as she turned her face back towards the others. They were silent for a long moment. Finally, Igneel asked, "You are aware of the truth then?"

"Of END?" Lucy said quietly and he nodded. "Yeah. I've known since just a little bit before our final battle against Tartaros. I figured it out when he mentioned that his first name is Etherious. He said you hated it and refused to call him by it."

"Natsu Dragneel," Igneel said softly, not looking at her but out at the waves. "That was his name when he was the prince of the Alvarez Empire. Zeref began to experiment on him with black magic and before I knew it, he'd created Etherious. Natsu and Etherious...they are the same yet are not at the same time. Natsu is who he was, who he is now. Etherious is the demon that craves blood and flame and destruction."

Lucy wrapped her arms around herself. "He said that there was something that was bothering him, something that was...I want to say it was dragging out his dark side, but that's not entirely all."

Igneel nodded slowly and let out a gust of sigh that was accompanied by smoke. It filled the air, creating a haze around his face. "And Zeref now has the book I created, given to him by yourself?"

Lucy grimaced. He really had been watching from whatever magic he'd pushed into the necklace at her throat. But it didn't seem as if he knew everything. "I'm sorry," she said tiredly. "I know how important it is. I just...Zeref was torturing him. I couldn't let him keep at it. He used a demon who could increase a person's senses and started beating him with a staff."

Igneel's nostrils flared a little bit, but not out of anger. "I would have done the same," he admitted. The dragon glanced at her. "Do you wish to know the entire story of how Natsu as you know him was created?" Lucy nodded and he opened his mouth to begin, but was cut off when Wendy called her name in relief. He closed his sharp-toothed jaws and chuckled. "Perhaps later then."

"Later," Lucy agreed and went to join the others.

* * *

 _DRAGONS! I'm so excited to release the next chapter. The next chapter will be the story of END and Igneel! ;)_

 _I absolutely loved reading the reviews for the last chapter. I was cracking up. Most of them were utter panic and chaos. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (crazygal17, stranger1999, MagicalFoxinTheWilderness, Naruto4Sakura, Raelin Thaon, sofiesticated, enchangedbeaty1, LePengewn, EraticMind, 19vanelkc, Lodemai04, TigerArrowgirl, GhostFireGirl, SecretAddition, Mkben, nerdalertwarning, AnonymousStalkerFriend, PinkFireandGoldenStars, Dragondancer81, Jeptwin, juvinity, FtfanDessarai, Firefly9917, and Treblemkr!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	269. Chapter 269

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

By the time a week had passed on the open waters, Lucy knew she loved Igneel. She understood why Natsu had always mentioned the fire dragon with such a loving voice, seeing him as the father that her own had failed to be. He was patient and willing to put up with all of the quietly asked questions she threw at him in the few moments she caught him alone.

It was on a peaceful evening, in which all ready made beautiful due to a very heartfelt apology from Sting about the way he'd treated her and the others were all listening to stories the dragons were telling of centuries long since past that Lucy finally managed to acquire the story she'd been longing to hear and had been promised. Igneel had been at the highest point he could get to on the boat and Lucy had taken nearly half an hour to hunt him down before finding him, questioning quietly if he'd tell her about how Natsu had been reborn as himself.

He decided to relay more than just that to her.

Igneel rocked back a little, looking up to the stars - which, he'd told her, he cared for deeply. The stars, even with the disagreement he'd had with the Spirit King over Loke's involvement with Layla's death, were good friends of the Fire Dragon King. "As I've told you, Natsu was originally born as Natsu Dragneel, prince of the Alvarez Empire and brother to the future emperor. I was quite close to him even before he became my son.

"He was nearly fully grown when you were born, well-known around his kingdom for his golden flames and personality There are a few features the Natsu Dragneel of now holds that resemble who he once was, and that wildness along with the warmth he feels for family are some of them. I wasn't close with their family, only meeting Zeref for the first time when he inherited his throne and asked for a meeting with me. I knew from the second I saw him that he would be trouble. No one listened to me, not even Natsu.

"It was a year or so later that I received word from Natsu that something had happened. He was suspicious that Zeref was doing something odd, and he sent a second letter only weeks later that he thought Zeref might have been slipping him something, because he'd been quite sick. It wasn't long before I heard rumors of Natsu's death. I later found out that he'd been injected with a physical form of black magic Zeref had somehow come up with. Natsu Dragneel died the second it entered his bloodstream; Etherious was born.

"Zeref was cursed the moment he came into contact with the magic. I am uncertain of how. Perhaps the gods I've heard whispers of punished him for what he did, but he is an immortal. You cannot hope to kill Zeref Dragneel, Lucy. It is why he continued his experiments on his demon. He originally intended to merely strengthen his brother, to force magic into his veins. He later became obsessed and struggled to create a creature that could kill him. He twisted the Etherious he'd originally created into the demon you told me you witnessed.

"To the masses, he became known as END. I'm not entirely certain on who created the title. Perhaps it was the next few demons Zeref created, who labeled END as their lord and master. He became the most feared creature in Fiore from the moment he set foot on the continent, nearly considered a god of chaos. He left ashes and death wherever he went, not sparing the smallest of children or the oldest of the elderly.

"When I confronted END for the final time - I had tried and failed before - I performed a spell, knowing fully well that it would greatly diminish my power for an extended time. It was after I had met you and your mother, and it was actually you who gave me the idea at first. You had mentioned that you'd accidentally ripped a page from a book. You were upset, of course, but not because you'd ruined the book - because you'd changed the story.

"It made me realize that perhaps I couldn't defeat END, but maybe I could erase the danger he posed and create a solution that would allow me to erase him entirely. So when I confronted him next, I created a spell. I managed to successfully rip the magic Zeref had forced into him - no, I ripped the entirety of his magic from him. I pushed it into a book that I had specifically inscribed a seal into. I didn't expect that when I was done, END would crumple into ash and leave me with a child your age.

"I held that book in my hands and stood there for perhaps an hour, contemplating if I should kill him or not. It would be easy and rid the world of END permanently. But he was young, and disoriented and I couldn't bring myself to do it. He was a child. I couldn't kill a child. So, instead, I took him in. I refused to let him near you and Layla; I didn't know if he could remember for the first few months and merely lied to me.

"Before I knew it, he was my son. I loved him as my own hatchling, and I raised him as dragons had not raised human children in centuries. Not since Acnologia's creation. Grandeeney and the others decided to take in other orphans, left from the destruction that had been left by END. I never told him the truth of who he'd been outside of his name. And that's only because he found the book when he was young. He asked me to read it to him; I took it away, explained that the name on it was his and that I disliked his first name. I told him it would be a story for a later time, when he was older, and that if he ever touched the book, I would not be able to continue teaching him dragon slaying magic. He listened for once.

"Acnologia came not too long later and it took me some time before I realized what had to be done. I approached Layla and explained to her what needed to be done. She was anxious about what would happen to you, recognizing that it would kill her. I begged her to consider it, reminding her that somewhere in the world, my son would be alone, too. We knew your father would make your life miserable. Layla loved him, but...he was not the man she'd married at that point. I promised her that I would ensure that the pair of you met at some point in your life and she left her diary behind to ensure that it would happen. Even if you had not discovered magic in the way that you had, you would have eventually found the diary and with mentions of myself and Natsu, I was certain you would go in search of him.

"The day I left Natsu was a hard one. I left while he was sleeping. I'd tried to shove as much as my teachings as I could into his head the previous evening, keeping him up late so that he would sleep through the night. I had gifted him a scarf made of the scales from my underbelly, using my magic to weave it together, and he'd worn it with pride the entire time. It took me far too long to leave, but eventually I did. I don't know how he reacted when he woke up; I hope to never find out. It is something I will forever grieve - missing those years of his life. I'm grateful that he found the Fairy Tail guild; there is no other guild that I'd have him in. Not more than six hours later, I was in the Depths, and remained there until you appeared with Leo, working to fix the Spirit Realm."

Lucy was quiet for a long moment, thinking over all of this information. She remembered her boyfriend's laughing face along with the grief he voiced when speaking of his father.

And she told him simply, "I think Natsu will be angry with you. Incredibly angry for leaving as you did - and for keeping the truth from him. But...from the way he's spoken of you...he's missed you, and I think that'll overtake anything else he feels when he comes home."

Igneel chuckled, smoke lazily emerging from his lips. "Perhaps." He glanced at her with kind green eyes for a long moment. "But there are more important things for him to worry about than an old Fire Dragon King who abandoned him nearly a decade ago. For one, a celestial mage who possesses the Fairy Heart."

Lucy snorted softly and pressed her lips together as she thought over what to say. Finally, she said, "I've been getting the tumors again. I had one removed after Christmas, but...I have another all ready. It kills you, doesn't it."

"I am sorry," he said gently. "The Fairy Heart is not given lightly. It is passed on through your bloodline, although I'm not entirely sure on the details. Layla didn't know much either, but we managed to slow it when your magic and memories of magic were sealed away. I'm not sure of how you broke the seal or when."

"Probably after I almost hit Natsu with a car," Lucy admitted, flushing a little at the memory when Igneel wheezed in surprise.

"I'd like to hear that story, perhaps a few others, when you are able," she was told by the dragon. "I would like to hear of what my son has been up to."

"Didn't you see most of it through this?" Lucy asked, tapping her pendant.

"Some. Much of it was a tug in my gut," Igneel said simply.

Lucy nodded thoughtfully and then told him, "Fairy Heart is craved by Zeref...and I believe it is what hurt END when he came through the gate. It makes me wonder if perhaps I can use it to my advantage when Zeref finally stops whatever he's doing and comes after us."

"It's possible," Igneel agreed.

The pair sat there in silence for the rest of the evening, watching the stars.

* * *

"Here you are, Lady Brandish," a voice murmured, catching the Spriggan's attention. She paused in skimming through the phone she'd been playing with to glance up, her eyes narrowing as she studied the box of jewelry that had been brought out for her to investigate. She cocked her head a little, and ran her eyes over the jewels and chains.

"Mm, this one," she murmured, picking up a heavy black piece. It was made of obsidian, the woman told her, carefully forged by a mage. The woman pointed out a piece of metal looped at the front. "What's it for?"

"Decoration," the woman explained, smiling brightly at the fact that she was serving one of the country's greatest mages. She offered it to Brandish, who put her phone away to hold it up to her eyes. "See how the metal is open? You're supposed to choose a pendant to hang on it. Much like the one Princess Lucy of Bosco wears." A pause as Brandish curled a lip in disgust at the mention of Lucy. "It's of much nicer quality, and allows you to store magic in it. Would you like to see the pendants, my lady?"

"Please." Brandish liked it too much to let Lucy Heartfilia be the reason she didn't purchase it. She leaned on the display case as the woman reached into it and removed a velvet case. She unsnapped the clasp and opened it, putting a selection out for her.

Brandish was flicking through red gems when something caught her attention. Her fingers darted out and snatched it up. "What's this?"

The woman blinked in surprise, leaning in to peer at the object she held. "I...I'm not certain. I don't remember adding it in. You're welcome to it for free if you'd like it. It's clearly a high-quality material...solid gold, if I'm not mistaken. Real gold."

Brandish held it up to the light, cocking her head with heavily lidded eyes. Finally, she held the obsidian necklace up beside it and then nodded. "I'll take both. Thank you." She handed them to her when the woman offered to attach them to one another.

It didn't take her long and when she was done, the woman returned it to Brandish, bowing in respect with her hands clasped before her. Brandish clasped the necklace around her throat, liking the way it hugged it. She studied herself in the mirror, nodding in approval.

"Thank you," she said to the woman, "your service to those of us who protect this country is appreciated."

The woman smiled brightly and told her, "Thank you, my lady. You look lovely, if I may say so."

Brandish nodded, studying the item that hung from her throat, wondering if that was magic she sensed radiating from it and what the symbol, a loop with a tail, atop of the golden key meant.

* * *

 _Did I mention that Loke's key was going to make a reappearance in this chapter? ;) Some information! Natsu's a bit of a strange mess, isn't he?_

 _Dragondancer81, SecretAddition, I'm leaning towards Metalicana not quite knowing, maybe having a feeling that there's something extra about why Gajeel's not there, but I don't think Lucy's outright told him about the baby. ;)_

 _ckc14, nah. Regarding the overhearing of dragon slayers, not really. They've got sensitive hearing, but they were distracted and not paying attention._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Raelin Thaon, sofiesticated, stranger1999, TigerArrowgirl, EraticMind, Jeptwin, Lodemai04, Naruto4Sakura, juvinity, 19vanelkc, Dragondancer81, SecretAddition, PinkFireandGoldenStars, nerdalertwarning, LePengwen, ckc14, Guest#1,and The Age of Awesomeness!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	270. Chapter 270

**.Between the Lines .**

* * *

"I think I might cry," Sting announced as he stepped onto the docks of Hargeon, shuddering in relief at the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet. He'd felt fine with Wendy's magic helping him through the never ending boat ride, but he much preferred being in Fiore.

"Don't be dramatic, you idiot," Rogue told him with exasperation in his voice. He glanced at Yukino and shook his head, and the celestial mage giggled, shifting the cats in her arms.

From where he was waiting for the others to get off, Metalicana gave the port a long look through slitted crimson eyes and curled his lips back from his teeth with a huff. "Smells like humans."

"It is a human town," Grandeeney said, rolling her eyes as she followed Wendy off the boat, her fingers brushing Wendy's arm when the sky mage paused to make sure she was there.

Metalicana sauntered down the board after her, grinning. "Forgive me, pretty lady, I forget how humans like to live in filth."

"Look who's talking," Lucy could have sworn she heard Weisslogia mutter, earning a snap of Metalicana's jaws as he glowered. Lucy rolled her eyes as Grandeeney had done; the dragons were more of handful than their children!

Lyon paused at the base of the board wiggling his brows as he offered a hand to help her down. "Is your phone charged? If not, we can stop by the guildhall before you head for Magnolia. We have a lacrima in there we use to communicate with other mages. Our technology is wrecked a little more by magic than most places because of the water."

"Thanks, Lyon," Lucy said warmly as Igneel came to stand beside her, calmly watching the others. "They didn't have TVs on the boat, but they had outlets. I'm charged up. We just need a car. Preferably a van."

Igneel chuckled, suggesting, "We can fly. It would be much faster."

"And cause a commotion," Lucy said firmly. "We revealed magic just over a year ago and we're still having problems with people who hate us for our magic. I'll get us a van and drive. It won't take us more than two to three hours." To Metalicana, who'd joined their conversation after a failed attempt at flirting with the sky dragon, she said, "I don't know where Gajeel will be. But the Grand Magic Games are over, so his wife should be there. She'll want to meet you, and she's pregnant." She smiled a little. "Although I suppose were gone long enough that she might not be anymore."

"If she had the child," Wendy piped in, looking cheerful, "Gajeel will be there."

"And Lily," Lucy added. She folded her arms, shifting back and forth anxiously. "She wanted the gender to be surprise...oh, I'm so excited! I want to get home immediately." Lucy clapped her hands. She took a deep breath and then turned to Lyon. "Will you get us a rental van?"

"Sure." Lyon gave her a mock salute. "We'll meet you at the guildhall, okay?"

"Sure." Lucy echoed him and gave him a smile. She turned to Yukino, who was patiently waiting. "I take it you guys are heading back to Crocus?"

Yukino smiled faintly. "Yes," she admitted. She glanced over her shoulder at the pair of dragons and their children. "We're going to have some fun figuring out how to get Sting to do his work now," she groaned to Lector who cackled and promised that he'd help. Yukino cuddled them and then turned her attention back on Lucy. "Maybe we can take a job together some time?"

"Yes," Lucy said confidently, nodding. "I have some things I want to try. Maybe we can work on our magic together." She smiled at Yukino and bid her farewell as she turned to go back to her guildmates. Lucy watched as the group left and then glanced back when Igneel spoke.

"Guilds have always been confusing to me," Igneel mused. Lucy looked to him curiously, bewildered when he didn't clarify. But she shrugged and pulled her phone out, skimming through various information. She cocked her head at a number she didn't recognize, furrowing her brow.

"Lucy?" Wendy asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Lucy said, holding up her phone. "Just...a number I don't know tried to call me. I think it's a number from Minstral, but...I don't know anyone there. I avoid their royal family." She shrugged, noting that they'd left a voicemail. She'd check it later.

"Levy had her baby!" Lucy announced with a shriek when she found a text from her friend, showing the sweaty blue-haired mage cradling a child. Lucy frowned when she didn't see Gajeel in the picture, wondering where he'd been.

"Aw," Wendy whimpered when Lucy showed she and Grandeeney, whose eyes glowed in excitement at the sight of a young child.

Metalicana scared the poor girl to death when he crowded the sky dragon and Wendy to peer at the picture, eyes wide. He suddenly grinned. "Look at the hatchling," he said proudly. "My hatchling made that one."

"Levy did most of the work," Lucy snorted, laughing at the sight of the iron dragon looking so excited over a baby. Igneel took a glance before smiling faintly as Metalicana gave a happy little screeching sound that none of them could understand.

"It looks like we placed okay in the Games," Lucy mused aloud as she continued looking. "We were beat by Lamia Scale. There were a few attacks from anti-magic terrorists. Looks like Erza's texting me again." This was said a little bitterly. "She's back with Juvia, working with the Council openly. No word on Gray…"

When she was done, Lucy waved them forward. "Let's get going. I'll call Jellal while we walk…"

* * *

They had reached the Lamia Scale guildhall by the time she'd hung up on Jellal, and when they arrived, she sighed heavily. A few mages were loitering out front curiously, although not many. Jura, Chelia, and maybe three or four others, who all stared curiously at the dragons. Lucy was willing to bet that Lyon had spilled the truth. Not that she minded so long as they weren't nosy.

"Chelia!" Wendy chirped, leaving her mother's side to greet the other sky mage. Grandeeney looked to Charle for an answer. Charle, who seemed to like her and hovered at her side, purred and explained.

Lucy shifted uneasily as she ran over what Jellal had told her, saying to Igneel with a grimace, "Acnologia's vanished. Jellal said that they went to see if they could find him in the caves he was hiding in, but he's gone." Igneel had heard about the adventure into the tunnels. He'd scolded her for being reckless, but had been relieved to hear that they knew where the dragon was.

"Great," Igneel rumbled. "I will track him down. Have no fear."

"I don't know if that's a good idea. I know you're the all powerful Fire Dragon King," she told him, "but you're still not at your full power."

Another conversation they'd had. The dragons had been sealed for so long, they had to allow their power to recover in its entirety. Not a bad thing, because Acnologia had to recover, too.

Igneel grimaced, earning a small laugh from Lucy as she hit the button to play the voicemail from the random phone call she'd received, pressing the phone to her ear as she turned away from the others, letting the dragons, Wendy, and Charle deal with the guild that had helped them.

 _"Luce,"_ it began.

Immediately, Lucy's mouth went dry. Her face paled and her eyes darted over her shoulder to Igneel as for the first time in eight, almost nine months, Natsu's voice filled her ears.

He continued with a voice full of raw terror. _"I don't know why you're not picking up your phone, but please be okay. There was something...I don't know what, but please. Please be okay."_ Lucy lifted a hand to press it over her mouth, tears rising to her eyes. _"I went away to find Igneel and answers. I know you're mad at me, but I found some stuff out and it's not lookin' good. I just...it's bad, Luce. Even if you're mad, please be alive."_

The message ended there and a hoarse, rasping sound left her mouth. She wasn't entirely sure on what that sound was, but it must have gotten the message across because Igneel appeared before her, a furrowed brow telling her he didn't understand entirely. "Lucy?" he rumbled, kindly searching her gaze.

"He called me," she breathed. A strangled sob escaped her. "He finally called me, and I didn't…"

She'd been desperate for contact with Natsu for months, knowing that even if she hated him for what he'd done she wanted to know he was alive.

And she hadn't been there to pick up the phone.

Igneel gently squeezed her shoulder, not entirely sure of what to do with the crying blonde. He flashed a look to Grandeeney and Metalicana, who'd both looked over to make sure everything was okay. Metalicana looked a little stressed out. Grandeeney simply gave a sympathetic look and studied Lucy sadly for a long moment. Igneel growled under his breath, irritated with his son.

So many lessons he'd failed to teach Natsu, and not lessons he'd thought he'd need.

"At least he is alive," was all Igneel found himself saying, his own voice laced with irritation.

Lucy merely laughed, the sound hoarse. "At least he's alive," she agreed, then turned when Wendy called that Lyon had arrived with the van.

* * *

It was nearly dinnertime by the time Lucy parked the van in front of the guildhall, and she'd never been more excited to be free of a person than she was of Metalicana. She didn't mind him, but he'd been flirting with Grandeeney, earning snapped comments from Igneel in the process as the sky dragon herself tried to calm them. He'd also spent much of the time looking at Wendy's phone, staring at the picture of Levy and her child and crooning over how much better his son was than anyone else simply because he'd had a hatchling.

Wendy thought it was hilarious; Lucy had wanted to strangle him. So had Igneel. Lucy liked to think she was more like the dragon than she'd originally thought, and was somewhat worried about it at the same time.

 _Just how much did Natsu wear on me?_ she wondered as she locked the van and cleared her throat to catch the dragons' attentions. "Stay out here, would you? Wendy, stay with them. I'll go let Laxus know they're here. Everyone will feel their magic; there's no way in hell they won't." Her heart raced with excitement. She was happy to be home.

Igneel shifted impatiently. "I would like to speak with Mavis."

"Can you see her?" Lucy asked curiously. "Only Fairy Tail can see her."

"Yes. Dragons are powerful beings who see much," Igneel said simply.

"Alright, good then. Stay here," Lucy said, throwing the last word sharply at Metalicana, who was sneakily edging for the guildhall, impatient. She couldn't blame him. He'd been waiting for quite some time to see his own son again, and if Natsu had felt the magic from Minstral, she was sure Gajeel was waiting, too.

With a final glare at the iron dragon, Lucy slid inside, arms wrapping around herself as she looked around. It was fairly empty, although that wasn't too surprising. Most people went home by late afternoon as of recently. But the people she wanted were in there. Laxus was at the bar, head bent near Mirajane's as the barmaid leaned over it. They were whispering to one another, looking anxious about something or another. She didn't see Gajeel there, or Levy, and Lucy wondered distantly if Levy was okay or if she was in the hospital. No one else was there and for that, Lucy was grateful..

"Lucy!" Mirajane called suddenly, catching sight of her. Her blue eyes were wide. She straightened and Laxus turned in his seat to look at her fully, watching the celestial mage intently. "Did you-"

"You actually freed the bastards, eh?" Laxus drawled, studying her. "Felt the magic here. And I can feel it now."

Lucy smiled faintly. "Yeah. We found and freed the dragons." She ran her fingers thoughtfully over her keys. "Sting and Rogue took their parents back to Crocus with them, but Wendy and I brought the other three here." She paused. "Is Gajeel in town? Metalicana's ready to throw a tantrum like a three year old."

Mirajane grinned. "Of course he is. Did you see the pictures? His daughter's precious." She crooned the words lovingly.

Lucy's lips twitched as she said, "Yeah, I saw. I can't wait to meet her. Is Levy okay?"

"Tired, but happy," Mirajane replied and then waved excitedly at her, aware that they were being stared at. "What are you waiting for? Bring them in! I want to meet the dragons! I'll send someone to go get Gajeel and Levy. Levy got home a few days ago and has to take it easy, but she should be able to come."

"That would be awesome." Lucy wanted desperately to meet the baby, her fingers twitching desperately. She could use something new to distract her from Natsu. She asked them to give her a moment and hastily went to retrieve the people she'd left outside.

They were waiting, although with varying patience. Metalicana was impatiently shifting back and forth while Grandeeney calmly ran her fingers over Charle's spine and Igneel quietly looked to the slowly appearing stars, head cocked as if he was listening to someone. She briefly wondered if he still heard Loke's voice.

"You're good," Lucy said cheerfully. "Not many are in there, maybe four or five outside of Mira and Laxus. Mira's going to send someone to get Gajeel and Levy."

"Don't bother," Metalicana said, suddenly smiling widely.

"Metalicana," Igneel cut in, suddenly growling at the other dragon. "Do _not_ -"

Metalicana ignored him, instead tilting his head back. Lucy recognized the way he dropped his jaw wide open and swore, slamming her hands over her ears with a squeak. Wendy copied as Grandeeney gave the iron dragon an exasperated look just a moment before he roared.

The sound was similar to that of Gajeel's cry, Lucy realized, even as she kept her hands cupped over her ears. It was like metal on metal, high-pitched yet not at the same time, more powerful and rumbling. The sound shook the ground beneath their feet, as if he was in a larger form, and Lucy was stunned. She'd heard dragons roar of course. She'd heard it several times now. But not like that.

"He'll be here soon," was Metalicana's smug comment when he was done.

Grandeeney practically bristled as she snapped her jaws. "You should know better! You've likely dragged every mage from the surrounding area from their bed!"

Metalicana merely shrugged. "So?" He smirked, sauntering past Lucy to enter the guildhall on his own. "They might as well get used to us now. It's not like we're going anywhere." He paused to look over his shoulder, suddenly serious. "You know this is _my_ territory right? You claimed the center of Fiore, but we have the other parts, and this land is _mine_."

"Really? You want to do this now?" Igneel said with a groan, and Grandeeney curled a lip as she merely pushed past both of the males, intending to enter the guildhall with her daughter when Wendy simply went in on her own. As Lucy followed her, Grandeeney made a face.

"Ugh. Males."

* * *

 _Dragons again! Love Metalicana. He's my favorite. And Natsu's message! Not very useful but there nonetheless, lol._

 _Everyone's reactions to Loke's key was amazing._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Samm, stranger1999, serenity2018, Jeptwin, Naruto4Sakura, LePengwen, Raelin Thaon, Lodemai04, AnonymousStalkerFriend, Guest #1, Dragondancer81, MagicalFoxInTheWilderness, Mkben, Terra of Life, sofiesticated, juvinity, SecretAddition, FtfanDessarai, and PinkFireandGoldenStars!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	271. Chapter 271

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Lucy hung back a little, standing beside Laxus with a grimace on her face. She could see Igneel wandering the guildhall, curiously studying the building he'd heard about - the building that was home to those of the guild and his son. Grandeeney was having a pleasant conversation with Mirajane as Wendy and Charle whispered to one another, chattering happily as they all sipped at some tea. Meanwhile, Metalicana had made himself at home perched on the balcony above their heads like some kind of bird, a mug of beer in hand as he waited knowingly.

"You brought them to the guildhall first?" Laxus said with exasperation finally. "I mean...it's fine, but damn. I didn't think that dragons looked like _this_."

Lucy snorted. "You've seen dragons?" she questioned, reminding him with an arched brow. "Remember, Laxus? You almost got squashed by them quite a few times while fighting for your life." A pause. "Actually, for all we know, you actually were squashed…"

Laxus shot her a look. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, well, they couldn't get around and meet with my mother if they were several tons," Lucy pointed out with a shrug. She smiled when Igneel paused to study a banner that hung on one wall, his green eyes sharp. "They're not bad. I mean, you can feel their magic from the next town over, but...they aren't bad like those dragons were. Metalicana's kind of close, and he's a bit of an ass, to be honest, but-"

"I heard that, girlie," Metalicana called from his perch, grinning down at them.

Lucy was inclined to respond in a rude manner, but was saved from fighting the urge by the doors exploding open and Gajeel roaring, "Where the _fuck_ is he?"

"Hello, to you as well, Gajeel," Lucy called, though she didn't think he noticed or cared as his burning crimson gaze latched onto the suddenly serious iron dragon perched above him. Lucy felt a spike of worry when Gajeel's gaze darkened with rage.

Maybe the guildhall hadn't been the best idea as a location for their reunion.

But then there was a hand on his arm, followed by a familiar blue-haired woman with a bundle in her other arm. Levy urged him to calm down as he heaved for air, looking ready to outright murder the dragon. She flashed a faint smile at Lucy, eyes indicating she wanted to speak with her shortly, and Lucy inclined her head, short blonde hair tickling the line of her jaw.

"Gajeel, if you're going to start wrecking the place," Laxus called, "take it outside. We don't have the money to repair the place."

Lucy's head snapped around, remembering just how often there'd been repairs. "Are we short on funding?"

Laxus' jaw worked furiously. "Yeah. The Council took it away. Jura and Gajeel have been working to get it back, but...I think they're trying to close the guild again."

Lucy's stomach churned. This was her home. All she had. She could not lose them, nor could she lose her Spirits. The Spirits weren't going anywhere ever, of course, but if she lost Fairy Tail…

With a fierce look in her eyes, she said hoarsely, "If they close it, I'll take my throne. I'll make it a legal guild in my country. I don't give a damn what the advisors say." Laxus threw her a look of alarm and she met his gaze with a scowl. "This is my home. The only real home I have, with people who care for me. My people in Bosco love me, but as their princess and queen, not as Lucy. I won't let it be torn apart."

"...thanks, Lucy. I'm hoping it won't be necessary," Laxus admitted, running a hand through his hair. He let out a soft huff, and Lucy could have sworn that sparks flew. Lucy turned her attention back on the situation before them. Gajeel had calmed a little, but was still shooting daggers at Metalicana, who was patiently waiting for him to calm down before approaching.

Igneel, eyes sparking with curiosity as he studied Gajeel, locked his gaze on the baby in Levy's arms. Lucy saw his face soften, and then noticed the way Grandeeney and Metalicana also seemed to have focused their attention on her. "Oh, my gosh," she whispered, "they're all into children." A giggle escaped her lips, breaking the silence that had suddenly fell over the guildhall.

Gajeel snapped his gaze towards Lucy and called gruffly, "Oi. Bunny Girl. You were serious?"

Lucy folded her arms. "Did you think I was joking? I had proof of everything and you didn't believe me. Don't blame me for not tagging along. Everyone else came." Except for a certain fire mage, but she wasn't about to bring him up. Not when his voice still echoed in her mind from the message he'd left behind.

Gajeel faltered, and then told her, "Sorry. For being an ass."

Lucy's lips twitched. "Idiot." Without hesitation, she quickly hurried towards Levy, deciding it was safe to approach. Igneel seemed to hesitate, wanting to follow, eyes still locked on the baby, but remained where he was as Wendy abandoned her seat to come and see, too.

Levy greeted her with a warm smile, and Gajeel gave her a suspicious look as she immediately leaned over to greet the baby. "Aw," Lucy crooned, and Levy beamed with pride as Lucy ran her finger gently over the baby's soft cheek. "What'd you name her?"

"Alexus," Levy declared with a large happy smile. She offered her to Lucy. "Want to hold her?"

Lucy took her with a happy sound, and Wendy peered at the baby, too. Cradling the baby, she lowered her voice and said, "I'm sorry I wasn't here, Levy."

"It's fine. Everything's okay. And we're still living with you since Gajeel has to go back to work soon, so you can make up for it," she said cheerfully and then, trusting Lucy entirely, pushed past her and the others to approach the dragons. She tilted her head back to look up at Metalicana, who eyed her curiously. "You're Gajeel's father, right?"

Metalicana, dangling his empty beer mug from a finger, cocked his head. "Yeah. You're his wife, right?"

"Yeah." Levy smiled in a friendly manner, even as Gajeel faltered, not wanting to leave his newborn daughter with people just yet. Lucy arched a brow at him; did he think she would hurt the baby? Honestly!

But he decided he didn't have a choice when Metalicana hopped down, landing a foot or so away from Levy - enough that her hair fluttered around her face. She didn't seem the least big scared as he towered over, giving her a quick once-over with his eyes. "Interesting choice, brat, didn't think you'd find such a little creature for your lover."

Gajeel had a brush of red over his cheekbones as he stormed over and yanked Levy back so he could shove his face aggressively in Metalicana's, teeth bared. Metalicana didn't look bothered; merely sauntered around him to smile broadly at the wary Levy. "I like you. You're like this little fairy I could eat in one bite."

Levy smiled charmingly and said in response, "If you try to eat me, I won't hesitate to kick your ass."

Metalicana thought about it before bursting into loud laughter, grinning widely and patting her head. "I like you, little one." He turned to look over his shoulder at the glaring Gajeel. "You chose a good one, brat."

"I know that I did," Gajeel said through clenched teeth. "And now we're leaving."

"Gajeel," Levy said in exasperation, "you've been driving me crazy for a week now. Just...talk with him or something would you? Besides, I haven't seen Lucy in a month, and I want to chat with her and apologize for letting you sleep on her couch."

"It's her house," he snarled, "you can talk to her there."

Levy gave him a chilling smile, her hazel eyes flickering with irritation. "Don't you start telling me what I can and can't do, Gajeel Redfox." She huffed and then turned her attention onto Lucy, waving her over. Lucy carried Alexus over to her, smiling warmly as she passed the baby back to her mother. Levy took her with care as Alexus squealed, attention caught by the gleaming of the light off of Metalicana's piercings as he leaned over to peer at her. Gajeel glared viciously, not at all happy.

Wendy shifted happily from where she was standing beside Igneel when he wandered over to where she was. "She's cute," she told Levy.

Igneel rumbled his agreement, smiling faintly.

"Thank you," Levy laughed, teasingly adding, "I worked very hard to make her."

Lucy chuckled as Metalicana let Alexus gently grip his finger, earning a delighted look from both Metalicana and Levy. Gajeel scowled, but Lucy saw the softening in his eyes and smiled. He was hurt, and it would take him a very long time to forgive Metalicana for leaving him as he had, but...he liked that he was there. Lucy knew it. And Levy did, too, Lucy realized as Levy turned her head to smile excitedly at him.

Laxus shook his head from where he was standing, folding his arms. Mirajane came to stand beside him, touching his arm lightly as they watched the dragons meander closer and Lucy start chattering about something or another with Levy and Wendy. She smiled to him as she leaned briefly into him and said softly, "Do you think Lucy's house can hold all of the dragons?"

"She's gonna have to, 'cause there's no way in hell they're staying _here_."

* * *

 _REUNION! I hope it was to everyone's satisfaction? I have this headcanon that the dragons go freaking nuts for infants. Dunno why._

 _I want to alert you that at chapter 292, I am under two months away (BTL-time) from Natsu's return. You got a while. ;) But big developments coming up with Avatar in the next five or so chapters!_

 _TigerArrowgirl, regarding Laxus and Fairy Heart. Nope. XD_

 _Thanks to reviewers (ShadowRiptide, LePengwen, TigerArrowgirl, AnonymousStalkerFriend, Samm, sofiesticated, stranger1999, Raelin Thaon, Naruto4Sakura, Lodemai04, gourgastly, serenity2018, SecretAddition, Jeptwin, 19vanelkc, nkukurichan, Terra of Life, andFtfanDessarai!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	272. Chapter 272

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

The next day found Lucy curled up in a bar stool, alone. She wasn't surprised, although she was a little disappointed. Igneel had slept at the guildhall the night before - despite Laxus's demanding that he not - and was gone by the time she got there. Metalicana had stayed the night along with his Gajeel, Levy, and Alexus in Lucy's home, but Gajeel had begun to lower his guard and the four had stayed there when Lucy went out. She didn't even know where Grandeeney, Wendy, and Charle had gone.

All that work, finding and dragging the dragons back, for _this_.

For more loneliness.

Lucy gripped her keys tightly in her hand, pressing them to her lips. They were hot beneath her touch, as if trying to comfort her, but they did little. Lucy swallowed a lump that formed in her throat. She missed her team. She even missed Natsu right now, enough so that it brought tears to her eyes.

She'd brought Igneel home.

So where was he?

As if her pleas had been heard, her phone rang. She furrowed her brow. Even with the advances of technology after the reveal of magic, it still was usually pretty faulty. Lucy wondered if Mirajane had been able to fix it while they were out. She answered, not recognizing the number.

"Hello?" she greeted.

"Lucy," a voice she recognized greeted, hoarse with relief. "Oh, thank goodness! No one knew where you were."

"Erza," Lucy sighed, "nice to hear from you. How are things with Avatar going?" She didn't care if she was overheard - didn't even care if she wasn't supposed to know about it. She wanted her team back.

"That's the thing," Erza said hesitantly. "We're making our move against them in the next month or so. Gray managed to get word to us; he said that they're making a major attack against Lamia Scale soon. He's going to try and get us a better time, but they haven't planned a specific day just yet."

Lucy straightened, glancing over her shoulder. "Right. And you're calling me because…?"

"We've been working with Lily, Gajeel, and a few others," Erza admitted, then hastily added, "recently. Not previously. They were sent in. Before Gajeel left to meet his daughter, we felt this big flash of magic, by the way...we were worried. Is everything okay?"

"Yes." Lucy wondered where Igneel had gone. "But what's the point of the call, Erza?" she added gently but pointedly. A bubble of hope rose in her. Something told her something exciting was about to happen.

Erza chuckled and told her, "We've decided to say to hell with the Council - we would very much like if you'd join us when we march on Avatar. We know Wendy's been around recently, but we think it's best she remain in Magnolia."

"Can I bring someone with me?" Lucy asked, then added, "If they want to come."

Erza sounded surprised. "Of course." She hesitated, and then asked, "Lucy, is it...is it a new boyfriend? I know you were unhappy with Natsu leaving, and I wouldn't blame you if you'd moved on - I would as well, but-"

Lucy choked on nothing, bursting into hysterical laughter at the thought of she and Igneel being like _that_. It took her a few minutes to be able to chortle, "Oh, heavens no! No, no, nothing like that, Erza." She grinned, waving off a concerned looking Lisanna when she began to wander over. "Natsu...I'm upset with him, but I don't think I'm quite to that point just yet. He's just a good friend of mine." She might as well surprise them. "When do you want me?"

"As soon as possible. Don't tell anyone but who's coming." A pause. "And Gajeel. Gajeel should know."

"Thanks. I'll be there Erza."

"Thank you." Erza hesitated, and then said gently, "Lucy, we are truly sorry that we left you as we did. And I thank you for trusting us even after we abandoned you in such a way. I know we hurt you. It was never our intention, but I know we did."

Lucy's dark eyes softened. She leaned back in her seat, tracing the rim of the teacup she'd been drinking from with a single digit before saying solemnly, "You know what? It's not okay. But I forgave you for it. At least you had a damn good reason for it. And you included me as soon as you could. Well, Gray did for the most part. He's a mess right now, isn't he."

"He...is ready to go home," Erza admitted. "Take a train to Hargeon. We all ready alerted the Lamia Scale guild, and they're on alert, but are doing their best not to give their status away. I'll come and meet you there tomorrow morning. Bring Gajeel with you, too."

Excitement fluttered through Lucy again. Not only was something happening, but she'd be back with her team again. Well, some of them. And she'd be able to take her frustrations out as well as test her new trainings and Star Dress abilities in a full out battle. Lucy bid her friend farewell and hung up before climbing to her feet. First things first - she had to find Igneel.

A pause when Laxus called her name.

And let the guildmaster know she'd be out for a while.

* * *

It took the celestial mage much longer than she anticipated to figure out where Igneel had gone. She found him wandering Magnolia, exploring the town his son had called home. Lucy hadn't questioned it, merely informing him of what was going on and where to meet her when he agreed to accompany her. A glimmer in his eye told her he was eager for a fight, but he'd warned her that he didn't intend to alarm people by taking his original form.

Lucy hadn't minded at all.

She didn't necessarily mind word getting out if it would drag Natsu home, but...at the same time… She wasn't sure she wanted Zeref to know. Not that Igneel not transforming would stop him from knowing, particularly if he was allying himself with Acnologia.

Lucy thought of all of this, heaving a heavy sigh to herself as she walked towards her home. She could see it, see shapes daring this way and that occasionally as people walked by windows. She didn't bother to announce her presence when she'd entered, mind too busy. Igneel would meet her at the train station by six in the evening. She intended to arrive in Hargeon that evening, meeting Erza at the guildhall of Lamia Scale the next morning.

"Lucy!" Levy called in greeting when Lucy ducked into her livingroom. She smiled a little when she found Levy cradling her daughter to her chest, feeding her with a bottle. Gajeel was nowhere to be found, with Metalicana quietly staring openly at the young girl being held, his fingers twitching impatiently. Lucy giggled. He adored his granddaughter.

"Hey, Levy," Lucy said cheerfully, "is Gajeel here?"

Levy furrowed her brow a little. "Yes. Is everything okay?"

Lucy made a so-so motion with her hand. "I'm sorry, but he's going with me to Hargeon this evening with Igneel. We're going to meet Lily. I've been invited to join in with a little Council business that he's been working on."

The solid-script mage went quiet for a second, and then said, "Does he have to go?" She lifted her gaze unhappily to Lucy's. "I don't know the details - he couldn't tell me. He said he would afterwards. But I know it's dangerous - everyone always has him doing bad things."

"I was told to bring Gajeel with me," Lucy said softly. "I'm sorry."

Levy sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair. "Okay. Um, he's taking a nap in the room we've been sharing. Metalicana," she added gently, smiling warmly at him. She extended her arms. "Would you like to hold Alexus while I get him?"

Metalicana's red eyes seemed to glow as he took the small girl from her. "Fuck yes," he muttered, earning himself a half-hearted glare and a warning about his language before Levy slid out of the living room. Metalicana ran a finger down Alexus' cheek and without looking up, said in a low rumbling growl, "My son better come home. He's got a hatchling to take care of, do you understand, girlie? I'll shred you if he doesn't."

"You'll have to get in line," Lucy told him, folding her arms. "I'm pretty sure there are several other people who'd like to rip me to shreds."

Metalicana huffed. "Starting with Zeref."

"Oh, no," Lucy snorted, "he won't tear me to shreds. I'm too valuable in his eyes. But he'll sure as hell rip someone else to shreds simply because it hurts me. And maybe because it hurts Natsu, too."

"He's coming." Levy slid back into the room, leaving Alexus with Metailcana as she headed for the kitchen. She grinned faintly over her shoulder at Lucy. "You'll keep an eye on him? You know how he gets."

Lucy looked her friend in the eye and said simply, "If it's him or me, I'll make sure he walks off without a scratch."

"That's not what I meant, Lucy," Levy said gently, suddenly looking upset. She turned to face her friend entirely. "Lucy, are you okay? You're so…" She struggled to come up with the right word before saying blandly, "unlike yourself. You sound like you want whatever's happening to go badly. Are you okay?"

Lucy took a deep breath, then let it out in a whoosh. "I'm fine, Levy. I'm looking forward to this. I've been needing something big to happen. I want to test myself, see how much I've grown. This is the perfect chance. Besides." She winked. "This will be the first chance to start getting rumors of the dragons being back out into the world. For all we know, Natsu will hear and come running back so I can kick his ass."

Levy shook her head, frowning in disbelief, but was cut off by a grouchy Gajeel when he appeared yawning loudly. "What the fuck do you want, Bunny Girl? I was sleeping."

"Clearly," Lucy said with amusement. She studied him, taking in the shadows beneath his eyes. "You can sleep on the train. Pack whatever you need and be ready to leave in the next hour or so. I got a call inviting me to join in. Avatar's making a move."

Gajeel narrowed his eyes, immediately sobering and saying sharply, "You ain't supposed to know about that...Titania's work?"

Lucy nodded, ignoring the sharp look Levy was giving both of them. "Igneel's coming, too."

"Something big then," Metalicana mused, smirking down at Alexus. Gajeel scowled at him, not at all pleased with the fact that Metalicana had worked himself further into his present life than planned. Metalicana ignored his agitation and instead drawled, "Don't get yourself too beat up, boy."

Gajeel spat at him and went to start packing. Levy followed him, demanding to know precisely what was going on and Lucy headed for her own room. She summoned Virgo as she went, and Virgo slid a whip into her hands, furrowing her brow. "Princess," Virgo said softly, "be careful. We - _all_ of us, even Leo - worry about this fight you go to."

Lucy faltered in picking up a large backpack. "Why?"

Virgo leveled her with a sharp look. "The King has forbidden us from saying. It is what fate demands, but...we do not agree with fate. I cannot tell you why, but please be especially careful. We are here, and will fight to the death should you ask it of us. Your Spirits would fade from existence before we allowed harm to come to you. Do not be afraid to use us as you see fit, Princess."

Lucy looked at her in shock. "I would _never_ use you in such a way. I'd never use you at all! You're friends, family, not...items to be used as I see fit, Virgo. I'd _never_ do that to you. It's something I promised from the moment we first started working together. Since your key first came into my hands."

Virgo, to Lucy's surprise, merley snorted. "Sometimes, Princess, we wish you would forget your good nature. If only for your own sake."

And then she disappeared with a flash of light, leaving Lucy to ponder just what that had meant.

* * *

 _Lucy's on the move! We have a few more chapters before we get to see some action with Avatar, but yay!_

 _There's snow outside. It started snowing. I'm very unhappy about it._

 _Thanks to those who reviewed (stranger1999, Jeptwin, Lodemai04, Naruto4Sakura, Samm, 19Vanelkc, AnonymousStalkerFriend, Dragondancer81, LePengwen, FtfanDessarai, Saiyan God101, The Age of Awesomeness, Guest #1, and Treblemkr!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	273. Chapter 273

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

"I will never understand why trains are a necessary source of transportation." Igneel wrinkled his nose as Lucy glanced his way. "Nor will I understand the desire to ride in contraptions like airplanes or cars."

She had to bite back an outright bark of laughter when Gajeel, who looked incredibly ill, rasped, "You're tellin' me."

Lucy looked up at the building across the street from them as the taxi they'd taken drove away. Her phone was in hand, a message from Erza telling her that the scarlet-haired woman and Juvia would be there shortly to pick them up. Neither Igneel nor Gajeel looked entirely pleased by the dea of riding in another vehicle.

"So," Lucy said, glancing at Gajeel. He looked back at her with a sharp glare. He'd not been happy to leave Levy and his newborn daughter with Metalicana, but the dragon had pressed a hand over his heart and sworn to keep both safe. For some reason, that had seemed to satisfy him.

Likely because, as Gajeel had said in his irritable way, " _Metalicana keeps his damn promises. For the most part."_

"So?" Gajeel snapped.

" _So_ ," Lucy repeated, "do you know where we'll be going when they get here?" She was excited, looking forward to meeting with Juvia and Erza after so many weeks and months. Despite what she'd told them, she really did miss them. Just as she both hated and missed Natsu. She wondered briefly where he was, if he would have been there to fight, too.

No doubt he would have been.

Natsu Dragneel, missing a fight? As if.

Lucy shifted her weight, checking her phone for any new messages. She furrowed her brow when there was a new one, but not from anyone she expected. An unknown number had sent a ridiculously long text message. She glanced up at Igneel and Gajeel, then opened it, cocking her head.

Time stood still for the briefest of moments.

She found she couldn't move, couldn't do anything but stare at the message, her heart picking up a racing pace.

 _I ask your forgiveness_. _It appears I've upset my brother in addition to your previous guildmaster. Makarov remains in my presence, and I have yet to decide if I will return him after a few more conversations._

 _I don't know where my brother went. Perhaps to find the dragons you've freed? I wish I had been able to tell him that, too. I wonder if it would have unleashed more of the power he holds..._

 _My ears claim that a cult has gathered in my name and plans to launch an attack. While I appreciate the thoughtfulness, it would be quite a bother to convince them to stand down._

 _Good luck, Miss Heartfilia. My Empire and its people send their regards._

 _Best,_

 _Zeref,_

 _Emperor of the Alvarez Empire_

"Oi, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said sharply, cutting into her panicking thoughts. "Why do you like the world's ending? We're going to stop an attack on Hargeon, not a suicide mission."

Lucy made a strangled sound before she could stop herself. Eventually, she managed to say in an incredibly high-pitched tone, "I don't understand. How did he get my number?" She shoved her phone into Igneel's hands. The dragon looked bewildered by the device, but got the point when he began to read. A snarl escaped him, his magic flaring in fury. Gajeel, nosey, peered over to look, too.

"What?" Gajeel said, curious and puzzled. "Brother? Why do we care about the bastard's brother?" A scowl appeared on his face. "The fuck is Master doing there?"

"Because it means there will be trouble." Igneel sucked in a huge breath and then puffed smoke out of his mouth, growling low in his throat. "Zeref…" He looked to Lucy, whose face was white. "Does he know? Does Natsu know the truth, Lucy?"

"I thought he might," Lucy breathed. "After I got the bill that was for a boat ticket to the Empire and a few other things, but...this confirms it. He must know. Zeref wouldn't say something like that if he didn't. Zeref's horrible, but I don't think he's a liar."

"Wait," Gajeel cut in again, crimson eyes darting between them. " _What_?!"

"Shush," Lucy snapped, covering his mouth with her hand. She looked desperately to Igneel. The fire dragon was smoking violently and after an incredibly long moment, he rasped, "There's nothing we can do if Natsu is aware. How long ago would he have learned?"

"A few months back," Lucy breathed, voice hitching. "He was in the Alvarez Empire back in December, around Christmas. Most recently he was in Minstrel. That's where I got the call back at the beginning of July, the day I freed you."

Shoving Lucy's hand from his mouth, Gajeel snapped, "What the hell is going on?"

"Nothing you need to be concerned about," Igneel replied, then turned back to Lucy. Before he could get a word in, however, Gajeel exploded.

"Like hell!" he shouted, baring his teeth. He shoved at the fire dragon, not caring how much power he hid. Igneel snapped his jaws, but Gajeel ignored him and got in Lucy's face. "The fuck is going on, Bunny Girl? Natsu's our family, too. If there's somethin' going on, you better talk, or I'm goin' to go and rat you out, you hear me? I don't care what the hell is goin' through your mind. He's our family, too."

Lucy looked at him in surprise. After a long moment, she said hesitantly, "Natsu...Zeref is his brother, Gajeel. Zeref's full name is Zeref Dragneel." She could trust him, she knew she could, even as Igneel snapped his jaws furiously. He was anything but happy that they were giving this information out freely to whoever asked now. But she wouldn't tell him more. She would not tell Gajeel about END.

Gajeel's face hardened. "Are you fuckin' kidding me?"

"No. I'd never joke about something like that. And if you go around putting this out to anyone who asks," Lucy threatened, "I'll make sure Levy only gets to have one child, do you understand?"

"I believe," Igneel spoke up, scowling to himself as he pressed Lucy's phone back into her hands, "we have company." He gestured to a car that had pulled over on their side of the street. He hung back as a red-haired Titania crept out of the driver's seat.

"Erza," Lucy said with a tint of relief in her tone. She'd missed her. Desperately.

Erza snapped her head around as Juvia crawled out, too, only to gawk openly at the blonde. "Your _hair_ \- you chopped all of it off! Lucy!"

Lucy grinned, touching the cropped length she'd chosen to take on. "Do you like it?" Erza strode over without another word and Lucy yelped when Erza wrapped an arm around her and yanked her in for a painfully tight hug. "Oof! Hi, Erza."

"I'm sorry," Erza whispered, and Lucy found herself tightly hugging her back. She'd missed the requip mage desperately, and she buried her face in Erza's shoulder. "We should have refused to leave until you could accompany us, Lucy."

"It's okay," Lucy murmured back. "The fact that you think so means enough." She pulled back, smiling broadly at Erza. Her dark eyes shone as she caught sight of Juvia squealing and hugging Gajeel tightly.

"Were you good to Levy while you were home?" Juvia demanded, bouncing up and down. "Did you bring a picture of the baby like you promised Juvia you would? Hello, Lucy!" She beamed at Lucy, looking surprisingly energetic.

Lucy giggled.

"Is this the person you wanted to bring?" Erza spoke again, looking curiously at the patiently waiting Igneel.

Lucy's lips quirked as she cleared her throat, gesturing to Igneel. "I'd like you to meet the Fire Dragon King, Igneel." Erza's jaw dropped and Juvia gasped. Both women stared at him openly as Lucy added, "Igneel, meet Erza Scarlet, Fairy Tail's Titania, and Juvia Lockser."

"Igneel?" Erza said suddenly, looking alarmed. "As in, Natsu's father? A dragon? An actual dragon?" She looked at him with shock and curiosity. After a moment's hesitation, she bowed her head almost respectfully and said, "It's an honor to meet you after hearing about you for so long, Igneel. We've heard much about you from Natsu."

Igneel's green eyes flickered with interest. "I like this one," he told Lucy.

Lucy snorted, rolling her eyes as she wound her arm through Juvia's and said cheerfully, "I'm glad."

Juvia peered curiously at the dragon. "Are you truly a dragon? Natsu said you were, and clearly the dragon slayers are dragon slayers, but Juvia was never truly sure."

Igneel merely lifted his lips in broad grin, showing off sharp teeth in answer. Juvia giggled, and then looked over when Erza scolded, "You shouldn't be expending so much energy, Juvia, you are still recovering from being ill and Gray threatened to throw you to Mira when we go home if you're not careful, remember?"

Lucy looked at Juvia in surprise. "You're still ill?"

"No," Juvia said confidently, "but Juvia gets tired easily. Juvia's fine."

"Can we get a move on?" Gajeel said suddenly, giving the car distasteful look and then glaring at Erza for making him have to ride in one. "I want to get this car ride over with." Lucy felt for the poor guy. He didn't have Wendy, nor did he have Levy to lean on or Lily to reassure him as he usually did. He'd been left in the mercy of the three women and Igneel, who was unlikely to express sympathy.

He looked ill all ready, Lucy noticed with a slight smile.

"Sure," she agreed, exchanging an entertained look with Erza. "Shall we?"  
Erza nodded. "I'll debrief you on the details we have on the way. Gajeel, Lily will repeat them for you if you want to sleep."

They all voiced their agreement, Gajeel's coming in a garbled way.

* * *

It was a surprisingly long ride to where the Council members, Lily, Erza, Juvia, and Gajeel had been working. Nearly four hours into the ride, they were finally arriving, and Gajeel looked as if he was going to murder them all. He'd even snarled something no one could determine to Igneel. Igneel, looking somewhat ill himself, had barely noticed.

"It appears," Erza mused as she watched Igneel slowly climb from the vehicle, "that dragons are just as affected by motion sickness as their slayers."

Lucy grinned, running a hand through her short hair. "Sure looks that way."

She took a moment to study the area. Tents filled the field they'd chosen, and Lucy wondered just how long the Councilman had been there as they called greetings to Erza, Juvia, and Gajeel while simultaneously questioningly looking at the two newcomers. They all looked surprisingly friendly and Gajeel, seeming to recognize her line of thinking, rumbled, "Council's been better lately, Bunny Girl. Wasn't even the smaller rankings that caused problems or is trying to shut down guilds. It's the people higher up than us. Jura's been workin' with 'em to try and keep them under control. They got power hungry and the king and his family are starting to fail and give sway to the Council."

Lucy's jaw clenched. "Hisui…" She shook her head. "She should have never been given her throne. She will never understand what it means to rule." She folded her arms, glancing to Igneel. He'd overheard and was thinking this over. After a moment, she asked, "Igneel? What do you think?"

"The Council forgets," Igneel rumbled, "that there is a balance that must kept when magic is involved. Perhaps I will speak with them and remind them that they think themselves powerful, but not powerful enough to defy the will of dragons."

Lucy shivered at the way he'd spoken, admitting to herself that he sounded threatening. After a moment, however, he moved on, giving a half-smile that he directed to the wary Erza. "Do you have a window of time in which this…" He glanced at Lucy, furrowing his brow. "I believe Lucy said it was a cult? Do you have a window of time in which the cult will launch an attack on your friends?"

"Sort of," Erza admitted, thoughtful. "Gray said to expect one in the next few months, but we haven't been able to get a specific time. He's trying."

"How is he?" Lucy said gently. "He was having a rough time when he called me."

Juvia was the one who answered. Her blue eyes were troubled. "Juvia...Juvia thinks he's hiding something from us. He is so quiet when we finally speak with him." Tears rose to her eyes. "Juvia is worried."

Lucy thought of what Gray had told her about over the phone so many months before, how frantic he'd been about the marks that covered his body. Perhaps Igneel would have answers when they met with him again? "When are you supposed to see him again?"

"That's the problem," Erza said quietly, "we aren't. He said they've begun to trust him. He's getting under their skin, coaxing them to trust him further. The leader of this cult, Arlock, has begun to spill secrets we didn't expect."

"Like?" Lucy questioned.

Erza gave her a long look, almost apologetic. "Gray said that Arlock claims the Alvarez Empire is planning an attack on Fiore. He also claims that he thinks a Spriggan may have recently come to investigate the cult itself. He hasn't seen an outright display, but he says he's overheard the man bragging about how strong the country is."

In that moment, Lucy understood the concern of the Spirits.

* * *

 _Spriggan involvement! Anyhow, early update because I don't have time tomorrow. I'm going to be dead by evening. I have a very stressful class registration (mad scramble for classes between everyone in my year at college). Then I have a massive exam. And then I have another exam. And then I have room draw, which is another massive scramble (although not quite as bad). Wish me luck._

 _Also, I wanted to put a warning now before I forget: the last few months (BTL-time) of the timeskip get kind of rushed because I wanted something special for a certain chapter and there's nothing really important happening._

 _Thanks to reviewers (stranger1999, Saiyan God101, Naruto4Sakura, Lodemai04, Sae Yu, Jeptwin, NaLu and InuKag, LePengwen, FtfanDessarai, and ShadowRiptide!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_


	274. Chapter 274

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

Over a two months later found Lucy somewhat frustrated and _still_ waiting to move with everyone else on Avatar. She knew she wasn't alone in her agitation; Igneel had expressed his impatience several times to Erza, dubbing her to be the one in charge and completely bypassing Lily, Gajeel, and Jura, who joined them, when he demanded to know when they'd make their move.

The ever patient requip mage had smiled faintly and told him, "We go when Gray gives the signal."

Lucy knew that Erza had said it might be months, and it wasn't as if this waiting around wasn't good. They'd received valuable information from Gray when he'd managed to send notes, wheeled all the way from Avatar's home by one of his creations of ice. Lucy had been impressed; her magic wasn't the only magic that had grown in the past few months. But the news that creation had brought had ruined her delight, instead replacing it with horror.

 _The Spriggan claims that the Alvarez Empire's esteemed leader holds Master in a way that can be considered hostage. Supposedly, the Spriggans all know something they aren't sharing...I think it's about some kind of royal Alvarez family member._

 _~G. F._

Lucy and Igneel had quietly shared a knowing look.

 _Natsu_.

It was on the twenty-second of September that they were finally granted the ability to move. A message had been sent, stating a time and place, and from the second it was received, Jura was delivering orders. Lucy was placed with Erza, Juvia, and Igneel alongside a legion of mages that generally tended to work underneath Gajeel's command. Gajeel and Lily were to oversee everything from behind the lines, and Jura would guide his own men and women through the harsh battle that they could all sense was coming.

According to the message, the attack on Hargeon would come from a series of cliffs behind Hargeon, where the cult could sneak its members in without being noticed. The cliffs were behind a hill, and would suffice for a good hiding place until they were ready. They planned to overwhelm Hargeon and, along with it, Lamia Scale. Gray reported that all of the main cult members would be there, and the Spriggan was coming, too, to investigate and learn what Avatar was capable of.

And to gauge how difficult it would be for the Alvarez Empire to attack.

Gray recommended preparing for an overall assault that would permanently cripple the cult; in other words, capturing the leaders and dealing with the followers appropriately.

Lucy took a deep breath and then let it go. She had used her Star Dress magic before they'd settled down to wait for the Avatar cult to swarm the cliffs. In the port town, civilians were in hiding and the mages of Lamia Scale casually wandered around, having been warned by Jura ahead of time and ready to fight.

Beside her, Erza curiously eyed the outfit Lucy had chosen with a hint of concern. Lucy understood why; the bikini-like top was anything but good for wearing to a fight, and one leg was covered while the other looked as if she was wearing shorts on one side. Lucy flashed her a grin, fingers tightening around her whip. "Taurus' Star Dress. It enhances my strength."

Erza furrowed her brow and gently prodded at Lucy's bared belly. "I'm unused to seeing you wear such revealing clothes...make sure you don't catch anything to the stomach."

Giggling a little due to the ticklish feeling of someone prodding her belly, she smacked at Erza's hand gently and promised, "I've been working hard on my magic, Erza. Don't worry, I'll be fine." She considered it, and then added, "Virgo's Star Dress is even stranger. I get to wear a maid outfit with hers."

Her favorite, though she wouldn't say it aloud, was Leo's Star Dress.

Her Spirits knew it and didn't blame her, but...she felt bad.

"How much longer?" Igneel rumbled from where he was watching. He'd been told to stay in his humanoid form, as they didn't want the Alvarez Empire knowing for sure that they had dragons. He was to hold back, too, simply to appear as a fire mage to avoid even a rumor escaping. Lucy wondered if Natsu would hear and question it.

Lucy checked her phone, then informed him, "Two minutes until noon. That's when it should be, right, Juvia?"

Juvia nodded, her blue eyes fierce. "Yes."

"Are you sure you're okay to fight, Juvia?" Erza asked gently. "I don't want you tiring yourself out. You're coughing again."

"Juvia will be fine, chronic illness or no," she said sharply. "Juvia will fight with my nakama whether it kills Juvia or not."

Igneel, despite being a little confused by her manner of speaking, informed her, "You would make a nice dragon." Juvia beamed, as if this was the nicest piece of praise she'd ever received.

"Here we go." Erza's voice had them all focusing. Lucy squinted at something she couldn't quite see, but Igneel perked up as he rumbled, "They're scaling the cliffs. Impressive. Only in my other form would I be capable of doing that myself."

"Don't compliment them, Igneel," Lucy scolded though she wore a hint of a smile on her face. Focusing, she flicked her whip. It silently snaked across the ground, and she smiled grimly when it gave a soft snap that wouldn't be heard by the people they were waiting to be ambush.

"Remember," Erza said, eyes locked ahead. "If you are confronted by the Spriggan, be cautious. If possible, render him unconscious or something similar so that we may capture him for information. If you cannot deal with him, call for Igneel. A Spriggan cannot possibly defeat a dragon."

"I'll be listening," Igneel rumbled aloud, smoke curling from his nostrils as they flared in excitement.

Erza turned her head, scarlet hair wild around her face as she waited for Jura's signal. It would calm in the form of a gentle crack in the ground. Her dark eyes blazed with determination. She'd all ready decided, she'd told Lucy, that after this mission was over, she was going to take a break and stay with Crime Sorciere in Bosco, assisting where she could and staying with Jellal.

Lucy had been somewhat hurt, bothered that despite all of her apologies, she was going to leave again, but had understood. She wanted a break from fighting, a moment of peace and visiting Jellal after almost a year of absence from the man she cared so deeply for. And, Lucy remembered, Juvia had mentioned that she and Gray would likely return to Magnolia, enjoying a bit of a peaceful life for some time in hopes that Juvia's cough would go away permanently.

Not that Gray knew about these plans, but Lucy was sure he'd not mind.

The poor guy needed a break and to acclimate to not being on his toes all the time.

A rumble in her ears caught her attention. She snapped her gaze downward in time for a crack to shoot past Erza's feet and Erza smiled faintly before announcing, "Let's go! You know what to do! Capture the leaders, possibly the Spriggan!" She threw her hand out, ordering, "Block off the cliffs. Avoid killing if possible, but if you're life's in danger...don't hold back. Squads one, six, twelve, go!"

A series of mages bolted past those at the front of the group of gathered mages. Lucy studied them, doing the math. Groups of five each, with twelve squads per mass, resulting in one hundred twenty mages. Additionally, they had Lamia Scale, Gajeel, Lily, Juvia, Erza, and Lucy, along with a saint among wizards and a dragon.

Lucy studied the cult. They had more people than Avatar.

But the cult was more violent.

Lucy bit her lip, finding herself twitching anxiously. "Come on," she muttered, surprised with herself. She wanted to go and fight, and it almost made her laugh because she realized that Natsu had rubbed off on her in more than one way. Shouts filled the air as Avatar realized that they'd been ambushed, followed by the explosion of magic as people began to fight. Lucy could have tasted it, the magic was so thick in the air, and Lucy realized that this was the first time they'd truly fought a battle against other mages.

There had never been need to before.

She blamed Zeref.

"There goes Jura…" Erza muttered to herself, her hands tightening around a pair of pistols she'd requipped into her hands. "Squads two through four, go back up one, six, and twelve!"

They left to do just that.

And then something began to form in the center of the mass of cult members. Lucy flashed Erza and Juvia a brief grin when she realized it was made of ice. "Gray," she murmured. She added louder, "He must be waiting until we've dealt with everything to come out of hiding."

"He'll make a show of it," Juvia said confidently. "Juvia will try to get to him."

"No," Erza denied, "we need everyone on their guard and to not give him away until he decides it's a good time. I told Gray that he would need to decide when he was done and I will not take those words away. Igneel, I would like you to start a fire and keep any of the cult members from breaking away into town. Lamia Scale's sending half of its members through to help fight, so if you see anyone with the emblem, let them through."

Igneel gave a mocking bow, lips quirking. "Yes, ma'am," he hummed and then started for where mages were blasting magic at one another. He ducked to avoid a blow that tried to catch him, made of something dark and daunting.

"Juvia, stay here and send in people if you think one of our squads is failing. Keep information flowing between us and Gajeel."

"Okay," Juvia muttered, pouting.

"I'm going in," Lucy decided, not liking the look on Erza's face when she turned to Lucy.

Erza looked worried, but nodded, and Lucy was relieved. She didn't want to argue. Plus, she wanted to test out her improved skills. And show Erza that they were there. That while everyone had been away and doing things, she'd been doing things, too. Without waiting, Lucy went to join the attempt to capture the leaders.

She was attacked the second she was close enough. Without hesitation, she summoned Capricorn, ordering, "Help keep them off my back."

He nodded. "Of course, Miss Lucy."

Snapping her whip and watching it snake around, sweeping people's feet out from beneath them. She grinned as adrenaline suddenly began pumping through her veins, Taurus' strength filling her when she wrapped the end around a particularly large man's ankle and sent him flying. She lifted her head, summoning Gemini. The Spirit peered curiously at her. "Find Gray," she ordered, knowing Erza wouldn't be happy. "See what he knows about the location of the Spriggan and then come find me."

"Yes, Miss Lucy!" Gemi cried.

"Yes, Miss Lucy!" Mini echoed.

"We will return," they promised in unison, but before they could leave, they became alarmed and cried,"Miss Lucy!"

The warning came just in time, and Lucy swung around in time to block a blow from a smirking mage. Her dark eyes grew wide with surprise at the familiar face just as Capricorn towered over her attacker. She stuttered, "C-Capricorn, he's fine."

"Hey, Lucy." Gray gave her a familiar and crooked grin, his dark eye glittering with amusement while the one beneath the streaks glowing violet. She barely recognized him with his hair slicked back and clothes that looked like they were from another era draped on his body. It made her nervous that the grin he wore showed no warmth, the only sign that he knew her the familiarity with which he said her name. "Nice hair."

And then he was lashing out as hard as he could with a sword of ice, alarming Lucy when he threw a series of icey knives at Capricorn and Gemini. They disappeared in flashes of light, and Lucy cried their names in horror. "Gray!" she tried, horrified, but he merely rested the tip of his sword in the center of her chest, stopping her in her tracks. She stiffened, not daring to move.

When he grinned, it was cold and heartless, a look of excitement that didn't fit her friend in his eyes. They were here! How long was he going to hold onto this cover? Her grip tightened around her whip's hilt. "Our visitor," he said slowly, eyes flickering with irritation, "wants to have a word with you."

 _There_. Someone must have been watching him, because lips tightened into a grimace, signaling that he didn't like the idea. "Like hell," she muttered and then lashed out. She caught him by surprise as her whip wrapped around his ankle and tightened, yanking his foot out from beneath him. Gray went down with a shout, and Lucy was quick to summon Virgo, who took up a defensive position beside her. "Star Dress: Leo," Lucy decided, willing her magic to do as she demanded. Having summoned her third Spirit as well as changing her clothes made her feel just a hint of the drain that would eventually force her out of battle.

Gray blinked, looking a little surprised from where he'd hit the ground, but he was quickly back on his feet, this time looking uncertain. He glanced over his shoulder and then touched his ear, throwing Lucy a hasty apologetic look that vanished as quickly as it came. Understanding raced through her.

Earpiece.

Someone was watching and listening. Likely the Spriggan.

So, Lucy grabbed Virgo and ordered in her ear, "Fetch Juvia." She would be enough to allow her to squirm out from beneath Gray's grasp so that she could focus her attention elsewhere. She wanted to come across the Spriggan, but not as a "prisoner."

"Princess," Virgo said uncertainty, "Mistress Erza's orders…"

"Go," Lucy said firmly and then flashed her whip out again, trying to latch it onto Gray's wrist. He swung his arm out of the way, jabbing with his blade of ice. She flinched when it cut into her side, tearing the sleek black dress and drawing blood. She ignored the pain as Virgo vanished, lashing out with her whip and surrounding her heels with the white searing light of Loke's magic as she lashed out, kicking as she distracted him. He grunted when it seared through a part of his shouldered coat.

"Damn, Lucy," he muttered, a hint of a grin kicking at his lips as he suddenly snagged her ankle and twisted. Lucy's leg jerked and she found herself toppled, landing heavily on her hip. Pain blossomed and she flinched. She kicked sharply with her sharp heel, aware that they were purposely sharper than average, and Gray only fended them off with his blade. He grimaced as he placed a foot on her wrist and pressed until she was forced to drop her whip, slamming the icey sword into the ground by her head and making her freeze when it skimmed over her cheek and carved it open.

"Gray," Lucy breathed, startled.

"Sorry," he muttered. "You're definitely stronger now, if it makes you feel any better. But I doubt you'd win against the Spriggan hunting for you." He paused, and then emphasized, " _Trust me_ on that." Without further comment, he kicked her in the jaw.

Lucy thought she might have heard a crack before she saw only darkness.

* * *

 _AND SO IT BEGINS! The Avatar arc is not long at all. It'll be over quickly, but then we begin some other fun stuff in the time skip so._

 _On another note...Lucy. Lucy's training has been useful. She's definitely improved, and I don't want you guys thinking she worked for nothing. She was taken down pretty quickly here, but she was also up against Gray, who she doesn't want to hurt if she can avoid it. Gray himself has been so involved in keeping himself hidden for so long that he's used to such things and did what he had to. This mistake will fuck her over for the remainder of the battle. ;)_

 _Thanks to reviewers (Raelin , 19vanelkc, LePengwen, Jeptwin, Saiyan God101, MagicalFoxInTheWilderness, Naruto4Sakura, Dragondancer81, stranger1999, samm, Brooke315, TigerArrowgirl, sofiesticated, NaLu and InuKag, FtfanDessarai, Lodemai04, and Juvia is my spirit animal!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

 _Just a side note, my grandfather's not doing well at all. If I miss an update in the upcoming weeks, that will be why._


	275. Chapter 275

**. Between the Lines .**

* * *

When Lucy came to, she found herself on the cold ground, her face feeling as if it was on fire. She felt tears gather and fall simply from the pain as she hoisted herself onto her elbows and looked around, careful not to jostle her jaw. The fight was still going, but it was clear who was winning. Igneel was somewhere in the mass, flames bursting in every direction. Yet there were more Avatar members than Councilmen and women who were up and about.

Lucy found herself a little frightened by it.

Biting back the urge to scream at her pain, Lucy heaved herself upright and went to work. She lashed out with her whip after gathering it into her fingers, deciding against summoning a Spirit for the time being even as their keys seared sharply at her hip where they hung. She'd lost her Star Dress during her time of unconsciousness, and she quickly fixed that now. She chose Cancer's, liking the pair of blades that came with it. She attached her whip to her belt the second she could, and then began to slash.

She'd sought training from a few various mages who preferred old weaponry over the last two months, and had been able to pick it up fairly well. Erza, surprised with her newly discovered abilities, had even given some pointers that Lucy appreciated now. She didn't try to kill, but she made sure that those who confronted her wouldn't get back up. Even Lucy's never-ending magic was beginning to fade, herself-set limit warning her that continuing would soon be impossible.

Her jaw felt like it was on fire as she felt something in her suddenly shift. And just like that, she was back on the ground, clutching her stomach. Pain raced down her body and coiled there, as if she was having the worst sickness of her life, and she retched, trying to keep down her meal from that morning.

It was only after a moment that Lucy realized that person after person around her was falling to their knees, too. Enemies and allies alike collapsed, and Lucy's face grew pale when a smiling girl, not much older than Wendy, emerged, walking slowly towards her with a pleasant look on her face. She giggled at the sight of so many people in pain.

Taking a deep breath, ignored her pain and the second the girl was close enough, lashed out with a blade, short hair skimming over her face. The girl clicked her tongue and stepped aside. "There you are, Princess Heartfilia," she hummed. "The Spriggan's been seeking you." She pulled a device out of her pocket - a radio. "I have the princess before me," she said into the radio.

There was a moment before it crackled and a voice - Gray's! Lucy realized, shocked. - gritted out, "Are you able to transport her, Mary?"

"No. Arlock, can you send the Spriggan my way?" she replied, addressing whoever Arlock was.

A brief moment passed, and then a voice that sent chills down her spine answered, "He is coming, Mary. Keep her there. Watch for the fire mage, he is causing issues. Gray, deal with him. You told me you're an expert against them. Prove it."

Lucy snorted before she could help herself. As if Gray was a match for _Igneel_.

It seemed like minutes of agony. Minutes of trying to control the violent cramping in her belly. Minutes of trying to hold back the tears that threatened to stream down her face. Months of training - to be brought down by a stomachache. How stupid, in Lucy's eyes. How stupid she was. Months of training right down the drain-

Sand suddenly swirled to life around them and then, there was a man Lucy didn't recognize - although she didn't have to recognize him. The symbol he supported was enough. The Spriggan looked proud of himself, even amused by Lucy's predicament. As the sand died down, instinct told Lucy that the man before her was somewhat insane.

"There's the princess," he cooed, laughing hysterically when the girl who'd summoned him there curled a lip in disgust. "What's wrong, little Mary? Pouting because Fullbuster won't be here to be proud of you?" Lucy felt sick. He'd blended in so well that they thought Gray would enjoy death. She remembered his frantic call to her, his plea that she tell him what to do.

The girl - Mary - glared at him a little, her face darkening at the mention of Gray. "That's none of your concern," she sneered, " _Spriggan_."

Something in his face shifted. He still smiled, but his gaze grew dark and he didn't look the least bit bothered as sand swirled around him for a moment before striking. Mary shrieked as it bombarded her. Lucy gasped as it swirled around her, dragging her into the ground while simultaneously shoving itself down her throat and up her nose. Lucy barely caught sight of the way Mary's face filled with shock before she was gone, likely dead, beneath the earth.

"What...how could you?" Lucy breathed, even as the pain in her stomach vanished and was replaced by the fire in her jaw. "She was your _ally_."

"She was a pest," the Spriggan said as if he had no concern for Mary. "You, on the other hand...I mean, let's be honest, you still are a pest, but if I killed you, Emperor would be unhappy, so…" He beamed. "Time to go. If you come quietly, maybe I won't hurt you."

Lucy bristled at his words, as if she wasn't there. Ignoring the agony she felt in her face, she lashed out with one of Cancer's blades, furious. She caught him across the cheek as he ripped back, and he staggered back a few steps, touching his cheek in surprise. There was a moment in which he thoughtfully pressed his fingers over the bloody gash.

And then his expression darkened.

Lucy knew that look; several demons of Tartaros had worn it. Zeref himself had worn it before he'd struck again and again at Natsu while Kyoka enhanced his pain. And she knew that it was time to get out of there. Sand leaped to life and she summoned Scorpio with a shout, swearing under her breath when she was blinded.

She nearly forgot about the pain in her jaw as Scorpio, who had drained what was left of her magic and forced her Star Dress away, appeared before her with near a snarl. The sand swirling around them didn't seem to bother him at all. "Yo, Miss Lucy," he hissed, "what the hell is this guy?"

"Spriggan," she answered, grabbing her whip again. It coiled around her feet. "He works...for Zeref, Scorpio, I need you to keep him...off my back, but we also need to keep him distracted-" There was a pause as she fought the urge to pass out, jaw throbbing warningly. "-until someone who can overpower him - preferably our mutual friend - comes."

"Right," Scorpio agreed, and then lunged for her when she suddenly slammed through the earth, catching her when sand dragged her down up to her hips. He pulled her free, keeping a grip on her waist. "Alright, Miss Lucy?"

"Thanks," she gasped, hissing. She'd likely dislodged the broken pieces of her jaw by now with the amount of talking she was doing, she thought wryly. She was so going to kill Gray for this. "Where is he?"

"What did I teach you, Miss Lucy?" he chided gently. "You don't need Star Dress to use our abilities. They enhance them, but don't contain them." Lucy nodded in understanding and crouched, sinking her fingers into the sand. She felt Scorpio offer his own magic to try and help. Lucy closed her eyes, trusting him to protect her.

She could _feel_ people moving among the sand. Allies and enemies alike were struggling alongside her from the Spriggan's power and she felt each and every one of them briefly, marking where they were. "There!" she suddenly cried, throwing her eyes open and lashing out with her whip when a figure encased in flying sand appeared behind them. Scorpio whirled around with a grin, proud when Lucy's whip curled around the Spriggan's foot and yanked. The Spriggan screamed in rage as he was hauled to his back. Lucy flicked the tip, releasing his foot in time to slash it over his chest. It drew blood, and Lucy danced away as he tried to cover her in sand.

They needed him.

They _needed_ the information he would provide.

"Scorpio," she hissed, "knock him out if you can."

"Yes, Miss Lucy!" Scorpio looked perfectly at home in the sand that was surrounding them, and Lucy kept her whip moving, not daring to let it get caught. The Spriggan was furious, clearly not pleased that someone from Fiore was capable of keeping up with him.

"Bitch," the Spriggan seethed and then lunged for Lucy herself, slamming into her with his heavy body. Lucy went down with a shriek, having not expected it. Scorpio snarled her name in concern, as the Spriggan settled over her, grinning maniacally. "I'm going to enjoy dragging you back to Zeref," he hummed. "I don't know what he wants, but I'm sure he won't mind if I carve you up a little." Trickles of sand raced over her, and Lucy found herself screaming when something sharp grazed over the portion of her jaw that hurt.

Scorpio vanished, as if banished from her Realm as the last of her magic went away. Lucy shrieked in desperation as she tried to knee him in the groin, if only to get away. He didn't budge, sand swirling around him and redirecting her aim harmlessly. He didn't move, didn't seem at all interested in anything but scraping raw sand over wounds that were all ready there-

A second brush over her jaw was all he got before something slammed into his chest, sending him flying. Lucy lay there for a moment, shivering, and then merely breathed as a figure stood over her and peered down.

"I _told_ you," Gray sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. He'd lost the coat somewhere, bare-chested and showing off the marks on his skin. He arched his scarred brow at her. "I _told_ you it wasn't a good idea, Lucy. I'm impressed you were up and about after that."

She glared wordlessly at him, but let him pull her to her feet. She hissed softly in pain, not bothering to speak. She didn't want to make her jaw worse. He muttered an apology, grimacing at the bruise that had flared up over her face. And then he shifted the shouldered cannon he'd crafted, gaze darkening when the Spriggan hauled himself to his feet, grinning.

"I _knew_ you weren't who you seemed to be," he mused.

"Shut up," Gray said darkly. "I don't give a damn what you think, Ajeel."

 _Ajeel_ , Lucy noted, surprised that she'd finally gotten a name. She scooped her whip up with shaking fingers. If this was one Spriggan...heavens above, they were doomed. Fiore and the rest of the Ishgar area would fall beneath the Empire's power. She took a deep breath and watched as Ajeel cocked his head back and forth, looking almost psychotic.

"I don't care about you," Ajeel retorted, "and Zeref could care less about this cult of yours. He wants the Fairy Heart." His gaze reverted back to Lucy's. She straightened her shoulders, planting her feet. She was going nowhere.

Suddenly, a bellowing roar filled the air.

And Ajeel looked as confused as she and Gray did as they were enveloped in smoke and fire.

* * *

 _So...another update a day early because I'm a college student that was stupid and put three classes in one day. I'm also hosting a prospective student, which I'm excited about!_

 _On another note...Spriggans! I was surprised by how many people thought of various Spriggans that didn't include Ajeel. It was interesting watching you guys guess. XD_

 _And on a third note, I want to say thank you. Thank all of you so much for the well-wishes regarding my grandfather. You have no idea how much it means to me. And I'm incredibly sad to those that said they hope he gets better soon that he won't. He's got liver cancer and the chemo didn't work. We're at the point where I'm expecting the phone call at any point during every day, and I am unable to go and see him one more time due to being halfway across the country._

 _But seriously, thank you guys. I really, REALLY appreciate all of your kind words and reviews, and in gratitude, I'm giving you a sneak peek of the most recently written chapter._

 _Thanks to reviewers (Naruto4Sakura, Jeptwin, Vilchen, EraticMind, LePengwen, Myriad1708, stranger1999, SecretAddition, FtfanDessarai, Lodemai04, nerdalertwarning, and The Age of Awesomeness!) as well as those who favorited and followed!_

* * *

 **Preview of Chapter 294!**

 _Normally, Lucy would have been - naturally - interested and listened intently before sending Gemini off to its own Realm again, but now - with the Spirit King delivering a message in addition to Loke…_

 _"What is it?" she said, hopping down to crouch before her Spirit, dark eyes flickering nervously. "Is everything okay?"_

 _Gemini exchanged a look before looking back to its mistress. In unison, the Spirit told her, "The Spirit King says, 'War is on the horizon, and the Spirits cannot afford to be taken into the hands of those who misuse them. Should your war with the Alvarez Empire grow to be too large of a concern, I will end the contracts you and every other celestial mage hold with those of my Realm and proceed to end the connection allowing the Realms to be connected. The age of celestial magic will end.'"_

 _Lucy hit the ground on her rear sharply, stunned. Slowly, she shook her head. "No," she breathed. "No, they can't do that...he can't. We can't lose our magic, worry about losing that magic, when we're about to go to...Gemini, what is Loke's message?"_

 _Gemini bounced happily, relieved to be finished with the first message. Both halves of the Spirit giggled and told her, "Brother Leo says to tell you this message: 'If the Spirit King thinks that he's going to end our contracts with you before we've given it our all, Princess, then we will rebel and return to you - whether it be in life or death. The Zodiac has decreed this and voted, allowing all thirteen - including Ophiuchus - to agree on the same thing for the first time in a millenia.'"_


End file.
